God who empowers us
(Ex. 4:2-4)


God appeared to Moses in burning bush and gave him the mission of a leader to bring Israelites up out of Egypt. However, he hesitated, saying that the people of Israel would not accept him as their leader. However, God showed a miracle of a staff turning into a snake and the snake returning to the staff.

1. What we have

God asked Moses, “What do you hold on your hands?” (Ex. 4:2). What he held was a tree branch to guide his sheep. It was old and dry stick. It is like a life without God. If we live without God, our life will become like a dried stick. (Jer. 17:5-6) What we have in this world does not last forever and meaningless without eternity. (1Co. 7:31) Therefore, we should believe in Jesus who is our life and use what we have for the glory of God so that God make what we have worth and valuable.

2. What we should throw away
God asked Moses to throw away the staff and it became a snake. He was afraid of being bitten by the snake. What it represents is the life without God, which becomes like a snake and bites us, releasing venoms in our life. Turning away God and holding material things, power and fame ruins our life and leads us to the miserable end of our life. Also, the snake means the people controlled by sins. (Rom. 6:16) Therefore, we should get rid of old person filled with avarice, arrogance, anger, and sins and be filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit as a new person.
3. God who uses us

God asked Moses to grab the tail of the snake. When he took it by the tail, it became a staff. (Ex. 4:4) The staff was no longer a dried stick. It became a powerful stick caught by the almighty hand of God. (Ex. 4:20) Even our life seems to be nothing but it can be miraculous once it is held by God. When David threw a stone for the name of God, Israel gained the glorious victory. When a boy gave five loaves of bread and two fishes to Jesus, millions of people were fed enough. Therefore, we should offer what God wants to use from us and be held by the almighty hands of God in order to live as a servant of God.