I’ve learned so much from studying the life of Moses over the years. Recently, I taught on Exodus 3 & 4 where Moses is facing his own fears of failure and personal inadequacies. Fears that can wreak havoc on my own life at times.
God calls Moses to go back to Egypt and free the Israelites from captivity, but Moses was paralyzed by fear.
Exodus 4:1 Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?”
In other words…
What if something out there goes wrong?
What if something bad happens to me in the process?
What if I’m not the right guy?
So how does God respond?
Exodus 4: 2 Then the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied.
3 The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.”
Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the LORD said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake, and it turned back into a staff in his hand.
Moses’ staff represented his identity, his income, his influence. But Moses is just an ordinary guy with an ordinary, not so impressive staff.
It’s as if God is saying, ‘Trust me Moses. Lay it down. I can take what you view as normal and unimpressive and do something extraordinary with it.’
I don’t know what ordinary thing you have in your life. I don’t know what your gifts and abilities are or what your income or influence is. I just know what you have in your hand today is enough to do whatever God calls you to do in the future.
Fill in the blank: The one thing I need to lay down, the one thing I need to trust God with is_________________________.
