"What is that in your hand?"
Exodus 4:2
A shepherd's rod was a very special part of his life. This was not just any ordinary stick that he found while walking one day. This rod had been crafted into what it was by his own hand. While it was still a little green, he would shape it so that he might form specific tasks with it. Any unnecessary knots or protrusions were carefully carved away so that it might be smooth to hold in his hand. Often there were notches put in the rod to mark certain events. Some say that looking at a shepherd's rod was like reading a time-line about his life. So, when God asked Moses what he had in his hand, Moses reply of a rod was essentially saying, "My life".
At the end of a year we have the opportunity to reflect back on all that has taken place in our own lives. This past year the rod of our lives has faced some crafting and cutting. There have been some knots that needed to be carved away and sanded down, and it was a painful process. As we look back there are some notches that have been engraved in our hearts of things that we will never forget. Some of them represent victories while others remind us of defeats. The time line of our lives up to this point has been established, and there is nothing that we can do about changing it. Therefore, like Moses, we need to do with our lives what God told him to do with his rod: "Throw it down."
Moses had to wonder why God asked him to do such a simple but strange thing. What good is throwing a rod down going to do? In obedience, however, he threw it down. Of course, we know that it became a serpent. Surely that was the last thing that Moses expected to happen. His trusty rod that has been a companion on many journeys is now slithering around on the ground. He did what any strong, brave-hearted man would do. He ran! God told him to come back and pick it up by the tail, which he eventually did. It once again became his rod, but he would never look at that rod the same way again.
God is calling on us to take our lives and cast them at His feet. When we throw the rods of our lives down, we are giving up control. We are declaring to God that there is nothing we can do about the past and that the future is in His hands. If we remain in control, we are going to miss out on the super-natural. God wants to do something with your life that can only be done by you letting go of it. The fear of the unknown and what God might do can be appeased with the fact that God does all things well. He longs for you to give Him your life so that you might be able to take it up again. Once God has started working in your life, you will never see it the same way again.
At the end of this year and the beginning of the next, lay your life at the feet of the Almighty God. The God who spoke from a burning bush to Moses is still the consuming fire that speaks to the heart of His children today. Listen to Him, and obey His voice.
May you experience a super-natural life today!
Happy New Year!
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