More of You and Less of Me

Through the warm afternoon air, the sheep and their pastor paced towards the far side of the wilderness. It was springtime in Midian, a foreign land for the fugitive herdsman, but a welcoming one for the time being. He was a quiet man, and he led the flock belonging to his father-in-law, as was his routine this time of day. He had his sights fixed on a majestic elevation called Horeb, a site he would later learn to be known as the mountain of God.

Killing that man back in Egypt disturbed his conscience. In a moment of righteous indignation and blind rage, he took the life of another man. When faced with the dire consequences that followed, he anxiously escaped far away. He knew a return now to his homeland was highly unlikely and would certainly risk the new life he had assembled in this new region. These days he preferred the solitary duties. Afterall, Moses could never communicate well with other humans. 

As he advanced the sheep up a gradual ridge, some flames spontaneously arose from a shrub off in the distance. The mysterious fire engulfed but did not consume the plant that contained it. Moses stood by mesmerized by this phenomenon and thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” He inched closer to investigate the event and was suddenly halted in his tracks, “Moses! Moses!”, spoke a voice from the bush, “Do not come any closer, take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Through the blaze the divine messenger continued, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” 

Yahweh, the God of the universe, had visited a conflicted man on the run to redirect his path back to the place which he had fled. He witnessed the misery of the Israelites in slavery and elected Moses as His representative to face off with the king of the oppressors. Centuries of hardship had deteriorated their faith, but a glimmer of hope was now on the horizon. 

Moses hesitated when called by God and said, “Who am I to go…?,” and “I am slow of speech.” He believed himself to be unimportant, unqualified and vastly unprepared. God would accompany and show Himself strong on behalf of him every step of the way.

 Often the Almighty will place a responsibility on our shoulders that may seem overwhelming, but it is tailor-made for our capabilities. You must not place limitations on yourself in these situations, because a present and future generation may be at stake. 

What do you say of yourself? Are you fearful? Unwanted? Unprepared? There is a Greater Voice that calls you strong, courageous, loved and ready to make a positive impact. An equation of less of you and more of Him is all it takes. You were created in God’s image. You are His child. You are His representative.