Let me skip over the witty introductions and the preface of this story. Something happened today that was amazing and I have to share.
I was standing in the back of church and one of my friends came up to me and handed me an envelope and told me that she wanted one of my fundraising shirts. I told her price of the shirts were $18 – the envelope felt awfully thick for $18. She told me just to keep the envelope. People were leaving and saying goodbye as all of this was happening. I was taken back and made sure she wanted me to keep the envelope. She assured me that it was exactly what she wanted.
I finally made it home and was curious about the envelope. I opened up and counted. And counted. And counted again. It was about $250 for my trip.
I was stunned and, to be honest, somewhat emotional. I later found out that the money was for some new summer clothes but she felt God was telling her during the service to give it to missions.
It reminded me of something I heard the night before at a young adult service at a church I had visited. The speaker shared from Exodus chapter four, specifically verse 2. God had met with Moses at the burning bush to give him a job to free the Israelites from slavery – a pretty crazy huge task! Moses contended, “What if they don’t believe that you sent me or believe what I say?!” That’s an honest, understandable concern. Do you know what God said next? “What is that in your hand?” Moses replied, “A staff.” Moses had very little to offer. He wasn’t an eloquent speaker by his own admission in verse ten of chapter four. He ran away from his people and was an outcast in the eyes of both his Israelite and Egyptian brothers. But one thing he and Aaron, his brother, had was a staff. Their staffs would soon be used of God to turn the water into blood, confuse the mystics of Egypt and part the Red Sea.
So God’s asking you, “What’s that in your hand?” What do you have right now that God can use and multiply in ways that you would never even begin to imagine? You don’t have to be rich or be done with school and have your life “figured out” (whatever that means). What is in your hand? What do you have RIGHT NOW?
My friend had some money for summer clothes. She was obedient when God led her to give and He is going to use what she had in her hand to deliver the gospel, hope and love to places thousands of miles from where she lives.
A pretty crazy huge task is being accomplished by a pretty crazy huge God who took what one person had in their hand. That’s it.
So..
What’s in your hand?
