Overcoming our feelings of Inadequacy

Read Exodus 4.

Moses moved from questioning what God commanded him to do to outright rejection of what God said.  All of his excuses centered on his feelings of inadequacy.  Meanwhile, God continued to demonstrate that the job depended upon His adequacy, not Moses.  

With each of his five excuses, God countered with a promise.

1. Moses: "Who am I that I should go...?" (3:11)

God: A promise of His presence.  "I will be with you."

2. Moses: "What is his name?" or "By what authority would I approach this task?" (3:13)

God: A promise of His Person.  "I AM.

3. Moses: "They will not believe me." (4:1)

God: A promise of His miraculous power.

4. Moses: "I am not eloquent." (4:10)

God: A promise of presentation.  "I will teach you."

5. Moses: "Send someone else." (4:13)

God: A promise of a partner.

God wanted to use Moses to help millions of enslaved people; a priceless opportunity!  But Moses tried to give it away.  God wanted to give Moses national and international influence as a leader.  But Moses wanted to protect himself and stay where he was.  God wanted to demonstrate His omnipotence.  Moses only focused on his own limitations.

While God prepared Moses, at the same time, the last verse indicates that He also prepared the people. 

1. The people did believe the message. 

2. The people realized that God had heard and was answering their prayers. 

3. They people worship the LORD.

  

The LORD delights in using people who know that the adequacy for the assignment in not within them.  The Apostle Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians 4:7-"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us."  Humble service with dependence on God allows all the glory to go to Him alone.