Saying NO to God

Ever done that?

Maybe we try to dress the NO up as reverence, reality, or an admission of weakness. We might have a thousand reasons why we cannot do what God is asking of us. Yet it is still NO. At that moment, we might think God will walk away from us, and the opportunity to serve Him is gone. Not necessarily so. There are times when God will not take NO as an answer.

“Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” ¹³ But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” ¹⁴ Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. ¹⁵ You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. ¹⁶ He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. ¹⁷ But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.” (Exodus 4 v 12-17)

Moses had run out of excuses, for God had answered every objection. All he was left with was, “Please send someone else.” Notice that he did throw in the name Lord into the sentence. It doesn’t sit comfortably, does it? “Lord, no, not me.”

See what happens?

God gets angry. But His response in His anger is different to what we might expect. We might think that if God is angry, He would discard Moses. But the opposite happens. The rebuke and God’s help happen in the same sentence. Aaron is already walking into the situation.

God doesn’t lessen the mission. He doesn’t find another leader; he adds a mouthpiece for that leader. Moses is given God-authority anyway, despite himself.

God’s call was never contingent on Moses’ eloquence. It rested on God’s presence: “I will help you speak.”

You may be standing in a similar circumstance. Like Moses, you are aware of the gap between what is being asked of you and what you feel able to give.

God is here. He has arranged for encouragement to come, participants in your life. He is telling you to hold on to what is familiar to you. For Moses, it was His staff; it means be yourself. Finally, look at v15-16 again. God will be all you need Him to be. That is all you need.