Impediments Do Not Stop the People of God: A look at Moses, Paul, & Each of Us

Impediments Do Not Stop the People of God: A look at Moses, Paul, & Each of Us.                                                              By Kelly Durant

Exodus 4:10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

2. Some people think they are perfect, they are not! Our tendency as fallen creatures is to want to trick ourselves into thinking we can make our world appear perfect and then with pride, be better than others. In one of the books of C.S. Lewis (I recommend you read his books) who was a converted atheist, he mentions a lady which brings out a good point about so called perfect people.

This woman was wealthy, and her clothes were always perfect, her hair as fancy, and she even had a poodle that was groomed to appear as perfect as she was. She was known in the high circles, and she would always take her poodle with her. She always thought she was better than everyone because she had accomplished so much more than others. She was high society; you know them!

But there was a defect! Not noticed by her was the fact that few people wanted to be near her because her poodle would fart often. So, the people, not knowing it was the poodle would have an unpleasant experience while in her company. This proves the point that nothing is ever as we think it is and something unpleasant exists with everyone! What do others see as unpleasant about you?

3. Why do I bring this up? Because all of us, being creatures with pride, want to believe we are better than others. We want to think God favors us more, that we are more blessed, and we tend to want to show it off. We being God’s children must be better than those other sinners on the other side of town, right?   

When it comes to pride, God has his ways of bringing people down to size. For example, Paul, who was a man who in the two most important circles in his day, was the cream of the crop. He was a Roman, and this gave him power as the police have today, and he was a Jew, which gave him spiritual authority over those in the land of Israel in his day.

Not only did he have power, but he also prided in the fact that he was perfect in all regards concerning the law. He spoke Greek, apart from Hebrew, Latin, and Aramaic, and he probably was well built and strong, and for sure he had more money and privilege…so much more than the commoners. He was so perfect he decided that he needed to rid the empire of imperfection, so he targeted the Christians, who neither worshipped as a Roman or a Jew, but rather they worshipped a simple crucified carpenter that they claimed was the Son of God because He had resurrected unto glory. He reasoned that these stupid ones needed to die being disloyal and blasphemous (in his prideful thoughts)!

4. How did his plans go? Always remember, there are your plans, and then there is God’s plans! He was blinded on his way to persecute the Christians and later we discover that ever since then he had a defect in his body that he asked God to heal three times and God did not heal it, so he just had to live with it. Most people suspect it was poor eyesight, as after all scales fell off his eyes after seeing the brightness of Jesus.

So, after Paul saw Jesus, after he had his Road-to-Damascus experience and took a radical change of heart towards God and his people, notice how he got healed after being blind from that light. Acts 9:18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. 

2 Cor. 12:8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

5. Here is the problem, Christians often think that the people of the world are more prosperous, more happy, and have to live with fewer defects than what one does, so why be a Christian? In the hoods of big cities, the perception is everyone around me are poor even when going to church, but the bad guy who sells drugs, or pimps his girls always has big money and lives the life, so why should I be good if I’ll never get rich and have the good life? Here is a Psalm to answer that.

Psalm 37 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land,  and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.

We must recall that prosperity for those who practice evil is short lived and soon they end up shamed, in jail, diseased, or dead! And then they pay in hell! It is better to be humble(ed) like Paul. Be thankful for your weaknesses! 

6. One more thing about the rich and famous, and perfect (never is really) in our era of information we are aware of all of what evil goes on inside of these families. When I was young the Kennedys were idolized, everyone wanted to be perfect and rich like them, but look at their fruits, many of them died young, on drugs consumed by their lavish extravagant lifestyle.  Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

So, you and I may conclude, I get it now, certain evils and punishments befall certain families due to their own sins. They reap what they have sewn. And consider, as in the case of Paul, God intervened and slowed him down for His purposes because he was on the road to do evil. God allows accidents, falls, and humiliations. But what about people who are born with problems? 

What about people that have defects that God seemed to have allowed even though they are chosen by Him for a mission? Does this seem unfair? Our verse of today, Ex 4:10, exposes that Moses was slow of speech, and some interpretations imply he stuttered, and could not speak well. There are several lessons here.

7. For one, God allows many things in our lives because it causes us to depend on Him. In the case of Moses, he had been a spoiled prince, and he had anger issues, so if he was perfect, he probably would not have sought for God’s guidance near as much. He argued with God about it and let’s read on for the answer.   

Exo 4:11 So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.” 13 But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do.

So despite his impediment, God made a way for him to continue his mission! I have known many people who when they have a problem they just give up. But with God that is not an option! I have known people in wheelchairs that have passed out gospel tracts, and even my own son that is deaf communicates the gospel of Jesus to others through messages on media outlets. 

8. So when you are God’s child, you will have problems of some kind, and problems in the family (Have you studied about Joseph and what his brothers did to him one day?), and you may even have a physical impediment, or something that seems quite unfair that you have since you are doing God’s good work. But in the end God knows what He is doing in your life! 

Here is the challenge, you and I must spend time on our knees to get over it! Sometimes we can obsess about our own selves, over our own comfort, and we forget the bigger picture of God’s work and what He is doing. We need to remember that apart from the challenges God allows in our lives, Satan as well will always be behind us, harassing us, trying to get us to fall and curse God. 

Again, for example Paul, who after 3 prayers did not get healing, experienced these traumatizing experiences three times but he did not quit nor even think of giving up in His service for God! 2 Cor. 11: 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

9. So how is it going to be with you? Forget having the idea of trying to live in a perfect world, that will only happen in heaven! God’s word makes it clear there are no excuses for not remaining faithful to Him and serving him, no excuses because you are poor, no excuses because you are high class, (as Paul and Moses were), and no excuses even if you have a physical impendent.

I know some people have even questioned our lives. How is it you were serving God and God allowed you to have a deaf son? God showed me in prayer that I had the capacity to learn his language so I could teach Him and he could lead other deaf people to Jesus, and Paul has done that many times over! And I lost count how many times people shared this verse with me, John 9:3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I got chosen by God maybe because God knew my wife and I were strong enough to manage it. Most families with kids with some problem divorce and then the child suffers greatly! That kind of suffering provoked on an innocent one is a heavy sin, and it is man provoked, not God allowed, and I always am upset at irresponsible, unloving, and worthless parents.

10. In conclusion, the people of God have always had to endure big challenges! But notice that the people of the world suffer worse without any consolation from God or Christian friends as they take drugs and live lavishly in order to cope with their fear over a loss of fortune or fame. I would rather suffer having God close, than to keep God at a distance as they do thinking that if they do He will leave them in peace! It does not work like that! There is no peace for the wicked! But Jesus said that He leaves us peace! I have tried it and it is real!

Our calling is to endure trials and come out glorious even within the broken circumstances that God allows in our lives! And when it comes to problems regarding Satan’s persecutions, you and I just put on the armor of God and fight back, knowing that he is a loser and destroyer! We may get shaken, but we come out victorious against him! John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

You and I do not choose our problems, nor do we choose our parents, our race, or our body which usually has some defective problem (most everyone’s!), but you and I can choose whether we will allow God to help us to overcome our weaknesses or not. Jesus lives in heaven where there is perfection, holiness, and pure love, and He has promised us a home there too for our faithfulness, but in the meantime keep on enduring in the fight against all of these physical and spiritual battles. Earth is a school and is not our home, the Kingdom of God will be our eternal home, thank God and Jesus for that! There we will be perfect, with God’s redemption! Amen!