Exodus 4:1-14
1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?"
2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied.
3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.
4 Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.
5 "This," said the LORD, "is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has appeared to you."
6 Then the LORD said, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was leprous, like snow.
7 "Now put it back into your cloak," he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh.
8 Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second.
9 But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground."
10 Moses said to the LORD, "O 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."
11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."
14 Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you.

God was behind Moses, he did not want to leave Moses just like that, God’s intentions about Moses are clear. God is so patient. God explained to its best so that Moses is thorough. God is a God of transparency. Just like a father train his child to swim, God trains Moses, and give him signs to make sure Moses questions are answered.

Even after giving all the signs and promises, Moses still complains about his inability to talk fluently (v 10). And God is upset. His question in v 11 is like “what do you think about me, Moses? Who do you think I am?” Does ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ apply to us when it comes our time with God? In personal Bible studies, Prayer times, family prayers, midweek devos, giving tithes etc. do we really respect God and his time? Do we take God for granted, because he is patient and graceful? Let us decide to be different.

Moses still had more questions to God (v13). I can’t read his mind at this moment. Is he hard hearted? Or is he being thorough? Is he a coward? I can’t figure out. But one thing I appreciate in Moses is his openness. The question looks ridiculous, yet for Moses, it was important to ask that query. Abraham had questions, Gideon had, David had, Habakkuk had, Job had; good they had question, good they asked those questions, because God has answers.

God created you. He gave you strengths and weaknesses, out of his wisdom, so that he can use you.

Prayer idea

Think how to use your weaknesses to bring glory to God, not as excuse for your sins.