¹⁰ So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” ¹¹ But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” ¹² And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” ¹³ Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” ¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:10-14

The text from Exodus is one of my favorites, because it highlights the many arguments that people raise when G-d calls them to witness.  The first of the five arguments is, “Who am I”, that G-d would call me?” But G-d answers “I will be with you.”, you are my choice. And Moses says, what shall I tell them if they ask me.…“What is his (your) name?”, and G-d answers, “I AM WHO I AM.” Moses says, “But suppose they do not believe me?”, and G-d gives Moses signs to show the people. And Moses says, “I have never been eloquent…I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” But G-d says “I will be your mouth and teach you…” Moses finally says, “Please send someone else.” And the Lord, angry with Moses, sends him off with Aaron to lead the people out of Egypt.

We may be good at giving G-d arguments and reasons why we should not be called to serve, and G-d will tell us, like he told Moses, “I will be with You.” And, like G-d was not giving up with Moses, G-d will not relent with us. G-d will continue to call us in various ways, to various ventures, some we just cannot imagine G-d would call us to do, or to be, or to sacrifice. I just would not recommend arguing with G-d too much—G-d will win….

Pastor Dave