Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. (Ex. 7:6)
He wasn’t prepared to speak. He’d been raised in a palace, but not to actually lead. He didn’t really want to anyway. Speaking, especially publicly, was nearly impossible for him. But in the end, he stepped up when his people needed him. And King George VI of England, who long fought a severe speech impediment, gathered his courage, took to the radio, and with a few words, altered the course of a world war.
Moses, too, was called to speak under incredible pressure. He would speak to Pharaoh, ask for his people’s freedom, and threaten Pharaoh with destruction. Who wouldn’t hesitate? And he had a valid point when he said he had “faltering lips.” But it wasn’t about him. He just had to be faithful. God would do the rest. God would use him to perform miracles.
When God assigns us a task, it’s easy to look at our (often legitimate) weaknesses and say, “God, what exactly are You thinking? I can’t; I’m simply not capable.” But, that’s the point. We can’t do it. Only God can. Even better, we don’t have to worry about anything but obeying. God gave Moses the necessary words. And God made the miracles happen. In the same way, when God asks us to do what seems impossible, He’ll overcome our weaknesses. We only have to listen, obey, and then watch miracles happen.
Find a stick to remind you of Moses’ staff, and how he obeyed God.
Diane Gardner lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband. She enjoys oil painting, theater, music, and church ministry.
