The God Who Puts Up With Us

“Perform this sign,” the LORD told him. “Then they will believe that the LORD, the God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—really has appeared to you.”

Exodus 4:5

I love this passage. It’s one of my favorites in Scripture, and I’ll tell you why. First of all, I like how honest it is in its portrayal of Moses. Here is one of the greatest leaders of Israel in all of his weakness and insecurity. How tempting it must have been for the ancient scribes to clean up this story, to turn Moses into an uncompromised hero. But they didn’t do this, much as the writers of the New Testament Gospels didn’t whitewash the embarrassing shortcomings of the disciples. How thankful I am for the blunt truthfulness of Scripture!

Second, I love this passage from Exodus 4 because I relate to Moses. Now I’ve never found myself in a situation exactly like that of Moses. And I’ve never seen sticks turn to snakes or hands become diseased. But I have argued with God plenty about his call on my life. When it became increasingly clear that God was drawing me to Laity Lodge, for example, I was excited, but also very scared. I spent a couple of months resisting God’s call, putting up all sorts of “reasonable” objections.

Third, I love the fact that God put up with Moses in his insecurity, and that he also puts up with you and me. God could certainly have said to Moses: “I’m tired of your fears. I’ll find somebody else to set my people free. Let this bush burn you to a crisp.” But that’s not what happened, thanks be to God. Instead, God patiently worked with Moses’ fears. And that’s what God does with us. What a marvelous demonstration of his merciful love.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Have you ever found yourself in a position like that of Moses? Has God called you to something that you resisted? What happened? How have you experienced God putting up with you?

PRAYER: O Lord, thank you for this amazing story! Thank you for letting me see Moses as he really was. Thank you for the blunt honesty of your Word.

Even more, thank you, Lord, for putting up with me, much as you once put up with Moses. Thank you for stooping to my weakness, for understanding my fears, for helping me to trust you. Thank you for bringing me along slowly.

But, I do pray that, as I grow in you, you’ll have less to put up with in me. May I become more faithful, more trusting, more free in responding to your call. Amen.