Paving the Way for Great Things
A shepherd wanders through the wilderness tending his sheep. His life is simple and uncomplicated. He is a man of faith and lives that out in a quiet way with family and community. The land of his birth is a thing of the past and he seeks to make a productive life where he is right now.
But God’s plans are different. Unknown yet to this man is the fact that God has handpicked him for an enormous task. God has been guiding him throughout his life to mold him into the leader that He needs him to be.
One day while checking on his sheep, he sees a bush burning. As he ventures closer, he realizes that the fire is not consuming the branches of the bush. What happens next is mind blowing. Moses hears God call his name from within the burning bush.
Moses moves forward with complete trust and listens as God shares His plan for him to be an instrument in the deliverance of His people.
In such a circumstance, Moses could have reacted in a variety of ways. He could have run away in fear, knowing that God is not one to be messed with lightly. Moses might also have come forward with distrust – not truly believing what he was seeing but attributing it to spirits or something in that line.
Moses, instead, comes forward in faith. The God he has known and served throughout his life has a message for him. What happens next is typical human behaviour. Moses doesn’t discredit the message or the messenger; what he does do is show qualms about is his own ability to do the task. He portrays a few doubts about how this is all going to work – after all, you don’t just show up in Pharaoh’s court and walk away with a huge segment of the population.
The book of Exodus clearly shows that God makes the way for Moses and the Israelites to attain freedom. He tells Moses that when he meets with the elders and leaders of the Israelites this will happen:
“The elders of Israel will listen to you.” (Exodus 3:18 NIV)
This was not an off the cuff type of plan. It was a thoughtful, well-orchestrated means to save God’s people – set in place even before Moses was born.
As Moses shows doubts, God reminds him that He will go before him, paving the way for Pharaoh to let the people go. Not only would the Israelites attain their freedom, they are promised that they would walk away with a great deal of wealth from the Egyptians as well.
As we consider the paths our lives are to take, the example of Moses is a strong one of hope and encouragement for us. We can start, as did Moses, growing in the faith and knowledge of our gracious God. It is then a matter of aligning our lives with God’s purpose – something that is individual to us all. Our mission in life should be what God gives us. When the Lord asks us to do anything, He promises to pave the way for us. God opens doors that no human can. He enlightens us with the knowledge we need to handle our journey. He cares for us each step of the way.
Will we have doubts sometimes when God presents us with tasks that seem too complex for us to handle? Absolutely. Trust is a difficult thing for us sinful humans.
The truth is, we won’t know where God is leading us or what He is preparing us for if we don’t walk closely with Him. Conversations with God through prayer are essential. Studying and reflecting on God’s Word open our hearts and minds to His direction. Being nurtured in the faith with other believers who can be conveyers of Godly wisdom is imperative.
You might not be called to lead a million people out of one country to take control of another as was Moses. You might not be the one who will speak to great crowds of people. The magnitude of the task makes absolutely no difference.
Whether God has called you to make a difference in the lives of your sweet little babies or to preach in great cathedrals does not matter. What is crucial is that we follow the particular directions that God has for us personally. No task is too small. We are not on anyone else’s agenda. It is not a race or a big comparison with other workers in God’s kingdom.
God has a plan for you and He already has things in the works that will support you as you work and walk through His directives. I pray that we will be open to His leading. Sometimes, like Moses, we are taken on a journey that we never dreamed possible.
May you be God’s instrument today, blooming wherever He has planted you – looking to Him always for guidance and direction.
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