Squirrel Huntin' by a Well of Reflection

O. T. #126  "Squirrel Huntin' by a Well of Reflection"
September 12, 2013
Exodus 2-Part 5
Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. but Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. Exodus 2:15

LET IT GLOW

When I was a girl growing up, I would go with my brother into the woods to hunt squirrel. Mom would fry it or fix squirrel and dumplin's for supper. Mmmm.  A favorite place for us to go for our hunt was located beside an old well. I don't know when it was dug, but today, it's still exists there after 50 years. He would spot some squirrels' nests in the trees and that was the spot. He taught me to sit still, not moving my feet in the dead leaves on the ground, to look up in all the surrounding trees for scampering squirrels tree hopping, and to listen for their chatter to one another. The solace paid off, and soon he would shoot the game.
Oh, it didn't end there with carrying the squirrel on his shoulder walking home. I helped him clean it. See, you skin a squirrel, so someone had to hold the two back legs. Well, you don't want the gory details, I'm sure. (Yes, I'm a country girl.) The point is, sitting by the well in the quiet woods, gave me a time to think. And so it was with Moses in our key verse.

We left Moses on the run. He stood up for a fellow Hebrew, killing an Egyptian in his defense. Pharaoh put out an APB, well, was looking for Moses to kill him, so he ran to the desert.

The place was called Midian, which was named after one of the 6 sons of Abraham and Keturah (his wife after Sarah died). Also, it was an area ranging from the head of the gulf of Aqaba to Moab, and even Gilead (Gen. 25:2). The land of the Midianites, who lived near Mount Sinai, were descendants of Abraham and intermarried with Ishmael's line (Gen. 37:25, 28). (Falwell)

Charles Swindoll, in his Bible study guide, Moses, God's Man for a Crisis, teaches us:

Feeling humiliated, ashamed, embarrassed, and worthless, he sat down by a well in the midst of a rocky, barren desert. He learned a great deal from his failure and so can we.

• Experiencing failure promotes an obedient life. When we come to the end of a road where we have been bruised, broken, and humiliated, we often sense a renewed drive to get back on track with God. We know that the path we took was a dead end. We then stand before our Lord humble in heart and willing to obey. (Ps. 119:67, 71)
• experiencing failure prompts a teachable spirit. A blow to our plans can help us lift up our voices to God and pay more attention to His answers. Once pride is gone, we can hear God more clearly and learn from Him more effectively.

Dear one, are you in this desert in your life right now? Perhaps you aren't now, but have gotten out of it recently. If not you, maybe you know someone who is and this can help, is my prayer.

LET IT GROW

Moses attempted to do God's will his way instead of God's way. What resulted? He murdered an Egyptian and the king had everyone looking for this man, the adopted son of his daughter, the one who grew up in the palace. Can you imagine? But that is what drove Moses away to a place where he could learn some of life's lessons. He ended up confused, tired, and shaken in the desert land of Midian. Do you think he had time for reflection? What did he learn from it all?

Swindoll explains that Moses learned at least 4 lessons that later helped him to become one of Israel's greatest leaders:

1. Spiritual ends are not achieved by carnal means. The execution of Moses' scheme led to sin instead of deliverance.
2. Timing is as important as action. God's plans must be enacted at the appropriate times. Rather waiting on the Lord to move him into leadership, he prematurely pushed his way into the position.
3. Hiding the wrong done does not erase it. (He tried to bury his sin.) The attempt to conceal sin only delayed its discovery and intensified the severity of the failure.
4. Spiritual leadership is God-appointed, not self-assumed. Moses had an incredible resume', but he was not ready for the reins of leadership. He apparently thought it was his job to take God's place rather than to obediently follow His lead.

Moses sat down by a well. Had time to reflect on the situation. We will see the changes as they occur in Moses' life as we continue. He stepped away from the well of reflection on wrong and moved toward a life of obedience to God.

Do we need some time to sit quietly by a well of reflection? Will we listen to what God has to say about your situation? Will we learn some lessons the hard way?

LET IT GO

When I have failed, take time to sit by a well of reflection.

Listen. Look. Learn.

Confess my sins and ask God's forgiveness.

Allow the blood of Jesus to wash them away.

Do God's will God's way.

Learn my lessons well so that they need not be repeated in the classroom of life.