One of the greatest personal helps to me as I study my bible and learn of God’s people down through the generations occurs when I am able to conclude repeatedly that there are no spiritual superstars among us. Abraham struggled with lying. Jacob was a schemer. David was a lusty adulterer while Elijah and Jeremiah were prophets who wanted to quit their ministries which they received from God. Naomi heartily acknowledged her struggle with bitterness while Nehemiah lost his cool and yanked the beards off of men with whom he disagreed. In the New Testament we encounter arrogant, big-mouthed Peter, skeptical Nathanael, and vengeful James & John –those zealous sons of thunder. No, the saints of God aren’t exactly saints, are they? People who are not followers of Christ often charge us with thinking we are better than them and, perhaps, we come off that way far too often. Truth be known, to even become a Christian the lone prerequisite is that we must acknowledge from the heart that we are utter failures, helpless tremblers who need rescue. Yet we often believe that, once forgiven and secured by our pardoning Savior, we now must hold it altogether, walk a tightrope of perfectionism, and engage in an uninterrupted progress of sanctified forward momentum. No fears, no faith-hiccups, no discouragements, no weakness for us! We sometimes sense a need to pretend to have all the answers, unswerving confidence in God, minimal questions and absolutely no doubts concerning who God is and what He is doing in us, for us, through us or around us. Back to my original thought: I am so relieved when I see a man like Moses struggling to believe His God and to be assured that He is with Moses. We read his honest words of struggle:
“Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I have found favor in Your sight, please show me now Your ways, that I may know You in order to find favor in Your sight. Consider too that this nation is Your people.” – Exodus 33:12-13
Did you catch it? One of the central figures in the history of redemption says to his God, “You say I am yours and that you know me yet you won’t disclose what you are doing in my life and how it will ever be accomplished. You tell me that I have found favor from you but please show me something – anything – that reassures me of all of this.”
God responds, not with disgust at Moses’ struggle, but with gracious deference and the reassurance which Moses feels that he needs.
And He {God} said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not in Your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and Your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” – Exodus 33:14-17
My friend, I have only one thing to leave with you today. If you love Christ, long to know Him more deeply, are burdened with the fact that He often seems silent and distant…but feel strongly compelled to follow Him further, trust Him more deeply and know Him more intimately…then you are exactly where you should be today and He delights in your hunger for Him. Now abide in who He has declared Himself to be and welcome the rest that He promises to give you. It is coming. In the meantime we have something much more valuable than the rest we crave. We have His commitment to be strong for us when we have none to offer Him. This is the essence of His grace and He once declared to His choice servant in the early church, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9.
Well said! My favorite has always been Gideon. God was so understanding in Gideon’s lack of faith and even gave him an extra “sign” at the end “just in case” he was still doubtful & afraid. God always showed patience & love… never rebuke. A good lesson for us as parents too me thinks. 😉
This is such a good reminder that as much as I hate my sin and at
times I know that I have fallen short of Gods intent for me because of my sin…..He is there loving me through it and reminding me of His love for me and His forgiveness. Thank you for this blog….I needed it today!
Very good! I’ve always loved the fact that when Moses pleaded his lack of eloquence as a viable reason not to go to Pharoah, God simply said “I will be with you.” God didn’t dispute Moses inadequacy…He just ignored it! I guess the lesson is that I should ignore my inadequacy too since it’s actually a moot point. Freedom! Yeehi!