A Dead Walking Stick

One of the unfortunate outcomes of living in the era of social media is the conclusion that God primarily uses and really blesses people with extraordinary talents.

But that holds true only if the size of the church or ministry is taken as the measurement of God’s blessing.

What about the people who are not impressive? Who are not particularly good looking? Who can’t speak publicly without stumbling over their words? Who work at one of the lowest paid and least popular professions? Who even have somewhat of a shady past?

Can God use them?

Ask Moses!

Because Moses was the least likely to have a Facebook following when God chose him. He was unimpressive, a recluse, a fugitive from Egyptian law and taking care of his father-in-law’s sheep in one of those “thin places” that later came to be known as the mountain of God…Mount Sinai.

That’s who Moses was when God found him.

What followed was a back and forth between God and Moses that spans Exodus 3 and 4.

God wanted him to go back to Egypt and lead the people out of slavery.

But Moses was a reluctant leader, who had no confidence in any of his native skills, and was sure no one would follow him.

So, God asks him, “What is that in your hand?”

I can imagine Moses even being a little perplexed by the question.

But he answers, “A shepherd’s staff” (Exodus 4:2).

A common, plain, ordinary stick, used by all shepherds to protect, guide and correct their sheep. Nothing spectacular. Nothing worth posting on Instagram. Nothing that would attract a crowd.

Just a dead stick.

Isn’t that really all that any of us has to offer the Lord?

And yet by verse 20, that plain stick is referred to as “the staff of God” in Moses’ hand.

Somewhere between verse 2 and verse 20, the power of God had transformed a common shepherd’s staff into the staff of God that would be used to convince Pharaoh of His power, split the Red Sea, make bitter water sweet, and bring water for 2 million people out of a rock in the desert.

I wonder how many plain walking sticks are out there, in the world right now, unimpressive by the world’s standards, but bringing lives out of slavery because, in God’s hands, they have become “the staff of God.”

It’s leadership by miracle.

A dead stick in the hands of a mighty God.

And in the end, it is God who receives the glory.