Moses: beyond fear

"Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”
Exodus 4:12-13

Moses should not have been a man with as much insecurity as he evidenced in his first encounter with God. He had been supernaturally and sovereignly rescued as an infant, raised in the highest Egyptian household as a privileged young prince, and trained to be a ruler among men. Yet one day he realized the plight of his ethnic brothers. In a rash moment he killed an Egyptian and fled for his life to become a nomadic shepherd far from Egypt and his Hebrew roots. And there God called him to deliver Israel from her bonds.

But Moses was afraid. He now had a comfortable life outside of Egypt, He cringed to go back to being either an Egyptian or a Hebrew, let alone a leader. As God revealed more of His call, Moses stressed out and gave more reservation. He let his fear override His worship and it began to anger God.

God gave Moses the ability to perform miraculous signs in order to convince Israel of the authenticity of his commissioning by God. Yet Moses resists, claiming that his stammering speech would keep him from being effective in Egyptian courts. He begs off the assignment, daring to ask God to send someone else. It is then that God promises that Moses can team up with his brother Aaron to speak and lead the nation out of Egypt.

Fear will lead us to potentially miss God's greatness. God wants to show Himself to us and work through us, but our fears can impede us. The story of Moses dramatically shows us how God will use us despite our fears and move beyond us. His strength is bigger than our sense of insecurity. Our fears can be overcome by God's power. He will be angry at our willful disobedience, but pleased when we let Him work in us, fears and all, for His purpose.