My bible study has been in Exodus the past few days. I LOVE reading about God calling Moses to lead His people out of slavery to the Promised Land. It has special meaning to me now as a sidewalk counselor at an abortion center. NO ONE feels fully equipped to do that work. It is especially scary to those who are just starting out. How does one call out to people who are bent on destruction of their own child? How does one hope to make the slightest dent in their march to death?
The sidewalk counselors are often mocked, laughed at, sworn at, threatened, called bigoted, judgmental harassers of women. The “pro-choice” crowd holds signs in our faces, millimeters from our noses, to try to block our voices. The weather is often brutal, especially in the frigid cold snaps of winter or wilting heat waves of summer.
So I read with great interest Moses’ response to God when He calls him to the impossible task of freeing the Israelites enslaved by the powerful Pharoah.
Say WHAT Lord?
This is a paraphrase of how Moses responds.
Here is a compilation of his actual responses as recorded in Exodus 3 and 4 :
*“But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
*Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?””
*“But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?”
*“Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”
*Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
*But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.””
Does this remind you of anyone else you know??? Like ALL of us at times. I know it reminds me of me. My list of fears when God calls me boil down to this: I am shy, I have a lousy memory, I don’t know enough, I stumble over words, I don’t remember verses well, I hate the cold weather, they will just laugh at me and I don’t like being laughed at, I will say the wrong thing and make the situation worse, who am I to try to dissuade people who hate me and hate God and all He stands for????
There is more, but you get the idea. I love reading about Moses because in the end, despite all his kicking and screaming, Moses did indeed lead God’s people successfully out of slavery.
Babies are dying every day at every abortion center in the world. There are three centers here in Charlotte and at least 30 babies die each day, usually more, in my city alone.
I relate to Moses but I yearn to be Isaiah:
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)
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To volunteer with Cities4Life speaking on behalf of the babies who cannot speak for themselves, click HERE.
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