6. Moses

Moses takes up a huge section of the Old Testament record of the people of Israel and he manages to move from reluctant leader to leader of a nation with God’s help.

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Idea 1:  Start 

You will probably all know how Moses kicked off his life. Torn between two lives he wrestled to reconcile his princely privilege with his Hebrew heritage, a conflict that spilled out in murder. Perhaps however, the burning bush where God speaks to Moses is the best defining ‘start’ moment we can go to for Moses. Here he wrestles a bit with God and His plans, and wrestles with his own limitations: fear and anxiety. 

Imagine for a moment that you are in Moses’ sandals, the bush is a on fire but not burning up and God calls you to an incredible task. What would be your ‘but God …’ statements?

• I haven’t been to Bible College
• I am not a gifted public speaker
• I am too young
• I am too old
• What would you say or have you said?

Idea 2: Middle

The people of Israel spent a long time wandering the wilderness, and occasion after occasion God sets up a situation where they can put their trust in Him, before they see the miracle happen. Time and time again they choose to complain, resist and look away from God in face of the difficulty. 

My question to you is this: are there things in your life today, now, that you are going through and the struggle is to keep seeing God in it? To see God working in the chaos and madness of life and to even be able to thank him before we see the miracle, the provision or the answer we so desperately need?

• Are you facing a crisis and struggle to see where God is in it all?
• What is going on in your life that is taking you to the wire?

In these moments, if you can, be real, honest and transparent about the struggles.

Idea 3: End

So here is an incredible moment in the life of Moses. You have seen that Moses dies well and how God had shown him it would be. But also there is more. Before Moses dies, he blesses the next man to lead the people forward. Moses places his hands on Joshua and blesses him for the job he is about to take on, to lead the people into the promised land God had prepared for them. 

Moses doesn’t moan and whine, complain and wrestle. He just obeys God and does what he is being asked to do. This is amazing. After years of leading these people, their moaning, failures and trials you might expect Moses to be angry that he wouldn’t get to the promised land, but he wasn’t. He blesses! 

That’s incredible. 

Action

Today if things have come to the surface - struggles and battles - maybe now just pray and thank God because He is faithful. Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you and help you trust God during the storm.