We started this study in Exodus three and discovered right off the bat (southern for start) that while the children of Israel were crying out to God, that He was preparing Moses as an answer to their prayers. This is encouraging in itself, because it demonstrates to me that in the times that I am crying out to God, He is in the process of preparing my answer as well!
We looked at the first bold thing about this passage:
GOD PLANS FROM THE BEGINING FOR US TO BE WITH HIM.
As we continue in our study of Exodus three we immediately come face to face with something that we battle between our head and heart on.
2.GOD'S PLAN IS ONLY HEARD WHEN WE TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN.
"And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt." ~Exodus 3:3-10
"And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt." ~Exodus 3:3-10
If you will notice, from verse 5 on, God does most of the talking.
When we start telling God what we think He ought to do, we start listening to our own plans. Moses looked, surrendered, and listened. When Moses stopped to listen, he was able to hear a greater plan than he had for himself.
He had a job, lived close to family, a little coin in the can. I mean what more could you ask for right?
God did not spare Moses because there was a shortage and need for good, solid, God honoring sheep herders. He was spared for a greater destiny than the backside of a desert. By the way, so were you, and so were the names of those in bondage, that came to your mind on Monday as you prayed.
Goes back to workmanship by the way.
Like a radio frequency, when you tune God's voice into your life (Proverbs 3:5-6) you discover that this was a steady broadcast that has been going out over your airwaves since you were born. He spoke in the people that you have met, things you have done, and places you have been.
I remember when I was a kid, my family and I would go on these long trips in the car. Dad would turn on the radio and it seemed like he found the one station that never really came in clear. It was static filled and fuzzy. It annoyed the mess out of me (Southern for got on my nerves). God's voice was like that for me growing up. It came into tune for just a bit, then I lost it to the static of life. Then one day, God crossed my path with a person who helped me tune in the frequency!
When was the last time you remember hearing God speak to your heart? What did He say? What method did He use to speak?
Over and over again in Psalms chapter 119, we find the psalmist asking God to "Teach me", "Instruct me", "speak", and "help me know" your ways!
Don't believe me? Read that chapter and I challenge you to mark, or highlight every time the writer asks God to make His voice in the writers life to be known. It is really something powerful! The writer asks God to teach him to understand His plans.
I love that in Exodus three, when Moses turned aside to, "See this great thing" that God saw Moses turn and then spoke.
GOD'S PLAN IS ONLY HEARD WHEN WE TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN!
3.GOD'S PLAN IS ABLE TO BE DONE ONLY WHEN WE ALLOW GOD TO LEAD US TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN OBEY GOD'S PLAN.
As long as the children of Israel were in bondage, they could not be for the Lord to the fullest that God planned for them to be. There is a tremendous freedom that comes with serving the Lord from the heart.
Sometimes that freedom is something that you have to be led to, and being led requires you to admit that you need directions.
God's plan for His people conflicted with Pharaoh's plan. Until they were led away from Pharaoh, they were unable to fulfill God's plan. Pharaoh can be pictured as pride I believe. It is a "My plan is better than God's" mindset.
Let me just tie this study together. There are only two types of people in this world. Broken or Repaired. If you are repaired, then that means at one time you were broken.
Remember the names you prayed for last Monday? Would God let you play a part in leading them out of bondage? I would invite you to "Turn Aside" sometime today and let the Lord know that He has you if He would like to use you for that purpose.
The bush burning is an awesome expression of God's love for both Moses as well as His kids that were in bondage. It reminds us that God is very aware of our state, He hears our cries, He holds our destiny, and He longs to have us all to Himself!
Climbing with you,
~Dan
PS. Could God start a church from a divine appointment? You have to see this Saturday's post! see you then!
When we start telling God what we think He ought to do, we start listening to our own plans. Moses looked, surrendered, and listened. When Moses stopped to listen, he was able to hear a greater plan than he had for himself.
He had a job, lived close to family, a little coin in the can. I mean what more could you ask for right?
God did not spare Moses because there was a shortage and need for good, solid, God honoring sheep herders. He was spared for a greater destiny than the backside of a desert. By the way, so were you, and so were the names of those in bondage, that came to your mind on Monday as you prayed.
Goes back to workmanship by the way.
Like a radio frequency, when you tune God's voice into your life (Proverbs 3:5-6) you discover that this was a steady broadcast that has been going out over your airwaves since you were born. He spoke in the people that you have met, things you have done, and places you have been.
I remember when I was a kid, my family and I would go on these long trips in the car. Dad would turn on the radio and it seemed like he found the one station that never really came in clear. It was static filled and fuzzy. It annoyed the mess out of me (Southern for got on my nerves). God's voice was like that for me growing up. It came into tune for just a bit, then I lost it to the static of life. Then one day, God crossed my path with a person who helped me tune in the frequency!
When was the last time you remember hearing God speak to your heart? What did He say? What method did He use to speak?
Over and over again in Psalms chapter 119, we find the psalmist asking God to "Teach me", "Instruct me", "speak", and "help me know" your ways!
Don't believe me? Read that chapter and I challenge you to mark, or highlight every time the writer asks God to make His voice in the writers life to be known. It is really something powerful! The writer asks God to teach him to understand His plans.
I love that in Exodus three, when Moses turned aside to, "See this great thing" that God saw Moses turn and then spoke.
GOD'S PLAN IS ONLY HEARD WHEN WE TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN!
3.GOD'S PLAN IS ABLE TO BE DONE ONLY WHEN WE ALLOW GOD TO LEAD US TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN OBEY GOD'S PLAN.
As long as the children of Israel were in bondage, they could not be for the Lord to the fullest that God planned for them to be. There is a tremendous freedom that comes with serving the Lord from the heart.
Sometimes that freedom is something that you have to be led to, and being led requires you to admit that you need directions.
God's plan for His people conflicted with Pharaoh's plan. Until they were led away from Pharaoh, they were unable to fulfill God's plan. Pharaoh can be pictured as pride I believe. It is a "My plan is better than God's" mindset.
Let me just tie this study together. There are only two types of people in this world. Broken or Repaired. If you are repaired, then that means at one time you were broken.
Remember the names you prayed for last Monday? Would God let you play a part in leading them out of bondage? I would invite you to "Turn Aside" sometime today and let the Lord know that He has you if He would like to use you for that purpose.
The bush burning is an awesome expression of God's love for both Moses as well as His kids that were in bondage. It reminds us that God is very aware of our state, He hears our cries, He holds our destiny, and He longs to have us all to Himself!
Climbing with you,
~Dan
PS. Could God start a church from a divine appointment? You have to see this Saturday's post! see you then!
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