Jan 19, 2008

A Burning Question

This week I was reading the story about Moses, the burning bush, the staff that God turned into a snake, then a staff again. It's fun to read from The Message Remix because I'm catching things this time around that I didn't catch in the story of Moses before.

And it struck me that here was God commanding Moses to go into Egypt and get the Israelites together and free them from the enslavement they've been enduring for years.

*It was a good place for them to be at one time, back when Joseph was hanging out with the Egyptian elite, but then it turned bad. Joseph was a son of Jacob (later named Israel by God), and he brought his family into Egypt to shelter them from the famine that was happening.

But...years later and apparently many many many little Israelites later, they were taxing the land and posed a bit of a security threat. So they were treated as slaves and it wasn't a good time. And they were pretty much needing to get out of there, so God sent their relative, Moses to come back and lead them out.

But I read that initial conversation there on the road and I'm thinking this: If I'm bee bopping along down a path and see a bush lit up in flames but not burning and God speaks to ME, tells me to do something, would I beg Him to send someone else like Moses did? I don't know. And part of Moses' reticence was that he stammered and stuttered when he talked.

Still....God picked Moses. God told Moses he was the one, that He would be there with him, that He would send Moses' brother Aaron to help him. I think it appealed to me because of this: Of course He picked Moses! He didn't see him as incapable and incompetent like Moses saw himself. He saw farther into him than Moses saw into himself. Don't we all have a little bit of Moses in us--uncertainty, lack of confidence, and not seeing beyond the speed bumps in the road? I'm thinking if I hear God's call, I'm going to jump right on in. He knows things about me I don't.

I'm just beginning Miracle Word and I'm already blessed by the stories I'm reading. I honestly believe this is going to be a journey I'll never forget. And I still have some of the reader guides, let me know if you want one, I'll get it in the mail asap.

9 Comments:

Donna. W said...

I love how Moses is. Your Bible reading plan is ahead of mine; I'm just now in Egypt with Joseph.

I once wrote a poem about Moses, called "Moses Was A Little Slow".

D... said...

I know I would be like Moses. Who me? Wouldn't someone else be better? What can *I* do? I just never have the faith in myself.

Misty DawnS said...

I SO have some of that Moses uncertainty and lack of confidence in me. OK, I'll admit it, I've got LOTS of that in me! My self-esteem and confidence is pretty much non-existent.

Anonymous said...

Hi Stacey,

I just have to comment on what you said, "I'm thinking if I hear God's call, I'm going to jump right on in. He knows things about me I don't."

I believe he is speaking to us every single moment. It may not be like with Moses, but he's definitely speaking to you constantly. Sit, listen, hear his voice, and jump right in. He does know you, and he wants the best for you.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this post Stacey. I have not done Bible Study in so many years, that you actually made me want to go back to it. I love the point you made about all of us having a little bit of Moses in us. That is very powerful and so very, very true. Sure something to think about tonight......

Hope your weekend was nice.
Love.

Jillie Bean (AKA Bubba's Sis) said...

Yep, Moses in me, too. I would like to think that if God spoke to me so boldly I would jump right in, but truth be told I think I'd be just like Moses and doubt. Send someone else! I'll help them stay organized or something!

I'm reading in Acts right now - about the first church and how it's the model for all churches now. A good message!

Happy Elf Mom (Christine) said...

I'm just glad I'm not Moses! All that wandering in the desert dust, having to eat bread that falls on the dirt EVERY DAY for 40 years... the complaining relatives and the whining people...

But God even tells Miriam and Aaron that he speaks not in dreams to Moses, but as it were "face to face." Can you imagine doing that?? (Me neither)

Angela Williams Duea said...

Oh man oh man, I needed to hear that today. Of course I want to be fearless in the situations God puts me in, but I don't believe in myself the way God believes in me.

You can't imagine the sense of relief I just felt from reading that! Thank you, my friend.

Anonymous said...

Ok, here's where I admit something bad. When I first heard that Moses was lame I was irritated. I was let down. I know I should've looked at it like, Wow...God can use any Joe Blow, but at first (not now) I was like, everybody in the Bible are idiots!

Naw...I'm not cynical at all!