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“Don’t make excuses.” Have you heard that one before? Maybe you forgot someone’s birthday, or possible forgot to grab that oh so important thing on the grocery list (cough, cough, husbands). Perhaps, you meant to do something nice, but it all fell apart; or you were late to work because a pipe exploded in your basement. Excuses are a part of our culture. Sometimes they are valid and actually do excuse us, but often times they are made up reason as to why we should not be held accountable to something.

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While it may be a common occurrence in our everyday lives, it is not a new invention.  Since the beginning, humans have been giving excuses to shift blame and responsibility. From Adam and Eve shifting blame, to the reasons people gave to not follow Jesus. But today I want to focus on the excuses, objections, justifications (whatever you want to call it) that Moses used before the Lord.

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In Exodus chapter 3 we read of God calling Moses for His mission to save the Hebrew children and to lead them out of Egypt. This was a loving thing that God had planned, as He had compassion on how they were being treated. You see the Egyptians were afraid that the Hebrews would become to many in numbers and so they planned to suppress them. When that did not work, they changed tactics to trying to kill all the males right after they were born (see chapter 1). So, God hatched a plan that involved Moses, the murderer (see chapter 2), and God got his attention in the most spectacular way, a burning bush (see chapter 3—might as read the whole book now!)

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God explained to Moses His plan, but Moses tried to give excuses as to why he could not do what God was asking him to do. God started by giving Moses signs to prove that God had sent him. When Moses made the excuse that he could not speak well, God gave Moses the promise that He (God) would give Moses the words to speak. And when Moses persisted that God should send someone else, God gave Moses a helper and told Moses to take his brother Aaron along with him.

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Moses almost missed out on one of the greatest moves of God in rescuing His people from Pharaoh. He would have missed the parting of the Red Sea, manna coming down from heaven, and being led by a pillar of fire! The list could go on of all the other awesome things that God did through Moses. But something also to think about is, what would have happened to Moses people, the Hebrews? Would they have had to continue to suffer? You see our disobedience to God through excuses, never just affects us.

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So, I ask you today, are you making excuse as to what God is calling you to? I pray that you say yes to God always and trust that God can do extraordinary things through you (even if you just feel ordinary) just as He did with Moses; regardless of your background. Our limits are not based on our abilities but on our obedience to God.

11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

-Pastor Bubba-

Youth Pastor

Devotions with PHOP Staff...