Posts Tagged ‘Moses’

Stand Still or Take Action?

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

My daily Bible reading gives me so many gems that it’s difficult to pick and choose which ones to blog about! Truth be told, one day’s reading sometimes provides enough material for three or four blogs. That’s what happened with yesterday’s passages.

Yesterday I read about the Israelites panicking when they saw Pharaoh’s army approaching. Before them lay the Red Sea. Behind them galloped the Egyptians. Certain death no matter what. They cried out to Moses saying it would be better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness. Their leader responded with these words: “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (Exodus 14:13,14).

Moses had barely completed his sentence when God said something different: “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving. Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites” (vv. 15-17).

Two different orders. One said, “Stand still.” The other said, “Get moving.” Seems like a contradiction, doesn’t it? I’ve faced that contradiction and had to choose between the two options many times. Here are three personal examples:

  • In dealing with difficult interpersonal relationships, I sometimes wonder whether I should speak up or shut up. Is it better to get moving – to encourage someone to display more mature behavior – or to stand still – be silent and trust God to change an attitude?
  • As missionaries living on faith support, should my husband and I actively seek donors for our support team, or should we be quiet and trust the Holy Spirit to communicate our financial needs to others?
  • If we sense God uprooting us from our present location or job, should we wait until He reveals the next step to us or start looking for whatever the next step might be?

You could add many other examples to the list, I’m sure. Every situation is different. Sometimes we must be still, and sometimes we need to take action. How do we know when to do what? By staying in tune with the Lord. Day by day, practicing His presence. Moment by moment, conversing with Him and trusting Him to teach us what we should do. Doing so helps us train us to recognize His voice.

Any thoughts? What examples can you add to my list?

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Seeing the Invisible

Monday, November 15th, 2010

Have you ever faced and overcome a major challenge or seeming impossibility? If so, what inspired you to keep going through the hard times?

In 1999, my dad suffered two severe strokes within a couple of weeks. The first caused him to fall from the ladder on which he was standing and resulted in a fractured skull and several broken ribs.

I lived about 800 miles from him and my mom at that time. I remember the day the phone call came bringing the sad news and compounding our already topsy-turvy situation: We’d just moved into a house that desperately needed to be cleaned and painted. Boxes filled each room, waiting to be unpacked. I’d committed several weeks prior (before the move was scheduled) to accompany an editor to Texas for a week-long conference. That trip was only a few days away, and I’d return just in time for my youngest daughter’s surgery.

My extended family encouraged me to fulfill my commitment to the editor with the understanding that I’d make an emergency trip home if Dad’s condition failed. Thankfully that didn’t happen, but he suffered the second stroke a week after my return. I immediately dropped everything I was doing and drove the 800 miles to be with my parents.

Challenging? Oh yes. I remember falling to my knees in my girlhood bedroom and crying out to God on my dad’s behalf, begging for physical strength for myself, and asking Him to presence Himself with my family. To say I felt overwhelmed would be an understatement. So what kept me going? Keeping my eyes on the One who is invisible.

As I sat at my dad’s hospital bedside far from my husband and children, I disciplined my mind to focus on the character of God. I reminded myself that He was sovereign, fully in control of this situation. I reminded myself that He was good…all the time…even when my dad suffered paralysis from his second stroke. If I’d allowed my thoughts to wander into fear-filled places or self-pitied spaces, I’d have succumbed to exhaustion and hopelessness. But keeping my eyes on God enabled me to keep going through those unforgettable weeks.

Keeping our eyes on God in the hard places of life is vital to our ability to keep going. Moses knew all about it: “It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). Defying Pharaoh’s anger and chased by an army as he approached the Red Sea with nearly 3 ½ million people in his care, Moses focused on God and did what He told him to do in the face of incomprehensible odds. If he’d focused on his fears instead, he surely would have faltered and probably failed to obey God’s orders.

How do you get through life’s challenging places? If focusing on the invisible One is your method to survive and thrive, what specific actions do you implement?

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Test Time

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Tests make me nervous. In fact, I remember lying in fourth grade to skip writing a math test. I’d been sick at home for several days prior, and on the day of my return to school, the teacher plunked a math test on my desk. I took one look at it, felt the fear of failure sweep over me, and knew escape was my only option if I hoped to survive elementary school.

“I think I’m going to throw up,” I told the teacher. “You’d better run to the bathroom, then,” she said. I dashed down the hall, locked myself in a bathroom stall, and then wondered what to do next.

A minute or two later, I heard the door open and my teacher’s voice say, “Grace, are you okay? I’ve asked the principal to take you home because you’re probably not over the flu yet.” Sure enough, the principal drove me home and handed me over to my mother. Somehow I managed to fool her, too. Maybe I should have pursued an acting career, or at least purchased shares in a ginger ale company.

Tests are not fun, but they’re necessary to see how well we’re learning the lessons we need to know. The Israelites experienced this in their day, too. Exodus 16:4 says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions.’” And thus the manna menu began.

Every morning, the flaky substance appeared on the ground. And every morning, the people gathered as much as their households needed for that day. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over. And those who gathered a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed (vv. 17, 18).

What was the lesson God wanted them to learn? To trust His care and ability to provide for their needs. It looked as though they understood and were headed for a passing grade. But then came the test. “Do not keep any of it until morning,” said Moses.

Some students passed. Others failed – they didn’t listen to Moses but kept some of it until morning. When they woke up and went to retrieve their breakfast, they discovered a big, fat “F” on their test paper. The stored-up manna was full of maggots and had a terrible smell (v. 19,20). The test results revealed that, in the deepest part of their hearts, they didn’t fully trust God to provide for their needs.

Thankfully they took the failing grade to heart and changed their ways: “After this the people gathered the food morning by morning, each family according to its need” (v. 21). They’d seen God provide faithfully in the past, and they knew they could trust Him for the future.

As a missionary living on faith support, God tests me regularly in this regard. Do I trust Him to meet our financial needs? Just when I feel as though I’ve mastered this lesson, a major financial need arises: the car needs new tires, or a molar breaks and needs a crown, or the house needs repairs. Usually a speaking engagement or two cancels at the same time. I panic and wonder whether I should find a job with a guaranteed income to pay the bills. But then I remember that God promises to provide for our needs. Either I trust Him or I don’t. I can choose to rely on my own efforts, or I can do things God’s way and trust Him to keep His word. My response determines my grade. Will I pass or fail and have to relearn the lesson?

Tests are not easy, but they’re vital to reveal how well we’re learning what God wants us to know. How about you? Has God tested you recently? If so, we’d love to hear your story.

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Second Chances

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

 As a writer who interviews people from many different backgrounds, I find it fascinating to see how God grants second chances. One fellow – a former police officer – told me how he’d run into major financial problems and tried to solve them by robbing banks. He was caught, spent time in prison, and lost his marriage over the fiasco. But through it all, he found Christ’s forgiveness and hope. Now he’s helping at-risk teenagers realize the importance of making wise choices lest they, too, land in prison.

A woman recently told me that she’d been divorced several years ago. In the depths of despair, she gave her life to Christ. So did her ex. Now they’re married again – to each other – and things are going well.

Another woman told me of having struggled with an addiction to prescription drugs. She hit rock bottom, began attending a Celebrate Recovery program, and committed her life to Jesus. She’s been clean for more than a year and is now beginning to reach out to others without hope.

Acts 7:30-36 tells the story of Moses and his second chance. Moses had murdered an Egyptian and then fled into the wilderness to avoid paying the consequences. Forty years later, God gave Him a task. He said, “You can be sure that I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries. So I have come to rescue them. Now go, for I will send you to Egypt.”

Verse 35 is priceless: “And so God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected by demanding, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, Moses was sent to be their ruler and savior. And by means of many miraculous signs and wonders, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and back and forth through the wilderness for forty years.”

God is the God of second chances. When we’re in right relationship with Him, He sees us not for who we were and the mistakes we made; He sees us for who we are in Christ and what we can become. He doesn’t see us through human eyes and reject us when we stumble and fall. Rather, He sees us through divine eyes, picks us up and dusts us off, and puts us back in the race. Granted, we often bear natural consequences for negative choices we’ve made in the past, but God’s grace enables us to deal with them as we must.

Has God given you a second chance? Tell us about it!

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What’s Your Shepherd’s Staff?

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

It’s snowing outside! The ground is already covered with a white blanket, and there’s no sign of a let-up. My hubby has to be on the road today — I’m praying for a safe trip. Roads turn into a sheet of ice quickly here in this type of weather. I’ll hunker down and work all day in my office, thankful to be able to stay home.

This morning I read something that I’d read many times before but never really noticed. You know how Moses watched his father-in-law’s flocks? His tool for that job was a shepherd’s staff (Exod. 4:2). When God gave him the task of leading the Israelites out of Egypt, that staff took on new significance. Verse 20 says Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and headed back to Egypt. “In his hand he carried the staff of God.”
Wow — the simple shepherd’s staff became the staff of God!

What would be the equivalent in my life? A pen, perhaps. For years I used a pen to write missionary newsletters and notes of encouragement to friends. Then one day, God gave me my writing assignment. Suddenly the pen became the very tool He chose to use. for an expanded ministry.

I love how God works. He can use whatever He wishes to accomplish His purposes through us. I have a friend who enjoys baking bread. That’s the tool she uses to show love to others. Another friend makes pretty notecards. Someone else crochets dishcloths and gives them away as little gifts.

God wants to use us to build His kingdom, and He wants to use what’s already in our hand. The simplest tool becomes “the staff of God” when we’re willing to obey Him.

What’s your staff?

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Fear of Inadequacy

Monday, January 26th, 2009

I was in Dawson Creek, BC, for a women’s conference over the weekend. Flew up there on Friday and was greeted with a blast of cold air (minus 39 degrees Celsius), but warm hearts and hospitality. Fifty precious women attended the meetings — my prayer is that God will continue the good work He’s begun in their hearts.

This morning, back in my little living room, I read about Moses’ call to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. This is the exact passage from which I taught on Saturday morning in Dawson Creek. It so vividly illustrates the fear of inadequacy — something many of us struggle with.

God had big plans for Moses and for His people. When He gave Moses his divine assignment, Moses’ immediate reaction was, “Who, me? You’ve gotta be kidding. I can’t do that.” That was true. He couldn’t do it. Imagine feeding and providing everything needed for about 3 1/2 million people!

The good news was — God didn’t expect him to do it on his own. He (God) had all the details already figured out. He just needed a man on the ground to do the job. He just wanted Moses to say ‘yes’ and He’d look after the rest.

I’ve struggled with the fear of inadequacy, too. The ironic thing is — when I sensed God nudging me to write a book about the fears that women face, I argued with him for a year. I told Him that doing so was beyond my abilities…I couldn’t possibly pull it off….yada yada. Sometimes I’m a little slow upstairs. It took me awhile to figure out that He was giving me an assignment that was too big for me so that I’d have to lean on Him to get it done. That way, I’d experience His sufficiency in a new and more intimate way.

How about you? Do you have a God-given dream in your heart? Have you sensed Him nudging you towards a specific assignment? How have you responded?

It’s okay to admit your fear of inadequacy and your dependency upon Him to get the job done. In fact, that’s a very healthy place to be. It’s exactly where He wants us. When we are cast on Him to complete the task, we’ll do it in His way and strength rather than our own. And that’s the best way to get it done, right?

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