Please send someone else!

When God called Moses to serve him and to go and speak to Pharoah, Moses sheepishly asked the Lord to send someone else.

¹⁰ Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”

¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

¹³ But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”  -(Exodus 4)

In a way, Jonah did the same thing. When God called him to go and preach to the Ninevites, Jonah ran in the opposite direction. You can read this story in chapter 1 of Jonah. 

So, what about us? When God calls us to a task that seems bigger than our abilities, how do we respond? What do we say?

Living in grace

D3LM3

The hidden path

There are times when we come to the edge of uncertainty, and we don't know which way to turn. Picture the Israelites standing on the shores of the Red Sea. The pounding waves are throwing salty spray into their faces, while the blood-curdling screams of the Egyptians are getting closer and closer. Trapped in no man's land, they have only one hope - God. 

They look to Moses and in a moment of Divine Mystery, God opens a hidden path for them. Moses holds the staff high and a road they never knew existed, appears before them. They still need courage to walk on this path, but they step out in faith.

Psalm 77:19 - Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!

Prayer thought: Consider your present obstacles - trust that God will lead you through these trials on hidden paths of grace.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Between self-doubt and courage

The doubts and questions are there. We wonder if we should venture out in faith or listen to the nagging narrative: "You are not good enough. You don't have what it takes." 

And so, in the end, we choose to silence the voices in our head, and we collapse back into our comfortable lives. 

Can you relate to this sentiment at all? 

Have you ever felt prompted or called to do something for the Lord, but you have given into the negative emotions that force us back into our shell? 

If YES, then know that you are in very good company. Almost all of the heroes of our faith came to a point of self-doubt, fear and paralysis. However, in the end, they took a bold step forward and trust God at his word. 

Are we willing to do the same? We will stay close to God, trusting in his provision and guidance at the moments we need it most? 

“Now go; I will help you to speak and will teach you what to say.” – Exodus 4:12

Frederick Buechner – “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

Living in Grace

D3LM3

What was he well known for?

What was Moses well known for? 

Was it for, being left in the bulrushes as a child? Challenging Pharoah? Being a Shepherd? Receiving the 10 Commandments? Leading the people through the wilderness? 

Well, I guess all of these give us some insight into the events of his life, but they don't fully answer the question. When we turn to Numbers 12:3, we find the answer. This verse says:

“Anav me’od mikol ha-adam asher al penai ha-adama”–the most extremely humble individual on the face of the earth.

Moses was considered to be the humblest individual on the face of the earth. Wow, that is quite an honour. 

Another translation for word 'anav' can also be 'meek.' Moses was chosen by God, because he humbly trusted in God 100 percent. 

"Far more books get written about how to get more people in your church than how to get the people already in your church to have more humility and sincere love." - John Ortberg

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Rocks into water

When we read the words of Scripture, we see that people in Biblical times believed that miracles were very possible. Sadly, our modern age has brought with it a great degree of skepticism, and unless we can explain something, we are reluctant to believe it possible.

In Psalm 114, the Psalmist writes:

7 "Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
    at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 who turned the rock into a pool,
    the hard rock into springs of water."

In this post-Easter season, the idea of God turning rock into water shouldn't be so hard to comprehend. He did a similar miracle through the hand of Moses (water from the rock) and then later through the example of Jesus, God raised him from the dead. 

Thought: What do the words of Psalm 114:7-8 mean for you today? Why are we so skeptical of things we cannot understand? 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

A humbling reminder

As we read deeper into Psalm 90, we note how Moses comes to the clear understanding of his own mortality. And as he does this, he naturally compares this with God's immortality. In an age, where millions of people are obsessed with making a name for themselves, we all need to humbly remember that God is the only one who has the power of life and death. 

"You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night.
Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—
they are like the new grass of the morning:
In the morning it springs up new,
but by evening it is dry and withered." - Psalm 90

I read an interesting story that highlights this same point: 

"Philip II, father of Alexander the Great and king of Macedon, was always accompanied by two men who had a very interesting duty. One man was to say to him each morning, "Philip, remember that you are but a man," while the second asked the king each evening, "Philip, have you remembered that you are but a man?" - Today in the Word, March 30, 1993.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Your Burning Bush Moment

Have you ever had a burning bush moment?

I am assuming that if you said 'Yes', that it didn't really involve a burning bush, but something that God used to get your attention? I have had a few moments where God has stopped me in my tracks. The real challenge comes in how we respond to these moments. Are we attentive? Do we draw closer to God or are we tempted to turn away in fear?

Read through the story in Exodus 3 again:

One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. 3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”

4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

“Here I am!” Moses replied.

Questions:

1. Did you notice Moses' response to God's call?

2. What had happened to Moses prior to this moment? Do you think he felt worthy of being called?

3. If God were to 'draw you closer' what would make you stand up and pay attention?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Does God have short arms?

                                                    

What a strange question to ask you this morning?

Do you think God has short arms?

Well, if you think I am going crazy I must point out that it is actually God who asks Moses this question first. Take a read and see:

^"The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.” - Numbers 11:23

God had promised to answer Moses prayers and to deliver food to the Israelites, but Moses was a little sceptical. God wanted to push Moses a little and so he challenge him by asking whether Moses felt that God was not able to fulfil his promises.

In another translation God asks the question like this: "The Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s power limited? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.” (NRSV)

How would you answer God's question today?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Crying out

"I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favour and spare me this misery!” - Numbers 11:14-15

I am so thankful that the editors of the scripture didn't take verses like this one out (see above). It gives me so much hope to know that even great leaders like Moses felt discouragement and had a little rant every now and then. Moses had so much trust in his relationship with God that he felt he could be brutally honest with the Lord.

How confident are you in your relationship with God at the moment?

Do you feel you can be honest with Jesus on a similar level to Moses?

Proverbs 15:8 - "God can’t stand pious poses, but he delights in genuine prayers."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The Connection

"Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman,  and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months." - Exodus 2:1-2

It is interesting to note the similarity between this verse, which speaks about Moses, and our recent experience of the birth of Jesus. Both Mary and Jochebed (Moses' mom) saw something 'fine' in their sons and both boys grew up to 'save' their people. Moses became synonymous with rescuing the Israelites from their Egyptian masters and Jesus offers us freedom from Sin, which seeks to be our master.

The other obvious connection between Jesus and Moses is that they both needed to be hidden from wicked men in their infancy. As much as evil rulers tried to destroy God's chosen ones, the Spirit took care of them and lead them to safety.
 
As we continue into 2019 may we seek to discover traces of God's grace, love and light in the Scriptures, as well as come to understand the True FREEDOM given to us in Jesus Christ. 

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Send someone else!

There are a number of people in the Bible who were a little overwhelmed by God's calling on their lives. Jonah, Gideon, Moses - they all asked God to send someone else in their place.


"But Moses again pleaded, "Lord, please! Send anyone else." — Exodus 4:13

It is good when we realise that we can't do everything in our own strength and that we need God to get us through each situation. However, it is NOT good to ignore the unique calling God has placed on your life. 

One is an act of humility, the other is an act of disobedience!

Living in Grace
D3LM3

 

Offer what you have

Reading through Trevor Hudson's chapter on "What is in your hand?" has been a deeply revealing time for me. Using Moses story from Exodus 4, where God challenges Moses to look at what he already has in his hand, Trevor invites us to do the same thing. Take a look at the ordinary, everyday 'tools' or 'gifts' that we have in our lives at the moment and then to allow God to use them for his purpose and glory.

I find that we so often look around at others and envy their gifts, abilities and talents, neglecting what God has placed into our hands. We spend so much time longing to be like someone else, when we could be offering God what we have. I strongly believe that every single one of us has been given some precious gift (yes, even you) and we honour God when we offering this back to him.

So, please take a minute and do this simple exercise. Write down every thing that you are good at and don't be humble about this. List the things that others see in you and which people have already affirmed in your life. When you have created this list, then say this prayer:

 “Dear God, thank you for this _______________ ability. I give it to you. I commit myself to develop it as much as I can. Will you please use it to make a difference in the lives of others.” (Trevor Hudson)

Ephesians 5:2 - "...and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

1 Peter 2:5 -  "...you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

Living in Grace

D3LM3