Mensa Otabil - Are You Feeling Inadequate? (10/31/2025)
Welcome to a new week. We start a new study from the book of Exodus. It’s a follow-up to an earlier study we began a few months ago about the call of Moses in Exodus chapter number three. We ended our previous study in verse 10, and we are picking it up from verse number 11.
So, Exodus 3: 11: «But 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? '» Moses had a very supernatural encounter with God. It’s one of those things that we think, if we had them, they would answer all our questions and embolden us, making us feel confident. However, after that encounter with the burning bush and God speaking to Moses, he still felt inadequate. So, he asked, «Who am I to go and do what you are asking me to do, Lord?»
The reason was that Moses fled from Egypt because of a failed attempt to address the oppression of the Hebrews. He tried to rescue an oppressed Hebrew, but the people fought back and resisted his leadership. This rejection by the people he thought he was about to help had lived with Moses for 40 years, and after 40 years, he still hadn’t gotten over his sense of failure and inferiority. Many times, we do things in the past that don’t go well, and they stay with us for a very long time, making us feel inadequate.
So, let’s consider the questions Moses asked the Lord. The first question was, «How can I stand before Pharaoh? Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?» Now, why did Moses ask, «How can I stand before Pharaoh?» Because Moses was a persona non-grata in Egypt; he was a wanted man. He had lived most of his life in the royal house of Egypt with the Pharaoh and his relatives, and he was considered a member of the royal house. However, he severely betrayed this royal house when he killed an Egyptian and tried to side with the oppressed. Now, he knew he was not wanted; he understood that they were against him. He knew the story had been repeated, and although it had been 40 years, the memory still lingered that Moses was the person who could not be trusted and needed to be eliminated upon contact.
Moses understood the power of Pharaoh and the royal house, so he said, «I don’t think I have what it takes to face this family. I know them; they are tough.» The second question he asked was, «How can I bring Israel out of Egypt?» Moses had been rejected by the Hebrews. Now he worried, «How can I go to the people who rejected me and expect that this time they would have a change of heart when they haven’t seen me for 40 years?» So, first, he was afraid of Egypt, and then he was also afraid of the Hebrews.
Have you ever felt unworthy when God seems to be pushing, nudging, or directing you toward a task? You just feel, «I blew it. I failed at it. I don’t have a good testimony; I don’t have a good story. How can I ever succeed at something that I failed at?» Well, you are in good company with Moses. He started out as a failure, but God was with him and helped him because God’s purposes for us never change, and He is relentless in pursuing us to fulfill the things He wants us to do. When God has His eyes on you, He doesn’t blink; He will keep His eyes on you and pursue you until He gets you to do what He wants you to do.
So, past failure is not a disqualifier for God’s purposes. Let’s pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, I feel inadequate to do all the things that you want me to do. Fortify me by your Spirit for the mission. In Jesus' name, Amen and amen.