Moses: From Doubt to Destiny

What do you do when God calls you… and you feel completely unqualified? In this episode of Real People Real Talk, we explore the life of Moses, a man full of insecurity and doubt who was still chosen by God to lead a nation. From the burning bush to confronting Pharaoh, his story reveals that God’s calling isn’t based on your confidence, but His presence.

If you’ve ever questioned your worth or felt held back by your limitations, this episode will challenge you to step out in faith. Your weakness isn’t a disqualification rather it’s an opportunity for God to show His strength.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Welcome and thanks for tuning in to Real People Real Talk. Relevant conversations that take you from surviving to thriving. This is the podcast that goes there. My name is Paul Kalco, and I'm your host. Now let's talk. Well, hello, Thriver, and welcome to Real People Real Talk, the podcast ministry that equips you to thrive spiritually, relationally, and mentally. Thank you so much for tuning in today as we are going to explore and unpack the life of a man known as Moses, one of the greatest prophets and one of the most iconic leaders in history, not just biblical history, but in history. We're going to see his journey from a murderer and a slave to the liberator and leader of the Israelites. All right. And this story, this account is rich with relevant lessons for our lives. So let's go to God's word as we're going to see some lessons in leadership and faith. Exodus chapter 3, verses 9 through 12. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me. I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go? And Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? And God said, I will be with you. So first we want to talk about the call of Moses. God revealed himself to Moses through a burning bush, a bush that was on fire, but it wasn't consumed, a total miracle. But Moses, as we see in the scripture, was a reluctant leader at first. His story begins in the context of oppression. The Israelites were enslaved to the people of Egypt. And they began to cry out to the Lord for deliverance, and God heard their cry. So God chooses Moses, a man that had a complicated past that was marked by fear and doubt. And as the scripture, we see in the scripture, insecurity and inadequacy. Have you ever been there where you will ask God, why did he choose you? Why did he call you? Maybe you could be dealing with some imposter syndrome, if you will. Maybe you've been reluctant to answer God's call on your life because you've been feeling inadequate or insecure. Well, you're not alone in that department. When God calls Moses, Moses responds by questioning his own worthiness. He says, Who am I? And this question resonates deeply with many of us, if we're being honest. How often do we find ourselves doubting our capabilities when faced with a daunting task? Perhaps you step into a new role at work, or maybe you've been called to lead a ministry, or maybe you know, God has called you to step up and lead in other ways. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and underqualified. But hear me out. Whatever God has called you to, he has already placed the necessary tools and gifts on the inside of you. I remember a store back in the day, JC Penny's, and their tagline was like, it's all inside. In other words, just get to the store, it's all inside. And that's what God is saying to you. Whatever he has called you to, like the gifts, the talents, the qualifications, the skill, the anointing, it's all inside of you. Please remember 1 John 4, 4, where it says, You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. You have the greater one living on the inside of you, equipping you and preparing you to do all that he has called you to do. Amen. Consider this. What does it mean to be chosen by God for a specific purpose? It's not about our skills, it's not about our degree, it's not about our experience, but rather it's about our willingness to be obedient to God. God does not call the qualified, but he does qualify as the call. I feel like preaching. In other words, as you take the necessary steps of faith and obedience, God will equip you along the way. All right. You just got to walk by faith and God will work it all out. So God, in his loving and gracious way, he reassures Moses by saying, I will be with you. And the same thing that God spoke to Moses then, God is speaking to you right now. God that he is with you. All right. This promise is a powerful reminder that our success in leadership, our success in all areas of our lives, are dependent on God's presence and not our perfection. When God is with you, no devil in hell can stop you. Before I go any further, I must mention Moses' time in the wilderness. As he learned to be a shepherd and he learned how to navigate and survive the wilderness, which was definitely needed when he eventually led the people of Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness on the way to the promised land. I brought that piece of context and backstory up for this reason, because I want you not to despise or try to rush through seasons of preparation. God knows exactly what he's doing. God used all of that time in the wilderness to prepare and equip Moses for what was to come. Now let's move forward. So we see the call of Moses. Now let's talk about his struggle with identity. As Moses continues to grapple and, you know, just wrestle with his calling and this daunting task and this thing that God has called him to do, he raises another objection, his speaking abilities. In Exodus 4, 10, it says, Pardon your servant, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past, nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue. Here Moses is open, he's transparent, and he's just raw, and as he just lays out, lays bare his insecurities. He fears that he won't be able to communicate effectively and that he won't be taken seriously. But God responds by asking him this: Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight? Who makes them blind? Isn't that I, the Lord, as we see in Exodus 4.11? God was, in essence, saying, Moses, I know all about your weaknesses, and yet I still choose you. And that should be good news for you and I today. That regardless of our shortcomings, regardless of our weaknesses, regardless of our blind spot, God has still chosen us to do great things. We just have to courageously step out on faith and walk in obedience. Answer me this. How many times have you allowed your insecurities or even your past mistakes or your failures to dictate your actions? Whether it's a fear of public speaking or lack of experience or the worry of being judged and criticized, we often allow these doubts to hold us back from stepping into our God-given roles. But I'm here to encourage you today to say yes to God. I'm here to encourage you today to step out into boldness. Come on now. I want you to know and I want you to remember that God is in you, leading you to victory and causing you to triumph. We see this in scripture, 1 Corinthians 15, 57. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. God will lead you to victory if you follow Him. Amen. Now, homework time. I want you to briefly reflect on your own insecurities and write down one area where you feel inadequate and pray for God's strength to overcome it. Remember that God often uses our weaknesses to showcase his strength. Let me say that one more time. We must realize and recognize that God often will use our weaknesses to showcase his strength. In other words, sometimes God will put us in a situation so he can get the glory as he brings us out with victory and success. Scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 9 and 10, it's the NIV version, but he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for by my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. Once again, whatever God has called you to do, he has graced you to do it. In spite of your weaknesses, in spite of your insecurities, God is going to get the glory and you're going to get the victory. I like to say it like this that no matter what we're going through, God will make sure that everything works out for your good and it will work out for his glory. Amen. So we saw the call of Moses. We saw his struggle with identity. Now let's take a look at his courage to confront. So finally, Moses accepts his role and he confronts Pharaoh, the most powerful man in Egypt. And in Exodus 5:1, he boldly declares and says, This is what the Lord God of Israel says. Let my people go. This moment is pivotal. It's a declaration of faith that challenges the status quo. Imagine the tension as Moses stands before Pharaoh, not as an equal, but as a representative of the oppressed. His courage exemplifies the very essence of true leadership, the willingness to confront injustice head on. So what can we learn from this? We need to be bold, we need to be courageous as we fulfill the purpose of God on our lives. Not only did Moses exhibit courage, but he also exhibited faith and trust as he had to trust God in the unknown. As Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt, the path is anything but smooth. From the miraculous parting of the Red Sea to the daunting wilderness, Moses and the people of God encounter numerous challenges. In Exodus chapter 14, when fear grips the Israelites as they see the approaching Egyptian army, Moses speaks and declares words of assurance. He says, Do not be afraid, stand firm, and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. And what Moses declared to them, I now declare to you, no matter what season of life you find yourself in, no matter what the name of this chapter of your life is right now, no matter where you are, what you're going through, I want to speak this over you. Do not be afraid. Stand firm, and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. Listen, my friend, we all face moments of doubt and insecurity and uncertainty. We face moments where we allow our fear and our doubt to try to overwhelm us. Whether it's a health crisis or a financial issue or a job loss or a struggle in the family, we can look to Moses as an example of someone who trusted God's promises despite the chaos around him. There is so much more that can be said about Moses, his call, his leadership, his faith, how he miraculously received the Ten Commandments from God Himself while he was on the mountain. And from speaking to a rock and water came out to hitting a rock and water came out to God raining down manna from heaven and so many miracles that God did through the life of Moses. But I just want to give you a snapshot of the life of Moses on today. So I want to encourage you to read more about him and his story as it begins in the book of Exodus and it concludes in the book of Deuteronomy. Now, Moses' life is a powerful testament to the transformative nature of faith-filled leadership. As we reflect on Moses' journey, let's remember the following lessons. Number one, God equips the call. I want to encourage you today to embrace your calling. Even in the face of doubt, trust that God's presence will empower you to fulfill his purposes. I gotta say that again. That's good. Embrace your calling, and even in the face of doubt, even in the face of a mountain of problems, trust that God's presence will empower you to fulfill his purposes. Secondly, embrace your limitations. Acknowledge your weaknesses, acknowledge your shortcomings, acknowledge your insecurities, and allow God to work through your weaknesses. Remember that your limitations can be an opportunity for God to shine his strength in your life, for God to let people know what can be done through any vessel that will say yes to him. So yes, God equips the call. Yes, you should embrace your limitations, and thoroughly you should trust God in the uncertainty. Stand firm in your faith during challenging times. Let God promise, let his promises be your anger, guiding you through the storms of life. And fourthly, don't underestimate the impact that you can have when you say yes to God. Because Moses said yes to God, the people of Israel were delivered out of slavery. Because Moses said yes to God, the people of Israel were able to see his miraculous hand moving in their lives. As God literally rained down food, he rained down bread from heaven known as manna. God tangibly manifested his presence to the people of Israel as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to lead his people. Because Moses said yes to God, a new leader and a deliverance raised up in the person of Joshua, who eventually led God's people all the way to the promised land. That should encourage you to say yes to God, as your yes to God can greatly impact others. Well, amen and amen. Thank you so much for tuning in. As this month, we're celebrating our sixth-year podcast anniversary. Been doing the ministry for six years. And man, I just want to say to God be the glory. Thank you for coming on this journey with me. Be sure to share this episode with a few friends as we continue to grow and get this message out there. But until next time, go be all that God has called you to be.