By Brother Deji Oyawoye

Bible Passage: Matthew 6:34, Exodus 3:1-12

 

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” – Matthew 6:34

 

The life of Moses is one that is full of instructions. Bible scholars said his life was divided into three equal parts. The first part was in the palace of Egypt where he lived, ate, behaved and was taught like a prince; the next part of his life was spent in the desert and will be the focus of this message. God uses the palace and the desert experiences of our lives to prepare us for the purpose He has for us, which was what happened to Moses. It’s interesting that the Bible doesn’t say much about his palace experience even though it was for about 40 years. Moses’ encounter with God on mount Horeb represented his entire journey throughout the desert.  So also, our lives as individuals can be divided into 3 broad parts. The palace experience are the times when things are good and we are confident of future and things that will happen. The desert experience represents a place of unfruitfulness, or an uneventful place. God amazingly uses both to prepare us for purpose.

 

The Journey of Moses in the desert

Moses’s time in the palace would have been very eventful. He would have been taught the art of government, history, literature and everything that a prince would learn. However, he found himself in the desert where all he could do was tend his father-in-law’s flock. So, for 40 years, his life seemed unfruitful, uneventful and just at a standstill. Many times we find ourselves in situations like this where it seems like certain aspects or general aspects of our life isn’t moving forward. For instance childlessness, lack of job, sickness, settlement are signs of unfruitfulness and uneventfulness which place restrictions on you. God uses these to prepare us; He doesn’t use microwave but a crockpot to prepare us. There’s no desert you are facing now that is not common to man, you are not the first person to go through such experience and you are able to withstand the heat and come out of it better (1 Corinthians 10:14). No matter the desert you are facing now, don’t worry about the future because God has already made a way of escape and He will give you the grace and power to bear it. We all are concerned about the future and the things that have the ability to inhibit us from the vision we have for the future. There are two things that we face in the future; the unknown and the known just like Moses.

 

What are the things Moses didn’t know?

1. Moses didn’t know the state of the Egyptians and the Israelites. He didn’t know if the military power of Pharaoh has increased or decreased or the number of the children of Israel. The fact that we can’t adequately predict the future brings fear in our hearts but Don’t Worry!

2.  Moses did not know who God was. But God took him through the process of knowing Him.

In our Christian lives, there are 4 stages of the knowledge of God that He takes us through:

a. Introductory stage: Moses’ experience of the burning bush created his opportunity to dialogue with God. 

b. Exposure Stage: This stage is when we begin to get the knowledge of God from others (Exodus 3:6)

c. Experimental stage: When we begin to test those things we hear (Exodus 4:2-4)

d. Experiential stage: This is when we begin to experience God and His power (John 9:1-12). It is only experiential knowledge of God that can take us out of the desert (Isaiah 26:4, Exodus 3:14, Psalms 119:90).

 

What are the things Moses knew?

1. Moses knew the Egyptians, he knew the kind of people they were, their might and the wickedness of their hearts. Looking into the future, it might become a bit daunting knowing all the odds against you but Jesus has told us not to worry (Matt 6:34). In all of these, God still expects us to take responsibility for our lives, career, finances, children etc. but we should hand them over to him because He is the one who can see us through (1 Corinthians 10:13, Exodus 4:19).

2. Moses knew a pronouncement  of death hadbeen made upon him. Yet, he was going to meet the one who pronounced death upon him to rescue those who had no faith in him (Exodus 2:14). Our errors can keep us in the desert but God can impute his righteousness upon us to bring us out of it (Isaiah 54:17, Psalms 105:14).

3. Moses knew himself. He knew his weakness as being of slow speech. Apart from the speech defect, he knew all the problems that were confronting him in the mission God sent him to accomplish. 

Although Moses didn’t see a way out of the desert, God saw a way out for him. What God does is to get us ready for the future, which was what He did for Moses.

 

What are God’s promises for us?

1. He has equipped you for the future and you can be sure God has made provision for that journey you are looking at. Far along the line, what Moses did not see was Joshua, Caleb and all the other destiny helpers, he was only able to see Aaron. You may not see all the destiny helpers in the future but they are there.

2. God also gives grace (2 Corinthians 12:9);

3. God equips us with strength (Philippians 4:13, Joel 2:11, 2 Corinthians 12:19);

4. God promised us His presence. The presence of God with us ensures that He teaches us what to say and what to do per time (Exodus 4:15).

 

What should we do?

1. Be careful to keep his commandments (Deuteronomy 8:6);

2. Know the precepts of God (Psalms 119:104)

3. Do not get carried away. Moses went from Egypt to Midian, if Moses had gotten carried away in Midian, he would not have become what God had in plan for him (Psalms 105:44-45)

4. Don’t glory in self but in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31)

5. Remain steadfast and don’t get entangled. It takes faith to stand fast and not get entangled (Galatians 5:1).