Wednesdays with Moses

Read Exodus 4:19-21 – Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.” Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand. And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. … ” (NKJV)

As God reveals the steps Moses is to take in his rescue mission, He tells His reluctant servant that his initial efforts will be met with resistance, even failure. Isn’t that interesting? God commands Moses to go and ask for the release of His people, then He tells Moses that the request will be denied. How do we respond to such resistance? Wouldn’t Moses have wanted to say, “Then why try?” Of course, we know the story’s ending and we know that God had purpose in this rejection. He would use Pharaoh’s resistance to bring judgment on the Egyptians for their cruel treatment of His people. Just because things aren’t working out doesn’t mean that we have missed God’s will. However, things working out well doesn’t mean that we are in His will either. The point is to obey and watch to see what God will do. Often His plan is much more complex than we first imagine.

– Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network of the Assemblies of God.
National Light for the Lost Day . May 6, 2012 . www.men.ag.org