Then Moses answered, “What if they won’t believe me and will not obey me but say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you?'”
Exodus 4:1 HCSB
In our Scripture passage today, Moses has been praying for God to deliver his people, the Israelites, out of slavery in Egypt. God hears the cries of Moses and the Israelites and comes to Moses and commands him to go to Egypt and meet with the elders of the Israelites and go with them to Pharaoh to demand the release of the Israelites. Now Moses wanted something done, but he wasn’t counting on God telling him to go and do it. Have you ever been in that position with God? You pray for something to be done. You feel that God must do something and then you have some realization you should step up and do something about it. Now God spoke directly to Moses. We don’t hear from God verbally, but God does communicate with us through His word. Perhaps in reading your Bible, you come to something that makes it clear to you that God is calling you to step up.
Moses was an Israelite raised as Egyptian royalty after having been adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. He had the best education and was well spoken according to Acts 7:22. But he objected saying he was not a good speaker. Every excuse he had God answered. He continued until God finally got angry and fed up with his excuses and agreed to send his brother Aaron with him (Exodus 4:14-16).
When God calls us to step out, the devil starts giving us a case of the “But, what ifs”. We imagine every possible worst-case scenario. We convince ourselves that we can’t possibly do what God has called us to do, but God doesn’t call us to do anything He’s not willing to equip us to do. God has all the “what ifs” covered.
Has God been calling you to do something? Maybe He has called you to give up one of your pet sins. Do you imagine things like “What if my friends no longer like me?” “Or what if I can’t afford to live on my own without the other person?” Or, how will I handle the stress of life without that alcohol or drug or porn or whatever you use? God’s got you. He’s got all that covered. He will walk you through day by day. He will take good care of you if you simply trust in Him.
Every time Moses asked God “What if?” it was as if he was really saying, “I don’t trust you God. I’m not sure you have my back on this one.” It’s no different when we refuse to do what God is commanding us to do. It shows a lack of trust in Him. Often times we sin against other people by taking matters into our own hands. We worry that God might not come through and seek vengeance for us or that He won’t do it as quickly as we would like.
If you are resisting doing what God calls you to do I have a “But, what if?” for you. But what if you died right now? What if you found yourself standing before the Great White Throne of Judgment? Are you ready? Have you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ?
My friend there is a “But, what if?” that is too important to leave to chance. We need to know beyond a doubt where we are headed when we leave this planet. We need to know that our names are written in the Lamb’s book of Life and that our sins are washed in His blood. Do you know that? Or are you still saying, “But, what if?”
Follow God’s commands and His calling for your life. Trust in Him to guide you through every step of the way. God won’t let us down. Don’t let the “But what ifs?” stop you from surrendering to God and trusting in Him. He will be with you just as He was with Moses all those years ago.
Have a great weekend!