“You know how old I am, right?” These are the words I said to my boss as he asked me to take on a pretty big role at work. I was 28 and single at the time, and he wanted me to take over the women’s ministry at our church. I did not feel qualified nor ready.
Scripture tells us that Moses felt much the same way as God called he and Aaron to go before Pharoah and demand that he let the Israelites go. Moses had every objection ready to give God, but he ultimately obeyed. Why?
Exodus tells us that God made it clear that He would be the one in charge. He would be the one who would move in the heart of Pharoah, even his hard heart, to let the people go. He would be the one to ultimately get the glory. Moses was merely a servant of the Lord.
Obedience That Doesn’t Make Sense
When we look throughout Scripture, we see countless examples of God calling His people to do something that doesn’t make sense. Moses and Aaron in Egypt is just one of these examples.
Why does it seem that God commonly moves in this way? Maybe the disconnect is not with what God is calling us to do but with our understanding. God’s ways are higher than our ways. We can only see a small part of what he’s doing.
If you’ve ever been through a maze before, you know that it can be disorienting. All you can see are the barriers in front of you. You can use the sun or your innate sense of direction, but most of the time, you’re just guessing where to go. With most mazes, there is a tower nearby where a person can see the entire maze. Their job is to look around and help those who are in trouble to get out. They can see the whole picture.
This is just a small example of all that God can see. He can see where we’re going and every possible outcome, and He holds them all firmly and confidently in His hands.
God is not a God of chaos but of order. Every time God has called me to something that doesn’t make sense, I am always amazed at how it all makes sense in the end. You would think by now that I would fully trust Him all the way and right away, but I must be a slow learner.
Obedience That Trusts Deeply
Moses knew that God calling him back to Egypt, his homeland that he ran away from, and to his family made absolutely no sense. But Moses had seen the power of God at work through the burning bush. He knew that God’s power was greater than any power of Pharoah.
Moses’ trust in God was deep and would only grow deeper with time. After all, Moses would go to the leaders of the Israelites, his people by birth but people that he had never truly been part of, and ask for them to follow him because of a word he received from God.
He knew that rejection was a likely response, but He also knew the promise God had made him. When we approach likely obstacles and responses from others, we have to remember the promises of God. His promises are so sure that no response of the world can thwart God’s plans.
By trusting in God to come through despite all odds, it allows our faith to deepen and prepares our hearts to stand in awe as we see God come through.
Obedience That Goes
The final aspect of the obedience Moses displays is one that goes. Moses didn’t say, “Yes God, I trust you” and then wait for a few more signs to confirm his calling. He didn’t timidly go and secretly harbor doubt or halfheartedly walk into Pharoah’s throne room, knowing that it was a pointless task. No, Moses went in the strength of the Lord.
This doesn’t mean that we aren’t allowed to have fear or even to doubt. Those are normal, human responses. Instead, we are to take those fears and doubts to God. We are to be completely honest with Him. It doesn’t catch Him off guard or negate His ability to work in us. It allows us to walk in freedom and allowing the Holy Spirit to take charge of our hearts and minds as we see to obey.
When God calls us to obey, the right response is to say yes and go forward. In it, we are able to see the blessing of being used by God.
In my situation, with the help of praying and processing with my family, friends, and trusted older women, I stepped forward in faith, knowing that I would need the Lord’s guidance every step of the way. It hasn’t always been easy leading a ministry with women who are mainly older than you. It took time to build trust and to just be faithful. But now, I can look back and see God’s hand in preparing me for this role and walking me through it each and every day.
Obedience to God’s Word is a privilege and joy, even when it doesn’t make sense, because it deepens our faith and leads us to go. Will you obey today?
