The Walking Stick

The Walking Stick

"And Aaron's staff...had not only sprouted but had budded,
blossomed and produced almonds." Numbers 17:8

If you've ever made a walking stick for going on a hike, you know the process. First, find a good branch from a tree, not too thin and not too thick. Then strip all the bark off it and, lastly, leave it in the sun to dry out. And no doubt, that's what Aaron did, along with many others, during their journey through the wilderness, walking through the arid Sinai Peninsula.

Aaron took a branch off an almond tree and it became his trusted staff, strong enough to support and steady him as he walked. That is until one day when God had need of it. God said "I'm going to rid myself of this constant grumbling about who should be in charge" and He used the walking sticks of the leaders to do it. Each of the leaders of the twelve tribes gave Moses their walking stick, he carved their names on them, and then placed them in the Tabernacle as God had commanded him.

As we consider these walking sticks, these branches off trees, we have to remember that they were once full of life, with leaves and buds that flowered and fruit that appeared on the branches. And they had been cut off for a purpose that seemed far less important than bearing fruit for others to enjoy. These branches off trees had been stripped bare and laid in the sun to thoroughly dry out before being used. Sometimes we go through similar experiences where we are left feeling dry and barren, without hope for our future, not realizing that God still has a plan for our lives.

In the story in Numbers 17, the Lord said that the staff of the man He had chosen would sprout leaves again, a pretty incredible, even impossible thing to happen. Twelve hours after being placed in the Tabernacle, Moses gathered up the walking sticks. Eleven of them were unchanged but Aaron's had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. It is a powerful example of what the Lord can do in our lives as we spend time in His presence. You may feel dry in your walk and relationship with the Lord but there is hope if you will spend time in His presence.

The miracle of the almond walking stick is a miracle waiting to happen in your life, taking you from feeling dry and cut off, to seeing your life blossom like never before. And the key, and really the key for every situation we face, is getting into His presence. For David to write in Psalm 16:9 "in your presence is fullness of joy", David must have had his own walking stick experience, a time when he allowed God's presence to transform him and fill him with life, with joy, and with a renewed purpose. The Lord wants to do the same for you, restoring hope and filling you with life as you experience the power of His presence.

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church