This morning I was reading through the account of the plagues on Egypt. From bloody water to bugs of various sorts, the plagues were both terrifying and disgusting. But what had my attention this morning was not the plagues themselves but how the plagues were brought about.

Obviously, it was God who sent the plagues, but what I noticed today was that he allowed Moses to take part in each and every plague. Instead of simply turning the water into blood, God told Moses to touch the water with his rod. For the hail, He commanded Moses to point his rod towards the heavens. Time after time, God used Moses to bring about His miracles. Why?

We know that God is an almighty God and that He does not need our help to perform His will here on earth. However, He is also a loving God, and He chooses to use us so that we can feel we have a part in His master plan. He allows us to take part in His miracles. Not so that we will get the glory, but so that we will receive an up-close look at what God has done and can do.

The key here is that we have to be willing to be used. If Moses had not obeyed God, God could have (and probably would have) sent the plagues, but think what Moses would have missed out on. I imagine he treated that staff with utmost respect. After all, it was an instrument of God's power. The thing is Moses was an instrument too. What about us? Are we open to God's will today? Are we willing to obey His commands? Are we anxious to have Him work through us? He can and He will, but we must do our part.

Moses had a rod. What do we have that we can use to work God's plan? Time. Talents. Praise. And so much more!