Ch4: Episode 2: Transforming the Ordinary: Moses and His Miraculous Staff

0:00 Welcome back to Diary of a Black Woman podcast. I'm your host Connie Morris and today we will continue our journey through chapter four, what is in your hands from the simple to the supernatural. And our focus today will be on Moses and his staff from Exodus four chapters two through nine. In this episode, we will, in this episode, reveals how God can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. I don't know why I like that word, extraordinary. And so we're going to be reading from Exodus chapter 4, verses 2 through 9.

0:45 So get your Bibles ready. I'm reading from the NIV translation. Let me find it. And I'm going to start from verse 1, because this is good, and we're going to go to verse 9. I think that's verse 9, where it ends, and it talks, no, we don't need to go to verse 9, but we'll be out of verse 9. Let's talk, Moses talking to the Lord. All right, let's go to verse 1 through 9 in the NIV translation, and let's read. Moses answered, what if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, the Lord did not appear to you.

1:28 Then the Lord said to him, what is it that's in your hand? A staff, he replied. The Lord said, throw it on the ground. Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake and he ran from it. I want to pause there because you got to understand Moses is a shepherd. And so for him to run from a snake in itself is hilarious because he's seen snakes out there in the grass all the time. So for, but for him to see that rod turned into a snake was a shock to him. So he ran from it, but God didn't stop there. Remember God is a great teacher.

2:08 Then the Lord said to him, reach out your hand and take it by the tail. So grabbing the snake by the tail, we know that in real life, you don't grab the snake by the tail because they reach around and bite you. But following God's instruction, take the snake by the tail. So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. This, said the Lord, is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has appeared to you.

2:54 Then the Lord said, put your hand inside your cloak. So Moses put his hand inside his cloak, and then he took it out, and his skin was leprous. and it was white as snow. And now put it back, put your hand back in your cloak. And he said, so Moses did that, put his hand back in his cloak. And when he took it out, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. And then the Lord said, if they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second. It. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the ground.

3:40 The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground. So we're only going to cover the first part, but God always have a plan A, a plan B, and a plan C. So we see here in Exodus 4 that God asked Moses, what is it that you have in your hand? What is it that is in your hand? And Moses replies, a staff. And God instructed Moses to throw it on the ground and it turned into a snake. This ordinary shepherd staff becomes an instrument of God's power, demonstrating miraculous signs and wonders.

4:22 So we see how God is a great teacher. This was in the beginning stages of Moses' ministry. So God was showing Moses his power through him. And so we see how Moses was fearful and like, this is different. Never had a God do this way before, do this thing before. I mean, I'm a shepherd and yet I'm running from a snake, a staff that turns into a snake. But yet you're telling me to grab this snake by the tail and then it turns into a staff right into my hands.

5:02 So now look what that trust does to with Moses's heart, what it does with the trust between God and Moses and his faith. Look what's happening with Moses. Look what's going on with Moses. So let's do a little historical back check and then we'll keep going forward here. So we see here that Moses' staff was a standard tool for shepherds, used for guiding and protecting the sheep. It symbolized Moses' livelihood and identity as a shepherd. So he knew that tool. That tool was part of his everyday life.

5:42 He fought with it. He fended things off with it. It was part of his weaponry, you know, his walking tool. I mean, so he did a lot of things with that tool that. That staff that he had in his hand. So God took that staff in his hand and he said, I'm going to use that for you. I'm going to use that as something miraculous in your hand. So when you think about that, what do you use every day that you can let God use? Something simple to the supernatural, to the miraculous. What do you have in your hand? And so we also know that the Egyptians held various objects as symbols of power and authority.

6:29 Moses' staff became a divine tool to demonstrate God's supremacy over Egyptians, God, and the magicians. And so we saw that that simple staff that Moses had in his hand that he used every day, every single day became became the power and authority over the gods of the Egyptians. Powerful. The staff, a simple, ordinary tool was used by God to perform, my favorite word, extraordinary miracles, including turning it into a snake, parting the Red Sea, and bringing water from a rock.

7:22 Think about that. Something that he used every day. Just take a moment now. What do you use every day? that God can use as a miraculous tool in your life to bring forth the supernatural in your life. The staff that Moses had turned into a snake. It was used as a weaponry to demonstrate God's supremacy over the Egyptians' gods. He parted the Red Sea with it. He brought water from a rock with it.

8:03 Think about that. That's very, very powerful. It signifies how God can take what is ordinary and infuse it. Come on now. With his power to accomplish his purpose. Of course, God is a creator. He made all things. But if you give it to him, he can use it for his glory. What is the role of prophets like Moses in that biblical times? Prophets like Moses were chosen by God to lead, to guide and deliver his people. So.

8:43 Their obedience and faith were crucial in manifesting God's power and plans. Moses' transformation from a shepherd to a leader of Israel highlights how God prepares and equips his chosen vessels. So a lot of times, especially, you know, I remember my younger days, you know, we think that it was funny to see, you know, we read in the Bible, that when God told Moses to drop the rod and the rod turned into a snake and Moses ran off, that that to me was funny.

9:24 But how many of us have some fearful moments when God called us to do some things? I remember when God called me to preach and I'm just too scared to talk in front of anybody, in front of the mirror. And God began to train me to be a person that can talk in front of people without my notes, you know, because usually you can, you got your notes in front of you. Isn't that interesting how God is a great teacher. He's a great trainer. He trained Moses. Moses, matter of fact, he trained everybody in the Bible so that they can be the oracles of his words.

10:09 Right. And so he is the one that trained Moses to be a great leader and prepares and equips his vessels. Hallelujah. Let's give him some praise. But let's talk about Moses before he became the great leader. Initially, Moses was hesitant and fearful about his ability to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He doubted his own capabilities and feared the reaction of people. Yes, that was me. So we see that he was fearful. You see that he carried that rod around. He knew that rod wasn't a snake, but he also knew he wasn't afraid of snakes.

10:52 But yet at that moment, he's fearful. Interesting. God provided Moses with signs, including transformation of his staff to reassure him of his presence and power. These signs were meant to strengthen Moses' faith and convince the Israelites and Pharaoh of God's authority. So for God to train him in his power and his authority gave Moses the strength to know that God was always with him, that his power and his authority was with him. That gives you a backbone to know that God is with you always.

11:33 That should give you a backbone to know that God is with you always. ways. And when he asks you what you have in your hands, he already knows what he wants to do with it. He already understands what he wants you to do with it. And he has exact instructions. He has given Moses, he's given the last episode that we spoke with the lady with the oil. He says, this is how I want you to be prosperous. Follow these instructions. Moses, this is what you're going to do with your rod. Now, you know, this rod is with you all the time. All right. So just, just, just, just hold on to it. You're going to do many things with it. But first of all, we're going to change this thing into a snake.

12:18 Now grab it by the tail, come back here. Cause he didn't let Moses run off. Moses get back here, grab that thing by the tail and he turned into a rod. Think what that did to him at that moment, the power that surged through him at that moment. That's powerful. So the question, it says, God's question is, what is in your hand? Serve as a focus point on what he already possessed. It underscores the idea that God can use our existing resources and ability to fulfill his purposes. This teaches us to value you that we have what we have and trust that God can use even the simplest things in our life to achieve the greatest things.

13:10 I want to say that again. This teaches us to value that we, that we, that, can I say it right? This teaches us to value what we have and trust that God can use even the simplest things in our lives to achieve the greatest things. We're waiting for God to do some magic trick to bring some things into our lives. When he's telling you, what do you have in your hand? And then he can do the miraculous. We know, if you haven't read the story of the bread being multiplied, the oil being multiplied, supply and then what God did with Moses.

13:56 Read the story of Moses. The symbol of the staff turning into a snake. The staff turning into a snake was a powerful sign, as the snake were symbols of power and authority in Egypt. This miracle demonstrated God's power over the Egyptians' gods and their symbols. Just as God uses Moses' staff, he uses other ordinary objects for extraordinary purposes, such as Gideons, clay jars, and trumpets. That's found in Judges 7, 16 through 22.

14:37 And then David's sling and stone found in 1 Samuel 17, 40 to 50. So that shows that God can use whatever we have in our hand to bring us victory. And so let's for now, let's look up. Let's go to Judges 7. I wasn't going to do that, but we have to see how God uses other biblical characters, the things in their hands. Let's go to Judges 7. I love the story of Gideon. Of course, I love every story in the Bible, of course. But Judges 7, 16 to 22.

15:18 Sometimes stories sound so familiar to us that we skip over it because we assume everybody knows the story. But for those who haven't heard this story, this is a very good story. Gideon was another one of those characters in the Bible who was afraid, but God used him to do a mighty thing. So Judges 7, I'm looking it up now in the NIV, and 16, it's only a few chapters. It only takes a few verses, a few minutes to read it. 16 to 22. 16 to 22. Let's see how Gideon and his clay jars and trumpets made him victorious. 16, it says, Get up, the Lord has given the Midianites camps into your hands, dividing the 300 men into three companies.

16:09 He placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of each of them with torches inside. Watch me, he told them, follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then for all who are around the camp, blow yours and shout for the Lord and for Gideon. Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch just after they had left. Changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands.

16:51 The three companies blew the trumpet and smashed the jars, grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets. They were to blow, they shouted, a sword for the Lord and for Gideon, while each man held their position around the camp. All the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. When all the 300 trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah towards Zerothah, Z-E-R-E-A-H.

17:37 As far as the board of Abel and these other names. And so what happens, they surrounded the enemy and they did what God said, collapse those clay jars and blow the trumpet. And what happened? The enemies turned upon each other. And so powerful, the tools that they had in their hands, they didn't have any weapons. They only had clay jars and trumpets. And what did they have in their hands? They won the victory. And we know the story of David and the slingshot and Goliath where he had the stone. He had three stones. He just took one. And that slingshot, that one stone hit the Goliath right in the forehead and knocked him forward, not backwards.

18:22 How powerful is that? So how powerful is that, that we use what we have in our hand? It can be our weapon. It can be our victory. It also can be our provision. Right. And so those instances. So when God says what's in your hands, he's ready to use it for your victory or for your provision. It says and you can use pay your debt and you can use the rest. So faith and obedience, like we mentioned before, it says Moses faith grew as he witnessed the miracles of God perform through his staff. His willingness to obey God's command, despite his initial reluctance, led to the deliverance of the Israelites.

19:09 Faith often requires us to act in obedience, trusting that God's instructions. Though they may seem illogical or daunting, will lead to his desired outcome. I always say, how bad do you want it? It says illogical. Like, why do I have to do it this way? Why do I have to do it this way? Right. Just do it. Faith and obedience will lead to your victory or your provision. So how do we apply this to our daily lives? How do we apply this practical, this biblical application to our practical lives.

19:52 Number one, reflect on our resources. Take a moment to access what you have, your skills, your talents, times, or even your financial resources. Nothing is too small for God. Nothing is too small for God. Moses had a tool that he used? Is there a tool you can create, right? Is there a tool, is there a job that you do every day that if you really sit down and say, Lord, this can be done easier if I can create a tool that can do this? I don't know. We'll follow the rules or someone else create.

20:32 But we said, this can be done an easier way if I had a tool. And God can give you the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding on how to create something that you use every day to make it easier. And that can be your provision. You can live off the rest. I'm just saying. I'm just saying. Scripture for that is each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God, grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4.10. So whatever gift you have, use it. Whatever skill you have, use it. Whatever talent you have, use it. And so don't be afraid. You can draw it up, go find some skill and get it in a blueprint and create it.

21:21 Secretly, don't tell your business, You know, just go do it incognito and live off the rest. Another one, act in faith. Like Moses, step out in faith with what you have. Trust that God can multiply your humble offering beyond your imagination. So step out in faith. You have to move. Do something. Don't just talk about it. Be about it. Hebrews 11.1 says, now faith is confidence in what we hope for and the assurance about what we do not see. And so have faith in it, do something, and confidence in what we hope for and assurance in what we do not see.

22:03 And number three, obedience brings blessings. Moses follows God's instruction precisely. You know, he didn't say throw the staff. He said drop the staff he didn't say pick the snake up by the head he said pick the snake up by the tail because common sense would say pick the snake up by the the like by the face. I'm not picking up any snakes. I'm not a skilled snake handler. So let's not get that twisted. I'll be Moses. I'll be running. Matter of fact, I'll be like, Jesus, can we use another type of thing? Because I'm not into snakes, right? But maybe I might get a little bonus if he said, Connie, I'm with you.

22:47 The snake will not bite you because I'm with you. Maybe, maybe, just maybe I will be following God's instruction precisely, just like Moses, right? So obedience brings blessings. So Moses followed God's instructions precisely. So whatever God says, do it. I just, as I'm, when I'm saying that I'm thinking about even Jesus followed God's instructions precisely. Remember he made, he turned that water into wine, right? And so he took those and the disciples followed Jesus' instructions precisely. So this following Following instructions precisely must be the thing for getting miracles. I'm just saying.

23:30 And so obedience to God's guidance can unlock the supernatural provision. And so being in obedience can probably be a hard thing. You just have to just follow the instructions in the little thing. And then God can give you the big thing. So practice that and then find out where he's taking you. So I'm going to read that again because Moses followed God's instructions precisely. Not only did he follow his instructions precisely in that one little scenario that we read in Exodus 4, but if you read the book of Exodus as he was given out, God was given the orders for the plagues, He followed God's instructions all the way through about what God told him about the plagues.

24:22 Moses made a little boo-boo towards the end, got a little boo-boo, a big boo-boo, because he didn't follow the instructions. He got in trouble. But throughout that process, he followed the instructions to the end. So that's very powerful. I don't know why I keep saying that. Following instructions is powerful. And so 1 Samuel 15, 22, it says. So it's always better than to obey than sacrifice. So obedience is a key. And the final is expect miracles.

25:04 Anticipate that God will show up in a miraculous way. when you act in faith. Moses' staff became a symbol, a power of God's authority. It became a symbol of power, of God's authority. So, so good. And scripture for that in Philippians 4.19, And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. So we can expect a miracle when we do what? When we obey, when we have faith, we obey.

25:45 And it's the simplest thing. And we will obey precisely what he said, not doing it our way. And number, and then additional scriptures is Proverbs 3, 5, and 6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lay not to your own understanding and all your ways submit to him and he will make your path straight. And so trusting God, when we do not understand the outcome will be your victorious, give you victory, right? And then James 2, 14 to 17, we know that without faith requires action.

26:27 So faith by itself without action is dead. So we can talk about it, but we have to be about it. So we have to know that God wants to do a miraculous thing in our life, but we have to just do it. Like Moses did it afraid, you know, he didn't know what God was going to do. I mean, he was in the wilderness for a while. The bush was burning. Now we got this guy talking to us about throwing this rod on this thing. I mean, this is all really think about I was all new to him. And that's how God does us. It's all new to you. We become so familiar with this God we do not know.

27:08 Just follow the instruction of this holy God, and he will get you through. But we need to become unfamiliar with the God that we do not know. And we can watch him flow in our lives from the simple to the supernatural. I just feel that he wants to do so much more. But we have this lean to our understanding more than lean to his understanding. And we get it twisted and then we don't get any miracles. And then we have Miss Sally pray all the time, getting all these miracles. And we get all upset because she's following the instructions and we're not. Nah, I'm just saying, just do you, do you, just do you.

27:54 All right, so I think we're gonna move on. I think we're gonna move on. Let's just do just a quick review. Reflect on your resources. Take a moment to assess what you have. You know, new things are invented all the time. So don't be afraid if God gives you something that's not even invented yet, just go ahead and invent it. God gave me a new term and even the definition, and I'm just going to go out there and just use it. I mean, God is just so creative. He wants to use his creativity with you. Number two, act in faith. Step out in faith. Step out. Just step out. What happens if you crumble and fall?

28:38 Get back up. Step out some more. God wants to show up and show out in your life. Don't be scared. Just do it. Trust that God can multiply your humble offerings beyond your imaginations. Obedience. Obey God's instructions precisely. Rewind. Obey God's instructions precisely. Don't lean on your understanding. Lean on on God's understanding. Don't try to do it your way. Our way is not working. Hello, that's me. It didn't work. His timing is always perfect. Don't lean on your understanding.

29:20 Lean on God's understanding. And finally, have an expectation that it's going to work. Sometimes we're surprised. Oh, Lord, that worked. You obeyed, Connie. Yeah. Expect God to show up in a miraculous way. Something that is like saying that's a miraculous way when you act in faith, when you act in faith, glory to God. So let's close out in some decrees. Ready? So good. I decree that the ordinary things in my life, when surrendered to God, can become instruments of his extraordinary power.

30:03 I want to say that again. I want you to feel this one. I decree that the ordinary things in my life, when surrendered to God, can become instruments of his extraordinary power. Number two, I decree that when I offer God, sorry, I decree that what I offer God will be transformed for his divine purposes. I like that one. I decree that my faith and obedience will unlock God's supernatural provision.

30:44 Had a little hesitation on that obedience part. heart. So let's say that again. I decree that my faith and obedience will unlock God's supernatural provision. And the last one, I decree that I will expect and receive God's miraculous intervention in my life. Good job, you guys. And so right now we just activated our faith when we set these decrees, that we will surrender to God and we will surrender to God and become the instruments of his extraordinary power.

31:30 And that what we have offered him will be transformed into divine purposes so that that divine purpose can be used for his will and his purposes. Right. And that we will use faith and that big old word obedience to unlock supernatural provision. And that we can expect and receive God's miraculous intervention in our life. I like when God shows up because I can't even, sometimes I'm like, well, how did God, how did you get that? I can't even explain it. I don't even want to explain it because if I explain it, it's going to take too long. How about that? But you need to go listen to my podcast. It's so good. I'm preaching to myself actually.

32:14 Right. So I wanted to thank you all again for tuning in to Diary of Black Women podcast. Remember God can use whatever is in your hand to perform miracles. Trust in his power and be willing to offer the ordinary for his extraordinary purposes. Join me next time as we explore the story of Queen of Sheba. Stay blessed and keep on believing in the miraculous. This is the Diamond Black Woman podcast. This is Connie. See you on the next episode.