3-Minute Devotions to Laugh and ReflectSample

No Excuse

Many of us create excuses to keep a bit of distance between God and us. After all, if we get too close, he might ask us to do something impossible. Perhaps not impossible, but Herculean. Or at least he might ask us to do something inconvenient.

The sooner we get rid of our excuses and do what God says, the better off we’ll be. When God gave Moses an assignment at the burning bush, the prince-turned-shepherd was a master excuse giver: “I’m a nobody. . . . The Israelites may not believe me. . . . I’m a really lousy public speaker. . . . I’d really rather you sent someone else” (Exodus 3–4). But Moses finally consented, obeyed, and became one of Israel’s most memorable heroes.

The people in Jesus’s parable of the great banquet (Luke 14:15–24) were just as adept at making excuses: “New field . . . new cows . . . new wife. We can’t be bothered right now.” But in that case, their excuses caused them to miss out on a marvelous banquet—a symbol of all the wonderful spiritual blessings only God can provide.

Failure to respond to God may stem from insecurity, stubbornness, fear, laziness, or other reasons—none of which are valid. If we don’t get past our excuses and trust God to put us where he wants us, we may see the best things in life, but we will be looking from a distance.