Insecure Moses

Insecure Moses

January 12, 2017

Exodus 3:11 "But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?'"

Moses, the famous Moses, was not the leader everyone thought he was. After he grew up in Egypt as a prince, his mistakes took him far away from Egypt to herd sheep. He spent 40 years herding animals, and with a people group not his own. As he aged during that time, from 40 years old until 80 years old, his confidence level got knocked down. He had made it up in his mind to live out his days in a simple lifestyle, a small family, herding sheep in the desert. He wasn't a leader and he wasn't interested in becoming a leader. In fact, he lacked significant confidence in being a leader when the Lord asked him to step forward and lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses even begged the Lord to find someone else.

If you recount the discourse between Moses and the Lord, you'll find Moses turning down the job, trying to get out of it with every excuse possible. Moses had good reason to decline the opportunity, at least in his mind. Moses was insecure. Moses believed his self-talk, that he wasn't capable of meeting with Pharaoh and he wasn't capable of leading anything other than sheep. Moses didn't think he could do it. In fact, he knew he couldn't do it. Moses wasn't trying to debase himself, just realizing where his strengths probably were at that point in his life, in tending small sheep, not leading a nation of people.

The story ends well, as the Lord used Moses in Mighty ways. As it turned out, Moses did just fine; the Lord knew he could do it. The Lord knew what Moses was capable of, even if Moses did not yet realize it. The Lord knew it would stretch Moses, that Moses would have to rely on the Lord for help. That was OK with the Lord; it was part of His design. Moses was perhaps one of the greatest leaders of all time, and to think Moses tried to turn down the job. Moses could not get out of it; the Lord was determined to use Him, to do great things through him. Moses may not have been 100% capable and skilled for everything the Lord had for him on day one, but Moses was at least 100% ready to start. That's all the Lord was really asking him, to start, to step out and follow the Lord's leading. The Lord wasn't asking Moses to do it all in one day, the Lord was just asking Moses to be willing.

You and I like to turn down things the Lord asks of us. We reason we are not fully equipped for 100% success and therefore lack the courage or faith to start. The Lord does not care if you can do it on your own, He just wants to know if you'll have faith in Him, if you'll trust Him. The Lord has something for each and every one of us to do and He wants to know if you are going to continually turn down the job. Eventually Moses realized the right answer was yes. Eventually, you'll realize the right answer is yes, too. What is it the Lord is asking of you? Do you have enough courage to at least start?

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  Exodus 2-3, Luke 10:2