| A HORSE IN MY HAND |
| In the old
Testament book of Exodus chapter four we read the story of God
convincing Moses to go back to Egypt and confront Pharaoh about
releasing the slavery of Israel. It was a hard sell. Moses was very
resistant, very doubtful that Pharaoh would do it. God resorted to an
illustration to convince Moses that the miracle would happen. God said
to Moses, “What is that in your hand?” Moses replied, “A staff.”
Then God said, “Throw it on the ground,” and when Moses did so the
shepherds staff became a snake. Upon obeying God’s command to grab the
snake and pick it up it again became a staff, convincing Moses that the
God of miracles was still at work and although the assignment was he
would face the impossibility and trust God with the results.
You know the rest of the story, how with that dry old shepherds staff in the hand of Moses walked back into the court of Pharaoh were he had grown up through boyhood, looked Pharaoh in the eye and said, “Thus saith the Lord, ‘LET MY PEOPE GO!” Ten Times Moses pointed that staff and ten disastrous miracles fell on the land and people of Egypt until finally Pharaoh relented and let the people go. God was not yet done with Moses and his shepherd’s staff. With that staff in the hand of Moses God parted the waters of the sea and the nation crossed to safety. With that staff in the hand of Moses God closed up the waters of the sea and drowned the pursuing Armey of Egypt. With that staff in the hand of Moses God Brought forth water from the rock, quail from the desert, manna from the sky, and even judgment upon the rebellious grumblers among them. If this event had happened to me I suspect my reaction to God’s request to throw down my trusty shepherd’s staff would have progressed something like this: “What? Throw it down on the ground!! It might get stepped on and broken and I can’t risk that!! You see, I’ve got arthritis in my leg and I need this staff to get along.” “Throw in down, “God Repeats. “Now look here , God, I need this staff to help me herd these dumb sheep. I can reach our with it and snag a run-away, or poke a straggler to hurry along, or sometimes to reach out and rescue a lam caught in a thicket, or even to smack a bad snake. No, no, I need this staff” “Turn loose of it, “God repeats. “I need it.” “You don’t need this staff. You see, this one is all buggered up with nicks and scratches. It’s had hard use. And lookie here; it has MY initials carved on it.” God persists with, “I need YOUR staff. I want to make it MINE. I have use for it” “Well, O.K., but if it breaks don’t come back on me about giving you a bad stick.” And after all this, in the real story, what did God do with the staff which Moses let go? God put it right back into Moses’ hand. The staff still looked the same, weighed the same, felt the same, was the same except it had been given to God as an Instrument through which God would work His will. An unseen anointing had taken place on both man and his staff. As Christian horseman and horsewomen God comes to us and says, “Christian, what is that in your hand?” “Well God, this is a lead rope.” “ I can see that, but what’s on the end of that lead rope?” “Oh, well that’s my horse.” “ Let loose of that rope. I want your horse.” “ Now see here, God, I need this horse. I have arthritis in my let and this horse takes me places so I don’t have to limp along.” “Give him to me.” “ But God, you don’t realize that this horse is old. His teeth need to be floated, he’s got worms, and he’s gimpy on the right rear. Besides that, he is expensive to feed and he makes stinky stuff that you have to clean up.” “Turn loose of him. I need him.” “But God, you are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and would be shamed to be seen riding an old nag like this. You need a glorious steed. God get my neighbors Arab. Now that is a horse worthy of a rider like you. Besides, this horse is a Canardly.” “Canardly?, I don’t recall creating a Canardly horse. Arabs, Thoroughbreds, Percherons, Shetlands, yes, but Canardlys I don’t recall.” “Yes, he is a Canardly. He’s so old and ugly you “Can-hardly” tell he is a horse!!” “ He is exactly what I need. give me the lead rope.” “Well, O.K., but if he bucks you off don’t come back on me about it.” Now what does God do? He puts the lead rope right back into the Christian’s hand to be steward of God’s horse and the possible instrument of divine miracles. If God can use a dead staff of Moses, what greater wonders can He do with a live horse?!! Does this meant that God’s horse can only be used for a narrow set of Christian activities” The Conversation might go something like this: “ But God, I’m all sighed up for high school drill team competitions.” “Go, and ride those patterns for My glory.” “But God, I have lined out a whole season of endurances rides!” “God and ride those miles for My glory.” “but God, I really love those gymkhana competitions!” “Go and run those barrels for My glory.” “But God, I have promised to help my rancher friend gather his cattle this fall.” “Go and punch cows for My glory. And Christian, remember that in all of this I am in the saddle with you, so this horse had better learn to ride double. Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” 1stCorinthians 10:31 “Whatever, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Men, Women, Teen-agers, Kids: What is that in YOUR hand? Turn it loose and let God….
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