Are You a Stick?

Whenever I hear a message about Moses, my ears perk up. Moses is my guy. Ever since rededicating my life to Christ in the 90’s, different aspects of the patriarch’s story have impacted my story.

• We’re both excuse makers and don’t go willingly when called by God.
• The two of us have a heart to set the captives free.
• It was a message about Moses that got me through seminary.
• A Bible study teaching about the former shepherd inspired me to return to the media as a radio show co-host.

Tuesday night, it happened again.

The “friend of God” made another cameo in my life when anointed evangelist Jentezen Franklin delivered a message featuring none other than my brother from another mother, a.k.a. Moses.

He spoke about the “staff” that God used supernaturally throughout Moses’ efforts to free the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. You may remember the conversation from Exodus 4:

“Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?”

“Then the Lord said to him, ‘What is that 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. Then the LORD said to him, ‘Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.’ So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.”

The ordinary staff, or “stick,” as Jentezen Franklin called it, was used by God to turn the Nile into a river of blood and to create a walking path through the Red Sea.

At that point, I felt like I knew the message. Yes, God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary. It’s a good reminder.

But then Franklin said, “That’s not the miracle. The miracle is when God uses us sticks to do supernatural things and then— we’re able to go back to being sticks.”

Ouch.

I don’t know about you but I’ve battled pride ever since my media career. I desire to be humble but still struggle with what is “self” promotion verses “God” promotion.

I thought it was interesting that right after this message, I was asked to co-host a half-hour of a Dallas-based morning radio show with my talented media friend and Christian speaker, Rebecca Carrell. Should I let people know about it? Could I go back to being a stick after being featured on the radio?

Yes! It is my heart’s desire. I know this door was only opened by my loving heavenly Father.

In fact, I am not worthy to be a stick. I want to be a “twig” in God’s kingdom, used mightily however the LORD desires.

What about you? When you’ve had large opportunities, did you bask in your success, or did you realize it was through God’s provision and grace that you were given that success? Your platform? The financial reward?

Today, and forever more, I am asking God to supernaturally use me to make a difference for Him, but to also show me how to go back to being an ordinary twig. I am nothing without Him.