In my last post, I wrote about Moses’ encounter with the burning bush in Exodus chapter 3. Today, I am going to continue from the same passsage. To recap, the people of Israel have been held in slavery in Egypt. Moses has gone from the riches of the Pharoah’s court to a humble career of tending his father-in-law’s sheep in Midian, an occupation he has assumed for 40 years. Moses leads the sheep over to Mount Horeb, where a burning bush catches his eye. Although the bush burns, it is not consumed. From the bush, God speaks to Moses, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey- the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go, I am sending you to Pharoah to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:7-10).
I love the interaction that takes place between God and Moses during the next part of this chapter. Moses responds to God saying, “Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). God responds telling Moses that He will go with him and as a sign to him that when the people of Israel come out of Egypt they will worship God on that very mountain. When Moses asks God, which name he should call God by, God responds, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you'” (Exodus 3:14).
I love this. Do you see the contrast? Moses asks God, “Who am I?” And God responds, by saying “I AM.” This whole walk of faith, this whole journey with God has little to do with who we are and everything to do with who God is in us. It has little to do with our own merit or qualifications, we are told that in our weakness He is strong.
God loves to use the weak things of this world. There is nothing that we lack that He cannot provide. In the midst of insecurity and fear, He is our strength and our confidence. When we lack resources, He is our provision. Where we lack direction, He is the way. When we feel consumed by darkness, He is the light. Where we feel rejected, He is unconditional and everlasting love. When we feel alone, He is with us. There is nothing that we cannot do with God by our side. I am convinced that God calls us to things that our bigger than us, so that we have no choice but to rely on Him fully.
This is a message that has been hitting close to home for me lately. I have always been the first one to disqualify myself. Throughout my life, time and time again, I have carried this sense that I am not the girl for the job. I have prayed that God would use me and grant me opportunities to do His work and He has more than answered that prayer. Somehow I thought that when the opportunities came the confidence would come with it, but instead I feel very much like Moses often times, asking the Lord, “Who am I?” In many ways, I still feel afraid that I’m not qualified. But I know that God is using even my fear. My Pastor said it this Sunday, “Fear is your invitation to step into glory.” My fear invites me to trust in a God who never leaves my side. My fear invites me to step out and take risks, knowing that with Jesus, nothing is impossible. My fear invites me to greater faith, even when the odds seem stacked against me.
What is God calling you to today? Does it seem bigger than anything you could accomplish on your own? It should. In all your weaknesses, turn your eyes to the strength of the Great I AM. Discover who He has called you to be in Him.
