Hearing His Voice #164

One day Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me.”

Exodus 33:12

There is a hint of accusation in Moses’ voice. He has been given an enormous responsibility without the full, visible means to do it. We might tell him simply to “trust God,” but even in trusting, Moses needed some practical help. He voiced his complaint to God, and it sounded reasonable: How could he do what God had called him to do if God had not given him the specifics, or His own presence? Why didn’t God’s equipping come along with His calling? Something was still lacking: Moses needed the assurance that God Himself would go with him to the Promised Land. Otherwise, the trip wouldn’t be worth the trouble.

God does not respond in anger or impatience. In the verses following today’s Scripture, He responds with assurances and a landmark revelation of His nature. He had earlier rebuked Israel for complaining, and He would have plenty of opportunity to do the same again in the future. But Moses’ lament wasn’t the problem in this case; it wasn’t a complaint. It was a plea for help.

God sometimes sets critical moments like this in our lives. He provokes the kind of tension that will compel us to come to Him with a complaint. When we do—not for the sake of complaining or questioning His goodness, but for the sake of securing His help—He is ready with an answer. Some of the most profound words He ever speaks to us come in the midst of a crisis. Our moments of need tend to open our ears, and He delights in the attention we give Him. Out of our lament, He speaks and deepens His presence in our lives.

Father, use any frustration in my life to draw me closer to You. Hear my words not as complaints but as pleas for more of You. In those moments of crisis, speak to me with Your presence.