Finding Adequacy in God’s Presence – EGP Blog post from September 1, 2024

Have you ever felt that the challenges before you are too great for your limited abilities? In our journey of faith, we often feel unqualified, inadequate, and overwhelmed by the magnitude of what lies ahead. Our tendency is to focus on our weaknesses and limitations, wondering if we are truly capable of stepping through the cloud of uncertainty and into our calling.

By reflecting on the time when God tasked Moses with leading the Israelites out of Egypt in Exodus 3, we discover that our true significance is found not within our own abilities, but through the presence of God within us.

Our inadequacy made apparent

While Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush is arguably one of the most famous passages of the Bible, the practical application of this scripture is often overshadowed by the awe and wonder of the situation.

Exodus 3:3–4, 7, 9–12 (WEBP)

^[3] Moses said, “I will go now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”

^[4] When Yahweh saw that he came over to see, God called to him out of the middle of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!”

He said, “Here I am.” …

^[7] Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. … ^[9] Now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. ^[10] Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

^[11] Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

^[12] He said, “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Is the key takeaway here that God will one day physically show up in a burning bush and audibly tell us that He wants to rescue our nation through us? Probably not. Will God call us to do something that we aren’t currently equipped to do, so that we must desperately depend on Him guiding us every step of the way? Definitely!

God will always equip you to fulfill whatever He calls you to do.

Bill Johnson, Senior Leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California, reminds us that our qualifications mean little when compared to the reality of God’s presence in our lives:

After God gave Moses a most impossible assignment, Moses asked God the question, “Who am I?” … Moses knew he lacked all the necessary qualifications … but God, knowing Moses intimately, was neither troubled nor impressed with who Moses was or wasn’t. It was a non-essential. “Certainly I will be with you” was God’s reply. … The deciding factor on Moses’ qualifications went beyond even his willingness to obey. It came down to one thing—who would go with Him.

Just as Moses questioned his adequacy, we too often face tasks that seem beyond our capacity. But just as God assured Moses that He would guide him, He assures us today that—when we tune our hearts to His voice and follow His leading—He will empower us too. In other words, God will always equip you to fulfill whatever He calls you to.

God is more than adequate

When Moses felt unqualified, it wasn’t because he lacked the skills or experience. It was because he misunderstood the nature of God’s calling.

2 Corinthians 12:8–11 (WEBP)

^[8] Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. ^[9] He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.

^[10] Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, and in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. ^[11] I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for I am in no way inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing.

God doesn’t call us based on our qualifications; He calls us based on His sovereign purpose and the presence of His Holy Spirit within us. It’s not merely that God makes us strong; it’s that our unity with Him transforms our weakness into His strength.

Blessed to be a blessing

The point here is that God doesn’t need us. He doesn’t need anything! However, God does want us to participate in what He’s doing and blesses us for doing so. It’s not about striving to be enough or to earn God’s favor; it’s about surrendering to Him and allowing His Spirit to lead us. By that same token, whenever God asks us to participate, He does so knowing that His presence will be the determining factor in our success.

God doesn’t just empower us for our sake,
but so that we can impact the lives of others around us.

As we recognize that God’s presence is what truly qualifies us, it’s important to remember that His calling often extends beyond our own personal growth. God doesn’t just empower us for our sake, but so that we can impact the lives of others around us. Bill Johnson captures this beautifully when he writes:

God often chooses people knowing that they are the key to touching other people’s lives. [You were] chosen first because of God’s love for you. But make no mistake. You are uniquely positioned in this world because of the cry of other people. His favor is upon you so you can be a part of His plan of distributing that same favor to others.

Embracing our God-given identity

How can you invite God’s presence into the areas where you feel most inadequate? Take a moment to step away from all of the noise of this world and pray, asking God to reveal His strength in your weakness.

Our significance lies not in what we can achieve on our own,
but in being the people God is delighted to be near.

As we surrender to God in worship and allow Him to lead us, remember that the same God who empowered Moses and Paul is with you. Your adequacy is found not in your abilities, but in the God who is always with you. Remember that our significance lies not in what we can achieve on our own, but in being the people God is delighted to be near.

So, when we, like Moses, feel overwhelmed and unworthy by the tasks before us, we can find comfort in the knowledge that God’s guiding Spirit within us is what qualifies us. Also, let us pursue His presence above all else, knowing that in Him, we are more than enough. And let us walk confidently in our God-given purpose, trusting that wherever He leads, He is with us, and that is all we need.