Moses In The Middle -
September 13, 2000
I've been thinking a lot about Moses lately. You
probably know the story by heart, but did you ever stop
to think of the awesome task God laid on Moses'
shoulders? He had to lead an entire nation from slavery
in one country to freedom in a brand new land. And more
than that, the people he was leading didn't want to be
where they had been, didn't want to be where they were
going, and didn't want to be where they were. When did
Moses become the man that God could use for such a
demanding job? At the burning bush? I don't think so. How
about in front of Pharaoh the first time? Nope. OK, maybe
when he first realized the slaves were his people and
killed the Egyptian. Not then either.
I think Moses became the man God could use during the
part of his life scripture almost ignores
completely...the 40 years of sheep tending in the desert.
Exodus 2:23-25 tell us that a long time passed while
Moses was away from Egypt, and 3:1 tells us what Moses
was doing during that time...tending his father-in-law
Jethro's flock. What happened all those long days on the
hillside with only sheep for company? I don't know. I'm
sure there were many times Moses missed the comforts of
palace living and thought his daily grind was leading
absolutely nowhere. But during that long time in the
desert, God was working on Moses. He was making him the
man God wanted to rescue His chosen people. We can tell
Moses wasn't the right man yet during his Egyptian days
or God wouldn't have left the Israelites in bondage
another 40 years. No, there was something about his
character that could only develop in desert school.
I feel like Pam and I are in desert school right now.
I believe God has a bigger work for us to do or He
wouldn't have taken us away from the good work we were
already doing. That means God is using this time to make
us into instruments He can use for whatever He has in
mind in the future. Maybe you feel like you are in desert
school too. There must be some reason you are going
through whatever you are facing right now. From one
student to another, can I share something with you? I
don't like this school very much. I'm sure I could have
learned these lessons in a much shorter and less painful
way. God obviously didn't think so. I bet Moses had days
like this, when memories of easier yesterdays made the
dust clouds hiding tomorrow seem even thicker. My only
advice to you is the same I tell myself everyday...hang
in there, the story's not over yet. You may be like
Moses, struggling thru the middle years. Only God knows
the final chapter, but I do know one thing. He loves
happy endings.
