Then Moses answered, “But look, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘Yahweh did not appear to you’”
Yahweh said to him, “What is that in your hand? He said, “A staff.” And He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent and Moses ran from it. But Yahweh said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand. - EXODUS 4:1-4
Okay, this is what it comes down to, it’s where the rubber hits the road.
In the final analysis, how are you going to be effective? I mean, truly effective.
I’m too long in the tooth now to mess around. I’m not striving to please God anymore. I know who I am. I have come to terms with my brokenness and my inability to live the Christian life. But I am longing to be effective in terms of seeing real change in the lives of the broken.
I am longing for the supernatural demonstration of the power of God’s love.
My biggest challenge is—maybe the only ‘ministry’ challenge left for me is—will God give supernatural attestation to who I am and to what I say? Will my words be backed up by something that only God can do?
I would guess it boils down to that for all of us.
How much credibility do we really have? How much do we have in ‘church?’ How much do we have outside ‘church,’ in the face of the problems faced in life all around us?
Where is the anointing when we really need it? Where is I AM THAT I AM when His help is called for? Can our claims be backed by substance?
Here is what it ultimately comes down to!
You will only know that God has anointed you when you throw the staff on the ground.
Calling is fine, gifting is fine, but it means nothing unless it is anointed by supernatural grace-gift.
What is that in your hand?
The staff is your calling; it is your authority to shepherd. You know you are called. You know you have authority. It may just be a little inkling. Knowing you are called requires faith, particularly if you have died to your own self-confidence.
Whatever smidgeon of calling you feel you have, now throw it on the ground! Release it from your hand! That’s when the anointing comes.
The stick became a snake.
What was inanimate becomes animate.
Calling and gifting is inanimate… until Anointing animates it!
But you will never know that unless you throw it out of your hand on the ground.
Let me give an example: you have a calling as a preacher. You did it before and all you have to show for it is an Egyptian buried in the sand. You end up in Midian, the confidence is knocked out of you. Then God reappears and tells you that you are called after all. Maybe you get another opportunity to speak. Like Moses you are terrified. I know what this feels like. You have no self-confidence left.
Throw it from your hand. Stand up there and throw the staff on the ground. If it doesn’t become alive, your time has not yet come.
As I write this, I am apprehensive. Tomorrow (Sunday) I have to speak in front of a church to people I have not spoken to before. I know I have authority but will the people be open to me?
Will my words dribble down my chest and have no life?
I am going to have to throw that pesky staff out of my hand, throw it to the ground. It’s the only way for something to become supernaturally alive.
You cannot hold onto your sense of calling. It is not ‘My Precious!!’ (Lord of the Rings)
It is there to be thrown on the ground, to be released from your hand, to become alive and moving. It is there to be wielded by God.
This brings this Calling series to an end. I hope it helps you. God believes in you. For what it's worth, so do I.
Let me know how you get on…