«I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say» (Exodus 4:12, NLT).
In 2016, after having given a seminar at a youth congress, a young man asked me to sign a copy of my book Visit My Profile. As I was signing it, he took the opportunity to ask me a remarkable question: «Pastor, I’ve just finished reading your book and I wonder, do you put everything you’ve written into practice?» After thinking for a few seconds, I replied, «No, sadly, I don’t always put everything I write into practice. Instead, I write to motivate myself to live up to the truths I share with my readers.»
Perhaps my answer unsettled the young man somewhat, as he probably expected to hear from my lips that there is definitely a non-negotiable harmony between my life and my writings. However, I didn’t want to give in to my innate hypocrisy, and decided to reply by telling him what I am: a human being full of infinite and irritating imperfections. In his Second Letter to the Corinthians, Paul declares that «we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord» (2 Corinthians 4:5), and then he added that we are like «jars of clay» (verse 7, NIV). Unlike a bronze or silver vessel, clay is weak, breaks easily, and is disposable; but the surprising thing is that the Lord decided to place His «treasure» in us, «jars of clay,» «that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us» (2 Corinthians 4:7). And what is that treasure? The gospel of salvation!
The power does not lie in us, but in God, who has given us the extraordinary privilege of sharing His Word. If our work contributes toward someone’s instruction, it’s not because we are strong and worthy, but because God, by His grace, has decided to use us in spite of our unworthiness. Greatness does not lie in the messengers, but in the message of a gospel that «is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes» (Romans 1:16).
Like Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, or Paul, any of us might feel we cannot live up to the solemn calling we have received from Christ, that our lives portray tremendous weakness. If that is your experience, here is the divine promise you need to understand: «I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say» (Exodus 4:12, NIV).
It is very reassuring to know that the power is in God, who has given us the message, rather than in us, who have been tasked with spreading it to a dark world.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Angelica Cuate
