Digging in My Heels

The Israelites groaned under the hard labor and God heard their cry and remembered them. Not that He had forgotten them. But the time had come to move them from Egypt to the Promised Land. I wonder if they had not been groaning under the oppression, would they have heard God’s call to move? What would entice them to leave Egypt and go and fight the “giants” and claim the land God had promised them?

We see the story unfold and know the ending of the story and forget sometimes how many years it took for God to get the right people in the right place ready to obey. And we forget how hard it was for the people to move away from everything they knew and were comfortable with. They complained in the wilderness, but as I think about it, I am pretty sure I would complain too. They left the comfort of their homes and after God defeated the Egyptians by closing the Red Sea over them, the Israelites shouted with joy! And then the journey began in earnest. They found themselves camping in the desert wilderness, longing for the comfort of their homes. They forgot the slavery part – the expectations by slave masters and the beating when they didn’t meet those expectations. All they could think of was the comfort of their homes and the food they had to eat. And when they faced the possibility of having to confront giants in the land they were being led to, they buckled and dug their heals in and mutinied.

And I wonder, would I have done any better? As I look back over my life, I can see where God has led me. Many of the transitions were hard and painful. I felt like I was in the wilderness wondering if I would ever come out again. I had to face some giants. And I wonder if I ever would have left my comfort if there would have been a choice.  What did God have to do to get me to go to the “promised land” He had for me. Just as He needed to teach the Israelites to trust Him and go even when it wasn’t comfortable, He has needed to teach me to trust Him and be willing to go even when it doesn’t feel comfortable. Maybe if I paid attention to His still, small voice, I wouldn’t need the loud, “GO! NOW!”

That’s the big things. But what about all the little decisions I make daily. Am I willing to hear God’s voice – His nudgings? Or do I need for a bigger, louder voice because I am not tuned in to His channel? When He is nudging me to spend more time with Him, do I make time? Or do I say, “I am too busy. I have so much to do,” and then He has to lay me down in a sick bed or ice me in for a day or two in order to show me that my agenda is not Lord of my life?

Change is usually hard. We all seek comfort and shy away from discomfort. Yet, it is through discomfort that we become more teachable and are more likely to hear God’s voice. By reframing the hard things in my life as part of the journey to the promised land, I can become more content with my circumstances rather than fighting them. I can watch for ways God is working and align myself better with Him. I am free to serve wherever He sends me and I can experience joy because even if I don’t know where I am headed, I know the One who leads the way.

Thank you, Lord, for your patience in leading me even when I dig my heels in. You are so determined to get me safely to the promised land and I want to go willingly and with joy, whatever the circumstances along the way. Amen.

How Did He Do It?

When I feel overwhelmed by life or the things God is asking me to do, I only need to look at Moses. I’m glad I’m not Moses. God asked Moses to lead about 2 million people on a 40-year camping trip in the desert without much in the way of supplies. No matter what I find myself doing, the task will not begin to compare to that!

Though my tasks are not that overwhelming, I can still learn a lot from Moses and how he managed this experience.

1. He was prepared

Moses was spared – Pharaoh had ordered the infant boys to be killed - and he was prepared. He grew up in Pharaoh’s Palace, but until he was weaned he was with his Hebrew family. So his early years were filled with learning God’s ways.

Living in the palace, he would have received a very good education and would have learned a lot about leadership and administration. He would have rubbed shoulders with world leaders and understood a lot about politics.

2. He was called

Moses didn’t ignore the burning bush but went to explore it because he noted that it was on fire, but it was not being consumed. Something was different about this bush. He could have walked on by and totally missed what God was doing at that moment. Maybe he often wished he had! But his calling was clear. There was no mistake. God was asking him to take leadership and help the Israelites leave the bondage they were in as slaves in Egypt. “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:10

3. He was humble

“(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)” Numbers 12:3

Moses was also a Friend of God – they talked face to face. Numbers 12:8 says, “With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles…” This close relationship with God probably didn’t just start when he was out in the desert with the people. Somehow, I believe that Moses was seeking after God all along. That is why he recognized the burning bush as being something to stop and pay attention to.

4. He trusted God

Numbers 14 speaks of a time when the people rebelled against Moses and God. Moses trusted God even when the tribal leaders were working against him. I’m thinking that Moses would have gladly given up the leadership if God would have allowed him to at this point. He would have gladly gone back to herding sheep for his father-in-law. But God showed his power and his might in support of Moses. Moses didn’t need to ‘take control’ and make the people follow.

When the people grumbled, Moses went to God to supply their food and water. He knew that he did not have the ability to provide for 2 million people, but God did.

5. He loved the people

He interceded more than once for the people when God wanted to destroy them because of their rebelliousness. God was ready to do away with them and grow Moses’ family up into a nation. But Moses reminded God of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and also reminded God of what it would look like in the eyes of the world if he destroyed his own people. Moses’ great love for the Israelites caused him to give up power and glory in his own life for the sake of his people.

So how does this apply to me?

Like Moses, I have been prepared. God has given me a rich heritage of Christian family, walking with other believers, and faith. When I look at specific things I have dealt with in my life, I can see how God prepared me and led the way. He placed people in my life to encourage me to grow in areas where I was the weakest. He put me in job situations that prepared me for what was then the future. As I look back, I can see many ways God has prepared me for what was to come.

I am called. Moses went to the burning bush – he was paying attention and didn’t ignore it. When my focus is on God and what he is doing, I see opportunities for ministry and go with him. Like Moses, I explore what is going on around me and listen for God’s voice. I talk with God and listen for his direction. He leads me on in ministry as he places opportunities in front of me.

Being humble comes from understanding my relationship with God. He is God and I am his servant. He is my Father and I am his child. He loves me and I love Him. When I understand this relationship, I cannot be puffed up and full of myself. I need first to bow before my Maker and offer myself as a living sacrifice to him. Secondly I need to put others’ needs and welfare before my own. Being humble also means being teachable – a willingness to learn from God and from others as I go along.

I am learning to trust God in all things. When things seem overwhelming, I’m tired or just out of sorts, I need to trust that God can and will continue to use me and that he will be glorified by my service and honor to him. “And my God will meet all of your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

I am challenged to love those God places before me – even those who at first seem unlovable. When I’m filled with God’s great and awesome love for me, I am able to be a loving presence even to the difficult person, co-worker or neighbor. God has placed me next to them. In loving them, I intercede for them and nurture them with the wisdom and knowledge God has given me. If I love well, in the end we are all better for it.

If I can learn from Moses how to be a good leader, like Moses, I can lead people to the Promised Land.

“Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” I Corinthians 1:7-8