Do not focus on what you lack

Meditations on Exodus 6:26-30

²⁶ It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.” ²⁷ They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron. ²⁸ Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, ²⁹ he said to him, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.” ³⁰  

This is almost the exact repetition of verses 10 to 12 (¹⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹¹ “Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.” ¹² But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?”). According to a commentator (Meyer, p.62), "seven distinct objections were raised by Moses (so far) as reasons why he should not undertake the arduous task to which he was called: 1) Lack of fitness, 'who am I, that I should go?' (3:11); 2) lack of words, 'what shall I say?' (3:13); 3) lack of authority, 'they will not believe me' (4:1); 4) lack of power of speech, 'I am not eloquent' (4:10); 5) lack of special adaptation, 'Send by whom Thou wilt send' (4:13); 6) lack of success at his first attempt, 'neither hast Thou delivered Thy people at all' (5:23); and 7) lack of acceptance, 'the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me' (6:12)."

When we are focused on what we lack, we tend to diminish God’s capability. At the same time, we begin to imagine that we are the ones who will actually do the work. God’s instruction to Moses was simply to say something (“Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you…”). All he had to do was open his mouth. God will take care of everything else. As far as the results are concerned, God guarantees that it will work out just as He said it will. But Moses doubted, because he was more focused on what he lacks (all seven of them)!

Let us repent of this tendency. Let us stop focusing on what we lack. Instead let us focus on what God can do, and what He says He will do, if we will just obey. If He tells us to say or do something, then let’s just obey, trusting God for the results. God is the One who will accomplish His purposes. We are the ones who will simply obey His instructions.

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