BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.” - Exodus 4:10-11, NKJV
When the Lord Calls, He Equips
by Jennifer Waddle
When God called Moses to approach Pharaoh and insist that he set the nation of Israel free from slavery, Moses was full of arguments. His questions were, Who am I? What shall I say? What if they do not believe me? But Moses wasn’t the only one who doubted God’s call. Many who were chosen to do hard things questioned the Lord, argued with Him, and even ran away.
Gideon doubted God’s call to deliver Israel from the Midianites, insisting he was the least of the least.
Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” Judges 6:14-15
Jonah ran from God when he was commanded to warn Nineveh of impending judgment.
But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Jonah 1: 3
Jeremiah argued with God’s direction, stating he was only a youth and could not speak to the rebellious nation of Israel.
Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” Jeremiah 1:6
Most of us are happy to step up to the plate when the task is easy. But when the Lord draws us out of our comfort zones and into the unknown, that is when we wrestle with His assignment.
We may not feel worthy of God’s call, but nevertheless, He makes us complete in every good work that aligns with His will and equips us with whatever is needed to carry out His divine purpose.
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21 (emphasis mine)
Moses argued with the Lord, to the point of provoking Him to anger. In the end, Moses’ brother Aaron ended up being God’s mouthpiece.(Exodus 4:14-16) How might it have been different if Moses had yielded to God and trusted that He would equip him to speak?
We, too, might doubt God’s abilities, but by His Spirit, we will be given exactly what we need at the exact time we need it.
“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” Luke 12:11-12
Just as the Lord assured Gideon, Jonah and Jeremiah, He assures us that He will put the words in our mouths and the tools in our hands to accomplish the work He has begun in us.
Jennifer Waddle considers herself a Kansas girl, married to a Colorado hunk, with a heart to encourage women everywhere. She is the author of several books, including Prayer WORRIER: Turning Every Worry into Powerful Prayer, and is a regular contributor for LifeWay, Crosswalk, and Abide. Jennifer’s online ministry is EncouragementMama.com, where you can find her books and sign up for her blog, “Discouragement Doesn’t Win.” She resides with her family near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains—her favorite place on earth.
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