Yesterday we read about a farmer and his visitor. This visitor told this farmer to go and do mighty work for his people. The Visitor also told the farmer He’d wait for him to go do that act of bravery he’s instructed to do. He’ll wait until the farmer comes to the realization of how much the Visitor sees in him.
While this farmer, Gideon, was talking with the Visitor, God, he asked, “Why haven’t you recently given our people miraculous things like you did to our forefathers like Moses who delivered the people from slavery in Egypt?”
In Tim Keller’s words, the Visitor replied,
“Am I not sending you? You are the salvation I am sending. You are the great deed-doer I am sending. You are my Moses for this generation.”
I recently read this other quote by Robert Benson with the same urgency as the previous one I just quoted from Tim Keller.
“Rabbi Zusya, one of the great wisdom teachers of the Hebrew tradition, once said, ‘In the world to come I shall not be asked: Why were you not Moses? I shall be asked: Why were you not Zusya?”
The will of the One who sent us is that we be the ones who were sent.
What we do is meant to be lived out of the context of discovering and becoming the person we are, who God created us to be.
After I read those words spoken by Rabbi Zusya I thought, “So God won’t ask me, ‘Why weren’t you Moses? Why weren’t you Esther? Why weren’t you Mother Theresa? Why weren’t you Beth Moore or Jennie Allen?'”
God can ask me though, “Why were you not Beth Hildebrand? The only Beth Hildebrand I created you to be.”
{He asks you, “Why were you not your name? The only your name I created you to be?”}
I see myself being Gideon, just going around doing my own day- to- day responsibilities (and hiding while at it like Gideon) and God just shows up. He waits for me to sit with him and have a conversation – a heart to heart – but I often choose to check social media instead. He waits for me to go and invite a friend who doesn’t have a relationship with God to go out to lunch, but I always invite a friend from church instead. He waits for me to volunteer some of my time and heart into the community, but I’m just too busy. He waits to hear me say out loud, “Yes, I’ll do anything for You!” but those aren’t necessarily easy words to say because I’m nervous of what He’ll tell me to do.
Who did You create me to be in this world, God – this country – that’s ignoring, rebuking and denouncing You? Don’t you want all of us to be the Moses’ or the Gideons of this generation where we step out of our comfort zone of “plain and ordinary” lives and be willing to fight battles to help bring deliverance to those who desperately need Jesus but don’t know it or won’t believe it?
We’re given the promise that God is still patiently waiting for us – we who’ve been known to strive for human approval more than God’s approval.
I’m still bound and determined to discover more of who I am, who I am becoming, who I was created to be, and that I’m more willing to be me.
I don’t want to hear Jesus ask me when we finally look each other in the eyes, “Why weren’t you Beth Hildebrand?”. I want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)
Are you willing to be the Moses or Gideon or Esther of this generation? Have you already discovered who you are and are making a kingdom impact? Are you still discovering who you are, who you’re becoming, and who you’ve been created to be? I’d love to hear your thoughts, welcoming comments.
See more Wait and See posts here
