If you’ve been following along with all of the messages God has been giving Moses, you know Moses had quite a list of things to remember. Have you ever been given responsibility for something, maybe a committee at church or a planning group for a big event? There are a lot of details to remember. There are a lot of things you can’t do all by yourself.
On a much bigger scale, can you imagine the overwhelm Moses was feeling each time God added something to the list of things to be accomplished? I’m sure his mind was spinning. Mine would have been. Where in the world was Moses going to find all of the things he needed to complete God’s list? He was probably thinking, “I’m a shepherd not a craftsman of jewels, wood, or gold.” But that wasn’t the point.
God knew full well there were people just perfect for this job. He was going to empower them just as he had empowered Moses to lead. Moses was already out of his comfort zone, and God was there to give him what he needed. God would do the same for those skilled workers. God would empower them to make all of the items we’ve just read about.
God is still doing that today. He is empowering us with the spiritual gifts we need to get the job done. The difference between a spiritual gift and a talent is that God gives a spiritual gift on purpose to further his kingdom. We can be good at something, but only when we use our talents or gifts to help others know and love God more can we truly call them spiritual gifts.
God sees something special in each of us. He doesn’t expect us to do something he doesn’t empower us to do. When plans go awry and fail, it is usually because they weren’t God’s plans, they were ours. We didn’t have God’s blessing, so to speak, to take the plan to completion. When we have a scheme or a plan, we should make sure God is the one who has orchestrated it, otherwise, we might not have all the pieces we need to succeed.
Take a look around you. Are there projects or dreams you have been working on for a long time that don’t seem to be going anywhere? Are you feeling stuck because you just can’t get where you want to be? Perhaps you need to ask God to bless your plans and empower you. Or perhaps you should ask God to help you clarify what his plan would be and follow his plan instead.
Remember, we can feel the “relief,” too, just like Moses. God will empower us. When we feel God’s provision in our lives, we know we’re on the right track. When we face adversity, we may still be on the right path but need a slight correction. The important thing is to ask God to be in the driver’s seat of your life. Let him take the wheel. Ask him to navigate through the choppy seas.
Let’s pray. Lord, I thank you that I can rely on you to get me through. Forgive me when I take off on my own in a direction you aren’t planning for me. When I’m lost, help reel me back in and get on the path you have for me. I do ask you to empower me in the areas of my weakness so that I can further your kingdom. May I be a beacon of light to those in the dark. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
