You Shall Serve As God For Him

AM Psalm 31 • PM Psalm 35
Exod. 4:10-20 (21-26) 27-31 • 1 Cor. 14:1-19 • Mark 9:30-41

Full confession: I was late writing this Morning Reflection because a pandemic hit and within a few days, life for all of us has become quite strange and different. Frankly, I wasn't quite sure what to say.

Another confession: I love Exodus. Like, more than one should.

This is partly because of the 90s animated classic “The Prince of Egypt” (Val Kilmer voices Moses and God, legendary!). But my love for Exodus is also because I deeply relate to the humanity of Moses. He is full of self-doubt, anxiety, and nerves about what is being asked of him. And God gives him the permission to grab a friend (Aaron his brother) and rely on that kindred spirit during what is about to be an epic journey.

We don’t know if Moses had an actual physical impairment that slowed his speech, or simply struggled to give words to what was inside of him. But we do know God didn’t really care. This speech issue is a small hurdle because it turns out it’s going to take the two of them to get this job done. “He indeed shall speak for you to the people; he shall serve as a mouth for you, and you shall serve as God for him” (Ex. 4:16).

And you shall serve as God for him.

Right now, in these unsettling times, I imagine a lot of us feel like we don’t know how to act or what to say. And it turns out, God doesn’t care. We’re equipped with friends for the journey and He will be with us when we are called to lead in new ways.

Final confession: I may not always have the right words, but I still believe deeply in our ability to be God-like to one another. Even if we can't shake hands for a while.

Written by Emma Mitchell

In addition to serving the youth and families of St. Paul’s, Emma is a part of the Education for Ministry class, loves a good thrift store outing, and spends most her free time with her small menagerie of animals.