How should Exodus 4:11 influence our view of challenges in serving God? The Setting: Moses’ Hesitation • Moses fears that his tongue is inadequate (Exodus 4:10). • God responds, “‘Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the seeing or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?’” (Exodus 4:11). • The verse confronts every servant of God who feels unequal to an assignment. God’s Sovereign Ownership of Our Abilities • Our Creator formed every faculty—speech, sight, hearing, mobility. • Because He designed them, He rules them; therefore He can also empower or override them. • Psalm 139:13–14 affirms that every aspect of our bodies is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Challenges Are Part of His Design, Not Obstacles to It • When God claims responsibility for making some “mute,” “deaf,” “seeing,” or “blind,” He shows that limitations are woven into His purposeful plan. • John 9:1–3 echoes this: the man born blind was so “that the works of God might be displayed in him.” • Rather than disqualify us, weaknesses become platforms for divine display (2 Corinthians 12:9). Reframing Personal Inadequacy • Feel ill-equipped? So did Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:6–9). God touched his mouth and filled it with words. • Feel weak? God chooses “the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). • Our smallness spotlights His sufficiency; our stammering gives room for His voice. Practical Ways Exodus 4:11 Shapes Our Service • Approach assignments expecting divine enablement, not self-confidence. • Thank God for specific limitations; they remind us to lean on Him. • Step forward in obedience first—power and provision follow action (Exodus 4:12). • Replace “I can’t” with “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). • Encourage others who struggle: God’s call always carries God’s capability. Living the Verse Today • View every challenge—speech impediment, introversion, physical disability, lack of education—as territory God already understands and governs. • Anticipate that He will use exactly those areas to reveal His glory. • Move ahead, confident the One who made the mouth will fill it, the One who formed the body will fortify it, and the One who ordained the task will accomplish it through you. |
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