“But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
– Exodus 3:11–12
Exodus 3:11–12 Shows How God Used Moses
I love these two verses. So here in Exodus 3:11–12 God is giving this charge, this responsibility, this call to Moses to go to Pharaoh and deliver all of these Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Moses’ response is, “Who am I? How could I do this?” I don’t know about you, but I find myself asking that question all the time. Have you ever felt like you can’t do that which God is calling you to do? I feel that every morning like I can’t be the husband God’s called me to be, I can’t be the dad God’s called me to be, I can’t be the pastor God’s called me to be. I mean, anything the Christian life, there are so many things I can’t do any of it on my own. That’s the whole picture. It’s not just me, you, too.
God Uses Brokenness And Broken People
John 15:5, “Apart from me …” Jesus says, “… you can do nothing.” That’s the point. Moses says, “Who am I?” God responds basically by saying, “It’s not about who you are. It’s about who I am and I will be with you.” When you get a couple of verses later, God says to Moses, “I am who I am.” The self-existent God of the universe, “I will be with you.” That’s how you’re going to do this, not based on your innate ability, Moses, not based on whatever faith even you can muster up like, “I’m going to be with you. You just trust me and I will work in you through you and show myself strong on your behalf.” Be encouraged by that reality today.
Exodus 3:11–12 Demonstrates God’s Power in Our Lives
So, I mean, none of us are Moses and God is not calling us to deliver his people out of slavery in a particular country. He is calling us to be His people, to love as He has called us to love, to be the husband or wife or mom or dad or child or grandparent or Christian, pastor, leader, businessman, businesswoman, teacher. Whatever it might be in your life that God has called you to do in life and family and work, know this. He has promised to be with you today. It’s not about who you are. It’s about who He is.
The beauty here in Exodus 3:11–12 is that when we get to the New Testament Jesus says these same words, “I will be with you.” He says, “I’m going to send my spirit in you. My presence is going to live in you.” So for us, this side of the cross of Jesus Christ we know this truth, this promise and even greater ways. God is with us right now. He lives in us as followers of Christ. So be encouraged today. Your life and all that God has called you to do it’s not based on who you are. It’s based on who He is and He is in you to give you everything you need to be the man, the woman, the student that God has called you to be. So look to Him. Let’s just pray together.
The God Who Leads Moses Can Also Lead Us
Oh God, we praise You for being with us. You do not abandon us, we praise You for not leaving us alone, for not calling us to do this or that, here or there and then expecting us to do that in and of ourselves. God, we are sinners. We need You. We’re weak; we need Your strength. Let us praise You for Your promise to be with us. We praise You for Your presence with us right now. This scripture reminds us to praise You for Your power in us. So I think about my life today. All that I’ve got to do I praise You that You’re with me and all of it that You’re going to lead me in all of it. You’re going to guide me and all of it.
Oh God, I pray do it. Lead me, guide me, direct me. My thoughts, my desires, my words, my actions, my decisions, everything I do at home, everything I do at work Lord please lead me and guide me all day long. I praise You for Your promise to be with me. I praise You that for all of us as followers of Christ that our lives are not dependent on who we are. They’re dependent on who You are. You are with us. You are in us. We rest and rejoice in that reality today. On Jesus name, we pray. 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.
