Exodus 4:12-13 – "Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." (NIV)

I begin this devotional with the last part of the scripture: "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." These words fit the way I felt the first time I went to the hospital to work as a "worship chaperone." I had taken all the training given by the pastoral care department, but it didn't prepare me for the way I felt the first Sunday I went into the hospital.

Why did I even volunteer? I was not at ease in the situation, in which I was to assist those in the continuing care department to come to an inter-denominational service. It brought back so many memories of loved ones now gone.

After that first Sunday, I talked with a friend who sided with me. She thought I should not continue going back to volunteer at the hospital. Those words I loved to hear. But God had other plans for me. My friend's words, though comforting, did not sit well with me. I felt I should have enough faith to overcome the uneasiness I was experiencing. I thought I could do it myself. But in sheer frustration I cried out to the Lord in prayer, "Help me! I cannot do this alone. You will have to do it for me."

Once I surrendered to the Lord, His peace came to me.

If someone reading this today is having a difficult time dealing with a similar situation, thinking, "I can't do it", I found out we can do it. But we can't do it alone. We all need the Lord. We must submit to Him. We need His strength and assurance to help us.

Prayer: Dear God, we don't always understand that you prepare us to minister to others' needs. Thank you for giving us the strength to do it, and for leading us to know that we cannot do it alone. Amen.

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About the author:

Anne Russell <annerussell80@gmail.com>
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
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