Smoke Signals :: Part 1

Have you ever experienced a time in your life where you felt inadequate to do something God was calling you to? I certainly have and I'm still in that place today. It could very well be a lifelong journey, but I somehow find comfort in knowing that those who have gone before us have felt the same way. Please go grab your bible, turn to Exodus 3 and let's take a look at the life of Moses.

Ready to begin? In verse 2, the Lord appeared to Moses on Horeb (Mt. Sinai) through fire as He did later in Exodus 19. Imagine just how strange that sight would've been. It was when he got closer that the Lord called his name.

How many times in our own lives does God send signals our way and we seemingly ignore them? What does He have to do in order to get our full attention? In this case, it seemed pretty big. I had to wonder how Moses would've responded had God whispered instead. It's vital to remember that God speaks in different ways. I somehow think God knew Moses need the fire and a distinct call in order to get his attention. Moses needed a visual.

Yet look at his response, also in verse 4. He didn't hesitate or make excuses. He simply said, "Here I am." Do we do the same? Or do we put our fingers in our ears and pretend we didn't hear anything?

Verses 7-9 share some rich words about where the Lord's chosen people have been and where God is going to take them from here. The same Lord who saw them in their hurt sees us in ours. His ear is attentive to our cries. He desires to rescue us from the pit we are in, from Egypt, to a land full of abundance and good things, His blessings. Even when we don't think He's listening, He is.

God's message was quite clear in verse 10, "So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." Moses's response to God's request issued the start of many questions. I can't say I blame him, really. Perhaps one of his biggest questions was "Who am I?" Do you ever ask yourself that question? I think we all have. However, it's often a lie from the enemy trying to make us believe that we aren't adequate enough for the task we are being asked to do. We need to recognize such questions for what they are. Moses felt inadequate for what God had called him to do. It was now that he had to learn the lesson of faith.

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Stay tuned for my follow-up post!