GOD WILL NOT CALL US WITHOUT EMPOWERING US FOR HIS WORK
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“God doesn’t work through us because we’re flawless; rather, He works through us in spite of our imperfections.” – A.W. Tozer –
Perhaps God has placed a calling on your life. Yet your doubts and fears make you reluctant. Or maybe you think that He would never ask of you a task so noble, so lofty for the kingdom.
We make excuses when self-doubt creeps in… when we don’t feel worthy of God’s calling. It is outside our comfort zone… or beyond our abilities. We need to remember that God will not send us out without fully equipping us for His mission. When we are weak, He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Moses, the iconic leader and prophet of the Old Testament, performed miracle upon miracle by God’s mighty power. Yet he was not without doubts and questions, even when personally called by the God of Israel…
While shepherding in the wilderness, God calls to Moses from within a burning bush (Exodus 3 & 4)…
“Moses! Moses!”
Moses responds… “Here I am.”
“I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” Moses hides his face, afraid to look at his holy God.
“Go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
Moses questions his worthiness for the monumental task God is asking of him… “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
God, ever patient with those He loves, assures Moses… “I will be with you.”
Moses worries that he may not have all the answers… “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
God guides Moses to say… “I AM has sent me to you”. “I AM” is the name of Yahweh God, the one true God of the Israelites. He will provide all the answers Moses will ever need.
Moses wonders if he has the credentials for the job… “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”
God gives Moses the power to perform three mighty miracles as proof of his qualifications.
Moses questions if he can command the people with his words… “Pardon Your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent.”
God reminds him… “Who gave human beings their mouths?… I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
Moses makes one last, desperate plea… “Please send someone else.”
God tires of his arguments. He does not revoke Moses’ calling, for He knows the dynamic leader that Moses will become. Yet He does promise to bring his brother Aaron alongside him to speak on Moses’ behalf.
“We go astray when we attempt to do spiritual work without spiritual power.” – A.W. Tozer
When we question our worthiness, our knowledge, our abilities, our qualifications for God’s calling on our lives, we can remember what He promised Moses. The great I AM will be with us. Our omnipotent God is our worth. In Him we have all we could ever need.
God never calls without empowering and equipping. If we are trying to do His work in our own power, it may succeed… yet it will not glorify Him or achieve His purpose. Anything done in our power will fall short. Anything done in His power will far surpass our abilities. We will be tapping into the divine source… the power that raised Christ from the dead!
The God who calls us sees not who we are but who we can become. We need to see ourselves from His point of view. Our calling is not about us… it is about God. He has a divine purpose and gives us the privilege of participating with Him in bringing it to pass. We ought not to miss such an opportunity!
