WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR GOD? ( Part 5)

“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”

Why Is It Difficult To Trust God Completely? The Usual Reason Is That Our Insecurities And Uncertainties Have Taken Over. .
Exodus 3:10 Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" 12 And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain."
Ex 4:1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" 2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. 3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 "This," said the LORD, "is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers — the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob — has appeared to you." 6 Then the LORD said, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was leprous, like snow. 7 "Now put it back into your cloak," he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. 8 Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. 9 But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground." 10 Moses said to the LORD, "O 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." 11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." 13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." 14 Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it." 18 Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me go back to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive." Jethro said, "Go, and I wish you well."

When we disobey God, it normally comes from: 1) a rebellious hardness of our hearts (ayaw ko sumunod, period); 2) Inability to trust God completely; 3) Our insecurity (or fear has taken over). Moses did not have reason # 1 but he did show that he was acting out of his inability to trust God completely and also because his insecurity (or fear) has taken over.

God introduced Himself clearly to Moses but Moses found it hard to obey God. Aside from the fact that he was a fugitive in Egypt- wanted by the law for murder, Moses had 4 specific reasons for not wanting to obey. It is possible that we too, whenever we refuse to obey or reluctantly obey, are under the influence of these 4 reasons:

First Reason: I cannot obey because I am nothing. I have no social stature. Hindi ako bagay. 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" In answer, God told Him, I will be with you. Lesson: When you feel small, insignificant, unimportant, etc., maybe you are. But, the basis of our confidence is never our personal stature but the stature of the one who is with us to protect: God of gods, and King of kings. He is the one who is with. If God is for us as He is also with us, who can be against us?

Second Reason: The people may not believe me. Ex 4:1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" What was Moses actually saying? I am afraid I will fail. We all have that fear from time to time. It is a reasonable fear based on our insignificance. But, based on the truth of God’s presence with us, the reason becomes difficult to uphold because our success depends on WHO IS SENDING US AND WHO IS WITH US not because of whatever strength and power we have.

Third Reason: I Am not eloquent: ." Ex. 4:10 Moses said to the LORD, "O 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’s reply gives us a hint of a sharp rebuke: Who gave you your mouth? It’s like saying: Do you have a mouth? Who gave you that mouth? Then God appointed someone else to help Moses in bringing the message to Pharaoh. This really shows us that Moses thought of success or failure as based on what we have as strength, skills or ability. He may not have been eloquent but why would God call someone to speak for Him when that someone is not eloquence? If the work can be successfully completed by man’s eloquence, where is God’s honor? God may ask you to do something that is beyond your ability; There is a reason for it. God would like to demonstrate His power in your weakness.

Fourth Reason: I Am Afraid. Please Send Someone Else: Ex. 4:13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." Have you ever made a decision to disobey because your own limitations (like fear) have taken over? Moses was not being rebellious in the usual meaning of the word. He was not anti-God he was simply afraid. His fear took over and it was strong enough to make him attempt to disobey God.

Let’s learn from Moses. We have fears, insecurities and anxieties that are not easy to handle. But, God knows exactly what we are going through. Without condoning our weakness, He provides a way for us to be able to accomplish His will even though we are beset by concerns coming from our insecurities. God is good. Moses turned out to be one of the greatest of God’s servants. But, remember, he stared as a fearful, unsure and anxious servant of God.