Casey Wayne

PEACE AND PURPOSE BLOG SERIES

God Confidence > Self Confidence

By Tina Reale

As Moses went about his everyday life, God’s glory was about to enter in an extraordinary way. The flicker of flames caught Moses’s eye, but wonder took hold of his heart. How could a fire engulf a bush, but not destroy it? The same way Moses could witness God’s glory and not be consumed—it was all a display of the Lord’s holy mercy. In awe-filled reverence, Moses removes his sandals so he can stand in the presence of the Lord and hear his call. God gives a clear command and sets Moses apart for the ordained purpose of delivering his people.

Standing on holy ground with a God-given mission may sound like something only for the men and women of the Bible, but it’s not. God’s presence dwells with us today and he still has kingdom purpose for each of his people. Even though Moses’s calling from God was specific to him and the Israelite nation, there is still much we can learn from his encounter. Look at the following three aspects of Moses’s encounter with God and how they relate to followers of Christ today.

God’s Presence: God always intended to take Moses from shepherding sheep in a field to leading a nation of people through the wilderness. From God’s perspective, Moses’s forty years in Midian were not a barren land of wasted hopes and dreams, but fertile soil rich with preparation. And it was in the mundane act of tending sheep that God met with Moses to invite him to stand on holy ground.

If your current day-to-day is more grind than grand, remember, in God’s presence, all ground is holy. Whether its toy-scattered floors, the coffee-stained carpet of an office, or the glossy hardwoods of a stage, wherever you stand is valuable real estate infused with purpose because of God’s holy presence in it. 

God’s Plan: When God spoke from the burning bush with his plan to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, Moses had some doubts about God’s decision to send him. In response, God offers Moses a sign—that he would return to the same mountain after delivering God’s people. God’s sign of confirmation would not come, however, until after Moses completed the task.

When God leads you to serve in a certain capacity or pursue a particular path, it’s natural to desire a clear sign to know you’re making the right decision. But God’s plan may not come with flashing lights. More likely, it will come with only enough light for your next step and the need to trust God with every step that follows. God is looking for your humble “yes” alongside obedient faith that will trust him to work out the rest.

God’s Power: In Exodus 2, Moses displayed his concern for the Hebrew people when he murdered the Egyptian, but his efforts to help the Israelites proved in vain when done in his own strength and timing. Under God’s power and leading, though? Moses assists in the rescue of millions. Of course, at the time of God’s call, Moses did not perceive this future before him. He only knew the failed attempt behind him. So he questioned, “Who am I to save the children of Israel?” God responded, “I AM.”

Our capacity to accomplish any worthwhile ambition in life comes less from who we are and more from the great I Am who lives in us because of our faith. It is crucial to understand our greatest confidence comes from God, not ourselves. You can have the highest credentials and the most inspiring ideas. You can fill up with self-affirmations and devote your time to self-serving goals—all of which will leave you limited to your own self. But when you pour yourself out in love for others and serve for God’s glory, the limitless potential of the Spirit is at work in and through you.

The next time you question God’s call over your life, remember his presence around you, his plan set before you, and his power within you. He’s not looking for the high and mighty, but he longs to use the humble and meek—those who find their greatest confidence only in him.

Prayer: I’m so grateful, Lord, that it’s never been about my strength or abilities. Where I feel weak or insufficient today, will you please remind me of your sufficient grace and the power of your Spirit in me? Help me recognize that, wherever I find myself today, I still have God given purpose because you are with me in it. I trust you and give you my yes, today, Lord. Here I am. Work in me and through me. Amen.