Not in my Power, but in His. Hope in the Distance, Part 13

Moses, in his own power killed an Egyptian (See Ex. 2:11-15).

Why?

Because he saw an Egyptian strike a Hebrew.

Moses didn't worry. After all he was the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Nonetheless, when the word got out, Moses’ status in the royal family didn’t help him at all, for Pharaoh put a death warrant on Moses’ head.

Moses had no choice but to run away completely demoralized. He felt he was a failure. Instead of helping his people, he had made himself a criminal, one who would soon be caught and killed. He became a completely unimportant nomad.

Whenever we act on its own power, we will fail, for who among us can control ourselves?

Moses ended up becoming a shepherd, and he had no further conflicts. One day while he was taking care of his flock, however, something caught and held his attention:

“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, ‘I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.’ When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ And Moses said, ‘Here I am.’ ‘Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’” (Ex. 3:1-5 NIV)

Moses met our Heavenly Father that day, and God told him to go back to Egypt to save the Israelites.

Moses did not want to go. After all, he was considered to be a criminal in Egypt. He would be executed if he went back; but our Heavenly Father gave him a promise: "I'll be with you." (Ex. 3:12a NIV)

Sure enough, once he had returned to Egypt, no one remembered his past sins. This time he was following God, not Himself. He had learned that to move mountains we have to depend on our Heavenly Father. What Moses had to do wasn’t easy, but the presence of God led him, along with the entire nation of Israel, to the Promised Land. God forgave his sins: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9 NIV)

I, too, have made serious mistakes when leaning on my own understanding. During the year that I was a replacement French Consultant, many of the people high up in the school board encouraged me to become a principal. I let it go to my head. After all, if they thought I would be a good principal, maybe I should take some of the required courses!

It boosted my ego to think that my superiors thought I might make a good principal; however I was not at peace with the idea, and that was a red flag. Aren’t we told, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace” (Col 3:15 NIV)?

My Heavenly Father was warning me that this was not His will. He warned me that this was not His will. I would head to a shipwreck. He avoided this shipwreck thanks to my Father.

After all I missed teaching. Back to school, I was in my elements. Moreover, I was in peace.

God guides us with His peace. No peace, we are doing our own thing that heads to a shipwreck.

Is that worthwhile?

Moses can concur. It was not worth to do our own stupidities. He could have avoid all that.

Follow the peace of God and you will be blessed forever.

'“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

P.S. I wanted to show how Moses changed when He found God. He was not the same man. He had found God completely and he was serving His Father with all of his heart.

Rob Chaffart