Dear Members and Friends of IBCZ,
In our journey through Exodus, last Sunday we looked at chapters five and six. God had told Moses and Aaron to deliver the message to the Pharaoh to let the Israelite slaves go free. Of course, the Pharaoh refused to heed this message, and actually made life more difficult for the Israelites by increasing their workload. Moses then complained about this to God. God replied to Moses in Exod. 6:6-8:
“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”
Ten times in these three verses God refers to Himself, reminding Moses that He is the Lord and assuring Moses of all He would do to set the Israelites free. Winning the release of the Israelite slaves would have been impossible from a human perspective, but this would not be a human work but a divine work. Moses was merely the instrument through whom God released His power to accomplish His purpose.
This is a great word of encouragement for us. In various ways, God graciously invites us to be a part of His work. God wants to use us to accomplish His purposes in our families, in the church, among our friends, in the world. Often what God calls us to do seems impossible to us, for we recognize we lack the skills, knowledge, strengths, or abilities to bring it about. But we should never pull back in fear or doubt, because what God calls us to do, He will enable us to do.
So, let us eagerly embrace all that God would have us do for the work of His Kingdom!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Bob