Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them. Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up." When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." 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." Exodus 2:23-25, 3:1-12b
Moses remained in Midian with his new family, an alien in a foreign land. We read that he has continued to help the Midianite family that took him in, "tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest…"
Meanwhile, we read that the Pharoah that wanted Moses dead has died himself but this had not brought relief for the people of Israel. Scripture tells us they still "groaned in their slavery and cried out" to God for help. And we read that God heard their cry and "remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob." Concerned about His chosen people, God decided to act. He would need someone to go forth for Him and He chooses Moses, deciding to get his attention in a most unique way.
For we read that as Moses "led the flock to the far side of the desert," he "came to Horeb, the mountain of God." And "there the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush." Seeing that the bush aflame but not burning up, Moses says, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up." It’s then that the Lord speaks to Moses from the bush telling him to "not come any closer" and "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." God then tells Moses, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." And at this we read that Moses "hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God." What a moment this had to have been for Moses…a God moment just as his forefathers had experienced. Now it was his turn to be used in powerful ways.
God goes on to tell Moses that He has heard the cries of His people who have been oppressed by the Egyptian enslavement. God is fed up with seeing His people suffer and now intends to rescue them but not by just applying His power alone to Pharoah and Egypt. No, He tells Moses, "I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."
Wow! Can you imagine hearing this? Put yourself in the place on Moses. He couldn’t even save himself from the murderous intentions of Pharoah, instead having to run away to survive. And now, God was telling him that he was going to go and face Pharoah head on to save all of Israel. It’s no wonder that Moses is a little apprehensive and in disbelief. I mean God doesn’t tell Moses He will place a great army at Moses’ disposal to carry out this task of overthrowing the Egyptian oppression. No…there is no great army…just an army of one…Moses. We can understand Moses when he says, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" I’m certain any of us would have asked the same question. It’s God’s reply that is meant to grant Moses the strength to carry out His will…and His words are intended for us as well as we seek to carry out His will today. For God proclaims, "I will be with you."
Question #1: How is God calling to you today? Are you actively seeking for His signs for you every day? He may not burn a bush in front you but God does seek to get our attention through other abstract ways. Will we recognize Him when He seeks to communicate with us? Will we see everywhere that He takes us as possibly being sacred ground? For where ever God is present, that place is sacred and holy.
Question #2: If God is calling to you and you are listening, how well are you staying obedient to what He is calling you to do? How are you responding to His call for you to accomplish something that seemingly is impossible? Do you truly believe with all your heart in God’s promise that nothing is impossible with Him? (Luke 1:37)
Just keep in mind this truth from today’s scripture for it is one of the absolutes in scripture. In other words, it’s one thing we can always count on. Here’s the truth: God the Father and His Son Jesus are always with you. God the Father promised us that He would never leave us nor forsake us. He reaffirms this in His words to Moses as He says, "I will be with you." Jesus, at the end of His Great Commission, tells us that He will be with us even until the end of the age. Are these not awesome words of assurance and hope for us? How can we ever feel alone, forsaken, abandoned, or unloved if we always remember that we are never alone and never unloved by our Heavenly Father and His Son, our Savior, Jesus?
God was with Moses and He is with you and I as well. And this is good news for today, tomorrow and forever more. Rejoice and be glad in it. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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