Hinges
"I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do" Ex. 4:15.

In Ex. 3-4, God called Moses to be a missionary to the Hebrews and Egyptians. Moses responded by raising a series of objections. God did not overcome Moses' reluctance until He provided Moses a coworker--his brother Aaron. The Lord promised, "He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him."

Do you feel inadequate to be God's witness or to serve as His missionary? Then, ask the Lord for a hinge.

A hinge? Let me explain.

My friend Heather Marohn says she once considered herself gold. But as she came to know Christ as her Savior, she realized He was gold, and she was merely iron sulfide--fool's gold. However, through the refiner's fire of many trials, the Lord has been purifying her character, extracting the sulfur and leaving strong iron.

But what did God intend to shape out of this chunk of iron named Heather? Eventually, she realized God was calling her to be a missionary. Picturing God as a divine blacksmith, Heather came to see that God was fashioning her into a hinge. A hinge is a humble, yet necessary tool. It isn't the door. It doesn't open or lock the door. It simply makes it possible for people to pass through the door.

Heather was thrilled with God's calling her to be a missionary/hinge, but she still felt overwhelmed by the assignment. Her major concerns?

• The need for missionary training in college.
• The lack of financial resources for college.
• The absence of a partner with whom to share the adventure.

For three years, Heather and a fellow named Scott Ludwig had been leaders in our church's youth ministry. For three years, they each had harbored a liking for the other, but had hesitated to reveal their interest, fearing the other person might not reciprocate.

Then lightning struck! God led Heather and Scott to finally speak their true feelings to each other. The most amazing thing they discovered about each other was this: they both sensed God's call to serve Him in Africa.

When Heather told Scott that she imagined herself as God's missionary/hinge, Scott put one and one together and shouted, "Heather, I'm the other half of your hinge!"

Today, I opened their wedding invitation. On the cover are pictured the two pieces of a hinge--held together by the cross of Christ.

Like Moses, do you feel inadequate to participate in God's mission? Join the club. We are all inadequate for this task. But God IS adequate.

One way He equips us for missions is by giving us a hinge.

• For some, like Moses, the hinge is a relative.
• For some, like Heather and Scott, it's a spouse.
• For others it's a best friend.

In every case, the Lord meets our need for a partner in mission.

1. Review the Exodus story. With which of Moses' objections do you identify? (See Ex. 3:11, 13, 4:1, 10, 13). How did Moses and Aaron work in tandem?
2. What do a Christian witness and a hinge have in common?
3. Who are the partner/hinges God has provided you?