Doubtful Circumstances
Growing up, I viewed the Old Testament as a section of The Bible that was confusing and unrelatable. I would wander into it occasionally, then quickly move out of it as my eyes went cross eyed on cubic measurements and sons of sons of sons. But not long ago I lingered in Exodus long enough to change my perspective…
I feel confident you are familiar with the main character in the book of Exodus, Moses. He led the enslaved Israelites out of Egypt, parted the Red Sea and delivered the Ten Commandments given to him by God. While all these moments deserve recognition, the one that grabbed my attention the most was the doubt he experienced.
We find Moses questioning his ability to carry out God’s plan in Exodus. At this point in the story Moses has fled Pharaoh’s palace in Egypt after killing an Egyptian, met a feisty woman that becomes his wife and has come to terms with his life. But God….God has plans for Moses to grow in his faith and do more than he ever imagined.
God chooses to speak to Moses through a burning bush. Can we just pause here….wouldn’t this life be a lot easier if God would give us a clear, audible message like this?! I once dreamed God gave me the message to go on a mission trip to a place that began with the letter, “M.” I googled places beginning with “M” and concluded it might have been Morocco. As I informed my husband of this, he rolled his eyes and retorted, “are you sure it wasn’t Monroe?” Good point. The message was a bit foggy.
Moses is clearly told to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of bondage from Pharoah. Instruction is given, promises for guidance are made and God’s plan is explained.
Moses’ response to God’s command: Ummm…can you pick somebody else, God? Who am I to do this?
Have you ever been in Moses’ circumstance? Maybe you didn’t stand before a flaming bush and hear an audible voice, but perhaps you sensed God was guiding you to a big decision. Maybe you know God is calling you to be a leader, but you feel inadequate. Your mind says, “Who am I to ____?” Let your thoughts fill in that blank.
Moses was genuinely honest with God about his gut-wrenching doubt and the beauty of this is how God responded. The book of Exodus tells us God reminded Moses He would be with Him every step of the way. God would be present through Moses’ actions, speech and decisions; nothing would be overlooked.
Sometimes we can feel like Moses-unequipped, fearful and uncertain. We don’t want to say no to God, but our circumstances feel impossible, and our own strength cripples us. God doesn’t want superheroes; He wants our trust in His plan. Some of the biggest burdens lifted off my own shoulders came from sincere prayers expressing my doubt of how on earth a scenario could play out and feeling God remind me to simply trust Him.
If you are being faced with a difficult circumstance or uncertain you have what it takes to follow God’s calling, remember who He is and what He promises. He will never leave us, nor forsake us. His love and guidance endure forever.
As you probably know, Moses did move forward with God’s command to free the Israelites, but not without a challenge. Stay tuned on the next blog post to watch Moses dig even deeper to trust God’s plan.
