What Do You Have?Sample

Confidence is a powerful trait. When we are confident, we feel like we can take on the world and whatever situation comes our way. When we are confident, we walk with our head held high. There is a certain swagger we possess. We give off a certain vibe. Confidence is like a nice suit or a great pair of shoes. It just makes you look and feel good. But what happens when we lack confidence? It happens to the best at some point in life. Moses provides us a good example of lacking confidence.

In Exodus 3, God had given Moses the mission of bringing the people of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt. This was obviously no small task. The more instructions God gave Moses, the more concerned Moses became with the assignment. In Exodus 4:1, Moses said “What if they will not believe me or take seriously what I say?” In response, the Lord said, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” God turned Moses’ staff into a snake and back to a staff as a demonstration of the miracle he was to perform to prove that God indeed appeared to him, using something Moses already carried with him all the time. 

There is a piece of the scripture I do not want us to miss. In verse 4, after the Lord told Moses to throw his staff on the ground and it turned into a serpent, he told Moses to reach out his hand and grab the serpent by the tail. WHY WAS THIS A GOOD IDEA (says the person who would have failed at this specific command). In this one command, God demonstrated that Moses had power over what he already possessed. It does not matter if it looks different over time, it is still yours and you have authority over it.

God went on to show Moses two more miracles he would perform to make the elders believe the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob had most certainly appeared to him. With all of this, Moses still lacked confidence because he had a speech impediment. God responded by saying “Who has made man’s mouth?” Is it not I, the Lord?” God promised Moses he would be with his mouth and tell him what to say. But Moses said, “Please my Lord, send the message [of rescue to Israel] by [someone else,] whomever else You will [choose].” In essence, Moses asked for God to send someone else to do what God commanded him to do. Verse 14 says God’s anger burned against Moses and he ultimately suggested his brother Aaron be the mouthpiece for Moses. But here is the catch. God said “You must speak to him and put the words in his mouth; I, even I, will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; he will act as a mouthpiece for you, and you will be as God to him [telling him what I say to you]. You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs [the miracles which prove I sent you].” God did not let Moses off the hook. He still had to speak to Aaron and provide direction. He still had to perform the miracles. 

What is the key takeaway of this story? Moses lacked confidence, but he still had the mind, the words, and the works of God to fulfill his purpose. Just as with Moses, our lack of confidence and our desire to have someone else do it does not excuse us from God’s assignment. God will multiply what we already have to achieve his purpose and plan.