"Moses said to the Lord, 'Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.' The Lord said to him, 'Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.'"

Exodus 4:10-12

God has a habit of saying no to our excuses, and Moses learned this the hard way. Standing before a burning bush, Moses had just received the biggest assignment of his life. Free an entire nation from slavery. Confront the most powerful ruler on earth. Lead millions of people through a wilderness. Moses immediately started making his list of reasons why he couldn't do it.

We've all been in Moses' shoes (or, in this case, sandals) haven't we? God whispers a calling to our hearts, and we start rattling off our qualifications or lack thereof. "I'm too young, too old, too broken, too busy." "I don't know enough Bible verses." "I've made too many mistakes." "Someone else would be better." We treat our limitations like they're breaking news to God.

But here's what Moses discovered that day, and what we need to UNLEARN about our excuses. God isn't surprised by our weaknesses. He's not shocked by our speech problems, our past failures, or our personality quirks. The Creator of the universe who designed every detail of our lives isn't suddenly caught off guard by the things that make us feel inadequate. He knows exactly what He's working with.

"I can't speak well," Moses said, but God had a different perspective. God reminded Moses that He's the one who gives people mouths in the first place. In other words, if God wanted Moses to be eloquent, He would have made him eloquent. The speech problem wasn't a design flaw, it was part of the design. God wanted to use Moses exactly as he was, stammering and all.

On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered what many consider the greatest speech in American history. The Gettysburg Address lasted only two minutes and contained just 272 words. Lincoln was convinced he had failed miserably, telling his bodyguard, "That speech won't scour." A newspaper the next day called it "silly remarks." Yet those "silly remarks" redefined a nation and are still quoted today. Sometimes what we think disqualifies us is exactly what God wants to use.

Godseekers, what if your excuses are actually God's invitations? What if the thing you're most worried about is the exact tool God wants to use in someone else's life? Stop seeing your limitations as walls and start seeing them as doorways. When God uses someone who clearly couldn't do it on their own, everyone knows exactly who gets the credit. Your weakness becomes His stage. Remember, it's not about you. It's about Him!

Prayer

Dear God, I confess that I've been treating my limitations like they're news to You. Help me UNLEARN the lie that my weaknesses disqualify me from Your calling. Show me how You want to use my struggles and imperfections for Your glory. Give me courage to stop making excuses and start making disciples. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Personal Reflection

• What excuse have you been using to avoid stepping into God's calling on your life?
• How might God want to use that exact limitation to help someone else?

Step of Faith

Today, I will stop making excuses and take one small step toward the calling God has placed on my heart.