Commit to the process...Give it time.
Read time: 4 mins
So Moses recited this entire song publicly to the assembly of Israel:
“Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! Hear, O earth, the words that I say! Let my teaching fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew. Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on young plants. I will proclaim the name of the Lord; how glorious is our God!”
Deuteronomy 31:30, 32:1-3 NLT
I want to use this relatively obscure text to encourage you. Picture this. Moses is preparing for his death. He is getting final things in order as God gives him instruction. God tells him what the Israelites should expect as they move forward and they appoint Joshua as the new leader. But God does something interesting. He tells Moses to write down the words of a song and teach it to the people. Moses summons the leaders and the Bible says that he recited this song to the assembly of Israel.
I want you to juxtapose the lyrics of this song Moses sang at the end of his life to the sentiments he felt in the beginning of his story. The first proclamation made in this chorus is “I will speak”. Moses started out petrified at the idea of speaking to a handful of people. But now he is speaking with power to millions and reciting new songs God has given to debut. And it's not just any song. He’s presenting a song that proclaims with boldness the power of his words.
This concept points out the transformative power that God had on Moses’ life and the same power that is present in yours too. This gives us a glimpse into the process of development and growth God has us under. Moses started off terrified at the idea of speaking. He protested against God multiple times because he was afraid he wouldn't be good enough. He almost turned down the dream he had of saving his people because he was deathly afraid of speaking. But years later we see Moses casually giving powerful soliloquies and speeches that would go on to impact billions. The thing he was once afraid of is now what he is most accomplished in. You may be deathly afraid of what God is calling you to but soon you will be a pro. You may be scared to start the podcast that God has been leading you to start, but soon you will be regularly inspiring millions through the medium that once terrified you. You may be apprehensive to start the business God is leading you to start, but soon your leadership will be directly responsible for the fact that dozens of people have enough to eat everyday. You may feel afraid of the idea of marriage now, but soon your union will motivate, edify and inspire more families than you could ever imagine. Just give it time. Moses went from a stammering and insecure communicator, to the most prolific writer in the Old Testament. Moses went from being afraid that his words would not mean enough to being one of the most quoted and influential figures in biblical history.
You may be scared now but keep moving. Give it time. There is light at the end of the tunnel. As you try, God will give you confidence. As you put yourself in the position God is calling you to step up to, He will qualify you.
In time you will be able to read old journals or see old pictures that remind you of the fear you may feel now, but you wont recognize the person in the picture. The very things that paralyzed you will soon be what you are proficient in.
You won't go from fear to faith in an instant. It’s a journey of baby steps in the right direction. They say you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Just keep making baby steps into the scary things God is calling you into and soon you will look back and be surprised at how far you’ve come. Don’t let your human expectations of timelines get in the way of your faith in what God is doing. This process may take a while, but it will be worth it.
What's crazy about this story is that Moses stumbles upon the burning bush and protests God's call, he is 80 years old. Yes, he was 80 when he went to pharaoh. That tells us something… it’s never too late for God to call you to grow. Growth is a lifetime process. Just because you have some victories or have matured in other areas doesn’t mean God doesn’t have more for you. If you’re alive, it means that there is still work for you. Moses ended up dying at 120 years old. That means that the 40 years from the time of his call to the time of his death, God was working on him. And God is working on you too. Keep taking baby steps towards who God is calling you to be.
The other thing this shows us is that age doesn’t disqualify us from fear. Moses wasn't 8, 18 or even 68 when he was called. He was grown grown and still afraid. He was grown grown and still being asked to stretch and step out on faith for God. You may feel like it's too late for you to grow. You may even be afraid of what growth would look like for you. But the devil is afraid of what God could do if your depth of knowledge and experience collided with a God given opportunity. God still wants to grow you. God still wants to use you. If you were done, you’d be dead.
You may be scared. You may be broken. You may be confused.. But God isn’t done. There's more for you to learn. More for you to grow in. More God wants to use you to do. God wants to stretch you to accomplish the things He has dreamed for you from the beginning. Whether you are young or old, I want you to partner with the lifetime process of sanctification that God has outlined for you. It may be uncomfortable but staying stagnant where you are not supposed to be hurts way more than the pain that comes from growth and progression. It’s worth it. Whether you are young or old, I want you to commit to growth. God wants more out of you.
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