What is in Thine Hand?
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee."
Exodus 4:1-5
God doesn't measure our usability by our talents but by our willingness to be used.
Have you ever heard the name of Bertoldo di Giovanni? If you are a fan of art, you might be surprised to not recognize him. Giovanni was the pupil of Donatello, arguably the most gifted sculptor of his time. Giovanni possessed unimaginable talent and skill, yet he is not remembered for any sculptings, paintings, or art pieces. He is remembered as the teacher of Michaelangelo. At age 14, Michaelangelo approached Giovanni and requested his help in training his artistic abilities. Realizing Michaelangelo was gifted beyond his age, Giovanni agreed.
Giovanni was different than many teachers of his day in that he didn't allow talented students to simply coast through classes. He was known as a strict instructor who pushed his students no matter their ability level. One day as he entered class, he noticed Michaelangelo working on a sculpture that was below his abilities. Giovanni marched over to Michaelangelo's station, grabbed the piece of pottery, and smashed it into a thousand pieces. He then made a statement that Michaelangelo never forgot: "Michaelangelo, talent is cheap; dedication is costly!"
Our world seems to value talent. Kids are scouted at young ages for sporting talent, people are elevated for their talent in different arenas, and those with the most talent seem to climb the corporate ladder the fastest. Talent has become something that parents hope to see in their children. But just as Giovanni stated, talent is cheap but dedication is costly.
In Christianity, talent is sometimes too highly regarded. People are praised for their fine singing voice, musical talent, ability to teach, or witnessing finesse. Yet God doesn't desire to simply use talented people; He wants to use every one of His children.
Our verses show us another one of Moses' apprehensions and excuses for not being able to face Pharaoh. "They will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice" (vs. 1). God then asked Moses what he held in his hand. In essence, God wanted to prove to Moses that it wasn't his ability, talents, or finesse that God was interested in, but his willingness to be used.
God didn't ask Moses to acquire some object so that God could use it; God used what Moses already possessed-his rod. Likewise, God doesn't require that we become skilled or talented in some area so that He may use us. He wants to use what we already have-what He has already given us.
Have you ever seen the talent of others and felt God couldn't use you? God doesn't measure our usability by our talents but by our willingness to be used. Do you want to be used by God? Then don't worry about mastering a skill or becoming better at something; simply submit to God's plan and allow Him to use you how He wants to.
What is in your hand today? How can God use you? Don't compare yourself with other people, but allow God to use you according to His perfect plan.
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