God's Will, God's Way

O.T.#139  "God's Will, God's Way"
Oct. 3, 2013
Exodus 4-Part 5
So Moses took his wife and sons, and put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand. Exodus 4:20 NIV 

LET IT GLOW

Your Will, Your Way, today, I pray. Easy words to say, but hard to mean them in our heart. Do we really want God's will to be done in and through our life? Are we willing for it to be accomplished by doing it His way and not our own way? am I walking in God's will, God's way? Things to ponder as we read on with Moses moving on.

What's been happening in Moses' life? He had an encounter with God, a burning bush experience that changed his heart and life forever. His decision to obey God effected himself, his family, and millions of people. He returned his father in law's sheep and received his blessing to go back to Egypt to check on his family.

We should attempt to gain the blessing of close family and friends before setting out on our divinely appointed tasks.  (Swindoll)

Moses informs his wife of his plans to move to Egypt. She apparently knows all about the Hebrew beliefs because she circumcises their son according to the Abrahamic covenant so God would not kill Moses for his disobedience. Apparently, Moses became gravely ill and God sought to kill him for his lack of obedience. (4:24)

God prepared Moses for what was coming up in Egypt by informing Moses about Pharaoh. God would harden Pharaoh's heart, thus he would not let the Hebrew slaves leave. Pharaoh's heart was already against God, for he worshiped false gods and idols.
Each response against God's will results in a weakened conscience and lessens the ability of an individual to respond correctly the next time. (Falwell)

You know, it was in God's plan all along to show His power to the Egyptians and the Hebrews through the ten plagues. Each plague attacked an Egyptian god and I AM THAT I AM showed Himself to be the Supreme God, Elohim.

LET IT GROW

Moses took the rod of God (his shepherd staff) in his hand as he traveled toward Egypt. It would later be used to part the Red Sea, bring water from a rock, and bring victory to Israel's battle. It was not a royal scepter in Moses' hand this time, but a shepherd's staff that would become the rod of God.

Charles Swindoll, in his bible study guide, Moses, God's Man For a Crisis, gives us four lessons to learn from these scriptures:

1. When we are walking in God's desired will, whatever we use in the process becomes His property. God can use our voice, hands, computers, books, anything like Moses' staff as sacred tools in the hands of the living God.
2. When we are doing God's will His way, we can perform even the most difficult assignment with a quiet confidence (Is. 32:17). Moses would appear before the king of Egypt and demand that his largest work force be permitted to leave the country.
3. When we make the decision to trust God rather than ourselves, we will often find Him unearthing areas of our lives that we have neglected. This happened with Moses and his neglect of obeying the law of circumcision in God's Abrahamic covenant. The Lord wants His chosen vessels to submit to Him in every aspect of their lives.
4. God will often use those who are closest to us to expose the areas of our lives that need spiritual cleansing. Zipporah was the instrument God used in Moses' life.

Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV says, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understand. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

NAS says, ...and He will make your paths straight.

LET IT GO

Allow God to use anything I have for His purpose and glory.

Keep my heart open to anything exposed as not pleasing to God and change it.

Obey God fully and completely and watch for blessings.