Dialogue with God

In the beauty of creation it seems that I hear the voice of God. This is the
beauty of the sky over the shores of Capetown. 

Scripture:

Ex. 6:10   Then the LORD spoke to Moses, ¹¹ “Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his land.” ¹² But Moses spoke to the LORD, “The Israelites have not listened to me; how then shall Pharaoh listen to me, poor speaker that I am?” ¹³ Thus the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them orders regarding the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, charging them to free the Israelites from the land of Egypt.

Observation:

God has been talking to Moses about his role in helping to set the Israelites free from the Egyptians. Moses isn’t just listening, but he is also dialoguing. It’s in this dialogue that we see the power of God and the fear of Moses. The LORD is more powerful than Pharaoh and therefore simply tells Moses to go and tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. That seems like a pretty simple solution but Moses’ response reveals something about his fear. Instead of really grasping that this the word of God, which comes with power, Moses believes that the words have to come with his own power. The dialogue that ensues comes from Moses taking the mission upon himself, and therefore he points out to God his personal short-comings. The LORD is patient throughout this dialogue and allows Aaron to partner with him. 

Application:

Having conversations with God is a very good thing. Of course, we may have been raised to believe that voicing concerns before God is not in our best interest. The problem with that approach is that it has the potential of shutting down our relationship with God entirely. Or, instead of coming to God, we march ahead without getting clarification on what we are doing. Either way, there is something to be learned from Moses’ dialogue with God. 

There are times that God will speak to us and ask us to do what appears to be humanly impossible. That’s how Moses felt about God’s command to go and talk to Pharaoh. Ultimately Moses realized that God had the power to handle Pharaoh and none of what was going to happen had anything to do with Moses’ own abilities, or lack thereof. When God instructs us to go and do something, God will also provide the necessary resources. However, we may feel like Moses and need to have a little chat with God before we step out in faith.

Sometimes by simply voicing our concerns, God can provide us with added assurance. God gave Moses a partner in his work and ministry and that was what Moses needed at the time. God listens and will respond when we are willing to keep the communication channels open. Even if we are angry or frustrated with God, it’s better to keep the dialogue going than to simply stop talking and move away from God. There is health in expressing our feelings to God for it is in that place that we can begin to find healing. God can handle hearing our disappointments, pain and frustration. Just keep the dialogue going. 

Never give up on conversing with God. Keep an on-going, honest dialogue open with the God of all creation. If we do this we will discover that God is patient, and anxious to meet us at the point of our deepest need. 

Prayer:

Lord, I come to you with a heart of gratitude for your great patience. Thank you for listening to, and conversing with me on a regular basis! Amen.