Who, Me?
Scripture Reading — Exodus 3:1-15
Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh ... ?" Exodus 3:11
Have you ever tried to fix something only to make it worse? Some of my forays into the world of plumbing have achieved that kind of result. Moses understood that feeling. That's why he was out in the wilderness tending sheep. His high-handed attempt at executing justice some 40 years earlier had forced him to beat a hasty retreat out to the desert (see Exodus 2:11-25; Acts 7:20-30). There Moses had plenty of time to think about the mistakes he'd made. But in the wilderness Moses met the God who intended to turn him from a keeper of sheep to a shepherd of God's people Israel. Moses didn't like the plan, however. He had learned about his limitations. He wasn't fit for the job--or so he thought. Many of us have also discovered our limitations. We've lost our idealism in the school of hard knocks. We've grown pragmatic, even jaded, about life. No grandiose plans for us! Leave the tough jobs for the person sitting next to us in the pew. Why risk failure? Why? Because Someone is beside us to catch us when we stumble. Remember that God said to Moses, "I will be with you." In the Hebrew text that promise is related to God's name: I AM. That's the same name Jesus claims for himself (see John 8:58; 10:30). And just as he has promised, he is with us always (Matthew 28:20).
Lord, you've found us hiding away from you, wallowing in self-pity. Shake us out of our stupor. Enfold us into your plans and empower us to go where you send us. Amen.
About the author — Bob Heerspink
Dr. Robert Heerspink was director of Back to God Ministries International from 2006 until 2011, when he passed away. He had previously pastored several Christian Reformed churches. Bob loved to write and was a frequent contributor to the Today devotional.
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