Three
Keys to Usability
In biblical literature, there is
perhaps no man God used more than his servant Moses. He walked
fearlessly into Pharaoh’s presence to demand release of Israel from
bondage, orchestrated the ten plagues that decimated Egypt, led Israel
through the Red Sea on dry ground, delivered the Law of God from Mount
Sinai and managed the logistics of leading a few million Jews for forty
years in a wilderness.
There is no CEO in America that
EVER led his or her company to achieve similar results. And
yet for all his great accomplishments as a leader and a man,
the foundation for his Herculean achievements was laid during
his encounter with God at Mount Sinai and the burning bush.
If you read Exodus 3-4, you find God
gave Moses three commands, which he obeyed. God ordered him to (1) take
off his shoes—3:5, (2) throw down his staff—4:2-3, and (3) pick up the
snake his staff had become—4:4. These were the keys to his
usability.
God told Moses to take off his shoes
because he was standing on holy ground. The everyday desert dirt under
his feet had been sanctified by the Lord’s presence. The taking off of
his shoes signified a willingness to be a partaker of God’s holiness.
God told Moses to throw down the
staff (rod) that was in his hand. In doing so, Moses displayed a
willingness to deploy the most basic of his possessions in the service
of God, with the result the simple could become supernatural.
God then told Moses to pick up by the
tail the snake his staff had become. In doing so, Moses displayed a
willingness to allow faith to overcome his fears. Rather
basic, is it not? Take off your shoes, throw down the staff and pick up
the snake. His obedience to these three commands laid the foundation
for everything else that followed.
It’s no different for us. Our
usability may not involve delivering an entire nation of slaves from
the clutches a greater one. But God is more concerned with the SORT of
our accomplishments than he is the SIZE of them. At the Judgment Seat
of Christ, the main issue surrounding rewards will be the SORT of our
deeds rather than their SIZE.
What SORT of usefulness does God have
in mind for each of us? Before we erect the building, we must first
establish the foundation. The foundation is established by answering
“Yes!” to the following three questions: (1) Am I willing to be a
partaker of God’s holiness? (2) Am I willing to take whatever God
places in my hand and deploy it in his service? (3) Am I willing to
walk in obedient faith despite legitimate fears I might have?
The foundation for all the great
feats God accomplished through Moses was laid at the burning bush. They
determined his ultimate usability. They likewise will determine yours
and mine.
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