EQUIPPING OF THE SAINTS

“The Lord said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?’ And He said, ‘Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.’ Then Moses said to God, ‘Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you.” Now they may say to me, “What is His name?” What shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am’; and He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, “I am has sent me to you,”’” (Exodus 3:7-14, NASB).

When he was called to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses argued that he was the wrong person for the job because his speaking skills weren’t good. I’ve met people who likewise knew the Lord had called them to do something, but they didn’t believe they could. This is actually a form of rebellion. It amounts to telling God that He isn’t powerful enough to equip us – and that for His will to be accomplished, it depends upon our ability.

God is more than able to equip His followers, but He can achieve His purposes with or without us. He promises that if we believe Him and move forward in obedience, He will reveal what He wants done and enable us to accomplish it. Paul writes that God Himself “…is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure,” (Philippians 4:13, NASB). There’s nothing to fear. We never have to take on His work in our own strength, and He won’t assign any task without enabling us. He is committed to equipping His children to do whatever He asks.

 As a follower of Christ, we have a personal responsibility to say yes when God calls and to let Him achieve His purposes through us. He won’t let us down. Recalling how He’s worked in our past will strengthen our faith. And His continued work will conform us to the image of His Son.

~ Jeff