The other day I was reading the story of Moses, specifically when God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. These people were enslaved for over 400 years. They longed for a better life. 

God heard their cries for freedom and chose Moses as the one who would set them free. God relayed His plan, telling Moses exactly what to do. It was a mammoth calling. 

I can just picture Moses looking around to see if perhaps God might be talking to someone else and responding with:

“Umm, Lord…you talkin’ to me?”

While those were not his words, his responses do align with this “you got the wrong guy” attitude as he basically tells God that He’s made a mistake. 

Let’s look at how this went down. You can read the full story in Exodus 3 – 4:14)

God: “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:10 NKJV)

Moses:  “But who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

God: “I will certainly be with you.” (Exodus 3:12)

Moses: “But when they ask me who sent me, what do I say?”

God: “And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” (Exodus 3:14)

Moses: “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ” (Exodus 4:1)

God: “What is that in your hand?” (God then proceeds to do miracles with this rod showing Moses the signs and wonders he’d be able to do to convince the pharaoh to let the people go.)

Moses: (But) “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

God: “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.” (Exodus 4:11)

Moses: “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”

God: “So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well.””

How many “but’s” do you see? Poor Moses. He tried so hard to convince God that He had the wrong guy. 

The first excuse centered on his identity – he wasn’t worthy of fulfilling the call. The second excuse he gave was about his leadership – he didn’t have the authority and no one would listen to him. Next, he didn’t have the skills or tools to do what God called him to do.

For every excuse – every “but” Moses had, God had a solution. In short, there was pretty much no way Moses was getting out of this. And we all know the end of the story – Red Sea splits, Israelites leave Egypt.

Here’s what I want you to see:

The gifts and callings of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29) This means that God does not change His mind about them. So, there’s no need to fret that you may “miss your calling” because it’s not going anywhere. 

God called Moses to be a deliverer of the Israelites. He gave him the gifts and talents he would need. Moses learned skills and gained experiences while being raised in Pharaoh’s house.

What should this tell you about your calling?

1.    God has given you innate gifts and talents. You were born with them.
2.    God will provide a way for you to develop them via school, training, jobs, etc.
3.    God will open doors of opportunity for you to step into your calling.
4.    God will put people in your life to help you.
5.    God will be with you every step of the way. 

Here’s the scoop: When all is said and done…you can’t out “but” God.