Superheroes
One of the more unexpected things in my life over the past two years has been BANG, the 11-14's group at the Tab. Jack and I both signed up to help lead in early 2004, on a trial basis. Now it is just the two of us, and neither of us are quite sure how we got here. Having said that, it has been a blessing in many ways. It is such a joy to see young people really grappling with what it means to know God, and it's also been an opportunity to learn wonderful games such as 'Bog Roll Bowling', a late contender for the 2012 Olympics. However there are definitely times when I don't feel that I want to be a youth leader, and this morning was one such occasion. Then God stepped in and changed my perspective.
I don't know what you think about when you hear the name Moses, for me it's images of him leading the Israelites out of Egypt, pleading with God on their behalf, receiving the law, his face literally glowing from having been in the presence of God.
Today we were looking at God's call on the life of Moses, and it made for some interesting reading.
God: 'And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.'
It's a fairly hefty order that God has given Moses, to rescue his people from one of the most powerful nations in the world. And Moses' response:
'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?'
Now that sounds fair enough, and it's often our response to the callings that we feel God placing on our lives. God's response is clear:
'I will be with you.'
This is where the problems start. This should be enough for Moses, and it should be enough for me, but so often it isn't. Moses gives 3 other excuses for not being able to do the task that God has set before him, which end up with the slightly feeble
'O Lord, please send someone else to do it.'
How many of us can honestly identify with that?
Ultimately Moses did follow God's calling, and we know what happened then. The encouragement that I took was this; that despite Moses' sense of unworthiness and unwillingness God used him to do incredible things.
This morning I needed to be reminded that the only qualification I need is to have God with me, and to be willing to go where he calls me. Graciously he did.