Oh Moses how I love thee

There is so much yummy goodness in the book of Exodus that I love. Today however, I am going to just stick to chapter 3 and part of 4 the month of February I am going to dig in deep to Moses and seeing how he is my spirit animal AKA soul mate I can't wait to see how much more I find out about the man. For now let’s start the month off early and right with Chapter 3 and how I am at my root Moses in his early days.

The end of v. 4 “Here I am” really calls to me for numerous reasons. The first being I just love it. 

I love it. God calls “Moses, Moses” and he responses quickly and willingly with “Here I am” then in v. 11 turns right around in the same breathe and says “Who am I that I should go…” (in your name) I feel should have been added but we will get there.

Moses was curious enough to go closer to a burning bush that does not burn. Curious enough to seek it out. Desperate enough to want to be used by God and yet so scared of the calling finds any reason to be worthy enough to be the right one after hearing his purpose.  Here’s how I envisioned Moses internal thoughts Oh surely Lord you want someone else? After all who am I to go to Pharaoh and do that?
Why does that self-doubt come into play when like Moses we so want to be used by God? We are so quick to cry out, “Here I am!” Lord Here I AM!” Right here LOOK, I am here you called my name and like a faithful servant I have been sitting here the whole time listening and waiting for you to do just that!” But, wait now you actually want me to do this? Are you sure? Can’t we start with something a little smaller like going to feed the poor 3 out of 5 days? I mean what if I go the Israelites and say the God of your fathers sent me to free you and they say well bully for you prove it. And I'm all like how and they are all like well tell us what is his name? 

Then what Lord? I don’t want to be a fool. I don’t want people to laugh at me. I mean let’s be honest no one is going to believe this conversation and a burning bush. What then Lord? Lord are we sure we want to do this?

Let’s be honest people how many times have you had that conversation with God? It is for that reason alone that I love Moses. He’s my soul mate I mean God is right there in front of him, in a bush .. that is on fire... that won’t freaking burn and yet he is still pulling the ultimate game of what if. What if this Lord, well what if that Lord? Are you sure we want to do this Lord? Then to end it all God pulls out the freaking I AM card to shut him down but do you think that it works on Moses?

Homie still keeps playing the what if game to the nith degree. "Like Lord seriously this is not going to work. We are going to be made some laughing fools up in here. And to be honest, if I can Lord, by we I mean me. Cause in reality I am the one they are going to laugh right out of the town."

It is in this moment that I can almost picture the Lord as my mother smacking her forehead then slowly dragging that hand down over her eyes as she shakes her head sighing. But her patience is running thin.  However, God is more patience than my mother, thankfully, and He goes further with Moses then we would have and gives him a few tricks to boast his confidence. His rod turns into a snake and his hand becomes leprous then healthy when he puts it in his cloak.
I think cool beans; Moses is not however, impressed and continues down the naw this isn’t going to work for me train. But, Lord that’s all good and great thinks Moses "but your servant here well to be frank has never been what you would say eloquent yeah that’s the word I have never been eloquent with words. I am slow of speech and tongue."

Now see this is where had God been human he would have been like “Boy get your butt out this house and do what I told you! And don’t come back til those Israelites are with you, you hear! Don’t make me tell you again. I ain’t playing with you!”

Thankfully the Lord isn’t human and has far, far, far more patience with our excuses and Moses’ excuses then we do because he responded in such a way that reminded me of my grandmother. “Who do you think gave you your mouth?” Although to be fair I think the Lord meant it more in a helpful way while Grandma meant it more in a way of I will smack it. (Love you!) The Lord was saying he would give Moses the words to speak that “I will help you speak and will teach you what to say”. After reading that you would think that would fill him with peace. 

But no this is Moses we are talking about.  And keeping in mind with the theme we are going with here Moses didn’t want to do this. So he tried one last time. And he pulled out the big guns. “Pardon me” (I love this, the pardon me Lord, like if I bring manners to the table the Lord would say, “Oh look at the cute adorable manner filled child. He’s so sweet asking so polite you know what bless his heart since he said pardon and please I am going to give him a pass on this” not going to lie I have tried the please and thank you technique as well so I can’t hate on Moses too bad right now), “Pardon your servant Lord, Please send someone else.”

Oh snap. Moses had one purpose. On job in life, one calling and it was directly from God and he just asked God for a pass. Let that sink in.

How many times have we done the exact same thing?

When push comes to shove and God tells us our purpose, our calling, our mission, how many times have we called out please send someone else? How many times have we given every excuse: My back, my speech, my bank account, my schedule, my children, my spouse, my lack of the above? God has counter acted every single excuse with a better reason why you and only you need to do what he is asking until finally we just like Moses say,

Pardon your servant Lord Please Send Someone Else

Sozo

SOZO - saved, healed, delivered

Now that is one powerful word and a word that I would love to capture as best I can. Sozo is Greek and according to the Lexicon it means

1. to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction

1. one (from injury or peril)

1. to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health

1. to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue

1. to save in the technical biblical sense

1. negatively 1b

1. to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment 1b

1. to save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance

How beautiful is that one word. Sozo to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction... to make well, heal, restore to health...


Yep folks this just might be the name of my private practice what are your thoughts

Sozo heal and restore 

Rise and go - where did you get that title from?

Rise and go, your faith has made you well - Luke 17:19

Faith what a small word that carries such burdens, hopes, desires and fears. Faith the hardest thing to do, to accomplish, to hold, to have, and at times to feel. And yet we are told the faith of a mustard seed can cause mountains to move (Matthew 17:20). If you have ever seen a mustard seed it isn't as big as your are thinking. Yet we are told that if we have the faith of a mustard seed a mountain can move...

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Now granted I am not the person who encourages people to take one scripture out of context and apply it to your life... normally. That being said I am also a counselor, a seeker of truth, a wander, and a faith repairer. I am one of those people who Jesus was talking about at the beginning of Matthew 17:20

"He replied, “Because you have so little faith." 

I am one that struggles with a word so little that it nearly causes me to break down in a panic attack when I am called to have it. Yet somehow through all of the sheer panic I manage to find it. I manage to always take that first step even when I can't see the whole stair case. Even when I am shaking, crying, and begging to not have to. Somehow, somewhere down deep I manage to find just enough faith (mustard seed) to take that first step.

My goal with this blog is to help others find that first step and teach them to take it even without seeing the staircase. So that they can turn to a mountain and say, "move from here to there" and it does. So that through their faith they can "Rise and Go for your FAITH has made you well".

After all isn't that the goal of everyone to be made well enough to rise and go out into the world proclaiming the wonderful news that God has healed them through faith?!