Who Are You – Really?

Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

When I look into my heart to see who I am, I see a person that loves Jesus trying to live his life out with a Christ-like attitude and walk. I so want people to see Jesus in me, but, I know my flaws all too well. I have them just like we all do. I work on them hopefully like we all do. If I didn’t look reflectively within, I’d never try to change what needs changing, but it’s also important to see myself as God sees me. This is a true key to supernatural change and what ignites the power to conquer your lame excuses for not obeying God in your life.

If you know the story of Moses, you know that the beginning years of his life were anything but normal and that he was raised in the crosshairs of two cultures: Hebrew and Egyptian. He had to come to the place of deciding for himself what he believed and how he wanted to walk out his life.

Moses chose the side of his Hebrew heritage. He was a leader and made a leadership move that was a horrible mistake and failed in the worst way. In trying to protect his people from persecution, he committed murder. He was trying to protect a slave and killed an Egyptian taskmaster. He immediately fled believing he would be killed by Pharaoh. In doing so he was giving up all his hopes and dreams for a great many years until one day God called upon him to fulfill his destiny. God asked Moses to step out in faith and do something for Him. Let’s read about it and as we do, notice the excuses of inadequacy fighting vs. the voice of God telling Moses who he was and who he could be with God working in and through him.

Exodus 3:9, “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Moses pleads with God offering four excuses and a final plea.

Exodus 3:9, “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” Moses pleads with God offering four excuses and a final plea.

“God, who am I to do this?”
“What if they say, “How do we really know God sent you?”
“What if they say, “God didn’t really send you?”
And, “I’m inadequate for the job, I can’t speak well.”

God answered every excuse for Moses but Moses still finally said, “Please send someone else!”

All of the great leaders in the Bible outside of Jesus Christ were flawed, fearful of doing what God asked them to do, and tempted to fall to excuses. It’s easier to make excuses about our inadequacies than it is to take on the challenge of God’s request. We’re plagued by self-doubt. We say we don’t have the right skills for the job, and like Moses we may worry that people—even our families—won’t buy into our leadership.

God discerned the traits of leadership in Moses regardless of all shortcomings. He didn’t just give Moses the job assignment and send him on his way. He supported and reassured him by addressing his fears and objections and by promising to be with him while giving him the tools he needed to succeed. God choose to cultivate and develop leadership in Moses which would eventually inspire the future leaders of Israel. He would become one who modeled the leadership of trusting God more than himself. This is where excuses are defeated—when one knows who He is in God, not in himself. This is where men become godly men and women become godly women. This is where families become a powerful light. This is where churches become centers of influence changing cities, states, and nations.

Just remember how far behind the power curve Moses was, recall how he was paralyzed in fear, and how God helped him and taught him the answer to the question, “Who am I?” God is no respecter of persons and is waiting to help answer that question for you!

Exo 3:11 “ But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt