HH, Sir Godfrey Gregg D.Div
And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? Exodus 5:22
Before God can use us, He must bring us to an end of ourselves. When Paul was summoned to the greatest epistles and labours of his life, his strength was drained to utter weakness, and he despaired even of life. So in the case of Moses and Israel. It is also with us in this modern-day that in order for God to use us He has to get us out the way. He has to take out ourselves and drain us to the point that we have to totally be dependent on Him. Paul knew that very well when he was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Jews and the Christians. He was blinded by a bright light and you will recall that Jesus is the Light. You can follow the story from there. Immediately when the Light flashed on Saul now called Paul he recognized the Light and spoke to the Light by name. Hallelujah
Moses, for forty years, had been undergoing the emptying process; but perhaps when God called him to this great enterprise, there may have been a slight revival of confidence in himself, in his mission, his miracles, the eloquence of Aaron’s speech. So in the rebuff he received from Pharaoh, in the bitter remonstrances of the elders of his people, in the sad consciousness that his efforts had aggravated their condition, the lesson was still further taught him – that of himself he could do absolutely nothing.
Israel also had begun to hope something from his mission. Through the brickfields the story ran of his early years, his uncompromising speech to Pharaoh, of his miracles; and the wretched slaves cherished faith in him and Aaron as their heaven-sent deliverers. They had, however, to learn that all such hopes were vain, and to see that the brothers, at the best, were as weak as themselves. Then the way was prepared to lean only on God.
Ourselves. – By repeated failures all along our life-course God is teaching us the same lesson. We fail to justify and then to sanctify ourselves. Our efforts to serve and please Him only end in increasing perplexity. The tale of bricks is doubled; the burdens augment; the strength of our purpose is broken; we are utterly discouraged; and then, when the soul is utterly desolate, the heavenly Bridegroom draws near and says, “I will do all; I am Alpha and Omega; I am thy salvation.”
What I want to tell you this day is that we are nothing without Christ in our vessels. That is the only way we can smile at the storms. Are you in a stormy situation this day? Here is your opportunity to be relieved of such a situation. Search your ship for in it someone is there to help you, but first, you have to empty yourself of you and then He will be able to lead and guide you into the paths of righteousness. God bless us.
