What Moses had in his hand was a shepherd’s staff, which made sense as shepherding was his current vocation, but forgive me for stating the obvious, God didn’t ask Moses what he had in his hand because he couldn’t see it, or recognize it for what it was. God made every tree from which every staff had ever been hewn. He knew what Moses had in his hand, but He wanted Moses to stop and to look down at the little that He could bring which could pave the way for the miraculous power that God could bring.

Moses didn’t need all the things that he didn’t already possess in order to get started in fulfilling his purpose in God’s plans in the world. He just needed what he already had his hand, and God was going to do the rest.

I hate waiting, for anything, and so this is the most frustrating thing the Scriptures could say to me, but it is an oft-repeated instruction for the people of God. Wait … and then wait longer … and when you’re done with that, well, wait. God operates on another timeframe. He never seems to be subject to our own time demands, and yet, He is never late.