Devotional & Reflection

Week 2, June 2002

Exodus 3:10-11ff.: The Moses is Me, in Us
By S K Sio, Civil Servant & Servant of God

Exodus 3:10 "So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.
v11 But Moses said to God, 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?'"

I write a devotional? I was taken aback when Kok Hong (Regional Director and Trainer of Ezra Resources) asked me to write for the Ezra website. "Oh, I'll need to pray about it," I told Kok Hong.

I used to write and share personal testimonies with friends through email. I like writing. I have been praying for God to show me how to use the talent He has blessed me with, the ability to write, for His kingdom work.

But how to write devotionals? What do I write about? What if I run out of ideas and things to write about? What if the things I write about are not theologically correct? Would my writings interest anyone? Would my reflections be too shallow? Would people laugh at the petty things I write about?

Self-doubt, excuses ran through my mind………

"That's Moses." This remark jolted my mind. I was telling a new acquaintance that it was tiring, taxing for me to do public speaking when my natural self shunned publicity and speaking to large groups. His remark brought to mind the doubts I had on writing devotions. Like Moses, I have been trying to excuse myself.

In Exodus 3, God spoke to Moses from the burning bush. He told Moses He was sending Moses to Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, out of bondage, out of suffering. And Moses responded with excuse after excuse -

"Who am I to go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
"What shall I tell the Israelites if they ask me what is the name of the God who sent me?"
"What if they do not believe me or listen to me?"
"But I have never been eloquent, I am slow of speech."
"Please send someone else to do it."

Sounds familiar?

Yes, we often try to excuse ourselves when we are faced with new things to do, things beyond our personal experience. We look at the task at hand, we look at ourselves, and we may think the task much bigger and ourselves much smaller. When we look at ourselves, we tend to focus on our limitations; we anticipate the difficulties and problems ahead. We may then find the task burdensome. And we may end giving it up altogether.

We need to look up, to the One who is able. Jesus enables us, He gives us the strength we need to do all things - this is the assurance that the Apostle Paul gave us. Most of us know the verse Philippians 4:13 "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Surely many of us know the verse by heart. But do we put it in our hearts to look to the Lord for the strength and grace that we lack, that He alone can give? What we know by heart may just be in our heads, not in our hearts.

Through God's enabling, Moses eventually did what God commanded him to do. God gave Moses -

the supernatural ability to perform miracles;
the words to speak to the Israelites and Pharaoh;
the help and support of Aaron who became Moses' spokesman;
the favour of the Egyptians who enriched the Israelites when they left.

Just as God was with Moses, God is with us today. God is with us to help the Moses in us.