The Two Hurdles Of God’s WillSample

Hurdle #2: Spectator or Participant?

Once God’s demonstration of power got Moses over that first hurdle, he quickly faced the second one: Would he be a spectator or a participant in God’s great plan of deliverance? Moses had hardly acknowledged the miracles he saw before he pleaded with God for a nice bleacher seat: “0, Lord, please send someone else to do it.” In other words, “Your miracles are impressive, God, but I’d be a lot more comfortable if you’d send someone else to do them for Pharaoh. I’d rather watch from a distance. I’ll cheer for the other guy ... just don’t send me.”

Many of us say we want to know God’s will for our lives, but when He begins to show us, we respond with fear and dread ... and a sudden desire for the comfort of the sidelines. We begin to take our eyes off of God and focus instead on our own perceived shortcomings. “0 Lord,” said Moses, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past, nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue”. But he was a tad too humble. In Acts, Stephen said of Moses, “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action” (emphasis added). There’s no proof that Moses had a stuttering problem or a speech defect. In fact, just the opposite was said of him.

Isn’t it curious how “humble” we can become when we want to nominate someone else for the job God calls us to? Moses was demonstrating the kind of exaggerated humility we employ when we’d rather just watch. We’re all capable of using it—the kind that says, “Oh no, not me, I’d never be any good at that,” when inside we’re thinking, My fear is stronger than my faith. Let someone else do it. Then Moses goes even further and says to God, “Not me. Send someone else.” Isaiah said, “Here am I. Send me”. But Moses said, “There’s got to be someone else, send him.”

What about you? Are you a spectator or a participant? Spectators watch safely from the stands, free of any of the stains or scrapes that come from being in the game. But they never feel the thrill that participants know.