Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” But the Lord said to him, “Who has made the human mouth? Or who makes anyone unable to speak or deaf, or able to see or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now then go, and I Myself will be with your mouth, and instruct you in what you are to say.” But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.” Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be overjoyed. So you are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I Myself will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will instruct you in what you are to do. He shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. And you shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”

When God called Moses, Moses immediately gave his list of excuses. Even with God’s reminder that He is in control and that He would be present to help Moses, Moses was resistant. In his heart, he was resistant to act as the speaker for his people, even if God equipped him to do it.

We all have things we would never want to do, regardless of God’s call. Due to fear, anxiety, and insecurity, we can prioritize our excuses over the encouragement God has for us. We can easily talk ourselves out of following God in the uncomfortable places like Moses did, listing all the reasons we have for going our way instead.

Second Corinthians 12:9-10 says, “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I delight in weaknesses, insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul reminds us that our weaknesses are not to be used as excuses against God but reasons to press into dependence on God and let His work shine through us.

• Where do you feel unqualified to serve God? How do you respond when He calls you there anyway?
• How has God helped you in your weaknesses? How has God been glorified in your weaknesses?
• Pray and confess to God your weaknesses. Ask Him to grow your belief in how He can use those weaknesses for His glory.