(Exodus 4:13) Send someone else!

Moses feared for his life because Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, wanted to kill him.

He fled from Egypt and went to live in the wilderness of Midian.

There, he met a family and became a shepherd, tending their animals.

While he was grazing the animals, he unknowingly came to Mount Sinai, which was called the Mountain of God.

It was there that he saw what appeared to be a bush on fire.

Moses went over to look at the burning bush, and God called out to him.

Moses trembled.

God told Moses that He was sending him back to Egypt. 

He would lead Israel, who were now slaves, out of Egypt and take them to the Promised Land.

Moses was now 80 years old, and he was shocked and afraid.

He cried out to God, “Send someone else!”

Moses gave God a long list of excuses for why he could not do what God had called him to do.

Here are a few:

He couldn’t be the deliverer of Israel because he couldn’t speak very well.

Pharaoh would kill him if he returned to Egypt.

The leaders of Israel would not believe that God had appeared to him.

He couldn’t do it all alone.

Moses’ excuses piled up.

In the end, God told Moses that He would go with him.

Moses returned to Egypt, and through God’s power, he led Israel out of Egypt.

When God calls us to do something for Him, we are often just like Moses—we make a long list of excuses for why we can’t do it.

We are not good enough.

We are not gifted enough.

We don’t have enough time.

We don’t have enough money.

Our reputation will be damaged because people will think we are religious fanatics.

We are too old.

The list goes on.

But as Moses discovered, when God leads us to do something, He will always provide what we need and empower us to accomplish His mission.

God works through our obedience, step by step, each day.

Do you make a lot of excuses for why you can’t obey God when He is leading you to do something?

One of the greatest barriers to the advancement of God’s Kingdom and to our spiritual growth is our many empty excuses and our lack of simple obedience.

Take out a piece of paper and list your usual excuses for not obeying God.

Then take out a match and burn the piece of paper.

We must obey God, or else we will remain in our own wilderness of normality.