His Strength or My Weakness

GETTING STARTED

I’m not perfect, and neither are you. And I could come up with a long list of legitimate excuses not to step out and follow where God is leading. I simply don’t have the time, money, skills, confidence, vision, or support. But when I truly open myself up by faith to be used by God, none of that matters anymore. The presence of God eliminates excuses, legitimate or not.

  • Are you making any excuses to avoid following where God is leading? What are they?

READ THE WORD: EXODUS 4:10-17 (ESV)

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

DIGGING DEEPER

  1. What was Moses’ main concern?
  2. How did God respond to Moses’ excuses? What does this teach us about God and about us?
  3. How did God resolve the situation, and why did God continue to work through Moses despite his apparent lack of faith?
  4. Has there been a time in your life where you have rejected God’s call because you believed yourself incapable?

RESPOND TO GOD

We all have a choice. We can either focus on our personal weaknesses and allow them to prevent us from doing work for the kingdom, or we can focus on God’s boundless strength working in and through us to do his will. In hindsight, it seems ridiculous for Moses to say he is unable to be used by God. We now know Moses as an epic figure of the Old Testament, and a man who left his stamp on world history. God, the creator and sustainer of all things, was able to compensate for Moses’ slow speech. And in an act of grace, God inserted Aaron to compensate for Moses’ lack of faith. If God is on our side, who can stand against us?

  • Pray for God to overshadow your weaknesses with his strength.
  • Pray for the courage and faith to follow where God is leading.