Are you running with the Lord?
April 14, 2011 (Thursday)
God has used many people to accomplish His purpose in the earth. One of those people was most certainly Moses. Moses spent his life in three chapters: 1. His life in Egypt, 2. His life in Midian, and 3. His life in the wilderness. Each of those chapters was 40 years long. Those three chapters prompt us to ask three questions about ourselves. Here they are:
1. Am I Running Ahead of the Lord?
Moses knew he was a special person with a special job to do. His job was going to be the leading of the children of Israel out of Egypt into the “Promised Land.” Although he was a Hebrew, he was raised in Pharaoh’s house. He had freedom to go and come as he pleased, and he did so. He became interested in the plight of t he Hebrews, and one day he killed an Egyptian who was mistreating a Hebrew. He ran ahead of the Lord. The time was not right. He then became a fugitive, and fled to Midian, where he lived as a shepherd for the next 40 years. Many of us are guilty of becoming impatient with the Lord’s timetable for our lives. We make hasty decisions and run ahead of the Lord. The result is always disappointing.
2. Am I Running Behind the Lord?
Moses was tending sheep in Midian for 40 years while the Hebrews in Egypt continued to suffer enslavement by the Egyptians. He was not leading anyone anywhere. God was still interested in freeing His people, but where was Moses? He was running way behind the Lord. One day God appeared to Him in a burning bush, telling him the time had come for him to lead the Hebrews out of bondage into freedom. After some hesitation, Moses accepted the Lord’s call and went back to Egypt to demand freedom for the Hebrews. We sometimes run behind the Lord. We’re still hoping and planning, but God wants us to do His will right now.
3. Am I Running With the Lord?
The last 40 years of Moses’ life were spent leading God’s people to the promised land. Actually they arrived at the new land right on schedule, but the people were afraid to enter, so they spent the next 40 years wandering in the wilderness until a new generation was ready to go in and possess the land. Throughout all those years, Moses proved himself to be a strong and dedicated leader. He was running with the Lord. That’s the best way for all of us. Our prayer each morning can be, “Lord, what will you have me to do?”