Calling: Sidesteps or Staffs

Devotional

Day 1: The Shepherd’s Staff: When Brokenness Becomes Your Weapon

Moses held a simple shepherd’s staff—a symbol of his failure, exile, and decades of obscurity. Yet God transformed this ordinary object into a sign of divine power. The same staff that guided sheep became the tool for miracles, proving God redeems our humiliations into holy purpose. What feels like a mark of inadequacy in your hands might be the very thing God wants to wield for His glory. He doesn’t ask for polished resumes but surrendered stories. [53:09]

“The Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ He said, ‘A staff.’ And he said, ‘Throw it on the ground.’ So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. But the Lord said to Moses, ‘Put out your hand and catch it by the tail’—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand.”
(Exodus 4:2–4, ESV)

Reflection: What “staff” in your life—a past failure, insecurity, or season of obscurity—might God be asking you to surrender to Him? How could trusting Him with it shift your story from shame to purpose?

Day 2: Who Am I? The Question That Unlocks God’s Presence

Moses stood before a burning bush, paralyzed by self-doubt: “Who am I to lead?” God’s reply wasn’t affirmation but a promise: “I will be with you.” Our inadequacy isn’t a barrier to calling—it’s the doorway to relying on the I AM. When we fixate on our smallness, we miss the God who fills the gaps. True courage begins when we stop asking about our capacity and start clinging to His presence. [29:03]

“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’ He said, ‘But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.’”
(Exodus 3:11–12, ESV)

Reflection: Where is your “Who am I?” moment holding you back? How might focusing on God’s “I will be with you” change your next step?

Day 3: Lead With ‘I Am’: Starting With God’s Sufficiency

When Moses feared others’ skepticism, God answered, “Tell them I AM sent you.” The mission wasn’t about Moses’ credibility but God’s unchanging identity. We often approach challenges by rehearsing our qualifications or others’ opinions. Yet victory begins when we lead with God’s name, not our name. His eternal “I AM” outshines every temporary “what if.” [43:13]

“Then Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’”
(Exodus 3:13–14, ESV)

Reflection: What situation are you facing where you’re tempted to lead with your limitations instead of God’s identity? How could declaring “I AM is here” reframe your perspective?

Day 4: The Dance of Weakness: When Your Flaws Make Space for Miracles

Moishe protested, “I’m not good with words!”—a flaw God didn’t erase but enveloped. Our weaknesses aren’t mistakes to hide; they’re altars where God’s strength burns brightest. Like Moses’ stutter or a shepherd’s staff, what we label as “not enough” becomes the stage for divine power. God doesn’t call the equipped—He equips the called through surrendered weakness. [01:02:35]

“But Moses said to the Lord, ‘Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?’”
(Exodus 4:10–11, ESV)

Reflection: What weakness do you resent or hide? How might offering it to God create space for His strength to amaze you—and others?

Day 5: Partners in the Desert: Why We Can’t Sidestep Alone

When Moses begged, “Send someone else!” God gave Aaron as a partner, not a replacement. Our calling isn’t a solo journey but a chorus of voices lifting weary arms. Like Aaron holding up Moses’ hands in battle, God provides community to share the weight. The church isn’t a crowd of spectators—it’s fellow dancers in the mission, reminding us we’re never meant to sidestep alone. [01:08:31]

“Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, ‘Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well… You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth… He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.’”
(Exodus 4:14–16, ESV)

Reflection: Who has God placed in your life to “hold up your arms” in this season? How can you lean into community instead of resisting vulnerability?

Sermon Summary

Exodus brings Moses to the backside of the desert at 80 years old, not as a young man trying to pick a career, but as a man God has finally come to call. God speaks from the burning bush with a real mission, not a vague feeling. God has heard the cry of Israel, God has seen how harshly Egypt has abused them, and God says, “Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh.”

Moses answers with a dance, not a yes. Moses has five sidesteps, five ways of trying to move out of the calling even while the living God is talking to him. The first sidestep says, “Who am I?” Moses sees the baggage, the past, the age, the failures, the imposter syndrome, and the feeling that God has picked the wrong guy. God does not flatter Moses. God says, “I will be with you.” The answer to “Who am I?” is not self-confidence. The answer is the presence of God.

Moses then asks what name he should give to Israel. God gives the name beyond all names, “I am who I am.” God tells Moses to lead with Him, to start with the living God, because “I am is enough for all of you.” The fear of people’s opinions can make a person leave the vacuum empty, even when God is putting something on the heart. God calls Moses to bring the great I am into the problem, not a clever agenda or a personal power move.

Moses then worries that the people will not believe the Lord appeared to him. God points to the shepherd’s staff in Moses’ hand. The staff is not impressive. It is a sign of Moses’ humiliation, his long detour, his broken story as a man on the run. Yet God says, in effect, “Life gave you a staff. I’ll give it a redeemed and transcendent meaning.” God does not tell Moses to pull out prince robes or use power games. God chooses the lowly stick, because the kingdom of God does not move by power moves.

Moses finally says he is not good with words, and then simply asks God to send anyone else. God takes the mission seriously because souls are on the other end of it. God reminds Moses that He made the mouth, and God gives Aaron as a partner. The calling is not a lone ranger story. God gives His presence, His power, and His people.

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Key Takeaways

1. God answers, “I’ll be with you.” [29:03] God does not answer Moses’ fear by telling Moses to admire himself. God answers the smallness of “Who am I?” with the weight of divine presence. The calling does not become safe because Moses becomes impressive. The calling becomes possible because God goes with him. [29:03]
2. Lead with the great I am. [43:30] God gives Moses His name before Moses gets results, strategy, or public approval. The name “I am” puts the living God at the front of the problem instead of human anxiety. Fear of people can make a soul protect itself while the real bondage stays untouched. God’s answer is not self-promotion, but holy introduction: let them see Me. [43:30]
3. The staff can be redeemed. [53:09] God asks for the thing already in Moses’ hand, even though that staff carries the smell of failure and exile. The weakest, most humbled part of a life may become the very place where God’s power shows up cleanest. The staff does not prove Moses is strong. The staff proves God can give a broken story a transcendent meaning. [53:09]
4. Calling is never solitary. [01:08:03] God gives Aaron because Moses cannot carry the weight as a lone ranger. Community is not decoration around the mission, but mercy inside the mission. God gives partners who can speak, steady, strengthen, and hold up weary arms. The church becomes one of God’s answers to the fear that a person must do holy work alone.

## [68:03]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[23:12] - Hearing God’s Call for Life
[24:38] - Moses at Eighty Years Old
[25:24] - The Sidestep Dance
[27:49] - God Speaks From the Bush
[29:03] - Moses Asks, “Who Am I?”
[32:16] - Lacking the Guts to Respond
[36:54] - Bonhoeffer and the Question of Identity
[41:24] - Eyes on God in Confusion
[43:30] - Lead With “I Am”
[48:13] - What Is in Your Hand?
[53:09] - The Staff Gets Redeemed
[56:14] - No Power Moves in the Kingdom
[62:35] - God Made the Mouth
[68:03] - God Gives Partners and Community

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Exodus 3:1-4:17
“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, 'I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.' When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am.' Then he said, 'Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.' And he said, 'I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the LORD said, 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.' But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?' He said, 'But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.' Then Moses said to God, 'If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you," and they ask me, "What is his name?" what shall I say to them?' God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' And he said, 'Say this to the people of Israel: "I AM has sent me to you."' God also said to Moses, 'Say this to the people of Israel: "The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you." This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, "The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey."' And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.' But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.' Then Moses answered, 'But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, "The LORD did not appear to you."' The LORD said to him, 'What is that in your hand?' He said, 'A staff.' And he said, 'Throw it on the ground.' So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. But the LORD said to Moses, 'Put out your hand and catch it by the tail'—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 'that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.' Again, the LORD said to him, 'Put your hand inside your cloak.' And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. Then God said, 'Put your hand back inside your cloak.' So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 'If they will not believe you,' God said, 'or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.' But Moses said to the LORD, 'Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.' Then the LORD said to him, 'Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.' But he said, 'Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.' Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, 'Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.’” [28:33]

John 15:5
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” [42:13]

2 Chronicles 20:12
“O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” [41:45]

Acts 4:13
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” [01:01:41]

Observation questions

In Exodus 3–4, what are some of the specific ways Moses tries to back away from what God is calling him to do? [25:24]
When Moses says, “Who am I,” what answer does God actually give him, and what does God not give him? [29:17]
In the passage, what is already in Moses’ hand, and what does God choose to do with that ordinary object? [31:08]
When Moses says he is not good with words and then asks God to send someone else, how does God respond to both of those objections? [01:04:00]

Interpretation questions

God answers Moses’ “Who am I?” with “I will be with you.” What does that show about how God usually deals with insecurity in a calling? [42:45]
God gives Moses His name before Moses has any visible success. Why might “I AM” need to come before strategy, confidence, or approval from people? [43:30]
God uses Moses’ staff rather than prince robes, status, or polished power. What does that suggest about the kind of power God trusts in and the kind He does not? [56:14]
Aaron is given to Moses as help, not as a replacement for obedience. What does that show about the relationship between personal calling and the need for community? [01:08:03]

Application questions

Moses asks, “Who am I?” Many believers ask the same thing when something hard is set in front of them. Where in life does that question show up most for you right now—at home, at work, in ministry, in a relationship, or in a private struggle? [36:54]
“Our eyes are on You” is sometimes the most honest prayer a person can pray. What is one situation right now where you do not know what to do, and what would it look like to keep your eyes on God there instead of spiraling in fear? [41:47]
Fear of people’s opinions can keep a person from stepping into the very thing God is stirring. Whose opinion tends to have too much weight in your heart, and how has that fear kept you quiet, passive, or hesitant? [46:16]
God asked Moses, “What is that in your hand?” What might be the “staff” in your own life—some ordinary part of your story, weakness, loss, failure, or long detour—that God may want to redeem instead of erase? [53:09]
The kingdom of God does not move forward by power moves. Where are you most tempted to rely on image, control, polish, or strength instead of humble dependence on God? [56:01]
Jesus says, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” What helps you actually stay connected to Him during an ordinary week, and what tends to pull you away from that abiding life? [42:13]
Calling is never solitary. Who are the Aarons and Hurs in your life right now, and where might you need to let someone help carry you instead of trying to look strong on your own? [01:08:31]

Sermon Clips

54s

“He doesn't tell him to use power moves that that seem to normally win the games that humans play. The logic that prevails with humans. He does not tell him to do that. Jesus will follow suit, won't he? The king of the universe comes and he's born in a manger to poor people. He won't win the day by conquering Jerusalem and the world with military power. How does he conquer the brokenness and the fallenness of the world? You tell me, church. He gives his life. He sacrifices his own life, and that's the victory. So, this is something that God is 100, it is his DNA, and he's trying to put it into us, which is you are not gonna use power moves to do the kingdom of God. You can't do power moves to do the kingdom of God.”

24s

“I can't carry your staff, but I can carry you. And so they do. I'm gonna give you partners. I'm gonna give you community. We can never forget that if we're to fulfill our calling, it will never be an independent story. Will never be a lone ranger mission. Our calling is with people. We need each other desperately. And so I wanna do something today that will take you out of your comfort zone.”

26s

“The American dream, Christians, that's not the goal. That's not the calling. That's not the result. The result has souls on the other end of it, and that's the one way you're supposed to be entering into at the power of God. But we will probably, in order to get to that place, have to look at the weakest parts of our own life and realize that we desperately need the grace of God. Amen? We desperately need the the grace of God.”

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