What Is That In Your Hand? ~ Valerie Ronald

God is the master of re-purposing. In His hands, everyday objects become tools to bring about miracles.

~ a jar of flour and a jug of oil never depleted, keep a poor widow of Zarephath and her son from starvation. (1 Kings 17)

~ a scarlet cord hung in a window spares the life of a woman of Jericho, who turns up in the lineage of Jesus. (Joshua 2)

~ when He sends Moses to lead his people out of captivity, God turns his simple shepherd’s staff into a snake, as a miraculous sign for the Israelites of the authenticity of His message of deliverance. (Ex. 4)

But before Moses witnesses this miracle, God asks him a crucial question.   

“What is that in your hand?”

This simple yet profound question is an essential determiner of my purpose as a writer. Through meditating on the story of Moses’ staff, I continue to learn how God wants to use the gifts and talents He has given me to fulfill His purposes.

God never asks a question that He does not know the answer to already. He asks questions for our benefit, or in this case, for the benefit of Moses. Moses had a staff in his hand, his most essential tool for herding and protecting the sheep in his care. It was an extension of his own arm, used in multiple ways in his duties as a shepherd, and for his own support and comfort during long desert treks. God’s question was meant to help Moses see the simple tool of his shepherd’s work as instrumental in realizing God’s ultimate purpose of freeing His chosen people. In God’s hands, the simplest of things can become useful beyond what we can think or imagine.

My “staff”, the tool I have in my hand, is writing. God stirred my desire to write in my early childhood. Through all the twists and turns of my life, it has never left. At first I wrote for my own enjoyment, then I pursued education to become a professional writer. It wasn’t until I became a believer in Jesus Christ that I realized my writing was a tool, a gift from God to be used to glorify Him.

In the Exodus story, God tells Moses to throw his staff to the ground. What was once a dead piece of wood miraculously becomes a live snake. Until Moses released the staff from his grasp, he would not realize God’s power to use him in the task ahead.

I don’t think I’m alone in being rather obsessive about my own writing. Every page is like a child, labored over and birthed from my own creative core. If I keep it clasped close to my chest, trying to steer it to where I think it should go, it will only go as far as human limitations can take it. I may want to hold onto it, control it, claim it as my own, but when released, it comes alive by the power of God and can be instrumental in changing lives.

Knowing my writing is for God to use as He sees fit does not excuse me from applying consistent effort in diligently practicing and improving my craft. As a co-creator with God in developing my talents, I still need to do the research, develop my vocabulary, read more experienced writers, and write as much as I can. Just as Moses’ staff was just a piece of wood without his skills as a shepherd to put it to use, I need to bring as much ability and training to my writing as I can, so God has good material to work with. Then I need to release it to God to use it the way He wants, taking it places I can never imagine.  

Over time God has spoken to my heart about the purpose of my writing. I find I am not so much seeking after recognition or readership, although those can be positive bi-products of my writing life. Now my purpose is to take delight in God, who gives me joy when I write, thus His desire in now the desire of my own heart. Because I know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according His purpose.   

If God can use a shepherd in the back of the desert, equipped with only a simple wood staff, to bring His chosen people out of bondage into the Promised Land, then He can use me and what I have in my hand as well. Simple words.


For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36 NIV)

Did I Hear You Correctly? by Carol Harrison

The writing has been rescued from where it lay in the trash of negative comments and share the writing for the praise of God and encouragement of others. Sometimes He allows a glimpse of the impact it makes in other people's lives and sometimes He just asks me to continue to trust and obey.

Have you ever had those moments where you need to ask for clarification, where the words, "Did I hear you correctly?"pop out? It has happened to me more times than I care to admit, including about things God is asking m
e to do.

Speaking in front of an audience had never been on my bucket list, not even a hint near the bottom. Writing had been an interest back before the advent of the phrase bucket list, but I shoved it deep inside after some comments I perceived as negative. They wiped writing from any list of dreams without even considering what God had in mind.

Years disappeared, life experiences multiplied, and God began to work on my firmly entrenched, heels dug in reticence about speaking and writing. First the pastor's wife, a friend since childhood, asked me to teach a ladies Bible study. She had confidence this was part of God's plan for me. She exhibited more confidence than I could muster, but I gave in and God used my love of learning, added a huge dose of passion for the ladies in the group, and pushed myself out of my comfort zone. Just when I believed God had finished this lesson of accepting challenges, a church ladies group asked me to be their speaker for a weekend ladies retreat.

Fear jumped up and screamed, "Say no! You can't do that! Tell them to pick someone much more qualified than you." I felt like Moses at the burning bush when God asked him to go and lead the people out of Egypt. I understood his hesitancy in Exodus 4: 10 (NCV) "But Moses said to the Lord, "Please, Lord, I have never been a skilled speaker. Even now, after talking to you, I cannot speak well. I speak slowly and can't find the best words."

Exodus 4:13 could have been my words instead of Moses, "But Moses said, "Please, Lord, send someone else." I had excuses galore. God reminded me, like He did Moses, of His faithfulness, and His ability to help me with words to say. I knew He had been with me through many other of life's struggles, trials, and new experiences - all those other times I had let fear try and chain me into my perceived comfort zone , all the times the nays needed to become yeas.

I obediently but hesitantly said yes, even though fear still ran rampant and I began to prepare. They had given me months of advance notice. I shared their request with friends who prayed with and for me. I learned so much on the vast subject for that retreat- The Power of Prayer. Little did I know what lay ahead.

Even once I arrived at the retreat and met some wonderful ladies, fear whispered , "Can you really do this?" I prayed and asked God to hush up that negative, inner voice so I could hear from Him. At the second session of my speaking, in the middle of the message, God gave me an extraordinary direction. It was so vivid I thought all the ladies must have heard it when He said, "Change your illustration!" I didn't want to change it and become more vulnerable than I already felt. God again commanded this change of illustration and once again I continued the message I had worked on for months while talking to God during all the steps of preparation. Why would I want to share that my son was not walking with God and I still was waiting for that answer to prayer?  But I obeyed.

After the session, three ladies asked if they could talk to me. The first two told me their story of a wayward adult child and how they were also waiting for God to answer their prayers. They thanked me for being honest and sharing my story. Then the third lady, an older woman, told us about her wayward son for whom she prayed for over fifteen years until He got right with God. I was humbled and encouraged.

Later that afternoon, I escaped to my room for some quiet time with God and to review of the evening's message. God gave another extraordinary direction so loud and clear that I knew without a doubt God was asking something of me. He wanted me to change my illustration for that evening  which would lead me deeper into vulnerability. God asked me to share with the ladies about the depression I experienced, the answers to prayer, and the people God used to walk with me during that dark time.

My immediate response went something like this, "God am I hearing you correctly? You want me to do what? These are very conservative church ladies and church people don't talk about things like this."

But God persisted and I relented to His directions. God gave me the words for that message and no one commented or asked questions once I finished speaking, but they didn't ship me home either. I had no idea why this message needed to be shared until the next day. A young woman came up to me after our Sunday chapel time sobbing so hard no words would come. She leaned into a hug and my shoulder grew damp with her tears. I had no idea what she needed but God said, "Pray." I prayed Scripture and generalities for her until the crying subsided and said, "I was at the end of my rope. I thought I was the only Christian woman who struggled with depression. I didn't know where to turn. Thank you for sharing."

The pastor's wife offered to walk with her through a journey of getting her help she needed now the problem had been named. I praised God. The question lingered "What if I wouldn't have listened to God's extraordinary directions?"

Since that weekend, a dozen years ago, many more things have happened in my life. About that bucket list - well God gave me a passion for sharing with others - even my peers. He brought peace to dwell where fear fought for control, allowing me to be authentic and vulnerable even with the difficult, dark times.

 Exodus 4: 11, 12 was true for Moses and for any believer today.

"Then the Lord said to him, "Who made a person's mouth? And who makes someone deaf or not able to speak? Or who gives a person sight or blindness? It is I, The Lord, Now go! I will help you speak, and I will teach you what to day."

Whether it is telling the stories orally or in writing, I am learning that God's extraordinary directions to this ordinary grandma can make all the difference to someone, including myself. I just need to listen and obey.

Carol Harrison lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and now embraces the gift of storytelling which God has given her and asks her to share, even when she doesn't completely understand the directions. She has four published books as well as a number of short pieces published in various anthologies and periodicals and looks forward to whatever adventure God has for her next.