Here I Am: Responding When God Calls Your NameEsimerkki

Have you ever ridiculed with insecurity to the point of in interfere with your purpose? Moses knew this same struggle. Even though he had the best education and everything he could ever want at his fingertips, he was still just a man who struggled with confidence in his ability to affect much change, let alone lead. And yet, when God was ready to make good on His promise to Abraham to bring Israel out of captivity and into the Promised Land, Moses was the guy He had in sight for such a task. A little background on Moses: After Joseph’s family settled in the land, the Israelites grew to great numbers—so great that around the time that Moses was born, the pharaoh issued an edict that all firstborn males should be killed to help with population control of the Hebrews. In a last-ditch effort to save his life, Moses’ family placed him in a waterproofed basket and floated him out into the river. It just so happened that the basket with baby Moses in it was discovered by the pharaoh’s daughter, who took Moses home and raised him, a Hebrew baby, as her son in the pharaoh’s house in Egypt. I am not quite sure where the insecurities began for him. Perhaps it was being abandoned as an infant and growing up in a palace surrounded by people of a different culture who had royal blood. Maybe it was the speech impediment we know he dealt with. Whatever the source of Moses’ lack of confidence, it was compounded when at the age of forty, he exiled himself from Egypt after killing an Egyptian who was beating a He- brew slave. Shunned by both Hebrews and Egyptians, Moses fled into the desert, where he spent the next forty years as a shepherd. It was there in his exile in the wilderness that Moses had his “Here I am” moment. While out tending the flock, Moses saw a burning bush that didn’t burn up, and he approached it. From the bush, God called his name and he said, “here I am.” Then, God proceeded to tell Moses that He wanted the shepherd to return to Egypt and lead Israel out of captivity. Moses expressed five doubts in his conversation with God and He addressed all five. Graciously, God still used Moses in his doubts but his insecurity led him to question God and ultimately, miss out on fully embracing his role to lead Egypt out. Moses’ brother, Aaron, was brought in to help Moses where he lacked confidence. However, Moses said yes to God’s call and through the struggle and desert, kept saying “yes” to God’s call. You have a decision today and every day moving forward: Are you going to believe the lie and remain inactive, paralyzed by fear? Or are you going to listen to what God says about you and step into the call He has placed on your life? Let’s commit to each other right now to do the latter!