The Girl in the Middleনমুনা

WHAT’S IN YOUR HAND?

When God first called Moses to lead the Israelites out of their bondage in Egypt, Moses voiced excuse after excuse about why he was not the best person for the job.

God didn’t respond with reasons why Moses was highly qualified. Instead, He drew the focus back onto Himself by saying, “But I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12). God’s comforting words for Moses were not about how competent he was, but how God’s presence was enough. He was showing Moses that because He was with him, Moses had absolutely everything that he needed.

After listening to more of Moses’s hesitations, God told Moses to throw his staff on the ground. When Moses did, his simple staff immediately became a snake. When he picked it back up, it returned to the form of a shepherd’s staff. God said that would be a miracle He would per­form in front of Pharaoh when Moses went to speak with him. This simple shepherd’s staff was a way in which God intended to reveal His glory to Pharaoh. (See Exodus 4:2-5.)

In a similar way, we might believe our day-to-day lives are “unusable” by God because what we do might not seem established or important enough. We all have our own shepherd’s staffs, if you will. We all have daily rhythms and roles. But whether we are stay-at-home moms or col­lege students or night shift nurses, God has plans to reveal His glory to us and through us in those very places. Our current posi­tions are not unusable in the presence of a miracle-working God. Our limitations never limit God. He wants to do mira­cles in our daily lives through our choice to faithfully make the most of the opportunities He gives us.

Moses’s story teaches us that God calls us to follow Him not because we are qualified or have all the answers, but because He will give us what we need when we need it. Excuses only get in the way of us partnering with Him in His plan. We never have to worry about being equipped for that plan when we are following His lead.

What excuses are you making today about not following God? What is the “shepherd’s staff” you hold that you wonder if God could use?