What Do You Have in Your Hand?
Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 07/26/2026
Foundation Scripture:
And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. Exodus 4:2 KJV
1. God Uses What You Have.
a. God uses what you have when you place it in His hands.
b. He rarely begins with what we don’t have, but with what we do have.
c. God is not looking for people who have everything—He is looking for people who will give Him everything they have.
d. What is in your hand today?
e. Do you have: a talent; a gift; an ability; a testimony; a voice; time; compassion; a business; experience; or resources.
f. The most important attribute you could have is a willingness to obey.
g. Whatever it is—when it is placed into the Lord’s hands, He multiplies it for His glory.
2. God Uses What Seems Insignificant.
a. 1 Kings 17:8–16
b. The widow at Zarephath declared that she had only a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse—her final meal (Vs 12).
c. She saw insufficiency, but God had a miracle in mind.
d. He asked her to surrender what she had in her hand, and it became enough to fully sustain both Elijah and her whole household until the drought ended.
e. The Lord can multiply our surrendered resources, but only if we are willing to obey.
3. God Multiplies What We Think Is Not Enough.
a. 2 Kings 4:1–7
b. The widow was in dire straits—no husband, no money, debt, and the threat of debtor’s slavery hanging over her sons.
c. When Elisha asked what she had in her house, she answered that she had nothing…except for a pot of oil.
d. Your miracle often begins with what you have overlooked.
e. God begins with the “except.”
f. One small jar was enough.
g. As long as there were empty vessels, the oil continued to flow.
h. Don’t despise small beginnings, because the Lord does not need much—He simply needs your obedience.
4. God Chooses the Unlikely.
a. Judges 6
b. When God called Gideon, he was hiding from the Midianites.
c. The angel declared, “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”
d. Gideon immediately listed all the reasons why God had chosen the wrong person.
e. He said, “My family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
f. The Lord never argued with Gideon’s weaknesses, He simply promised His presence.
g. Three hundred men defeated an entire army—not because Gideon became stronger, but because God was with him.
h. God’s calling is greater than your insecurity.
5. God Uses Ordinary Weapons.
a. 1 Samuel 17
b. David did not have the traditional equipment or training of a warrior.
c. In any case, none of that was enough to take out a giant.
d. What he did have was a sling, five smooth stones, and his unwavering faith in God.
e. Everyone else looked at Goliath, but David looked at God.
f. His confidence was in the Lord, not in the sling.
g. The sling was merely the instrument, but God was the power.
h. Victory is never determined by what is in your hand, but in Who guides your hand.
6. God Redeems Our Past.
a. Philippians 3:7–8
b. Paul possessed something unique.
c. He had exceptional education; knowledge of the Law; understanding of the Scriptures; Roman citizenship; and training under Gamaliel.
d. Before his conversion, those same gifts were used against Christ.
e. After his conversion, God redeemed every one of them.
f. Paul wrote much of the New Testament.
g. His understanding of the Old Covenant became the foundation for explaining the New Covenant.
h. His mind became a tool in God’s hands.
i. Paul surrendered everything he once trusted, and the Lord used everything he had learned.
j. Nothing surrendered to God is wasted.
k. He can redeem your education, your experiences, your failures, and your past.
7. God Can Use What and Who We Are.
a. God used Peter’s boldness.
b. Peter was not known for education, but for being quick to act—even impulsive.
c. He acted before he thought.
d. He stepped out of the boat onto the water before he noticed the wind and waves (Matt. 14:28-29).
e. One moment he spoke by the Holy Spirit and the next moment he said something that received a rebuke from Jesus (Matt. 15:16-23).
f. Even though he denied Jesus, out of fear, before the crucifixion, after Pentecost the Lord used him to boldly preach Jesus and 3000 were saved (Acts 2).
g. The same boldness that once caused him to speak impulsively became bold preaching under the power of the Holy Ghost.
h. God didn’t remove Peter’s personality, He sanctified it.
i. God doesn’t erase who He created you to be, He transforms you for His glory.
8. What Do You Have to Offer?
a. God is not asking you for someone else’s gift, or to become someone else.
b. He is asking one question: “What do you have in your hand?”
c. Whatever God has placed in your life, lay it on the altar.
d. Give Him your life: your gifts; your abilities; your education; your personality; your resources; your time.
e. What is ordinary in your hands becomes extraordinary in God’s hands.
f. Don’t underestimate what God has entrusted to you.
g. The greatest miracles in history often began with something small placed into God’s hands.
h. When you place what is in your hand into the hands of Almighty God, He will anoint it, multiply it, empower it, and use it to accomplish far more than you could ever imagine.
i. Whatever is in your hand today—place it in His hands, and watch Him do the impossible.