It is easy to believe that we need something more before God can use us. More money, more confidence, more education, more time, or a better opportunity can seem like the missing piece between where we are and where we hope to be. Moses understood that feeling. When God called him to return to Egypt, Moses saw his limitations and offered reasons why he was not the right person. Then the Lord asked a simple question: “What is that in thine hand?”
Moses answered, “A rod.” It was an ordinary shepherd’s staff, something he had carried through common days and quiet work. It did not look powerful. It was not a sword, a crown, or a symbol of influence. Yet when Moses surrendered it to God, that ordinary rod became part of extraordinary moments. The power was never in the wood. The power belonged to the God who chose to use it.
The Lord may be asking you the same question today: What is in your hand? Perhaps you have a listening ear, a gift for cooking, a patient spirit, experience earned through hardship, or a few words of encouragement. You may have a home where someone can feel welcome, a vehicle that can help a neighbor, a phone that can carry a prayer to a discouraged person, or a testimony that reminds someone not to give up. What feels small to you may become meaningful when placed in God’s service.
We often compare what is in our hands with what is in someone else’s. Comparison makes ordinary gifts feel unimportant. One person speaks publicly, while another quietly checks on the sick. One person gives a large offering, while another shares a meal. One person leads from the front, while another faithfully prepares the room before anyone arrives. Scripture reminds us that the body has many members, and every part has a purpose. Faithfulness is not measured by how visible your assignment appears.
God also uses the lessons you have learned. A difficult season may have taught you compassion, patience, or how to pray when words are hard to find. You did not choose the pain, and God does not call the pain itself good. Yet He can redeem what you have survived. The wisdom you gained may help someone avoid a mistake. The comfort God gave you may steady another person. The road you walked may become a light for someone who cannot yet see the way forward.
Before asking for a bigger platform, be faithful with the opportunity already near you. Encourage the person in front of you. Complete the responsibility you have been given. Use your gift in your family, church, neighborhood, or workplace. We sometimes wait for a dramatic assignment while overlooking the holy work hidden inside an ordinary day. A kind answer, an honest decision, a finished task, and a sincere prayer can all become acts of worship.
You may still feel unqualified. Moses did. He worried about his words and questioned whether people would listen. God did not deny that Moses had weaknesses; He promised to be with him. Your confidence does not have to come from believing you can do everything. It can come from knowing that God will help you do what He has called you to do. Dependence on the Lord is not a disadvantage. It is the place where His strength becomes clearer than your limitations.
Surrender is the turning point. A rod held only by Moses was a shepherd’s tool. A rod surrendered in obedience became connected to God’s purpose. In the same way, your ability, experience, time, and resources become more fruitful when you pray, “Lord, show me how to use this for Your glory.” Surrender does not always lead to something public or dramatic. Often it looks like quiet obedience repeated with love.
Take an honest look at what God has already placed in your life. Do not despise it because it seems familiar. Thank Him for every gift, lesson, relationship, and opportunity. Ask Him to reveal one way you can serve today. You do not need everything before you can begin. You need a willing heart, an obedient step, and trust in the God who makes ordinary things useful in His hands.
What is in your hand may seem small, but the Lord is not limited by its size. Offer Him what you have. Let Him direct it, strengthen it, and use it. The same God who called Moses still works through people who are willing to say yes. Your surrendered life can carry hope farther than you imagine.
Deacon James H. Lightsey Jr. — Faith • Leadership • Service.