And Moses answered and said, “But, behold they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice for they will say, the Lord hath not appeared unto thee. And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, a rod. And he said, cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent and Moses fled from before it. Put forth thine hand and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand. That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath appeared unto thee. Exodus 4:1-5.
Today’s passage deals with a time in Moses’ life in which he was being called to deliver and lead Israel out of Egypt. Moses does just what so many of us do when God calls, make excuses. He asks God, who am I? What do I say? He tells God, I’m not a very good speaker and they will never believe me. Moses does and says all that he can think to do and say, but it all boils down to- God, send someone else?
Moses is so focused on his inability that he doesn’t’ recognize God’s ability. God asks a question during his conversation with Moses, what is that in thine hand? Moses was carrying his shepherd’s rod and it was a reminder to Moses of what he was, and what he had lost. Moses looked at the rod and surely looked back to a time when he was a prince carrying a specter. He might have spent hours, days, and weeks remembering how good he once had it, until he took matters out of God’s hands and did things his way, killing the Egyptians. The rod reminded him that he was a lowly shepherd caring for a flock that he did not even own. Moses held his identity in his hand. Many people today are suffering from an identity crisis. The rod in Moses’ hand that reminded him of his failures was used by God to bring plagues upon Egypt, to part the Red Sea, the bring water from a rock, and to defeat the Amalikites. Likewise, God will use your part experiences and perceived failures for His glory if you allow him.
The church has been lulled to sleep by waiting and watching for someone else to do the required work of prayer, witnessing, visiting, and making calls. Excuses? Oh, we talk a good game, but the laborers are few. Excuses? We have forgotten that as the church if we will do our part and take the first step against being lazy and making excuses and content, then God will open the doors and fight the fight for us. You cannot live wrong and die right.
