“Get out, quit, you’ll never make it.” This is what I heard from my swimming instructor. He was a retired Army drill sergeant turned swimming instructor. It was a chilly morning in the local swimming pool; I was 15 and taking the Red Cross swimming instructor course. Half-way through the course, and exhausted out of my mind, I climbed out of the pool with every intention of quitting. I caught sight of my dad by the chain-link fence. I walked over to him and said, “This is too hard, Dad. The instructor thinks I should quit.” My wise dad said, “Get back in the water and finish -- you can do this.” His little pep talk gave me the confidence to keep going. I got back in the water, finished the course and passed. No one was more surprised than me. I looked over at my dad. He had a big smile on his face. He believed in me and gave me the assurance that I could do something that I thought was beyond me.
Moses needed a pep talk too. In Exodus 3 we see Moses asking God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” Moses was having a conversation with the living God who was asking big things from him. I love God’s immediate response to Moses’ fearful question. God says to him, “Certainly I will be with you.” Synonyms for the word certainly are, absolutely, without question, and positively. Every word counts in Scripture. It has purpose and meaning and is God-breathed in every line and sentence. It’s easy to gloss over the insignificant words, but at closer examination we see how well-placed they are. They give emphasis and clarity to everything God says. How true of the word certainly.
God had a mission for Moses. Moses’ immediate response of doubt and fear concerning the task that God was asking of him, was a pretty human response. He probably felt overwhelmed by the request. Has God ever asked you to do something that left you quivering in fear? Or maybe He has allowed a daunting trial in your life that has shaken your world? His words, “Certainly I will be with you,” is for us as well. No matter what He’s asking of us, or what we are going through, His deep assurance can change our focus from fear to trust in His faithfulness.
On that long-ago chilly morning in the pool, I was grateful to my loving dad who gave me just what I needed to finish the course. Our Heavenly Father has given us a promise, a certainty of His presence, and it’s real. It’s a dependence upon Him and not ourselves. I have to give a little credit to the Army drill sergeant/swimming instructor. He pushed me beyond what I thought I could do. Not the best way to motivate, but part of God’s plan. Let God’s words, “Certainly I will be with you,” ring in your ears, permeate your thoughts, and reside in your souls.