A Crutch

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Scripture

The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.”
(Exodus 4:2 NASB)
Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
(Exodus 4:3 NASB)
“You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”
(Exodus 4:17 NASB)

Observation

Moses had just experienced God revealing himself to him by way of the burning bush. One can only imagine how stunned Moses was at the experience. Now God was telling him to go and to be a leader and Moses was terrified. God decided that he would allow him to have a crutch, or a tool to help him through this time of leadership. The crutch was the staff which Moses was carrying in his hand. God told Moses to simply look down and see what it was that he was carrying with him. It was a staff. This would have been something that Moses would have normally carried as part of his job. It was simple and most people had one. And yet God wanted to do something unusual with the usual. He told Moses to throw it on the ground and suddenly the staff transformed into a serpent. God told Moses to pick it up again and he did and it turned back into a staff. Now, everywhere that Moses went he was to take the staff with him. He did and God used it to do powerful signs.

Application

God was sensitive to Moses' weaknesses and provided him with tools to do the work which God had asked him to do. Sometimes we all need a crutch -- a staff -- or a tool to help us make it through what God has asked us to do. It is a loving God who is willing to provide us with what we need to get the job done.

The problem is that so often today we want to pick out the "crutch" or the "tool" for ourselves instead of allowing God to do the directing. Probably the greatest "crutch" we all need is to be a part of a community of Spirit filled believers. This is the place where we find strength to get the job done. When two or three are united together in prayer and in the Spirit -- much more will be accomplished for the kingdom than when we are left alone to our own practices. Too often we're looking for tools for kingdom work by doing google searches. We want to find the word from the latest Christian guru, or discover what media items we can use to tell others about Christ, or even how we are to live the Christian life. These may all be good things, but they may not be the best things. The best things are found in the Spirit filled community. Pick up your staff -- go and spend time in prayer the midst of a community of faith and allow the Holy Spirit to empower you to do his work. This is where the strength comes from!

The problem with "things" is that we become dependent on them. Moses became dependent on the staff and misused it, redirecting his faith into the staff rather than on God. This is what can happen when we utilize the things of this world to be our "crutch." Jesus' intention of a new crutch for all was not something material, but rather the Holy Spirit. Only through him can we be the faithful servants that God intends for us to be.

It's Sunday. Let's find a Spirit-filled community of faith in which we may find our "crutch" to help us live out the walk of faith in a very troubled world. Stop the google searches. We know where to go to find what we need!

Prayer

Lord, may we experience you today in our lives and worship in a very powerful way. Amen.

Comments

  1. RebWBCjrJanuary 22, 2012 at 6:52 AM

    May the LORD be our shepherd, His rod & staff our guide & strength as we walk the rocky land toward His sweet pastures.

    ReplyDelete

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