Wednesday, September 6, 2017

When God (or our church) has something that needs to be done, we can usually give a million reasons why we are not the right person to do the job.  But they really aren't reasons, they are excuses.

Moses gave five excuses for why God had gotten it all wrong--for why his resume' didn't fit the bill for energizing, rounding up, and leading a bunch of slaves out of Egypt.  (My paraphrase)

1.  He was  nobody at this point in his life:  "Who am I that I should go?  Not me.  Wrong guy."
2.  He would have to explain why he was there: "What would I say to them anyway."
3.  He would have to explain who sent him: "This is your God's doing.  I just met Him."
4.  They wouldn't believe him.  They would say: "The Lord wouldn't speak to you.  You're nobody.  You've been gone 40 years. You're not one of us."
5.  He wasn't a good speaker:  "I'm not eloquent...I am slow of speech and have a slow tongue."

Every excuse He gave was just that, an excuse.  God was calling Moses.  Moses wasn't listening.

He had five excuses, but never even thought of giving God a legitimate reason why he couldn't go.  Moses actually had a valid reason not to go:  he was under indictment for murder.  If he was the one to go to Pharaoh, he would most probably be killed.  So, reasonably, God should choose someone to do this job that wouldn't be strung up at the git-go.  But God said, "I will be with you.  I'm God.  I'm not going to send you to do a job that I don't empower you to do."

That's what we usually forget.  God is the "doer."  We are the bush.  It is His power within us that enables us to do His work.  He will give us the words we need.

Perhaps the old Pharaoh was dead.  Perhaps there was a new Pharaoh.  Someone that Moses had grown up with in the palace?  Whatever, God had it all worked out.  And all of Moses' excuses were empty.

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