Exodus, Excuses, and Evidence of a Promise

Lately I have been reading through the Old Testament. I really wanted to understand it more, and really take a deeper look into the old familiar stories heard many a summers growing up as a child at vacation bible school. Ahhh and who can forget those VBS songs. Pharaoh, Pharaoh Oh baby! Let my people go! HUH! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! And one of my personal favorites, God told Noah to build him an arky arky. God told Noah to build him an arky arky. Which reminds me of one of my favorite things I ever made at VBS when I was in elementary school, and I still have it today. Not sure why I loved it so much but I did and it was Noah’s ark with some animals. I was so proud of it!

How cute!
Anyways, As I’ve been going through the Old Testament, I just decided to start from the beginning and read it straight through. Right now I am on Exodus. I forgot how exciting the story of Moses is. But it sure wasn’t without trials and frustrations, but also, to me, a clear definition of FAITH. The part that stuck out to me the most started at chapter 3 with Moses at the burning bush. God has appeared to Moses and has told Moses He is sending him to Pharaoh to bring His people out of Egypt.

Starting at verse 11: “But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt you will worship God on this mountain.”
God even then proceeds to, how I imagine it, have a 10 minute conversation explaining EXACTLY how this is going to go down, how He will be with Moses, what is going to happen, and what to do. He even gives Moses miraculous signs that he will use so that the Israelites will believe Moses that the Lord had actually appeared to him.

Moses AGAIN tries to come up with another excuse, saying he is “slow of speech and tongue.” Which means Moses may have had a stutter, or maybe a lisp, but some sort of speech problem. Either way, Moses was FREAKING OUT and looking for a way out. A. Because God just appeared to him in a burning bush, proclaiming he is “The God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God is Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Who will ever believe him? And B. Because God has now chosen him to lead His people out of Egypt. SCARY! He was having major doubts about his ability to lead.

(Verse 11)Then the Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go, I will help you speak and teach you what to say.”

Now here comes the best part (verse 13). By best I mean worst:

“But Moses said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.”

My first thought was WAIT WHAT? Moses? Are you serious? This is THE big man, God Almighty, you are talking to. He picked you out to lead his people out of Egypt and you just said send someone else to do it? YOU, old man, have LOST YOUR MIND. Then I was forced (as so often this little thing called conviction likes to do) to realize how many times I have done the same thing. How many times I have made excuses not the do what the Lord has called me to do. Nah, just pick someone else to do that. I’m too scared. I can’t do THAT. What a tragedy. How much have I missed out on by making excuses, self-doubting, and being scared? Complete lack of faith that God will be with me in whatever I do, especially with His work. He has promised us over and over again that He will be with us and never leave us. And JUST like He did with Moses, the Lord will be with us always, guiding and directing every step of the way. He gave Moses a way, He gave Moses the words to say, He gave Moses a helper in his brother Aaron, and He told Moses what to do. And He can do the same for us today. All we have to do is trust that and have complete faith in Him, even when times get hard and we start to question, Why? and Are you sure God?
I am reminded of this these verses:

“…As I was with Moses, so I will be with you all the days of your life.” Joshua 1:5

“…Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

“..Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So I say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

So let the Lord fight for you today. All you have to do is be still. Trust in Him and His promises that He will be with you always, and know that He is in complete control. Go confidently in whatever direction He has called you. Don't put it off, or ask God to let someone else do it when He has called you to do it! Don't be afraid to take a chance, follow God's plan, because he will bless you greatly for it.