We Are All Cowards Empowered

We Are All Cowards Empowered
Exodus 2-4 | Psalm 18 | John 18

Our reading from Exodus today introduces us to Moses, one of the great leaders of the Israelites in Old Testament time. But we meet Him, first as a helpless infant, then eventually as a bit of a coward and as a man lacking confidence in his abilities: God told him to go to Egypt with the power of the Almighty behind him to lead the Israelites out, but he complained, exclaiming that 'he has never been eloquent and is slow of speech and tongue.'

After these somewhat faithless remarks of Moses, God understandably replies, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say" (vv.11-12) - to which Moses again asks that God choose someone else.

I find it quite easy to find sympathy for Moses at this time: he is asked to return to Egypt to make demands of Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of the country - which mortal wisdom would consider life threatening and should it fail, incredibly embarrasing in front of his fellow Israelites.

But such wisdom fails to take into account the presence and power of God. Earlier, God had said that He would be with Moses (3:12), and now the Lord has equipped him with knowledge of His name ("I AM"), shown him His presence and power with the staff/snake and the leprous hand, and finally promised to empower him, helping him speak and teaching him what to say.

God had a plan for Moses' life and empowered him to fulfill it: as mentioned previously, Moses was a great leader - arguably the most prominent man in the Old Testament. But God didn't just have a plan for Moses, He had a Plan for the whole world in which His will for Moses' life formed a mere sub-plan. This Grand Plan was God's will to restore the world to what it was when He first created it: perfect.

Moses is not the only person to play a role in God's Grand Plan, in fact: he is one among billions. Every believer has a role to play, every believer is used by God all throughout their life to fulfill His will.

If you are wondering what God's plan is for you, it starts with living the way He has spelled out in the Bible. If there's something you know you shouldn't do, ask God to empower you to withstand the temptation, and trust in His strength to withhold yourself from doing it. If there is something that is glorifying to God and you know from reading His Word that He wants you to do it: trust in His empowering of you to do it - He will be with you in it and any consequences. "God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (1 Cor. 10:13b).

By nature, like Moses, we are all cowards. It is often hard to trust that God is with us and that He has empowered us; but He has - we are all 'cowards empowered'. The very fact that He has called us to Him, that we have assurance of our salvation, shows that after anything else, we are blessed beyond all that we deserve. It is the same God that sent His Son to die for us so that we could call Him 'Father', that watches over us and is seeking to use us in His Plan for the world. Let us follow the example of Jesus in today's reading of John, who said before going to His death: "Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" (v.11).

Praise God for watching over you and pray that you may know His will for your life, and that you may live His way for His glory.