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 it turned back into a staff in his hand.
Take the Snake by the Tail
Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh (painting by Benjamin West) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Trying to get a handle on difficult situations is hard. We struggle to “wrap our minds around” the size of our personal responsibilities in the midst of uncertain times. We struggle to keep unruly emotions in check and “get a hold of ourselves.” In Exodus Chapter 4, Moses is struggling against his former sibling, the Pharaoh of Egypt – the most powerful man in the world. He was probably also struggling with his new role as the human face of the Israelite’s deliverance from bondage.
Gimme A Sign
The difficulty of his assignment was not lost on Moses. When the Lord first called him to go to Egypt, Moses had a few questions. One of those questions was for a sign that would show that he was God’s messenger. The Lord responded by asking Moses what was in his hand. The only thing in Moses’ hand was a staff. When instructed by the Lord to cast it down to the ground, the staff became a snake. Fierce! The sign was great, but Moses needed his trusty, useful staff for the tasks he did everyday. To get his staff back, Moses had to reach out his hand and “take it by the tail.”
Showstopper Moments
People fear, revere and revile snakes. Having a staff that turned into a snake was a “showstopper” sign. Sometimes, the Lord gives us showstopper moments too, to help us overcome difficult challenges. Either way, the time comes when you ask the Lord for something, and He doesn’t just whip up a miracle. Instead He asks you what is in your hand. When the Lord asks, you must first identify what is in your hand (time, knowledge, resources, jobs, experiences, etc.). After you identify what is in your hand, you have to release it to God’s unchanging hand, so that He can transform it into something incredible.
Just as there is a time to throw down what is in your hand, there is a time to pick it up by the tail. The lessons of your showstopper moments become something that you live with every day, that is useful in your every day life.
What’s in Your Hand?
There are a myriad of things in our hands: education, possessions, talents, opportunities, friends, family, joys, disappointments, losses, sickness and sorrows. You must present them all to the Lord. Release all that is in your hand into the mighty hand of God, Who turns them into something incredible. Stand still and see your showstopper moments, where folk just can’t believe “how you got over.”
Miracles Are Meant to Help With Everyday Things
When Moses took the snake by the tail, it became an ordinary object. The Lord tames the fierce things we take by the tail and tames them for every day use. The deepest sorrows become manageable, and we are able to go on with our lives. We survive the toughest disasters, and live to rebuild. In all things, whether miraculous or mundane, we must give God ALL the glory.
Showstopper moments aren’t meant to last forever. The only miracle that we live with forever is salvation. Sooner or later the healing is done, the fight is over, the thing is accomplished and it’s time to go on serving the Lord outside the spotlight. Even if all you think you have in your hand is trouble, throw them down at the feet of Jesus, Who alone can transform them into something powerful.
Day By Day
Live your days moment by moment. Serve the Lord in all things, and remember that all things come one at a time. Showstopper moments and miracles don’t keep going from one day to the next. The blessings of the Lord are “new every morning.” If you try to live only for the showstopper moments, where you can’t move forward without a sign, you will find your expectations like hoarded manna, will turn to worms. Christians have to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Friend, has the Lord given you an assignment? Did you get your showstopper sign? Is it time for the showstopper that God created from whatever was in your hand to revert to what it was before – an ordinary object? If so, don’t stand there gazing. Pick up your staff and walk.
Until we meet again: “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might!” (Ephesians 6:10).
– Verneda
Twitter handle: @vlights
© 2013 Verneda Lights. All Rights Reserved.
Related articles
