1-29-20 Today in the Word

Following by Faith
FROM SHYNESS TO BOLDNESS 
Wednesday, January 29, 2020 | Exodus 4:1–12
Dr. Erwin Lutzer served as senior pastor of Chicago’s Moody Church for 36 years. Preaching has been part of his life for decades, but many may not know that he had to overcome shyness. As a requirement to graduate from high school, students had to preach a sermon in front of the entire student body. Hesitant about his ability, Lutzer reflected on the life of Moses.
Moses’ lack of confidence, described in our text today, was probably similar to how Lutzer felt during his teenage years. In verse one we learn that Moses expressed doubt about his ability to confront Pharaoh. He was terrified to speak before the leaders of Egypt. The Lord then used three distinct miracles to convince Moses to act: a staff and snake (vv. 2–5), a restored hand in a cloak (vv. 6–7), and changing the Nile water into blood (v. 9). “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe . . .” (v. 5). Each miracle was a powerful demonstration that God was with Moses. Even then, Moses remained horrified about the prospect of returning to Pharaoh and speaking on behalf of God.
In verse 10, Moses expressed his doubts about his own ability. Notice God’s question to Moses: “Who gave human beings their mouths?” (v. 11). We may not know exactly why Moses was so reluctant to speak and follow God’s command, but I imagine many of us do the same thing all the time. We might not receive miraculous signs of God’s power like Moses did, but God often urges us to do bold things for Him. How often do we deny His power and focus instead on our own insecurity? In verse 12, God gave Moses the confidence he needed: “I will help you.” Whether it is shyness, low self- confidence, or timidity, the Lord will be with you.
APPLY THE WORD
Do you get nervous? In these times, we need to rely on God’s courage and boldness. Let the words of the Lord ring in your heart: “Now go. I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
PRAY WITH US
We invite you to support in prayer the faithful service of pastors across the country who stay true to the Scripture and bless their congregations with the powerful preaching of God’s Word.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t...
Read more

9-25-23 The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas

The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas :: By Bill Wilson Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:Bill Wilson, General Articles There are a lot of terrible things going on right now in the world. But we are at the time of the year when we, as Christians, celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We can choose to be impacted by the world around us in its dimly lit arena, or we can choose to let our light so shine. I choose the latter. I want to tell you a little about the Christmas that I had growing up on our family farm in Ohio. I was blessed to be born into a horse and cattle farm that has been in our family for some 200 years. And Christmas, especially Christmas Eve, was a wonderful time for our family. December 24 was my Dad’s birthday. And my Dad was well-loved by his neighbors and friends, so we had a lot going on Christmas Eve. I remember one special Christmas Eve. I must have been about four years old. The night was falling, and the wind and snow were whipping across the barny...
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th...
Read more