NO EXCUSES

God, our creator, knows us even better than we know ourselves, and He does not accept our excuses. When He calls us to do a job, He knows we can do it, and unlike us, He does not question our ability.

There were three individuals in the Bible who God called that presented excuses in an attempt to disqualify themselves, but it did not work. These individuals were Moses, Gideon, and Jeremiah. Let me share a bit of their story with you.

Moses was born into the tribe of Levi; however, he spent his first forty years in the household of Pharoah’s daughter, being raised as her son. After killing an Egyptian, Moses spent the next forty years as a runaway living in the land of Midian. While there, Moses became a shepherd and married Zipporah, the daughter of Reuel.

According to Exodus 3, while attending his father-in-law’s flock on mount Horeb God appeared to Moses in a flame of fire in a bush. God informed Moses that He was sending him back to Egypt as a deliverer, and he would speak to Pharoah. Moses responded, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” God shared with him the events that would happen before the children of Israel left Israel and assured him He would be with him. Still not convinced he would be received by his countrymen and Pharoah Moses offered reasons why he felt disqualified. Becoming angry with Moses, God finally told him, “Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.” Finally, having this information, Moses went to Egypt to do God’s bidding.

Judges 6 shares the story of Gideon, the son of Joash the Abiezrite, who, while threshing wheat by the winepress and hiding from the Midianites, was approached by an angel. Addressed as a mighty man of valor, Gideon was told to go and save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Gideon responded, “Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” As He did with Moses, the Lord assured Gideon He would be with him and cause him to be victorious. After being given a sign by the angel, Gideon, with three hundred men, defeated the Midianites.

Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, was around seventeen years old when God called him to the office of a prophet to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and other nations. After hearing God’s plan for his life, Jeremiah responded, “Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.” In turn, God rebuked him with these words, “Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee.” Furthermore, God told him he would speak to kings, princes, priests, and fellow countrymen, and they would reject him; however, God would deliver and protect him.

These three examples show that God is not concerned with man’s ability to be articulate, a person of means, or an adult. What God told Jeremiah goes for all of us. Before we were formed in our mother’s belly, He knew us and had an assigned purpose for our lives despite our human frailties. Hence, before we try to offer God excuses for not doing what he has called us to do, we should remember the words of Paul in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Notably, the word strengtheneth in Greek means to empower, enable, and make strong; therefore, we are equipped and have no excuses.