4-6-15. Exodus 4:1-9. Knowing You Are Helpless Is A Good Spot To Be In.
4-6-15. Exodus 4:1-9. Knowing You Are Helpless Is A Good Spot To Be In.
Kevin E. Jesmer
God can work through us when we realize we are totally helpless to do his will with our own efforts. Once Moses had been confident of his ability to lead his own people out of bondage. He had depended on his palace education and human skill. But when he was 40 years old, able and self-confident, he tried his best to free his people using his own human wisdom and power. He killed an Egyptian slave driver. But even with his best effort, his own people rejected him. Now, after 40 years in the wilderness, he had lost all of his self confidence. When God called him to stand up as a deliverer of his people, look how Moses responded in Exodus 4:1, “Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” And also he revealed his awareness of his weaknesses in verse 10, ““10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” (NIV) We can see after four decades Moses was changed! It took 40 years, and a lot of hard, spiritual training, but he was changed. God is faithful to work in any person’s heart and transform them into his image. They will become fruitful servants God. But it may take 40 years until you are humbled and equipped to embrace the purpose that God has for you.
Those 40 years in the desert were not a waste, but a necessary era of Moses’ life. He learned so many necessary things in order to live as a servant of the Lord. He learned to depend on God in his helplessness. This is right where he needed to be. He also learned how to be good husband, father and family man. In other words, he learned humanity. He also learned a lot from taking care of flocks and herds. There are so many spiritual lessons to be learned from taking care of real sheep. There is a book, “A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23.” by Phillip Keller. It is all about how taking care of sheep helps us to understand God and humanity. There are no wasted years in Christ. As long as we remain in Jesus, we will learn and grow and God will use us greatly in this life.
None of that time, however, was a waste. God leads each of us until we can embrace the work of God that he brings us to, knowing that we are truly helpless to do anything, but Jesus can do everything. Jesus is teaching us many, many important things. He is transforming us from the inside. He is making us useful vessels in his time.
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