“Therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.”
Exodus 3:10-12 CSB

When we meet Moses in Exodus 3, he has a complicated history. He was an Israelite, born into slavery in Egypt. In an effort to spare his life, his mother placed him in a basket in the Nile River, where he was discovered by the daughter of Pharaoh. Though Pharaoh had given the order to kill all Israelite baby boys, she was moved by his cries and adopted him as her own. So Moses grew up with prestige and privilege — a life completely opposite from that of his people.

One day, in an ill-conceived effort to stand up for his own, Moses killed an Egyptian whom he witnessed beating a Hebrew slave. He thought what he’d done was a secret, but word got out and he had to flee from Egypt, losing everything — his identity, his family, his life as he knew it.

Moses settled in the desert land of Midian, where he got married and settled down. It’s in this mundane season of life, while tending his father-in-law’s sheep, that God met Moses in a burning bush.

Knowing his history, we can understand why Moses responded to God as he did: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). He couldn’t see how or why he would be qualified to lead the Israelites to freedom.

How many times have we asked ourselves the same question when we’ve felt called to something big or impossible?

• Who am I to sing in front of a crowd?
• Who am I to raise my children when I have no idea what I’m doing?
• Who am I to speak out about a leader who’s done wrong to me?
• Who am I to share my story when so many other people have more powerful testimonies to share?

The list could go on and on.

A thousand reasons might prove why you’re not qualified, but when God asks you to do something, all He’s looking for is a yes.

Today’s reading is an excerpt from the Courageous Influence Bible Study, by Grace P. Cho with stories from (in)courage writers.

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