What’s in Your Hand?

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading titled, What's in Your Hand?

was written by Nancy Gavalanes. A few years after I received salvation and dedicated my life to God, I felt Him directing me to lay down my journalism career. As I put down my pen and my writing went into hiding, I couldn't help feeling that one day God would call me to write for His glory. During my years of wandering in my personal wilderness, I was encouraged by the story of Moses and his staff in Exodus 4. Moses, who was raised in Pharaoh's palace and had a promising future, fled Egypt and was living in obscurity as a shepherd when God called him. Moses must have thought he had nothing to offer God, but he learned that he can use anyone and anything for His glory.

What is that in your hand? God asked. A staff, Moses replied. God said, throw it on the ground. Moses's ordinary staff became a snake. When he grabbed the snake, God turned it back into the staff.

This sign was given so the Israelites would believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has appeared to you. As Moses threw down his staff and took it back up again, I laid down my career as a journalist in obedience to God. Later, he guided me to pick up my pen again and now I'm writing for him. We don't need much to be used by God. We can simply serve Him with the talents He's given us.

Not sure where to start? What's in your hand? Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Exodus chapter 4 verses 1 through 5. Moses answered, What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, The Lord did not appear to you? Then the Lord said to him, What is that in your hand?

A staff, he replied. The Lord said, Throw it on the ground. Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.

So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and turned it back into a staff in his hand. This, said the Lord, is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has appeared to you. Let's pray. Father God, please help us not undervalue the gifts you've given to us. May we hold our gifts up to you and allow you to use them as you will. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening today. My name is Brenna Holzkla, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.