The Flame Within

Exodus 4: The Lord appears to Moses and informs him that he is going to use him to free the Israelites. After the initial shock of the burning bush to {really} get Moses’s attention…

In Exodus 4; God shows Moses in more detail how they would defeat Pharaoh and free the Israelites. In chapter 4, God showed him that the simple staff in his hand would become a powerful and magical tool. There wasn’t any power in the stick in Moses’s hand, the power was the Lord’s and he would send His holy power when Moses trusted him, relied on him, and called out to him.

——The staff in Moses’s hand was only powerful; because God is powerful. Let’s ponder that for a minute. Wow!——

God said in verse 5, “This, said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of the fathers – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob – has appeared to you.”

The miraculous acts are to reveal the Lord’s presence and power.

By using the staff at the proper times, miraculous acts would occur. God revealed the powerful tools / acts Moses would have to defeat Pharaoh in Exodus 4. The staff in his hand became a snake when he threw it to the ground and returned to a stick when he picked it back up. God told him to put his hand inside his cloak and when he took it out it was covered with leprosy, put it back and the leprosy would disappear. If they don’t believe you after the first two signs, take water from the Nile and pour it onto the ground. The water will become
Blood on the ground. These are some astounding and frightening signs and are sure to get Pharaoh’s attention, right?

Moses after all this became fearful, timid, and doubtful. In verse 13, he requests for God to {please} send someone else. Interesting! I’ve been there, what about you?

Interesting fact: God appeared to Moses directly, revealed miraculous signs and gave him unbelievable powers to overtake and scare Pharaoh… and…
MOSES WAS STILL TIMID, DOUBTFUL, and FEARFUL.

Friends, could it be that we aren’t so weak willed, dumb, or coward? Could it be, that as humans facing naturally scary tasks… it’s a normal reaction to have {human emotion}? Hmmm!!

FACT: It is completely understandable to God when we’re afraid of a task, person, or situation. However, our emotions are never to be our God… Only God is our God! He ultimately decides and we do the work to grow close to Him for strength and courage and step out in obedience to the callings God places in our life. That’s our job, to live, serve, obey and trust God to lead and guide us.

Blessings, Crystal Ridlon, LPC