Key Text: Exodus 4:10-12 (KJV)
"And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."
Have you ever felt inadequate? Like you're not good enough for a task that's been set before you? Maybe you've been asked to lead a project at work, or to speak in front of a group, and you felt that knot in your stomach, that voice in your head saying, "I can't do this. I'm not qualified. I'm not the right person for this job."
If you've ever felt this way, you're in good company. In fact, you're in the company of one of the greatest leaders in biblical history: Moses.
Let's take a journey back in time, to a period when the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. God had heard their cries and decided it was time to lead them out of bondage. And who did He choose for this monumental task? A shepherd named Moses.
Now, you might think that Moses would have been thrilled. After all, God Himself was calling him to a great purpose. But Moses' reaction was far from excitement. In Exodus 4:10, we find Moses expressing his deep-seated insecurity: "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."
Can you relate to Moses? Have you ever felt like your skills weren't up to par? Like your weaknesses were too great to overcome? Moses felt exactly that way. He wasn't a natural public speaker. He probably stumbled over his words, maybe even had a stutter. And now God was asking him to go before Pharaoh, the most powerful man in Egypt, and demand the release of an entire nation of slaves. Talk about a daunting task!
But here's where the story gets interesting. God's response to Moses' insecurity is profound and holds a powerful lesson for all of us. In verses 11 and 12, God says, "Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."
Let's break this down a bit. First, God reminds Moses of a fundamental truth: He is the Creator. He made the human mouth, and He controls all human abilities. This isn't just about speech; it's about every aspect of our being. God is saying, "I created you, Moses. I know your capabilities better than you do."
But God doesn't stop there. He doesn't just say, "I made you, so deal with it." No, He goes a step further. He promises Moses, "I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say." This is a promise of divine enablement. God is telling Moses, "Your inadequacy doesn't matter because I will be there with you, empowering you every step of the way."
Friends, this is a message for us today. We often focus on our limitations, our weaknesses, our inadequacies. We say, "I can't do this because I'm not smart enough, not talented enough, not experienced enough." But God's message to us is the same as His message to Moses: "I created you, and I will empower you."
Think about it. The God who formed the universe, who set the stars in place, who breathed life into existence – this same God promises to be with us, to teach us, to empower us. Our weaknesses are not obstacles to God; they are opportunities for Him to display His strength.
The apostle Paul understood this well. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, he writes, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Paul learned to boast in his weaknesses because he understood that when he was weak, God's power would shine through him even more brightly.
