“Now go and call together all the elders of Israel. Tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me. He told me, “I have been watching closely, and I see how the Egyptians are treating you. I have promised to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt. I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.” ’ Exodus 3:16-17
When God gives us challenging assignments, we have a choice to make: Will we trust God and His plan, or will we depend on our own power? If we depend on our own power, we will begin making excuses for why we can't do what He has called us to do. If we trust Him, we will walk boldly and confidently, knowing that He is in control and that our lives are in His hands.
Moses was given the opportunity to trust in God and His power when God gave him a difficult assignment. God had called Moses to go to the king of Egypt, Pharaoh, and demand that Pharaoh free the Israelites from slavery. He also told Moses to go to the Israelites and let them know that God was going to rescue them from slavery. In response, Moses protested, saying, “What if they won't believe me or listen to me?" (verse 1). Moses' response to this question revealed whose power he was depending on. He was depending on his own power and abilities. He was acting as if everything depended on him when, in fact, it did not depend on him at all. God was the One who had given Him the assignment, and He was the one who would accomplish the assignment through Moses.
Like Moses, we often need the reminder that we do not need to rely on our own strength or power to accomplish the God-sized tasks that He has called us to do. He is with us, and He is working. His power is at work in and through you. As a result, you can have every confidence in the tasks that He gives you.
What is something you know God has called you to do, but you have put off because you feel insufficient in your own power? Bring that before God today. Acknowledge that thing that He is calling you to do, and that you feel unqualified and insufficient. Finally, declare that you know that He is ultimately in control and that you know you can trust Him to accomplish this God-sized assignment.
12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”
13 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”
14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.
This is my eternal name,
my name to remember for all generations.
16 “Now go and call together all the elders of Israel. Tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me. He told me, “I have been watching closely, and I see how the Egyptians are treating you. 17 I have promised to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt. I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.”’
18 “The elders of Israel will accept your message. Then you and the elders must go to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord, our God.’
19 “But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand forces him. 20 So I will raise my hand and strike the Egyptians, performing all kinds of miracles among them. Then at last he will let you go. 21 And I will cause the Egyptians to look favorably on you. They will give you gifts when you go so you will not leave empty-handed. 22 Every Israelite woman will ask for articles of silver and gold and fine clothing from her Egyptian neighbors and from the foreign women in their houses. You will dress your sons and daughters with these, stripping the Egyptians of their wealth.”
1But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”
