The Penalty Box

And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs. Exodus 4:17

D.L. MOODY
When God Almighty linked Himself to that rod, it was worth more than all the armies the world had ever seen. Look and see how that rod did this work. It brought up the plagues of flies and the thunderstorm and turned the water into blood. It was not Moses, however, nor Moses’ rod that did the work, but it was the God of the rod, the God of Moses. As long as God was with him, he could not fail.

ERWIN LUTZER
Where did Moses get the rod? He picked up the rod while in the “penalty box,” that is the desert where he herded sheep, suffering his fate because of manslaughter. There in the desert, he found a limb from a tree, perhaps six feet long, and used it to herd his flock. But God had greater plans for this shepherd. After the fire burned and Moses reluctantly said yes to God, that rod had divine significance.
As Moody said, wherever Moses went, he took that rod with him. He used it to part the sea, and later, God instructed Moses to hit the rock and water gushed out. The rod of Moses then became the rod of God.
Let me ask: What did you pick up in your desert that God is using today? The desert tests our loyalty and depth of commitment. In the desert, God helps us see who we are and who He is. There we learn lessons that living in a palace could not teach us. It is in the desert we learn servanthood, obedience, and faith. It’s there where we receive insight and help that enables us to move to the next level of our ministry and impact.

PRAYER
Father, use everything, including my desert, to equip me to serve you effectively.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Why is it difficult to see what God might be teaching us in a desert experience?

How do desert experiences bring God glory?