Today we continue the Superhero Series and share 7 lessons from Moses and the burning bush about overcoming our excuses and feelings of inadequacy.
What do you do when you feel inadequate for a task? You make an excuse. A friend once told me that when you need an excuse, any excuse will do. The reason we make excuses is not so much for the sake of other people. We make excuses to convince ourselves. Our text for today is Exodus 3–4. Before we go any further, take some time to re-familiarize yourself with this story.
God calls Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses was not all that excited about this task. He comes up with every excuse in the book. But for every excuse, God had an answer. Finally, Moses is done with excuses. He gives up. He says, “Lord, please send someone else.” (Exodus 4:13) We get to the heart of the matter. He just did not want to do it.
In the end God used Moses to accomplish a mighty deliverance. The Exodus is often viewed as the most significant event in the entire Old Testament and there are some powerful lessons we can learn from Moses for when we feel inadequate towards a task which God has put before us. Here are seven lessons to learn from Moses:
God can use anyone
When God called Moses from the burning bush, Moses was 80 years old. You’re never too old to be used by God. If you are still here, God has you here for a reason. On the other side, when Paul writes young Timothy, he tells Timothy: “Let no one despise you for your youth …” (1 Timothy 4:12) It doesn’t matter your age, level of education, how much money you possess, or what your experience is. God will use whom he chooses to use.
God will use your past experiences
Moses lived the first 40 years of his life in a household of Pharaoh. (Acts 7:23) I am sure it taught him a lot about what he would need to know about going before Pharaoh as God’s representative. The next 40 years he lived as a shepherd. (Acts 7:30) I am sure he learned patience while dealing with the sheep. It was no doubt a valuable skill he used while shepherding the Israelites for the next 40 years of wandering through the desert. God uses your past to shape your current and future ministry. The best people to minister to those with addictions are those who’ve overcome addictions themselves. The best people to minister to those facing marital challenges, are those who have overcome the challenges themselves.
What is in your hand?
When Moses was coming up with his excuses, God asked Moses, “what is in your hand?” It was a shepherd’s staff. It didn’t seem like much. But when God told Moses to throw it on the ground, it became a snake. What you possess today may not seem like much. But whatever it is that you possess, dedicate it to God’s purposes. It might be your home, your car, your computer, or anything your money bought. It might be a skill or talent such as photography, construction, computer programming, or music. Whatever it is that you possess dedicate it to the Lord’s purposes and watch how he will use those gifts in miraculous ways just as he miraculously used the staff of Moses.
Time with God will put things in perspective
On this mountain where God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, he would later give Moses the 10 Commandments. It was on this same mountain that God would speak to Elijah through the still small voice. This was a holy place. This was why Moses was told to take off his sandals. Do you have a holy place where you encounter God? This is time of worship and prayer. This is your daily devotion. Make sure to take that time. When we kneel before God, we can stand before anything.
Ask for help
Moses tells God, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” (Exodus 4:10) In response God sends Aaron, the brother of Moses, to help. God never intended for us to do this journey called life alone. He has given us our families and the family called the church. We often fail to admit our need, because it makes us vulnerable. We are hesitant to admit our shortcomings, but the truth is we all have needs. Where we may be less than adequate, God has made others more than adequate. It’s okay to ask for help. In fact, it’s more than okay. It’s something God intended all along for us to support one another. It makes you feel good to help others. Return the favor and let others help you.
God gives the Holy Spirit
Speaking of help, there is no greater helper then the Holy Spirit. When Jesus ascended into heaven his promise was to be with us always to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19–20) He is present with us today through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers us to go beyond what we are capable of in ourselves. Through the Holy Spirit you can accomplish more than you can imagine. Take the step of faith and see what the Holy Spirit does through you.
Your inadequacy points to God’s all-sufficiency
The first lesson we learned was God can use anyone no matter how inadequate they might feel. The less adequate you feel, the better the place you are to be used by God, because the less adequate you feel, the more you will rely upon God. And the more you rely upon God the more glory he will receive. It will be recognized that you are not the one who accomplished it, but that God accomplished it through you. While God sent Moses to deliver the people of Israel from their slavery, we know that in the end it was God who did the work and not Moses. It’s not Moses who gets the credit, but God that gets the credit. So let your inadequacy point others to God’s all-sufficiency.
melissa says
Thank you for these weekly devotions. I feel I am growing in my Christian walk because of you. Thank you.
Larry Sewell says
Pastor Ressler
Thank you for this devotion. It really spoke to me tonight. I got a lot out of your 40 Days of Lent series. You are a blessing to many people!
Larry
Angie says
This was truly, exactly what I needed to hear today! Your emails are a blessing and a help to me. Thank You!!
Rose Eilerman says
Thank you for the lesson. It has been a week of depression for me and I needed a boost of reality.Sometimes I just go into haze mode when I am trying to listen to a sermon and the Priest just goes on and on and on. I just need a point blank to the point and then let me think about it sermon.
Jyl says
My daily life is impacted by each message of faith I receive from you. I thank God for your words and your determination to send help across all paths to us.
Phil says
Thanks everyone for the encouragement. We are glad these messages can be a blessing.
Pam Montagno says
I am going through a tough time and knowing that I can rely on God for anything helps me see the light at the end of the tunnel
Rosanna Lopez says
Thank you so much! May God continually use you for His glory!