The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” Exodus 4:2-3
Yes, you can use what you have to get what you want in life. Four years ago we were preparing for our annual prison mission trip to Africa. We had committed to visiting three prisons but we only had enough funding to visit one prison. We wondered how we would break the new to the prisoners who had been excitedly waiting for this event all year long. For some of them and their families this would be the only time they get to see each other up close and personal. Secondly cancelling two out of three outreaches meant cancelling all because it would not have made sense to spend all that money on flight ticket and hotel just to visit one prison.
I will never forget the morning that the Lord spoke to me. I had woken up about 4 am to pray but instead of my usual prayer routine, I found myself asking God questions. “Lord, I said, when will your provisions finally get here?” You promised me that you will make provision for the vision but my wife and I have been the one working the vision and making the provision for the 10 years now” I asked God why He would send somebody on an errand and not provide the logistics for the errand. I was angry and frustrated by what I thought was a thankless job. The prisoners only appreciate us once a year, the world does not car what we are that we are rehabilitating prisoners and making the world safer; in fact some people wonder why we spend valuable resources on “criminals”.
I was in that complaining mood when I heard the Lord speak to me very audibly. No, I take that back, he did not speak to me, he asked me questions. “What do you have in your hands my son? I was startled but being in front of the family altar I had learned to expect anything. I whispered, “nothing Lord” He asked me the same question two more times before I finally got the gist and started counting all the things that we can do to raise money for the ministry. Then He said to me, “Use what you have to get what you want for your ministry”
As I meditated on that instructions and wondered whether God was speaking to me or I was hearing myself, the lord lead me to a scripture that had remained the corner stone of our life. “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men. Proverbs 18:16. Note that the word “Gift” means you got it free but for a purpose. “Great men” represents Destiny helpers and Destiny partners. Anything that can connect you to those two groups of people is priceless.
Later on we studied how Queen Esther got connected to her husband, the king who became the instrument that God used to save his people. Esther’s assignment was to save the people of God. Without her gift of beauty Esther would not have contested in the beauty contest; without the beauty contest the king would not have noticed Esther. Yes, your beauty or brain is a gift that could be used for your positioning.
Ask yourself, “What gift did God give me for my assignment?” Rebecca had good character as a fun loving good-hearted woman who was getting tired of waiting to get married. Her marriage was divinely ordained; prayed through by Abraham and his servant; and prophesied over and yet it took the gift of her good heart to make those prophesies come through. David was already anointed king by Samuel, one of the greatest prophets in history of Israel but he was still running around with sheep as a shepherd until his gift of playing violin made way for him.
What do you have in your hand? Put different what do you do well? What you do well may be the gift that will open the door of your destiny. As for us, the Lord reminded us that we have to gift of writing and teaching. And so we started writing and today we have four books published and few more in print. The LORD said to him [Moses], “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” Exodus 4:2-3. Use what you have to get what you need.
