“Never, ever think that God is through doing great things through you.” —Charles R. Swindoll
Our Lord is full of surprises! His leading includes twists, turns, ups, downs, potholes, and drop-offs, which shake us up. The fact we can rarely guess the ultimate destination only adds to the adventure. God’s plans for us are often over and above what we can imagine or desire, and our response is often reluctance. Yet God continues to stretch us beyond what we consider our limit.
When it comes to God using us to accomplish His great purposes, broken people make three frequent mistakes.
- Because of intensity we run before we’re sent
- Because of insecurity we retreat after we’ve failed
- Because of inferiority we resist when we’re called
The Bible includes numerous examples of individuals God used to accomplish great things, but rather than embracing the challenge and trusting His enablement, initially they held back.
In this message studying Exodus 3–4 we meet a man, Moses, who was unwilling to leave the shallow waters of the familiar to dive into the depths of God’s audacious plan because he feared the unknown.
God’s miraculous appearance to Moses from a flaming bush (3:1–4:17) allows us to explore four common excuses Moses offered when God asked him to do something great.
- First, Moses said, “I will not have all the answers.” He focused on his lack of knowledge rather than God’s complete knowledge
- Second, Moses said, “I may not have all their respect.” He focused on what others might think of him rather than what God thought of him
- Third, Moses said, “I do not have the ability.” He focused on his lack rather than on God’s abundance
- Fourth, Moses said, “I am not as qualified as others.” He focused on his own limitations rather than on God’s qualifications
Moses’ exchange with the Lord reminds us of this relevant truth: Never, ever think that God is through doing great things through you. Time and time again in Scripture God worked through broken people. He continues to do so today.
“What If God Chooses You to Do Something Great?” is from Chuck Swindoll’s series What If...? You can stream this message online anytime at insightforliving.ca/audiolibrary.
