Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “The fear of not having enough”
Our Bible verse for today: “Now go!” Exodus 4:12 (HCSB)
This morning we’re still thinking about the example of Moses and how timid and hesitant he was at first to follow God’s plan for his life. Moses was acutely aware of his own limited abilities, and he didn’t yet have faith that God would add to and make up the deficit, so Moses was fearful of the future. In his case his “fear of not having enough” was not about money or material possessions but about ability. Moses was afraid he wasn’t up to the task of leading Israel. In verse 12 of chapter 4 God finally told him to knock off the whining and the excuse-making and just get busy. God said, “Now Go!” Moses finally obeyed and you know the rest of the story.
Once God added His unlimited capacity to Moses’ limited capacity Moses became a phenomenal leader who accomplished great things – but he still had to work for it. He still had to endure the sufferings and the hardships that came with leading millions of grumbling people through a hot desert for forty years. Also, God’s plan for Moses, God’s miraculous interventions in Moses’ life, and the type and timing of the provisions God sent, ended up being much different than what Moses wanted or expected. God’s plan was perfect, but it was different than what Moses thought he was signing up for. That will probably end up being true in your life too.
So where does this leave us now as we consider “the fear of not having enough”? Let’s take a minute to summarize. So far in our study we have learned that the fear of not having enough is pervasive in our society and it spans the spectrum of income brackets. Even millionaires tend to worry about their financial future and they tend to want more than what they have. Also, even those who are talented and who have great abilities still tend to doubt themselves and wonder if they’re really up to the challenges they face.
We have also spent a good deal of time considering the story of the Loaves and the Fish, and we have learned that when God adds His unlimited potential to our limited potential, the possibilities are limitless.
Finally we have learned about the importance of consecration – offering all that we have and all that we are to God to be used for His purposes. That includes your five small loaves of bread and your two fish; it includes your money, your job, your family; it includes your skills and abilities; it includes your entire life. Offer it all to God and then let Him use it to accomplish His purposes.
And so now we turn to the issue of personal responsibility. Like Moses the time comes to, “Now go!” You have to simply do it. Just start walking it out. What will that look like in your life? I’m not sure. Perhaps the place to start in your thinking is to consider the thing that you are most concerned you don’t have enough of. Ask yourself what role you should be playing in solving your own problem. Maybe your perceived shortfall is money, or education, or ability, or health, or …
Whatever it is, take what you have, offer it to God, and start walking it forward in faith. Trust more in Him than you trust in yourself and just get moving. God will do His part but you also have to do your part. “Just go!”
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 