EXCUSES, EXCUSES … #3

When God invited Moses to return to Egypt to deliver the Israelites from slavery, Moses first said, “I’m not capable.” As a second excuse, he said, “I’m not knowledgeable!”

When those excuses didn’t work, Moses tried again. This time, Moses said, “I’m not charismatic! I’ll never be able to convince the Israelites to believe me! They’ll never trust me and follow me.”

“But… but… but God…” Moses said. “What if they won’t believe me and will not obey me but say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” (Exodus 4:1).

Obviously, God was expecting this. So “the Lord asked him, ‘What is that in your hand?’

‘A staff,’ he replied. ‘Throw it on the ground,’ he said. So Moses threw it on the ground, it became a snake, and he ran from it. The Lord told Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail.’ So he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand”

(Exodus 4:2–4).

Moses was a wrinkled, weather-worn, shepherd from the back side of nowhere. He didn’t need to be a shiny, smooth, slick, silver-tongued salesman. He didn’t need charisma! He needed to trust the Almighty!

Can you imagine the scene? “Take your shepherd’s staff and toss it in the dirt!”

“But God?”

“But nothing! Just do it!”

When the stick landed, it instantly began to slither away! “Holy moly!”

“Grab it by the tail!”

“But God?”

“But nothing! Just do it!”

Ok. Moses wasn’t capable. He wasn’t knowledgeable and he wasn’t charismatic. We aren’t either. But God is with us. God will teach us. God is enough, and we can trust Him!

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).