Like Moses We Can Get Used to Using God’s Power
Would you ever allow God to work a miracle through you? Or do you think, “That’s reserved for the Holy Rollers!” Or maybe you are a Holy Roller, but your first thought is, “The preachers are doing just fine in that arena!”
God’s miracles come in all shapes and sizes—many of which we will never see or hear about. What God does in the hearts of people alone are miracles done with His transforming power. We may only see the effects.
In looking at how God used Moses to deliver the Israelites from slavery, we can learn how God uses His power through His people—including you!
God Invites You
In the intro post of this series, I said that God led Moses to radical, unknown territory when He called him to deliver captive Israel. The Lord prefaced the call to Moses to by revealing His heart of compassion for His people (Exodus 3:7-10). He had “seen the affliction,” “heard their cry,” and “knew their sufferings.”
God wanted to reach forth His hand in deliverance, and He was going to do it through Moses. Could God have spoken to Pharaoh directly? Yes. He didn’t need Moses, but God invites His people to join in what He is doing.
When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Exodus 3:4 ESV
Moses could have ignored the whole ordeal, but God knew He was ready for this mission. What is the Lord using to get your attention? Are you going to pause to listen?
Get Used to It
God had an agenda. He didn’t leave Moses shaking in his sandals for long before He started doing mind-blowing miracles in response to his questions of doubt (Exodus 4:1-7).
Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.’” Exodus 4:1 ESV
Can you relate to him? Who of us hasn’t felt called by God to act when the doubtful thoughts hit? My hand is certainly raised! I have responded to God with the same uncertainty.
They won’t think I’ve heard from You. They won’t listen to me! Who am I??
God responds not with words of encouragement, but by this:
God: Hey, Moses, what’s that in your hand?
Moses: A staff.
God: Throw it down.
It becomes a snake, and Moses runs from it.
God: Pick it up by the tail.
Moses did and it returned to a staff again.
See, God will take what we are used to holding and transform it with His power as an instrument to fulfill His agenda. Moses was familiar with working with a staff, but God was showing him how to get used to God’s next level.
And perhaps, lest Moses would think that God only wanted to use the staff and not Moses himself, He next commanded him to “put his hand inside his cloak.” When Moses removed his hand, it was white and leprous. God instructed him to put it back in. When he did and pulled it out again, it had returned to normal.
See, God was having him get used to His miracle-working power because it was going to be a regular occurrence during this calling.
…see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power…Exodus 4:21 ESV
Before It Gets Better
Have you ever been obedient to God only for it to seemingly backfire in your face? Exodus 5 tells us how that happened to Moses. It must have taken some courage to follow through with obeying God the first time he stood before Pharaoh even though Aaron was with him (v14-16; 5:1). We learn that Moses lacked confidence in himself with his complaint of not being eloquent with his speech (Exodus 4:10), and begged God to send someone else (v13).
Oh, Moses, how I can relate to you!
Wouldn’t you be expecting God to follow through with His promise of deliverance (Exodus 3:17)? But that’s not what happened when they showed up. Instead, Pharaoh turned up the jerk-o-meter and required the Israelite slaves to produce their daily task without providing the materials they needed! It’s no wonder Moses turned an accusatory tongue to God. Notice the bolded:
Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?
For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.” Exodus 5:22-23 ESV
Have you ever responded this way to God? I have!
“You haven’t done what You said! Why did you send me?”
But God gave Moses a heads up that it wasn’t going to be all peaches and cream. He said He knew that the king of Egypt wouldn’t let His people go except by the force of His firm hand (3:19-20).
Now We Know
We can glean so much from this portion of Moses’ life. We have discovered how God uses His power through His people. Will you say yes to His invitation? Will you let Him begin to transform what you may already have in your hand and more for His purposes? Even if it gets worse before it gets better?
God didn’t need Moses, but He invites His people to join in what He is doing. Click To TweetWe don’t have to be perfect, only willing. Sin and shame are powerless through the cross of Jesus.
So let’s get used to using God’s power.
Don’t miss the other great posts in the Power of God series:
- Experiencing the Miraculous Power of God
- Like Moses, We Can Get Used to Using God’s Power
- God’s Power Defies What Is False
- How God’s Greatest Power Was in the Suffering of the Cross
- A Testimony of God’s Power of Provision
- Prayer Is a Conduit to God’s Power
- God’s Healing Power Is for You
- Live Empowered: the Holy Spirit Moves through Us
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