Who knew?

I am really enjoying listening through the Bible.  No, it doesn't replace cracking open the book and digging in, but I am being challenged in my thinking and God is speaking to my heart.  So, if you are like me and can't find time each and every day to dig deep and observe thoroughly - listen carefully!  I download the ESV Chronological Bible Podcast each morning and listen while I'm getting dressed for work

I'm still processing all I heard about Moses and I've been encouraged. Why?  Because God called Moses to a huge task and gave him an enormous responsibility.  But, God sent person after person along side Moses. I think that preaches and relates to us - right here and right now - today. From the very beginning God sent Moses an Aaron.  Then, Moses had Aaron and Hur. (Remember the story of them holding up Moses' hands?)  I can only imagine the delight Joshua brought to Moses' heart. And, then there came Jethro. Who knew Jethro was a Bible name?

Jethro was Moses' father in law.  Evidently Jethro missed all the miraculous signs and wonders, so Moses told him all the lord had done...about the hardships...being delivered...the goodness of the Lord in delivering them.  Moses' testimony made Jethro believe that God was greater than all the gods. So interesting what happens next.  You can listen to all this below but here's a summary:  Jethro watches Moses judging all the people from morning to evening and told him he was going to wear himself out!

Should have been obvious right?  So why is Jethro the first person to come along side Moses and point this out?  Very interesting!  Jethro counseled Moses by telling him he needed help and even what kind of people he needed to find to help him.  What seemed so obvious to Jethro was not obvious to Moses.  It doesn't appear it wasn't obvious to anyone else in the entire Hebrew camp either.  Wow, that's a life application moment. Lord, keep sending Jethro's into our lives!

There is one thing I am embracing about getting older and that is I understand more and more each day how God wired.me. Or maybe more importantly, how God has not wired me. I'm figuring out what fuels and energizes me, what abilities God has given to me and when I am working outside of my gifts and abilities. There was a time when I didn't know all of this and so I would keep going even though I was being drained of energy and was definitely working outside of my gifts and abilities.  How did I know?  It's called i-r-r-i -t-a-b-l-e.  It's called b-u-r-n  o-u-t.  It is called n-o  j-o-y!  Who knew I needed a Jethro?  God did.  God does!

Do you agree with this statement?  God can wear you out but if you are doing the work God has called you to do and you are doing it in His strength and in the gifts and abilities given to you then you will not experience burn out.

Go figure!

There Moses was minding his father in law's flock when God showed up in a very unexpected and glorious way and captured Moses' attention.  I love it!

What I love more is what the Bible says next: "when He saw that Moses turned aside to look, God called to Moses".  This will preach and what happened next is history.

As I've listened to the account of Moses, I've been deeply touched by just how human he was!  You see, Moses wasn't at all certain he was God's man. But God...God was certain of what He could and would accomplish in and through Moses!

At the very start, God assured Moses that He would "certainly" be with him and even assured him that the elders of Israel would pay "heed to do what you say". That's a lot of assurance! Oh yeah, and don't forget this conversation was all taking place in front of a bush that was burning but not burning up.  God even goes on to tell Moses that He was going to grant favor to the Hebrews in such a way that they would leave Egypt with articles of silver, gold, clothing and would plunder the Egyptians. Wow! You'd think Moses would be ready to charge, right?  Not so much.  Guess how Moses responds?  "But what if they don't believe me or listen to me."

Does this sound like a leader of people to you?  I mean, go figure. Why pick Moses - I wonder?  He had separated himself from his own people some 40 years earlier.  Actually, he was kind of old and didn't much act like he wanted to go deliver anyone. But God was telling Moses to go and there Moses was asking "what if."  I just love what God does next.  He asked Moses what he had in his hand (a staff) and then He tells him to throw it to the ground and it turned into a serpent!  Wow! Guess what Moses did?  Fled from it.  Do you love it?  But God...tells Moses to stretch out his hand and grasp its tail and Moses did. Go Moses!

This spoke to my heart.  God took what Moses had and used it to show Himself powerful and mighty.  As Moses was obedient to do, he experienced the power and might of God and each experience strengthened his faith.  Yep, that's a life lesson and it's also a tip for leading forward!  Okay, so several more miraculous signs occur and Moses is now ready to charge, right?  Nope!  He tells the Lord he can't really speak well.  Uh, excuse me...don't you think the God who just did those signs and wonders would give you the ability to speak well?  Like I would have responded any differently. Ha!  This is where God gets angry with Moses but tells Moses he will give him Aaron who speaks fluently.

Isn't God gracious?  He takes what we have, gives us His power and might and then teams us up with others to accomplish His purposes.  Go figure.  As I listen on, I hear God sending helper after helper so that Moses can lead God's people.  Some of these helpers are very interesting.  More on that later.  You know what strikes me here?  Each and everyone of us is leading.  We are using our influence to lead people toward God or away from God.  We are using our influence to impact the lives of those God has put within our reach and influence for Him - or not.  Why would God pick me to lead?  What would God pick you to lead?  Because He is able to take what we have and give us what we need.  Amen?

Listen to Exodus 3:-4:17.  I'd love to know what life lessons you hear.

Oh gnats!

Okay, so I'm listening through the Bible chronologically and get to the part where Moses is in Egypt because God wants Pharaoh to "Let My people go that they may serve Me."  Interesting events.  Here's a recap to self:

Ask 1:  Pharaoh says no.

· Moses' staff turns into a snake (Creepy.)

· Pharaoh's wise men and sorcerers using their secret arts threw down their staffs and they turned into snakes.

Seriously?

· But Moses' snake ate up all their snakes. (Good!)

Ask 2:  Pharaoh says no.

· Moses stretches out the staff, strikes the water of the Nile and it is turned into blood and God left it like that for 7 days.

· Pharaoh's wise men and sorcerers using their secret arts were able to do the same thing (Okay...but evidently were not able to undo.)

Ask 3:  Pharaoh says no.

· Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff over the waters of Egypt and frogs came out and covered the land. (Gross.)

· Magicians did the same thing (These secret arts are really concerning me but again they couldn't remove the frogs.)

· Pharaoh asked Moses to ask God to remove them,  God did. But, Pharaoh still wouldn't let the people go.  So...

· Moses stretched out his staff and struck the dust and gnats covered the land. Oh gnats!

· BUT...the magicians tried, with their secret arts, to bring out gnats and couldn't.  Seriously?

Using their secret arts, they could turn staffs into snakes, water to blood, bring forth frogs but they couldn't bring out tiny little gnats!  Thank the Lord their abilities and power was limited and that God is all powerful.  But still, don't you think the fact they possessed that kind of ability or power is attention getting?

This recap reminds me of something Jesus says in Matthew 7..."Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?"

Did you see that?  They were casting out demons and performing many miracles?  Okay... Jesus goes on to say to these performing many miracles - "I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from me you who practice lawlessness."  Attention getting!

So, they were not performing miracles in the power of God but were practicing lawlessness. Boy, that's a - Beware!  There are people out there who are doing a lot of "things" in the name of the Lord.  Jesus says they are false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  Oh my goodness.  So, how will we know them?  Well, according to the Word of God below, we are not to listen to their words, or be impressed by the fact that they can cast out demons or even perform many miracles. Well then, how will we know them?  By how they live their lives. What their lives produce.  Remember bad fruit produces fruit flies (oh gnats!).  Does what they say match what they do?  Do they say they are good, godly, following Christ, believe in His Word - but then as a way of life they don't have God like behavior or character?  Then, what does that tell us?  If they have no desire to know God by knowing God's Word, then no way, no how they are speaking for God or doing His work. If their decisions are not in line with the decisions God says to make or according to His character, then who are they following?  Even more concerning is if we don't know God because we don't know His word - how will we know the difference?

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’" Matthew 7:13-23 

Howl it out!

We used to have a white Boxer named Boomer.  Oh, the funny stories I could tell you about that dog.  In fact, if I ever need a good belly laugh I watch a video of Boomer being Boomer.  Before Boomer, I'd never had or heard a dog who howled.  When Boomer howled, the whole neighborhood heard him.  He'd get his boxer snout all wrinkled up and throw that head of his back and out would come this howl.  He only howled when he wanted his condition changed.  Like when it was raining and he wanted in the house (rather than go into his dog house).  Boomer's howl was pitiful and attention getting.  I found this visual on YouTube.

With that visual in mind, think about how we sound when we cry out to the Lord.  In our despair, we howl.  Oh, we don't often have the luxury of throwing back out heads and letting go so the whole neighborhood hears us.  But, what about those times in the shower, the closet, the car...  Or the times when the howl is deep in our hearts and we open our mouths but no sound will come?  In Psalm 18, David shares this:

"In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears." 

A beautiful example...in our distress, we can call upon the Lord!  We can howl out for help.  And you know what?  He hears our voice, He hears our howl for help - it comes into His ears.  Oh glory be.  I needed to be reminded of that truth today, didn't you?  And, it does not stop there.  David goes on to paint the most beautiful picture of God responding to our howl out.  He says God rides on the clouds, He rides on the cherub to our rescue.

"Then the earth shook and quaked; And the foundations of the mountains were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry. Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick darkness under His feet. He rode upon a cherub and flew; And He sped upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and coals of fire. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them. Then the channels of water appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare At Your rebuke, O Lord, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters." (Psalm 18:7-16)

Wow!  Listen to Psalm 18 and let the words dance about you, grab your heart and cause your spirit to soar so that the next time you are in distress....howl out before the Lord and then wait for He hears and He will act on behalf of the righteous! Look up - He rides on His clouds.