“When Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord. I am not eloquent either in the past or since You have spoken to Your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” And the Lord said to him, ” Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now, therefore, go and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”
– Exodus 4:10–12
Exodus 4:10–12 Reminds Us God Is Bigger Than The Mountains In Front Of Us
This dialougue in Exodus 4:10–12 is a great follow-up to what we saw in Exodus 3, previously. So Moses is saying, “Who am I?” God’s saying, “I’m gonna be with you.” And then now it gets more specific. Moses says, “You’re calling me to speak before Pharaoh, the Kind of Egypt. I am slow of speech and tongue. Like I can’t do this.” And God says, “Who made your mouth, man? Like who determines who’s able to speak in the first place? Is it not I, the Lord? Like go and do what I’m calling you to do and I will be with your mouth, and I will teach you what you shall speak.”
So just think about, in your life, the grace gifts that God has given you. Like skills. I think of things that I’m able to do. Those didn’t just happen naturally. Those happened supernaturally. God has provided those things in my life. And your life too. Like none of our gifts, skills, abilities come from ourselves ultimately, or come from some natural means. They all come from God. God is the author of all of our gifts, all of our skills, all of our abilities. And He matches those gifts, skills, abilities to that which He calls us to do.
God never calls us to something that He does not equip us to do.
This beautiful picture here, we see it all throughout the Bible. God never calls us to something that he doesn’t equip us to do. So we can trust in Him to provide. Now that’s the journey of faith because oftentimes we feel inadequate. Oftentimes we feel like, “Ah, I can’t do this.” And the world kind of gives us a self-esteem talk and says, “No, believe in yourself. Believe in yourself. You can do this. You can do this.” And the Bible here is not saying, “Believe in yourself.” It’s saying, “Believe in God.”
Exodus 4:10–12 isn’t God saying to Moses, “Hey, trust in yourself, Moses. You can do this!” This is God saying to Moses, “Trust in Me. I am the one who gives man the ability to speak in the first place. As long as you are trusting in Me, you can know that you will be provided for. You will have the gifts, skills, and abilities you need to accomplish that which I’ve called you to.”
Exodus 4:10–12 Reminds Us To Trust Our Talents To The Creator Of Our Talents
So we pray together, “God, we thank You for the gifts, skills, abilities, even unique gifts, skills, and abilities You’ve given to different ones of us. I look at people around me who have gifts and skills and abilities that I don’t have, and I praise You for the way You have gifted them in that way. At the same time, I praise You for the way, by Your Grace, You have given me gifts, skills, and abilities, God. I pray for everybody who’s listening to this right now, that You would help us to realize the beautiful, unique, creative ways You’ve designed us, and equipped each of us to make Your Glory known in the world. And God help us to steward these gifts. Well, God, help us not to underestimate them.
Help us not to trust in ourselves, to look to ourselves, to believe in ourselves. God, we pray that you help us to trust in You, to look to You, to believe in You. You’re the author of all good gifts. And so we pray that You would take the gifts, skills, abilities you have given to us, you would help us to use those in total dependence on, and trust in You today.
As we’re in our homes, as we’re at work, as we’re around others, God, we pray that You would work Your Grace in and through us for Your Glory in our lives. God, may it be so today and keep us trusting in You all day long. Not on ourselves, not believing in ourselves, but believing in You. Looking to You as the author of every good gift.
Ah, thank you, God, for Your Grace in us. May it be to great effect for Your Glory through us, today, we pray. In Jesus name. Amen.”
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David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
