The next important person along Israel's road to destiny was a man named Moses. The story of Moses’ early life is recorded in the first few chapters of the book of Exodus. Moses was born at a time of great peril when the ruling Pharaoh was having Israeli male babies killed in an attempt to thwart population growth. Pharaoh commanded the midwives, who assisted in the births, to kill the babies, but they refused. (In a spiritual parallel of this, there are always "midwives" who will help birth and protect your vision against the enemy. Surround yourself with these gifted and loyal people.)
Moses’ mother attempted to hide him, but he was found by Pharaoh’s daughter who raised him as her own son. In an act of divine providence, Moses' own mother became his nursemaid. As Moses grew, she undoubtedly taught him of his Jewish heritage and about the things of God. This is evident in his response as a young adult when he witnessed an Egyptian beating an Israelite. Moses most likely already had a dream of delivering his people from slavery when he witnessed this violent scene. Moses reacted in anger and killed the Egyptian taskmaster. Then, knowing his life was in danger for this act, Moses fled to the backside of the desert. For forty long years, Moses lived with the memory of an aborted dream. He had tried and failed. Would God ever use him again? Have you been there? Are you there right now? You stepped out to do what God called you to do, only to fail. Have you, like Moses, retreated to the desert of isolation to nurse your broken heart and your shattered dreams?
Finally, one day while watching a flock of sheep in the desert, Moses saw a burning bush which, miraculously, was not consumed. He drew near to the bush, and..."the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.” And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, “Moses, Moses.” And he said, “Here am I.” And he said, “Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” Moreover he said, “I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:1-10).
God knew exactly where Moses was, there in the backside of the desert. He had not forgotten him. God has not abandoned you either, out there in the desert-land of your failure. He has not left you to die with your destiny unfulfilled.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You that You never forget where I am, even in the desert of disappointment. Today, I turn aside to hear Your voice again. Rekindle the dreams I thought had died, and send me in Your power to fulfill what You’ve spoken. Let the fire of Your calling burn fresh within me
