9/2/18 – Exodus 4, Exodus 5, Exodus 6:1-12 Matthew 26:31-46 Proverbs 4:10-19

Ex 4: 2-3

The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it.

What is in your hand? Moses just had a staff, one which he sued to herd sheep. Also, since he was 80 at this point, I’d imagine he used it to lean on occasionally too.

It was just a stick – nothing special. But God was able to use it. It became a snake – it would go on to perform miracles – it would even part a sea.

It would be easy to associate this staff itself with some kind of awe. In fact many have done over the years. But no, it was just a stick.

God uses what we have. Sometimes we expect God to give us the right tools before we get the job done, but there is no right tool – it’s God that does the work. He will work with whatever we have – even if it’s not much.

What do you have in your hand? God can use it. God can perform miracles with it. They key it stepping out in faith and trusting Him and God will use what you give Him.

Mat 26:39

And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

It never fails to move me when I think of the battle that took place in Gethsemane. I have visited the garden there on occasion and each time it brings me back to this anguish of Jesus. My Lord and my Saviour, the King of all the earth – struggling to deal with the coming cross.

If it be possible, let there be another way. But it was not possible for this cup to pass from Him. It was the only way for my salvation to be secure. It was the only way for any of us to be saved.

I’m so thankful to Jesus – He was obedient to God – even when it meant death on a cross.

I long to learn that same obedience. I long to learn that same passion for others.

The cross fills me with awe – but Gethsemane truly humbles me.

Prov 4:14-15

Do not enter the path of the wicked,

and do not walk in the way of the evil.

Avoid it; do not go on it;

turn away from it and pass on.

Good advice. Don’t walk on the path of the wicked – avoid it, don’t go on it. Most of our problems with returning to sin start with walking on the wrong path. We don’t avoid it, we walk a little way down and think we will be strong enough to get off before it becomes too much.

But we aren’t. We fail. We mess up.

How much better off we wold be if we didn’t step foot on the path to begin with.