By Jennifer Munson
Have you ever read a passage in the Bible you have already gone over a bunch of times and heard numerous sermons on, but as you start to dig into it you realize there is a portion you seem to have forgotten?
Maybe this time you notice some details which are vital, especially because of the current season you are in the midst of.
Moses is most widely remembered as the baby placed in a basket, then hidden in the Nile River, then found by Pharaoh’s daughter. On the other hand, maybe you remember him as the person who went up a mountain and encountered the glory of God or, most popularly, the guy who came down from the mountain with the 10 commandments in his hands.
The thing is, if you dig into the beginning of Exodus, you will find a lot of excuses, doubts, and questions by Moses to his Holy God. A lot of “but God” which I imagine sounding like a whiny 4-year old who wants to wear her Elsa outfit to church which you’ve already said no to five times.
“But mooooom” “No, I already told you so stop asking!”
Let’s go to Exodus 3. Moses is telling God how inadequate he is for the task He is calling him to. God responds, “I am with you.” If it were me, I would’ve said something like, “Seriously? When have I ever asked anyone to do something without me? Do you really think I’d send you to Egypt to free my people by your own self!?” However, thankfully, God is not sarcastic.
It is ok to doubt, to have fear, to lack faith because that is where grace abounds. God doesn’t respond to us in our doubt and fear, throw his hands up, and say, “Forget it! I won’t use you!” Not our gracious Father. He is good; His love endures forever. And ever.
If He places a challenge, a trial, a test in front of us, He NEVER expects us to do it without Him. Gracious, kind, merciful. The One who goes ahead and clears a straight path for us.
In fact, God chooses those of us who are a hot mess, or have a past that is full of sin and rebellion to display His glory. Why does He do that? Because if we didn’t need Him to be with us, we would get the glory.
Just a reminder: that is what Satan has always been after – God’s glory. He wants attention so he distracts us with lies like, “I cannot do this! I’m not good enough!”
Sometimes God allows circumstances to draw us to Him to bring our attention to Him, to seek out His strength, His power. Not to punish us, but to draw us to Him, He wants us to know Him better because that brings safety, peace, comfort, and blessing.
God loves to call forth those who feel unworthy and declare them worth. This is displayed throughout the Bible in many of the characters. You never have to be good enough; that’s not what He is looking for. He wants a humble and obedient heart, a heart yielded to His will.
Moses experienced God in miraculous ways and He even encountered our perfect and Holy Father face to face! The Bible tells us he became the most humble man in all the earth.
So lean in to Father; do not pull away because of pain. Sometimes pain has to get our attention in order for us to do something. For some of us who are stubborn, we do not take action unless the pain lasts a while.
But He bids us to come and experience all He has for us.
Just say yes to Him. Yes to His will. Yes to His timing. Yes to the seasons of wilderness.
Just say yes and watch Him move.
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