⁷ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ⁸ Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

Numbers 20:7-8

Explain

Moses and Aaron had rightly and humbly come before God to ask for his help and seek a solution. God had responded with his presence, and He gave them an answer. God told Moses to speak to the rock. That was different than the last time where Moses had struck the rock (Numbers 17:5-7).

Moses had used his staff throughout Exodus and Numbers to part the red sea, turn the Nile to blood, prove his authority from God by making his staff turn to a serpent. Perhaps God asked him to speak to the rock instead of strike the rock so that he would remember that the staff was not supernatural or powerful in itself. The staff did not deliver, supply, or judge. God did. It, like Moses, was a vessel that God used and no more. This was true of the the staff, of Moses, and it’s true of us as well.

Apply

When God uses us to do good things in his name, it is He who does those things. We are vessels He may choose to use. We must remember who we are and who He is. When we do this, we will be more inclined to obey.

Respond

1. Have you ever tried to take credit for what God is doing through you or around you?
2. Take a few moments today to pray and ask God to keep you humble and to use you so that He gets glory.