What Is In Your Hands?

Photo by Milada Vigerova on Unsplash: Open Hands

Before we begin, let this sink in: You are complete. You have all that it takes to unlock your full potential here on Earth. It is in your hands. Now you may ask, “What is in my hands?” And that’s a good question. So good that I have to tell you, you are not the first person to ask that question. God has, too.

As we leaf through scripture, we see a pattern. We see God stepping into situations. Not to reinvent the wheel but to reveal what is already there. Instead of solving a problem directly, he asks, “What is in your hands?”

1. Moses & His Staff (Exodus 4:2–5)

God had just called Moses to go deliver the Israelites from the Egyptians. And all Moses could offer were repeated excuses as to why he wasn’t qualified for the job. Finally, he asks, “What do I do if they say that you did not appear to me?”

God’s response is simple, “What is in your hands?”

A staff. Just a stick. Nothing impressive. Nothing extraordinary.

Yet that same staff would go on to perform signs, confront Pharaoh, and lead a nation out of bondage.

What Moses saw as ordinary, God saw as enough.

2. Moses & His Staff, Again (Exodus 14: 15–18)

I find this particular one interesting because the preceding verses show the Israelites wailing and Moses trying to calm them. But when God addresses Moses, he doesn’t ask, “Why are they crying?” Instead, he says, “Why are you crying out for help?” And then goes on to remind Moses of the staff they had already worked with.

An already identified resource.

3. Elisha & the Prophet’s Widow (2 Kings 4:1–7)

The prophet had died. A debtor had come to take the widow’s sons as repayment. She went crying to Elisha who asked, “What shall I do for you? [How can I help you?] What do you have at home?” [What is in your hands?]

A small jar of olive oil.

I find this particular miracle interesting because the oil did not stop flowing until they proclaimed themselves that they had no more containers to fill (4:6).

Not when God ran out. When she did.

4. David & His Sling (1 Samuel 17:38–50)

When David had to go fight Goliath, King Saul felt he was unprepared and inadequate. So he fit him in Saul’s armor. To this, David replied, “I can’t fight with all this…I am not used to this.”

He was self aware enough to know that what he had was sufficient. He could work with what he had primarily because it was his. An identified, tested and trusted resource.

5. Jesus & the Crowd (Matthew 14:17–21; 15:32–38)

This ultimate What is in your hands? miracle happened twice. First, with five thousand and again with four thousand. There is something interesting to draw from both accounts.

With the five thousand, he commands his disciples, “You give them something to eat.” [You have what it takes!]

The second time with the four thousand is where he asks, “How much bread do you have?”

Both times, unlike with the widow, the disciples are able to pile up leftovers.

The discredited resource becomes more than enough.

Lessons to Draw

Each of these biblical reference has an application for our lives today.

1. Ditch the excuse.

It’s almost as though we come prepacked with excuses. We have a ‘good’ reason why we cannot start something great now. Why now is not a good time to do what you have always dreamt of doing.

Ditch that excuse. Throw your staff on the ground. It may not look as grand and big as the others but it sure has the capacity to swallow them up!

Moses had so many excuses and for everyone, God had already preordained and preplanned.

“I stutter. I am not a good speaker.” God had given him a brother who didn’t stutter and was a good speaker.

“I am afraid.” God said, “I will be with you.” Again and again.

God knows our inadequacies. And in His infinite goodness, He has already made up for them.

So, ditch the excuse. Look within. Start with what you have.

2. Upskill your identified resource.

I imagine that God must have done a face-meets-palm so many times with Moses. I imagine Him saying, “But we’ve done this dance before. You have your staff, why don’t you want to use it.”

For every time we come back groaning to God, He asks us the same question He asked Moses all those years ago, “Why are you crying out for help? Lift up your staff!”

God will not jump down and help you solve a problem He knows He has equipped you to solve. He has given each of us a praying heart and a working brain. Both to be fully utilized.

Here’s another thing I’ve noticed with God: if the solution to the problem will benefit more people outside yourself, He will simply replace you with the next best person. And you’ll be there wondering, “But I could have even done better than this!”

Yes, you could have. But you didn’t, did you?

3. Only you can determine how far you go.

Each of us has a path and life has hurdles to put on them. However, these hurdles cannot stop us. They can only delay us. Imagine the prophet’s widow had gone out again to borrow more jars to put the olive oil in. Imagine how much more wealthy she would have been.

Learn to see beyond the limitation and breakthrough. I read and listen to stories of breakthrough and cannot help but marvel at how far resilience and determination can take someone.

People try for years to release something groundbreaking. People make model after model to improve gadgets and systems. With each ‘failure’, they pick a lesson and apply it to the next trial.

You can be ‘people’ too.

4. Use what you have to get what you want and to do what you have to do.

That talent that you have? The same one you have groomed and worked with over the years? When the opportunity comes, don’t cast it aside for something you haven’t honed and mastered yet.

We know those books and movies where the hero(ine) palms a weapon which feels like greeting an old friend and then they win the fight with it? Even when it looked like the odds were against them? That’s the same line David towed.

Someone’s talent is theirs. Yours is yours. Just because they make it look effortless does not mean it is. Saul had spent years in his armor fighting and winning battles. Of course, he would think that an armor would be the best course of action.

But David had spent time with his sling too. It was an old friend. He would eventually grow to know how to use swords and an armor. But in that pinch, his sling was his best bet.

Use what you know and have until you know better. Be content and confident in what is yours. Do not be afraid to wield it.

5. You have what it takes.

It may not look like it. Life could bring you to situations where you feel unprepared and inadequate. Just pause and breathe.

You have what it takes.

Often, we discredit our gifts because we have seen what others have worked with. Our brains give us sufficient evidence for comparison that we forget to trust ourselves. The next person’s gift is almost shinier and better suited. But until we learn to brush up our own skills, talents and resources, they will never shine.

What is in your neighbours’ hands sparkles because they identified it and put it to use. What are you doing with yours?

Do you even know what is in your hands?

Are you taking care of it? Are you using it?

When our journey here comes to an end, and we stand to give account of what we were given, what will our report look like? Are you going to come back to the Master with a truckload of excuses?

What will you have to say for yourself?