Exodus 3:10-14, 4: 10-13
So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”…..Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
Judges 6:11-18
The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”
In Secure in God
As I continue to learn more about the people of the Bible, I am continued to be amazed by them. Not the amazement you might think. I am not only amazed by how God used them, which is quite remarkable, but I am amazed that God still used them. He still used them after they said no, or had the wrong attitude or tried it their own way. To be honest, I can relate. Sadly, I’ve had all those reactions before. I am not always the eager beaver when God calls me to do something. Moses and Gideon were used greatly for the protection and freedom of the Israelites; however their beginnings were a little different. Moses, after 40 years of training as a shepherd, was now being called to shepherd the Israelites out of Egypt. I would say that was a big task and Moses made it very clear to God what he thought. Moses first response is that he is not someone that’s worthy for this calling. God assures him that He is with him. Moses replies back not sure how he’s to respond to the people when they question his authority. God tells him His name. Moses reveals that he lacks the ability to speak as he needs to with Pharaoh. God rebukes him and reminds him of His power. Moses comes back with a clear no. If you continue to read the passages, God becomes angry, but provides him help through his brother Aaron, and God does amazing things through them. God didn’t need Moses to be great; He needed him to be available.
Many years later, we meet Gideon. It is the time of the Judges and there is a lot of oppression and idol worship throughout the land. God has been sending different people to ‘judge’ the Israelites and lead them not just out of sin, but also from destruction from other nations. Gideon is one of those judges. God meets him alone as He did with Moses. Notice how He addresses Gideon. He calls him mighty warrior. Now at this point Gideon has done nothing ‘warrior’ like, let alone, mighty, but God knows what Gideon’s going to do. After God is done with him, Gideon will be a mighty warrior. Gideon overlooks this point and addresses something more pertinent to him. Where is God? That’s what he wants to know. Gideon and his people are being oppressed and God seems to be gone. Where is the God that led the Israelites out of slavery and performed amazing miracles on their behalf? I might be asking the same thing given his circumstances. God doesn’t necessarily give him a direct answer, but instead tells him that Gideon himself is going to save Israel. God called Moses to save the people and now it’s Gideon that’s being called. Unlike Moses, Gideon doesn’t say no, but he does ask Him for a sign; actually a few signs. Guess what? God gave it to him. Every sign he needed, God provided. God did amazing things through Gideon and the men that fought with him. Again, God didn’t need Gideon to be mighty; He needed him to be available.
Thank God He doesn’t need me to be great or mighty, because I am neither. After thinking about the circumstances both these men were in and what God was calling them to do, I’m not sure I can blame them for not responding with joy. They were scared, plain and simple. From their responses, it’s obvious that they felt inadequate and insecure, as they should. In themselves, they were not adequate or secure to save themselves, let alone, save the whole nation. Despite their attempt to tell God otherwise, they eventually obeyed God and discovered His power flowing through them to accomplish what, on their own, could not ever be done. God wants so much to use us and to display His greatness through us if we let Him. I have to admit that I feel inadequate and insecure more than I’d like to admit. Yet, isn’t this a great place to be? If I can respond the correct way out of my insecurity when God calls me to do something, then He can accomplish amazing things through me as He did with Moses and Gideon. From my insecurity I must learn to secure myself to Him. I believe that our insecurity serves a greater purpose than we realize. Satan would like to use this sense of helplessness to keep us from obeying God and from being used by Him. God does not allow us to feel insecure or inadequate so that we cower away from Him, but quite the opposite. He wants that out of our insecurity, out of realizing that we really are not secure in ourselves, that we would secure ourselves firmly to Him. Once Moses and Gideon got past the realization that they alone can’t do what God is asking, they secured themselves to their God. You have to read for yourselves the story of Moses and Gideon and see the mighty and amazing things that can be done when your security is latched to the One that does not need to be secure in anything. He does not change, sway, or move. He is the Rock. He is the Fortress and the Shield. I hope I realize the next time I feel insecure or feel as if I don’t measure up, that I am in a good place. I won’t measure up against others. I won’t be secure in myself. It’s a good place to let God take control.
So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”…..Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
Judges 6:11-18
The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”
In Secure in God
As I continue to learn more about the people of the Bible, I am continued to be amazed by them. Not the amazement you might think. I am not only amazed by how God used them, which is quite remarkable, but I am amazed that God still used them. He still used them after they said no, or had the wrong attitude or tried it their own way. To be honest, I can relate. Sadly, I’ve had all those reactions before. I am not always the eager beaver when God calls me to do something. Moses and Gideon were used greatly for the protection and freedom of the Israelites; however their beginnings were a little different. Moses, after 40 years of training as a shepherd, was now being called to shepherd the Israelites out of Egypt. I would say that was a big task and Moses made it very clear to God what he thought. Moses first response is that he is not someone that’s worthy for this calling. God assures him that He is with him. Moses replies back not sure how he’s to respond to the people when they question his authority. God tells him His name. Moses reveals that he lacks the ability to speak as he needs to with Pharaoh. God rebukes him and reminds him of His power. Moses comes back with a clear no. If you continue to read the passages, God becomes angry, but provides him help through his brother Aaron, and God does amazing things through them. God didn’t need Moses to be great; He needed him to be available.
Many years later, we meet Gideon. It is the time of the Judges and there is a lot of oppression and idol worship throughout the land. God has been sending different people to ‘judge’ the Israelites and lead them not just out of sin, but also from destruction from other nations. Gideon is one of those judges. God meets him alone as He did with Moses. Notice how He addresses Gideon. He calls him mighty warrior. Now at this point Gideon has done nothing ‘warrior’ like, let alone, mighty, but God knows what Gideon’s going to do. After God is done with him, Gideon will be a mighty warrior. Gideon overlooks this point and addresses something more pertinent to him. Where is God? That’s what he wants to know. Gideon and his people are being oppressed and God seems to be gone. Where is the God that led the Israelites out of slavery and performed amazing miracles on their behalf? I might be asking the same thing given his circumstances. God doesn’t necessarily give him a direct answer, but instead tells him that Gideon himself is going to save Israel. God called Moses to save the people and now it’s Gideon that’s being called. Unlike Moses, Gideon doesn’t say no, but he does ask Him for a sign; actually a few signs. Guess what? God gave it to him. Every sign he needed, God provided. God did amazing things through Gideon and the men that fought with him. Again, God didn’t need Gideon to be mighty; He needed him to be available.
Thank God He doesn’t need me to be great or mighty, because I am neither. After thinking about the circumstances both these men were in and what God was calling them to do, I’m not sure I can blame them for not responding with joy. They were scared, plain and simple. From their responses, it’s obvious that they felt inadequate and insecure, as they should. In themselves, they were not adequate or secure to save themselves, let alone, save the whole nation. Despite their attempt to tell God otherwise, they eventually obeyed God and discovered His power flowing through them to accomplish what, on their own, could not ever be done. God wants so much to use us and to display His greatness through us if we let Him. I have to admit that I feel inadequate and insecure more than I’d like to admit. Yet, isn’t this a great place to be? If I can respond the correct way out of my insecurity when God calls me to do something, then He can accomplish amazing things through me as He did with Moses and Gideon. From my insecurity I must learn to secure myself to Him. I believe that our insecurity serves a greater purpose than we realize. Satan would like to use this sense of helplessness to keep us from obeying God and from being used by Him. God does not allow us to feel insecure or inadequate so that we cower away from Him, but quite the opposite. He wants that out of our insecurity, out of realizing that we really are not secure in ourselves, that we would secure ourselves firmly to Him. Once Moses and Gideon got past the realization that they alone can’t do what God is asking, they secured themselves to their God. You have to read for yourselves the story of Moses and Gideon and see the mighty and amazing things that can be done when your security is latched to the One that does not need to be secure in anything. He does not change, sway, or move. He is the Rock. He is the Fortress and the Shield. I hope I realize the next time I feel insecure or feel as if I don’t measure up, that I am in a good place. I won’t measure up against others. I won’t be secure in myself. It’s a good place to let God take control.
