Self-confidence vs. God-confidence for Sunday, January 20, 2013
Our reading for Sunday, January 20, 2013: Exodus 2:1-4:31
My selection: Exodus 2:11-12
11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
My reflections: Moses’ early life was marked by God’s providence and Moses’ depravity. God providentially protected him from death at birth and from the death penalty after murdering an Egyptian. Moses’ depravity is evident in that his first recorded act was murder. It was not a promising start. He certainly had the makings of a leader but he lacked wisdom and self-control. After fleeing from Pharaoh, he lives in relative obscurity. By the time God calls him, Moses has lost all that fire and over-confidence of his youth. He needs much proding from God to begin the task for which he was called and gifted. In all of this, God is gracious and patient with him.
My challenge: What is God calling you to do? Is your trust in Him or do you hesitate because of your lack of self-confidence? Self-confidence, whether in scarcity or abundance, needs to be replaced with confidence in the Lord who will bring about His purposes in and through your life for His own glory. It’s not about you. It’s about Him.
Keep Proverbs 3:5-6 in mind: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.”
Our reading for Monday, January 21, 2013: Exodus 5:1-7:24