ChristlikeMoses had every reason to say no. He was a shepherd in the middle of nowhere, tending sheep that belonged to his father-in-law. Then a bush started burning and would not burn up.
God spoke from that bush and gave Moses a job that sounded impossible: go back to Egypt and bring a whole nation of slaves out.
The story
Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, when he led them to the back side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush. Moses looked and saw that the bush burned with fire, but it was not burned up. He said to himself, I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.
When the Lord saw that Moses turned aside to look, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses.” And he said, “Here am I.” God told him not to come near and to take off his shoes, because the place where he stood was holy ground. God said he had seen the affliction of his people in Egypt and had heard their cry. He was going to send Moses to Pharaoh to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Moses was afraid. He asked who he was that he should go to Pharaoh. God said, Certainly I will be with thee. Moses asked what he should say when the people asked for God's name. God said to tell them, I AM THAT I AM hath sent me unto you.
Moses still hesitated. He said he was not eloquent, that he was slow of speech. God reminded him that he had made man's mouth. But Moses asked God to send someone else. Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and God said that Aaron, his brother, could speak for him. Moses finally went.
Later, after the plagues and the Passover, Moses led the people out of Egypt. God went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When they came to the Red Sea, Moses stretched out his hand, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and the waters were divided. The children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on dry ground. The waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. When the Egyptians followed, the waters came back and covered them. The people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his servant Moses.
What this story means
God hears the cries of his people. He saw the affliction of Israel in Egypt and came down to deliver them. He was not distant or forgetful. He acted at the right time, and he used a man to do it.
Moses felt small and inadequate. He gave God reasons to pick someone else. But God did not choose Moses because Moses was impressive. He chose him and promised to be with him. The power was never in Moses. It was in the God who spoke from the bush.
The burning bush shows that God is holy. Moses had to take off his shoes. The plagues and the Passover show that God is serious about setting people free from slavery. The Red Sea shows that God can make a way where there is no way. And through it all, God led his people and stayed with them.
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
What it means for you today
You may feel like Moses did, sure that God has the wrong person. You may look at your life and see only reasons why you are not the one. But God's call does not depend on your strength. It depends on his presence. He says the same thing to you that he said to Moses: I will be with you.
When you are afraid to step out, you can pray honestly about it. You can tell God your fears, just as Moses did. He is not annoyed by your honesty. If you are struggling to pray, what to pray when you can't sleep and your mind won't stop might help you find words.
If you have been hurt by people and find it hard to trust, you are not alone. How to forgive someone who never said sorry can help you take a small step. And if you have stopped gathering with other believers, you stopped going to church because you were hurt offers a gentle way forward.
You can also start small. Read a chapter of the Bible each day, perhaps in the King James Bible app with chapter notes. Or try a short daily lesson in Bible Journeys to help you build a habit. God is patient with slow starts. He was patient with Moses.
Reflection
Where is God asking you to trust that he will be with you, even though you feel inadequate?
