But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

And God said, “I will be with you."

- from Exodus 3:11-12

When God called Moses to do the big job of leading Israel, Moses humbly protested. Moses didn’t think he had the necessary qualifications to do the job.

What would you do if you were in God’s position, hearing Moses’ protest?

God didn’t puff Moses up. God didn’t reassure Moses. God didn’t mention that Moses had a special upbringing; a humility-creating failure; a particular set of skills, skills acquired over a long career.

God’s answer to Moses is a non-self-esteem answer.

Moses, do you want to know what qualifies you? Only that I will be with you. No other qualification that you have matters. My presence is enough.

Generations later, Jesus would tell his followers something similar: “I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.” Those words wash over those of us who have committed ourselves to Jesus.

We frequently find ourselves in over our heads: we’re commanded to love people who are hard to love in places that are painful and at times that are inconvenient. We get inklings of a call to take a risk for our faith, to try a new ministry, or to share our faith with a co-worker.

All of us at times want to throw our hands up and say: “Who am I that you think I can do this?”

And the reply we receive is the promise of God’s presence: “I will be with you.”

God has given us tremendous gifts. But the locus of our power is not in our gifts but in the almighty, holy-ground-making presence of the Lord. God’s response to our self-doubt is not primarily about how great we are but how great He is.

We won’t have to do it alone. We’ll have help every step of the way, access to power and resources that are beyond our comprehension.

Where do you need to see that God is with you today?