Ridiculous Belief

God called Moses to tell Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery (Exodus 3.8). This demand is borderline ludicrous because the entire infrastructure of Egyptian economical and social systems pivots on having free labor. Allowing the Israel people to just walk away from the Egyptian nation would be like prohibiting the use of fuel, electricity and all other forms of power in the United States.

Cars – gone. Dishwashers – gone. Air conditioning – gone. Internet – gone.

Cell phones, stop lights, power tools, microwaves, blow dryers, sewing machines, social media, refrigerators, medical equipment… All disappear overnight.

The American culture as we know it would collapse, and we would have to scramble to find our new footing in a world without mass sources of energy.

No wonder Moses felt just a touch intimidated about telling Pharaoh to let his mass source of energy (the Israelites) go. What I find interesting, though, is that Moses never questions the probability of God’s plan; he merely questions the adequacy of his own ability.

Several times Moses tells God that the Children of Israel and Pharaoh won’t listen to him because he’s not a good speaker (Exodus 4.10, 6.12 & 6.30). In fact, Moses pleads for God to send someone else (Exodus 4.13). But Moses doesn’t tell God that he thinks the whole situation is impossible because he knows that with God ALL things are possible (Matt 19.26).

God could help Moses through his low self-image and his weaknesses, but Moses had to have belief in God’s Word first. Pharaoh might not have believed and the Israelites might not have believed, but Moses believed. And His faith is what set him apart.

Christians who are set a part are not necessarily eloquent, confident or brilliant; rather, they believe God’s promises. They believe God even when the rest of the world doesn’t. They believe God even when the promises seem ridiculously impossible.

This truth should give us peace. When we realize that it’s not about our performance but about His faithfulness, we can rest assured that God will fulfill what He says. We will never be perfect as we walk in faith, but God will provide us with help along the way.

Questions: What promise has God tried to give you, but you tend to reject as impossible? How would your unwavering belief in God’s faithfulness change your perspective? How has God helped you in your weakness to achieve the promise He set for you?

“But Moses protested to God, ‘Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?’”

(Exodus 3.11 NLT)

Alisa Hope Wagner

Alisa Hope Wagner gave her life to Jesus at the age of 14 in a small Baptist church in South Texas. All she wanted was to be loved, and she found that love through Jesus Christ. Alisa has never felt unloved since that day! Alisa has her BA degree in English from A & M - Corpus Christi and her MA degree in English - Applied Linguistics from the University of Houston. She served in women's ministry leadership for five years. She has a God-given passion to write, and she loves to write about what the Holy Spirit is currently teaching her. Alisa has published devotionals, articles and poetry; and she is continuously trying to reach people for Christ with her writing. She has also written her first novel and is currently seeking publication. Alisa married her high school sweetheart, and they have been married for over twelve years. They enjoy raising their two sons and daughter.

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