Authority Issues

But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”
But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”
Exodus 4:10-13 NLT

We know Moses as a friend of God. The great leader who led the Israelites out of Egypt. The man who spoke face to face with God and lived... but he was a coward to start with. He didn't say, "Send someone else." Moses said, "Send ANYONE else." When we pick up his story in our text for today, he's already spent the last 20 verses trying to get out of God's assignment for his life.

Moses had authority issues - coming and going. Can you relate to any of that? I know I can.

It's a complex issue, stemming from two things that really boil down to one: how well do you know your authority? God tells you what He wants you to do, then all of a sudden, YOU are the complete authority on every bad thing you've ever done in your life, or even thought about doing. You are flamingly aware of every weakness in your character, every flaw of any kind, and suddenly your chronic lack of focus becomes zeroed in and these failings are all that you can see. That's what Moses was doing. "No, God, I can't do what You just said. Oh, I can herd sheep, but not people. Sheep don't care if I stutter or mess up my words and besides, I'm out here on the back side of the mountain, nobody can hear me or see me. But go to Pharaoh? The wealthiest man in the country - the most powerful man? The one that wants to kill me? You want me to go talk to him?"

How many excuses do you think were on Moses' list of why he couldn't do what God told him to do? (I wonder how it compares to my list of excuses... or perhaps, yours?)

The other side of that is this - At the beginning, Moses did not know his authority (God) well enough. If he had understood God for who God really is - would Moses have argued or would he have immediately told Jethro, "I have to go. I have to lead God's people out of Egypt"? If he knew God well enough to know that God is indeed trustworthy and able to do whatever He says He will do, would Moses have recognized that he had the whole authority of Heaven and marched right out of that valley?

We must recognize and understand that OUR own limitations in NO WAY limit or prevent God's ability. He is well able to fulfill His purpose for our lives, if we'll take time to know Him and by faith, believe His Word. If we don't know God as our Authority, and know Him well enough to know that His words are trustworthy and true, then we will never know or recognize the authority given to us by His Word.

Ephesians 2:10 NLT tells us, We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. [emphasis mine] That's the authority we have to walk in to accomplish what He has assigned to us.

Prayer:

Father:
           Help us to recognize the absolute power of You and to walk in the power of Your might, so that we will fulfill Your purpose for our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.