Keep Talking To God

But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well..."
Ex 4:13-14

Time and time again I read Moses' conversations with God, and I wonder: Why is this man the most humble being ever (Num 12:3)? If he knows he is talking to The Almighty, why isn't he afraid to object? And if God is angry, why does He keep negotiating with Moses?!
Allow me to show you how the conversation between God and the most humble man sounds to me. Exodus, chapter 3:


Stop.
Take your shoes off.
- OK, burning bush.. (Ex 3:5)
Hello, I am God.
 - (Moses hides his face in fear of God. - v.6)
Tell my children to come home for a family reunion, they have been working long enough. 
- Who am I to talk to your kids about a party... (v.11)
I'll be with you, just tell them to come over. 
- But - who are you? (v.13)
I said I was God. Now here's what you tell them-... 
- They won't believe me! (Ex 4:1)
Fine, you'll be Harry Potter. Turn your staff into snake or water into blood or something. I can also give you temporary leprosy, how's that? If they don't-... 
- (Panics, probably over leprosy) Oh, but I'm such a bad diplomat! Remember how I solved the last injustice? I'm lousy, really lame. (v.10) 
Hey, I made you a prince there! You do know that I could also make you blind or deaff, right? So now go and-... 
- I'm sorry but I can't do it. Just send someone else!

'Just send someone else'?! How exactly is that humble? In fact, he reminds me of me! 
Now, true, God has never sent me to deliver a nation from slavery, but the concept of avoiding responsibility seems the same (as mine).

Re-reading the account of the conversation hasn't helped in the last 13 years since I've been reading the Bible. So I decided for a different approach to finding answers. I could wait to meet Moses in Eternity and ask him personally... or I could ask the other one involved, one who is very much alive and present right now, where I am.
I asked my questions directly to God.
The more I prayed about it the more lessons came to life before my eyes. Right now I want to share with you what I found out on the subject above.

First of all, what Moses did RIGHT, was to stop in respectable distance; he acknowledged the sanctity of the ground he was standing on, by taking off his shoes, as he was told to do, and, he covered his face as to not offend the living God by looking at Him.
What I do in my prayers often is to take God's presence for granted, I call him Father when I need help, but ignore Him when He wants me to make an effort to have dinner with Him.

The second thing was Moses's honesty. When God gave him the task beyond his skills, he stayed in the conversation, threw out all of his doubts and fears. The last one, 'just send someone else', probably deals with some deeper issues of self esteem or similar. Now, this made God angry, because Moses was focusing on himself instead of God, but God kept negotiating with Moses, because Moses kept talking to Him.
My response is usually to dismiss the idea, because God obviously couldn't be talking to me about it, and run away. 

Third, finally, we've all read the book and we know that Moses obeyed. He went to Egypt, waved his wand in front of the Pharaoh and his evil Slytherin wizards, and got the Israelites out.
Who knows how many things I haven't done, but could have with God's help?

After all, God knows exactly what weaknesses He gave us. When he gives us a calling beyond our abilities, He's counting on getting involved!!

Silvija, sometimes you need to stop in your daily frenzy to talk to The Almighty. Now, you never know what you will hear, so take your shoes off. That way, if you're tempted to run away, the time you'll need to put them back on will give you a chance to reconsider and hear God. Trust me, it's better to keep talking to Him, He knows anyway what your doubts are, but by talking He can help you. And for the love of life, do what He says. His plans are always AMAZING!
This is how I now imagine the response of the man who in respect to God covered his face, and ended up talking to Him face to face.

• Does the thought of following God's call fill you with peace or anxiety (or other)?
• What does it mean to you to keep a respectful distance?
• What is your vision of life - one of God protecting you or one where you work together with Him? 

Silvija, Düsseldorf