Exodus 3:1 - 4:17 How Should I Respond When God Calls?

God wasn't reminding me about the burning bush story this morning.  He used my commentary to remind me how I am to respond to Him, and how not to respond.

Moses was "taken out of service" for 40 years when he left Egypt.  Now, at age 80, God is calling him back to serve again.  "It's significant that God calls people who are busy," my commentary said, citing Gideon, Samuel, David, Elisha, and several of the apostles.  So I cannot us the excuse of being too busy when God calls.

That burning bush, it said, was a picture of what God had planned for Moses.  "He was the weak bush, but God was the empowering fire, and with God's help, Moses could accomplish anything."

"God's statement, 'Behold, I will send you' must have astonished Moses.  Why would God choose a failure?"  He should have rejoiced at answered prayer for his people, and submitted to God's will, yet he instead argued and tried to escape it.

Saying, "I'm a nobody," he was forgetting that "what Moses thought of himself or what others thought of Moses really wasn't important.  God had spoken and that was all Moses needed for assurance ... Why was he looking at himself instead of looking by faith to the Lord?  'I will be with you' is all the assurance God's servants need in order to succeed."

Moses was concerned about his credentials when he would stand before the older Jewish leaders.  God then gave him signs and miracles to show them.  "The Jews require a sign," then and still now.  "I AM is all that we need in every circumstance of life, and it's foolish for us to argue."  He could easily enable Moses to speak His Word in power, as He can us today.

"Moses was making the mistake of looking at himself instead of looking to God.  The God who made us is able to use the gifts and abilities He's given us to accomplish the tasks He assigns to us."

Moses appeared to be displaying humility, when years before he rashly did what he thought was right.  He was "making the mistake of looking at himself instead of looking to God.  Humility isn't thinking poorly of ourselves; it's simply not thinking of ourselves at all but making God everything.  The humble servant thinks only of God's will and God's glory, not his or her own inadequacy, success, or failure.

After all this reassurance from God, it must have really pained God when Moses asked him to please get someone else to do it!  "Moses calls Him Lord yet refuses to obey His orders ... we've made the same mistake.  If God isn't Lord of all, He isn't Lord at all."  God told him that Aaron was already on his way and would speak to the people for him (but that left out Pharaoh).  Moses had gotten something he wanted, but I loved my commentary's warning about it:  "When God in His anger gives us what we selfishly want, that gift rarely turns out to be a blessing.  One of the most painful judgments God can send is to let His people have their own way ... God knows us better than we know ourselves, so we must TRUST HIM and obey what He tells us to do.  When we tell God our weaknesses, we aren't sharing anything He doesn't already know.  The will of God will never lead you where the power of God can't enable You, so walk by faith in His promises.

Father, I remember when You called to me in Russia to adopt, and I was never more certain of anything in my life.  Regardless of what popped up, I knew You had spoken and were in charge and would change things to make it happen.  Help me to have that same assurance and belief today and for the rest of my life here on earth.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford