A Testimony Of Evidence

Read: Exodus 3:1–4:17

What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, “The LORD never appeared to you”? Exodus 4:1

IN WORD

This isn’t a question that only prophets ask. Every believer wonders what will happen when his or her faith shows up in the real world. We struggle with putting our faith on the line because we aren’t sure how to respond when it is confronted with opposition. Worse yet, we’re afraid we might undermine our own witness by our faults and mistakes.

Moses certainly struggled with such issues, but God called him anyway. God didn’t say, “Oh, you’re right, I forgot that you might not be a charismatic leader with an innate power of influence.” He simply promised to back Moses up. He promised that when His will was on the line, there would be evidence to prove it.

God may not back us up with exactly the same kind of evidence He gave Moses. Few of us can count on even finding a shepherd’s staff, much less making it turn into a snake to impress the skeptics. Even so, don’t underestimate the power of God to prove Himself in your witness for Him. Anyone who is called by Him, filled with His Spirit, obedient to His will, and open about the truth of the Kingdom will find God in the midst of his or her life. He may show up in visible and obvious signs, or He may show up in more subtle moves of His Spirit. But He will be there. He doesn’t leave His prophets—or any of His people—dangling without a net to catch them.

IN DEED

Have you ever asked God this “what if” question? Many of us have. What if people hear our testimony and tell us it’s just what we learned as children, or a psychological crutch, or give us some other skeptical rebuttal? That may happen, but God never called us to let the reaction of others guide our relationship with Him. He promised that signs, wonders, and changed lives would surround His people, and everyone will have to choose whether to see the evidence or not. We can live our lives with confidence that God will always back us up.

ADDITIONAL READING: Acts 5:12-16

Miracles are the great bell of the universe, which draws men to God’s sermons.

JOHN FOSTER