- araratchurch
- Jul 4, 2022
- 4 min read
“Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.””
Exodus 3:10-12 NKJV
I didn’t learn to drive a car until I was in my early 30s. You see, my mother was very protective and was fearful for me to drive; and when it came time that I could learn on my own, then being a married woman, I was now afraid. So, I had put off the driving adventure until it got to the point that I really, really needed to be able to drive myself and my children.
Now, I had driven our car around in a pasture that was part of my father’s property. I wasn’t afraid to do that. It was being on the road with other cars that really presented the problem.
I remember that I decided to try out a driving school. I looked for one that had cars with dual controls; I wanted to prepare for every contingency. I remember my instructor’s name was Mr. Hoose, and somehow or another, Mr. Hoose thought that it was good to bolster a learning driver’s confidence by taking them out on the expressway. He got me out on a part of the expressway that was basically open road; but that didn’t make any difference. I found myself hurtling onto an expressway, having no idea of what I was doing, and being so bound up with fear that I did a couple of ridiculous things. In the midst of this scenario, Mr. Hoose decided there was something he needed in the back seat, so he turns around, backside forward, and began to dig for whatever it was he needed. What good are dual controls when I’m staring at my instructor’s kaki clad backside? Terror could best describe my situation at that point.
So, what’s all this information about learning to drive? Even though I knew that this man was trained to do what he was doing. Even though I knew that he had the power to override what I was doing with his controls. Because of his casual approach, I felt utterly and completely exposed and afraid. I didn’t trust my ability and I didn’t trust his ability.
The rest of that story is that I did indeed learn to drive, but it really wasn’t because of a dual-control vehicle. It was because of my husband. You see, one Sunday morning as we were heading out for church, he went ahead of me to the car and got in the passenger seat. He then informed me, “You’re driving us to church.” I can remember how afraid I was; but he seemed so confident (whether he really was, or not), that my fear was assuaged. I remember that drive so well as I drove down the road singing, “The King of Who I Am.”
It’s not wrong to want to know how you’re going to do something you’ve never done. It’s not wrong to plan or be prepared. But in terms of what God calls us to do, we must understand that it’s not about our ability; it’s about who He is and the fact that he has something much better than dual controls. He Who keeps all creation ticking along can certainly make up for our weakness. Our part is to submit to His control and to rest our confidence in Who He is rather than trying to muster up confidence in our own ability.
The Psalmist David well describes the feeling of assurance we should experience in knowing that God is with us:
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
Psalms 23:4 NKJV
Indeed, Paul, in expressing all the things he experienced and had to endure, was able to confidently make this proclamation:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13 NKJV
Jesus explained in a very simple way concerning our complete dependency upon Him:
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5 NKJV
Today we find Moses presenting the Lord with a question, basically boiling down to, “Why me?” And, as we see, the Lord answered the question with saying that He would be with Moses. His presence with Moses would be enough. However, we know that Moses went on to riddle the Lord with a series of questions concerning how he was going to do what God wanted him to do. And, because God is patient with our weaknesses, He provided for every contingency Moses presented. But, the point is, it wasn’t about Moses‘ ability. The call from God was the authority for him to do what he would do, with his obedience and submission to the plan of God bringing everything else he would need along the way.
When God calls us to do something, there’s nothing we could tell him about ourselves that He doesn’t already know. What is needed is for us to know that it’s not about what we can or can’t do, or who we are. It’s about Who God is. Now, if He’s with you in the vehicle, you need never fear.
For today let us discover what Moses discovered:
If the Lord is with us, He is enough.
- araratchurch
- Jul 3, 2022
- 2 min read
“Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.”
Exodus 3:6 NKJV
I have heard people referencing some countries as being “post-Christian.” Sadly, although we are not completely there yet, there are many forces pushing the United States to become a post-Christian country.
Now, a post-Christian country is one which started out—or came to be—based on Christian values and a Christian worldview, but then gradually began to embrace values and a worldview not based on Christian principles. Indeed, the “new” values may be contradictory to the Word of God.
We know that the imposition of a tyrannical government can definitely speed up the transition from a Christian nation to a post-Christian nation. But—more often than not—even the imposition of the godless government has been preceded by a drifting away from dependence upon the Lord. One of the main reasons for this tragic shifting away from God, is assuming that Godly values are inherited. Or, assuming that a relationship with God in one generation, assures a relationship with God in the next; it doesn’t.
We see numerous instances in the Word of God where the Lord instructs people—who then instruct other people—to tell their children about the Lord. They are instructed to tell their children what God has done lest they forget.
“Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
Deuteronomy 11:18-19 NKJV
Today we find the Lord introducing Himself to Moses as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” But we never think about the fact that there was a time when Jacob—who became “Israel”— knew the Lord only as the God of his fathers.
“And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.”
Genesis 28:13 NKJV
But there came a day when Jacob discovered that the God of Abraham and Isaac must become his God as well.
“Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God.”
Genesis 28:20-21 NKJV
We know that Moses, having been raised—in part—by his own mother, would have heard about the Hebrew God. But now the time has come for God to go beyond being the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, to being the God of Moses; and did He ever!
For today let us discover what Moses discovered:
The God of our fathers must become “our God.”
- araratchurch
- Jul 2, 2022
- 3 min read
“Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.”
Exodus 3:5-6 NKJV
When I was growing up the first thing I did when I got home was to take off my shoes. I just wasn’t home unless those shoes were off. For me, it was a matter of comfort as my feet have always been difficult to fit in shoes. Now that I have gotten older I tend to wear my shoes all day long, needing the support for my feet. But, oh how I miss the freedom of bare feet in my home.
As you are aware, shoes have now become a fashion statement, even a status “signal,” so much more than just something to protect our feet. But indeed, the original utility and function of shoes was to protect feet from injury and enable one to traverse distances much more quickly and easily. Interestingly, wars have been lost over the fact that the soldiers had no boots. Indeed, our own War of Independence was nearly lost as many of the soldiers, without boots, became very easily tracked from the bloody prints their bare feet left on the snowy terrain.
Yes, shoes are important. Proper spiritual footwear is even described in terms of spiritual preparedness:
“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;”
Ephesians 6:14-17 NKJV
We can see that the practical use for shoes is that of defense. But, there’s also another aspect about shoes that we must bear in mind. The soles of your shoes carry remnants of everywhere you have walked. Sometimes we see that illustrated as big muddy boots; other times it’s just a thin coat of dust from where we have walked.
Jesus, in instructing His disciples on how to deal with places that did not receive them, gave them this instruction:
“And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.”
Matthew 10:14 NKJV
Now with our refreshed knowledge of the utility of shoes, along with the fact that they track where we’ve been into where we’re going, let us look to see what Moses is doing.
Yesterday we saw the Lord calling to Moses from the burning bush with Moses responding. Today we see the Lord instructing Moses to remove his shoes, as he is standing on holy ground.
We must first acknowledge that wherever the presence of the Lord is found, that is holy ground. Now, just think about that for a second in terms of the fact that we are told that we are the temple of God!
Yes, where the Lord is becomes holy ground. But why did Moses need to remove his shoes? We must take into account what we have discussed about the function of shoes. Moses was to remove his shoes, and with them, the residue of where he had walked before this moment. He is now standing in the presence of God Who will instruct him as to where he is to go from here.
Additionally, Moses has no need to be able to flee from the Lord, rightly illustrating that fact by not being prepared to run (being shoeless).
Through just that simple command to Moses from the Lord to remove his shoes, the Lord tells volumes about how we are to approach Him and with what attitude we may expect to receive from Him.
For today let us discover what Moses discovered:
The Lord must be approached with no “residue,” in an attitude of vulnerability and respect.