IE (Introspective Evaluation)

I Was Just Thinking About – IE.

The “IE” refers to Introspective Evaluation. Different ones in Scripture had such a moment when the Lord was calling and leading them to do a particular task for Him. Consider Moses when God wanted him to lead His people away from Egypt to The Promised Land. Moses responded by rehearsing that which he considered inadequacies for the task – slow to speak; non-acceptance by the people; others are better suited to do this task. Exodus 4 (NLT) details the discussion and debate between The Lord and Moses. A critical juncture is reached in verses 10-11 when Moses states: “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled. Then the Lord asked Moses, Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”

Jeremiah believed he was too young and not ready for “prime time”. The Lord had a word for him – Jeremiah 1:6-9 (NLT) when he tried to resist God’s call: “Don’t say, I’m too young, for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken! Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, Look, I have put my words in your mouth!”

In Judges 6, Gideon was called upon to deliver God’s people out of the oppression of the Midianites. Among his responses was that he felt abandoned by the Lord; his family wasn’t prestigious, and he was very young. The angel said to Gideon: The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” Gideon’s response: “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord is patient and longsuffering. Verse 14-16: “The Lord looked at him and said, Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?  Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.” 

Do you seek to excuse yourself from doing God’s work because of your personal “IE” – Introspective Evaluation? Moses began his task for the Lord at age 80 and served Him for another 40 years; Caleb (Joshua 14) began taking possession of his inheritance at age 85; Jeremiah was called by God while in his Mother’s womb; David was the 11^th child of Jacob when he was anointed to be king one day. Be encouraged by the words to Asher – Deuteronomy 33:25-27, “as your days, so shall your strength be…The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

Prayerfully – consider these things with me!