For the last few days, God has been teaching me insights through the accounts of Moses in Exodus, where Moses is filled with doubt that he has what it takes to free the children of Israel. Moses had all kinds of excuses for why he’s not the guy. He reminded God that he isn’t well-spoken and Pharaoh wouldn't take him seriously.
God met Moses at the burning bush and explained to Moses how He wanted to free the Israelites from captivity and usher them into a land flowing with milk and honey. He spelled everything out pretty well to Moses, yet Moses doubted his ability to lead this charge.
In Exodus 4:2, God asks Moses, “What is that you have in your hand?” God used the staff in Moses' hand to demonstrate His power to Moses. He showed him that a staff can turn into a snake and back to a staff again.
What really jumped out to me as I was reading this passage was the question God asked Moses, “What is that in your hand?” God obviously knew what Moses was holding, but He wanted Moses to acknowledge it. He was holding a staff that would lead his people to freedom.
Sometimes we are waiting for some big call or great purpose that God has for us, and we are on our knees interceding for God to reveal His plans, when what He really wants from us is to use what He has already placed in our hands.
For years, people would say to me:
“I just sense so much peace coming from you.”
“Your house feels so peaceful.”
“When you speak, there is so much peace around you like an aura from God.”
I had difficulty understanding what they were saying. I’m just being me. I didn't recognize what I was carrying. God had placed something in my hands that He wanted to bless and multiply, but for years, I was oblivious to it.
A practice I facilitated at women’s retreats was to lead ladies through a soaking session for an hour. It was designed for them to rest in God's presence and to experience his love being poured out on them. There was so much favor in that hour. Women would be in tears as they sat in His presence. I would see them writing furiously in their journals. They would draw Holy Spirit-breathed pictures. They would be on their knees or lying on their bellies on the floor, just soaking up the goodness and kindness of the Lord.
I quickly realized that God’s favor and blessing were all over these soaking sessions. I asked the Lord how he would like to expand and grow this so that more people could be touched by these moments with Him.
He gave me the idea to start hosting day retreats in my home that are not part of a weekend-long retreat. Just an event all on its own. A day retreat to bring rest for the body, peace for the spirit, and refreshment for the soul.
This idea was something that I was already practicing in my own life and was the reason the “aura” of peace was around me. I turned what I was carrying into a ministry to honor God and expand His Kingdom.
My question for you today is, what has God placed in your hands? Are you carrying a grace for something special? Uniquely God- breathed? Do people make comments about how you make something look so simple?
My prayer for you would be to turn that God-breathed grace into a ministry to honor God and bring people into the fullness of His love. Use what you already carry!
