He Sent You

 

Moses’ story is vast and complex and holds a wealth of treasures within it.

The escape from genocide.

The dance between mother and foster/adoptive mother.

The tug of his family to his privilege and circumstance.

 

From murder and desertion.

To wandering homeless.

To marrying in to a new life.

 

To then returning to the scene of a crime.

To being the leader that God appointed for the Exodus.

To delegating and creating a structure in which to serve the community he led in to the desert, destined for the Promised Land.

 

Moses is a success story out of tragic beginnings.

Death.

Murder.

Separation.

Pain.

Anguish.

Loss.

Injustice.

Fear.

His story is littered with negatives, but yet hope reigns and people are appointed to aid Moses’ survival.

 

Hope for change.

Hope for freedom.

Hope for new beginnings.

 

Moses story can encourage us all if we know what to look out for.

 

There is one part of his story that I want to encourage you with today.

It’s quite a famous moment. 

It’s not the River Nile turning in to blood.

Or the plagues.

Or the Angel of Death.

It was the moment Moses saw and drew close to the burning bush, (Exodus 3&4).

 

Your Past Doesn’t Matter

Moses was a murderer and likely labelled a traitor by the heads of his adoptive community and culture, the Egyptians, for the death of one of the guards overseeing the Jewish slaves. 

(Although, interestingly Moses’ adoptive mother/foster mother defected by converting and marrying a Jewish man who she went on to have children with.)

 

The burning bush is an example that even though we do the worst kind of things, God still wants us.

He can still use us.

We still can accomplish.

And we can help free others.

 

So when we feel dirty.

When we feel horrible because of a wrong decision.

When we feel too far gone.

When we feel unworthy of being in God’s presence, we should remember that God didn’t care what Moses did in the past and He doesn’t care about our past mistakes and reactions either.

 

Instead, God is waiting for us to draw close.

To get inquisitive, (3:3)

To explore the wonders of God that cannot be explained.

And when you get close enough He will ask for your sandals, (3:5).

He will ask for vulnerability and trust, which He also required from Moses, by removing something between the ground we are to stand on and ourselves.

Possibly exposing something we have gone to the effort of covering in order to protect it.

We don’t need to protect ourselves in the presence of God.

And so we can slip off the barriers and enter in to His holy place.

Fear and overwhelm may come over us, (3:6).

We may even feel like we should hide from God, but the reality is that God has called to us.

He has seen us wandering alone.

Doing our day to day.

But with God there is more to life.

 

There is adventure.

There is purpose.

There is redemption.

There are wonders

 

Regardless of the life we have lived.

God is waiting for us to respond to Him with, ‘Here I am.’ (3:4).

 

We May Never Feel Ready

In verse 11, I believe Moses iterates a sentiment we all have said at one time.

“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’” (NKJV)

One of these likely sounds familiar.

“Who am I?

Surely not me?

That can’t be right?

But I am nobody?”

I once heard that if you feel ready for position then you will operate under your own will, might, strength, ideas and gifts.  But if you feel surprised or nervous, then you will rely of God which produces a stronger leader and a more productive ministry and outcome.

We may question, ‘Is this really for us?’

We may wonder if we have got it wrong if we step into something new.

And it’s possible we may never feel 100% ready, or confident, when we act on the instruction and opportunities that God places in our way.

But confidence doesn’t have to make us feel invincible.

Confidence can make us feel like we have the right people behind us.

The right advise.

The right direction.

 

It can make us feel assured that God will say what He said to Moses in verse 12, “I will certainly be with you.”

Let’s turn our reliance on God into our superpower and God will deliver us signs, wonders and miracles.

We will climb mountains, (v 12).

And celebrate on them.

Worship on them.

And even though we may doubt, (Ex 3:11; 3:13; 4:1; 4:11; 4:13), God doesn’t abandon us. 

 

He knows our worth.

He knows our capabilities.

 

And even in our weaknesses He knows there is triumph.

There is fruit.

There is an outcome that brings glory to God and freedom to others.

 

There is resilience and power in our requirement that God be involved.

 

And the desire that is placed within us, cannot be fully understood until the time comes that God activates us in our assignment.

Whether that be protecting/raising children.

Whether that being a safe person for another.

Whether that means you will run a ministry.

 

Whatever it shows up as in our lives.

God will be with us in it.

And if you desire, He will send along others to help, (Ex 4:14).

 

Encouragement

I can, on some level, understand how Moses felt.

I understand what it feels like to act, in what you think is the right way, for it to explode in to a situation.

I know what it does to confidence to desire to do things right but I instead make mistakes.

I know what it feels like to think God shakes His head at me and wonders where it all went wrong.

I have felt the fear of coming in to His presence because I don’t feel worthy.

I have felt like I don’t belong.

When I don’t feel like I belong in the world.

But then I don’t feel like I belong in church either.

 

The confusion.

The heartache.

The devastation.

 

And then redemption comes.

An assignment is given.

The time comes for action.

And the growth that is learnt through making mistakes becomes the thing that drives the desire to hold God close.

To walk with God.

Under His protection.

Guarded by His refuge.

Activated by the Holy Spirit.

When we can witness things that cannot be explained.

And partnering with God is what He is doing to heal, serve and free people who He loves.

 

Be encouraged to rely on God.

Be encouraged to not look at your ‘flaws’ as something that will hold you back, but as something that God will use to prove His love.

To prove His provision.

And to prove that He. Sent. You.

If you would like to share your story or contact me please feel free to private message me on our Facebook page or on Instagram and while you are there you can give me a like or a follow for daily encouragements. You can also email me using theencouragerslife@gmail.com address. 

Be sure to check out our next article here on ‘The Encouragers Life.’

 Article written by J. Bingham

Copyright 2022