True Humility －Moses's Calling

It's easy to be proud or to be diffident. These two qualities inextricably co-exist within a person. Those who appear to be boastful are, in fact, self-distrustful but they pretend to be strong so as to disguise their inability. Even as a potent spiritual leader, Moses also took himself too seriously. 

Before Moses was appointed by God, he was the prince of Egypt, young with strong physical power and sincerity in solving the dispute between a Hebrew and an Egyptian. He helped his Hebrew brother by killing the dishonest Egyptian. Although this young Moses has sincerity, passion and fitness, this was not the Moses God has chosen. Waited until Moses became weary in devastation and was settled with a simple life shepherding in Midia, God reignited Moses's faith and summoned him for a difficult task. However, the first thing God did was not to train Moses's physicality, but to adjust his focus, shaping how he looked at himself before letting him do his job.  

When Moses encountered the angel of God in the flame of fire, God declared who HE is upfront, "I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." (Exodus 3:6) After God told him HIS plan, Moses's response revealed that he put all the focus on himself. He replied "Who am I to go to Pharaoh and take the children of Israel out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11) Moses considered bringing Israeli out of Egypt as his own duty, in which it relies on his own power. No matter how Moses felt at that moment, flattered, scared or he just wanted to escaped from the calling,  or he wanted to be assured by God and hear more compliments, his replied "Who am I..." reflected true human nature. "Who am I" to achieve this difficult task? Can "I" finish it? "I" don't want to fail. "I" am the reason for the success or the failure. "I" am the key to everything. 

The funny thing is God has not answered Moses's question about who he was. God readjusted Moses's focus, as HE said "Truly, I will be with you." (Exodus 3:12) It seems as if God was telling Moses to look clearly, to listen carefully. It is not "Who I am" but it is "Who God is." Learning from the new angle, Moses has changed his focus but obviously, he didn't know much about God. That's why he asked how he should reply to the Israeli when they asked Who God is? "What is his name? What am I to say to them?" (Exodus 3:13) God, once again, proclaimed "I AM WHAT I AM ... I AM has sent me to you." (Exodus 3:14) It's not you Moses. Listen, it's all about ME, God, the Lord, Jehovah. This whole salvation plan was designed by God and Moses was just a participant, an invited partner, so it did not depend on Moses's power nor his confidence. It all depended on how well Moses know about God and how faithful he was to rely on God. With true understanding, Moses would be willing to let God do wonder through him and God had promised Moses "to be with him." Moses had already got what he needed, God's company, which is the most powerful source a man could ever have. 

Why would we feel disappointed by ourselves? Why would we think more of ourselves or think less of ourselves? It is because we focus too much on "the self." Do remember one important lesson we can learn from Moses: we should not rely on our own strength or confidence to finish what God wanted us to do; instead, we should let go and let God work his incredible wonder on us. We are HIS tools. At the beginning of the year, I hope that we can all learn more about God every day. Adjust our focus. Think about ourselves less and experience "God is with us" each and every day.  It is not "Who I am", but "Who God is" as always.  

Caleb – the one wholly followed the Lord

When I thought of the name Caleb, I could only remember him as a spy sent together with Joshua, young and strong, to probe the land of Canaan.  The two of them were the only two who reported good news and had determination in conquering the Canaanites after spying out the land of milk and honey.

Is that all about Caleb?

After reading Joshua Chapter 14, I learned one description of Caleb – the one wholly followed the Lord.  This description appeared three times within ten verses. (verses 6-15)

Out of twelve spies, Caleb dared to stand out against the majority even though what he had seen were exactly the same as other people. What actually did they see? All the spies saw “the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large” (Number 13:28).

The ten spies drew a conclusion that “the land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours, its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height… we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them” (Number 13:32-33).

But why Caleb could come to a different conclusion? Is it because he is stronger than other people and he likes to fight? No. The Bible tells us a different story. The conclusion Caleb made was “in [his] heart” as he “wholly followed the Lord [his] God.” He just spoke as what his heart told him which reveals his strong faith and connection with God.  He noticed the gigantic size of the enemies, but more importantly, he saw the great miracles that God had done in saving the Israelite in different occasions.

In Joshua, Chapter 14, Caleb was now eighty-five years old and he requested Joshua for his inheritance, declaring that “Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said” (Joshua 14:12).  After forty-five years of waiting, Caleb’s faith in God has not diminished a bit but it has kept growing despite all the changes in his tribe.  Driven by his faith, not only did Caleb wait for the glorious day to come, he also trained himself so hard to stop his physical deterioration for preparing the war he had declared forty-five years ago. He said "I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength then, for war and for going and coming” (Joshua 14:11).

How long are we willing to wait for what God has granted us?  One year, two years, five years? When the future seems gloomy, it’s very difficult for us to keep our faith in God.  The waiting is already torturing, yet, Caleb didn't just stand still and wait. He equipped himself as he strongly believed that God would not forfeit his words. Today, we should learn from Caleb who had seen what other people saw but was willing to wait for the fulfillment of God’s words because he put God’s vision on top and wholly followed the Lord.