by Mark Weinrich

Moses didn’t want to serve the Lord. He made numerous excuses, hoping the Lord would disqualify him. He claimed to be a nobody, with no confidence, with no ability to speak, with no credibility that anyone would believe that God had spoken to him, finally he asked God flat out to use someone else.I am surprised that Moses didn’t use his past failure as an excuse. He had murdered an Egyptian. Had the forty years of guilt while shepherding sheep in the wilderness reduced him to this man with no belief in himself? Perhaps he was afraid to admit his act of violence.

I wonder why there is no record of God ever confronting him with this murder. Has the devil beaten him down so low that God doesn’t want to inflict anymore pain? When God calls out to him, God is affirming that Moses’ past is past. Though he doesn’t believe in himself, God shows again and again as Moses repeats his excuses, that He believes in him. God assures him numerous times, “I will be with you.”

We can make excuses, just like Moses. We can focus on one sin. We feel totally disqualifies us from God’s service, but God didn’t give up on Moses and He won’t give up on us. Our excuses and failures are non-issues before His forgiveness and grace.

The Lord believes in you just like He believed in Moses. The heart of the matter is learning to trust, just as Moses had to do.

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Mark Weinrich lives a creative life as a writer, photographer, musician, and artist–all wrapped together in an outdoorsman. He is a retired pastor and nine-year cancer survivor. His writing and photography have appeared in over 138 news stand, inspirational, and literary publications. He has sold eight children’s books and currently has two fantasy novels on Kindle.