Moses Complaint of Self

When God began to call Moses and give him the divine instructions which would set the children of Israel free from Egypt, Moses did what most of us do; first he questioned himself.

Exodus 3:11 Moses says, "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" Modesty is good, however it cannot be carried to the point of no confidence. When God asks you to do something, do you go so far as to doubt it can be accomplished, solely based upon what you perceive to be your own inadequacies?

God gave Moses reassurance, and doubled it with a future promise. Verse twelve says, "Certainly I will be with thee, and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain." God told Moses, I will certainly be with you, and once you have completed this assignment, and you have gone through the test and trial of patience, perseverance, and allowing me to work in my time not yours, then as the task comes to a close, I will remind you of this very moment when I called you and gave you these instructions.

God will call us to do things which will require His help; which are too big for us to do by ourselves. He will also empower us to accomplish the task at hand. This is how we know it is God. We will need to have patience while awaiting His perfect timing of the task's fulfillment. Perseverance not to give up, even if we don't see or feel as if progress is being made. And then watch Him bring us full circle and quietly tap us on the shoulder to say, "Now that it is accomplished, remember when I told you it would come to pass?"

LORD, when you call us to a task, let us not lack confidence, let us understand some degree of uncertainty is expected, for if we could accomplish the task, we would not need You. Your desire is to show us how mighty You are, how much You love us, and for us to know You will go to any length to set us free.  Even when it looks as if nothing is coming to pass, this does not mean You are not at work or have forgotten about us. Thank You, LORD, for after the patience, perseverance and endurance, You gently remind us, it was You who were with us all along.  Thank You, for showing us how to fully trust in You!

11 Complaints of Moses

Exodus 3 begins to give us a clear understanding of how Moses went from a could have been, to being the Servant Leader, God called him to be unto the children of Israel.  However in the midst of this awesome calling, Moses still had flaws.  He presented to God a series of eleven complaints while walking out his calling.  

Eleven.  One past the number Ten, which is the number of law and order, government and restoration. One short of the number twelve, the number of Divine government, Apostolic Fullness.  The number eleven means incompleteness, disorganization, and disintegration.  

These eleven complaints, begin to show us in our own lives, the very reasons for us not moving forward with God, and patterns of why we fail to fully manifest what He has spoken to us and declared would come to pass in our lives. 

My quest is to present to you, what He has and is showing me, by simply walking through these complaints.  Let's begin to recognize them for what they are: Nothing in the presence of our LORD!

Let the journey of our calling, begin!

Coming To Dry Up

In Exodus 3:1, the Bible tells us "Moses came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb."  This had me wondering, how can the mountain of God, be also known as "horeb" which means to dry up?

Let's return to the "beginnings", meaning Genesis chapter 1, we see in verse 2, the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  Here, we know the earth was covered by water, because of the sin of the pre-Adamic fall of Lucifer and his host of angels.  God judged them with destruction of their habitat. The method He used was a complete and total devastating flood, which destroyed all things, even vegetation, unlike the 382 days of Noah's flood, which did not destroy all. As the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, it began to "dry up" the devastation which had taken place in Genesis 1:1. Then God had to speak forth new life, however in Noah's flood, He simply pushed back the waters, which fulfilled His divine purpose, so the life which was there all along could be exposed. Now we understand why "Moses came to the Mount of God, even to Horeb."  God was beginning to move upon Moses to "dry up" the devastation in the lives of His people so He could expose the life which was already there.

Think about this in your life. You get off course and sin. The LORD sends judgement, which overcomes you and submerges all in which you had and lived. Your world is "underwater". However it doesn't destroy you totally. In the process of time, He sends His Spirit to you, and begins to move upon your circumstances to recede the "flood" of judgement in your life, thus bringing forth new life in you once again. He does not have to speak you back into life, for you were never totally destroyed, only covered in His divine purpose.   

If you feel as if you have been covered in a flood of devastation  and see all you have lived in before has been washed away, maybe the LORD is about to dry you up, restore you, and bring life back to you. All you need do is turn aside and see His great light.

Complaining Or Questioning Your Purpose

Once God revealed Himself unto Moses, Moses came forward with eleven complaints as to why not... Eleven. The number of incompleteness, disorganization, and disintegration. 

It had to be this way, for Moses, in his human self, was incomplete. He needed God. He was disorganized, for his direction and purpose were not clear. And talk about disintegration. He had come apart at the seams. Murdering a man, and then attempting to cover up the crime? And to go one step further He ran from, instead of owning up to his mistakes? 

Often times we are just like this. We are incomplete. We are disorganized and do not have our focus on God or what He has created us to do. You were not created to only work a job, and fill your life with material things. We are created for a purpose and can accomplish it through him.  

Are you complaining, or asking Him "what is my purpose?"

Returning To The Thing You Cast Off

When Moses cast his staff upon the ground, and it became a symbol of evil, Moses fled from it. However God sent him back to it. Not for it to hurt him, but to show Moses, he now had power over it.

The thing you have carried, harbored, leaned upon, and has weighed you down, you may see as a symbol of evil, pain and regret. But God will send you back to the very thing you try to flee from. Why? He wants to show you, how you now have power over it. Now you can pick it up. And now you can take it and go help set others free!

Will you trust Him, to use what you have carried and ran from?

Cast That Thing

Exodus 4:3 "And He said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it."

The very thing which Moses had been carrying all his life, unbeknownst to him, had become consecrated. God revealed Himself and showed Moses, He had been with him all along. Then He basically told Moses, "I know what you have, and I know what you carry." Then He commanded Moses to release it.

When Moses casts his rod upon the ground, it became a serpent, or a symbol of evil. This is why Moses fled from before it, for the bible instructs us to "Flee from evil".

When you release what you have, under God's direction, it will often appear to be evil. You may feel the pain trying to come back, the fear of loosing again, or even the bitter shame of admitting a past failure. However God has a plan. The question is do you trust Him, or what you see?

What You Have Carried With You

Exodus 4:2 "And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand, and he said, a rod."

Moses had a rod in his hand. We think of it as a walking stick, something to help him keep his balance. But the thing he carried was so much more, even before God revealed Himself to Moses, and showed him miracles, He was using the thing Moses carried to stabilize Moses' life in Him.

You see Moses was familiar with his rod. A shepherds rod was used to guide sheep, ward off predators  and to stabilize the shepherds walk over rocky ground. He leaned on it when he was weary and ran with it when he was happy. It was always with him, during good and bad times. All shepherds had one. All shepherds carried one. However, when God revealed Himself to Moses, the thing he carried, which seemed so common, became mighty in the hands of God. All Moses had to do was give it to Him and let Him use it.

What is it you have been carrying for a while? Maybe its the divorce you never wanted and the secret shame which goes with it? Maybe its the guilt you carry of an aborted child? Or perhaps its the secret addiction to pornography, drugs, or alcohol? Maybe its an temper, which is more explosive than dynamite? Whatever it is, you have carried it long enough. Its time to use it to fight off predators, guide others who come after you, and to stabilize you over rocky ground. Its time to give it unto God, and let Him work miracles with it!

What Is In Thine Hand?

Exodus 4:2 shows us how God was with Moses, prior to sending him out to accomplish a great work.  The previous events of Moses' life would suggest he was a has been and a failure.  He should have been living in the most wealthiest nations land. He should have been eating the best of the nations food. He should have been next in line to the throne.  He should have been Pharaoh in Egypt. Yet here he is on the back side of a desert, up a mountain, where it is cold and lonely, surrounded by no one, but sheep, and only carrying a stick.  No earthly riches to speak of, and food which was scarce at best. No royal seat to sit upon, and his title, "King of the Sheep?" 
Yet God still chose him. Not only did He choose Moses, God took what He had, and used it.

God asked him, "What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod." 
This rod became the catalyst to many miracles in Egypt and in the wilderness of Sinai.  Every account we have of Moses, he is using his rod, to preform miracles, direct armies, and parting seas to create clear passages for God's people.  

What do you have, which you believe is only for "tending sheep"?  Maybe God has a plan for your "rod" too?

Some Revelation On Grace

"And hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 1:13

We currently live in the Dispensation of Grace. This is the time of Our Saviour, the defeat of Satan, and the establishment and empowerment of the Church.  Our test is the Obedience of Faith.  The purpose is to call the people of God to Himself.  This is done through the means of Preaching of the Cross by men.  Our failures come when we disobey the commandments of Faith, and loose track of the fact God has it all under control. Judgement comes in the form of God's wrath being poured out upon us. But here lies the Grace of God, for in Jesus' precious Blood, which was shed for you and I, God gives us Grace (unmerited favor) so we don't have to  experience His wrath, but rather receive His love. No matter what we do, He will still sees us as His innocent children, because of the price Jesus paid.

Understanding the tremendous price which Jesus paid for you and I, is the best thing you will ever do!

Coming Together For What We Need

Differences are good.  It allows us to perform at our best yet still within the range of what the accomplishing the overall goal.

However the distinctiveness of our differences cannot be so different that you violate the groups purpose. You must learn to take your unique talent and use it within the confines of the group to produce oneness, even in the masses. 

Let us learn to embrace the subtle differences in each other, and still seek to see the LORD's face together, so His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  We cannot get from heaven, what we want from heaven, if we cant make the right sound in the earth.

After Strife, Come Together

If you read the story of Jesus, and then proceed into the Acts chapters 1 and 2, you begin to understand the Apostles had strife.  The 12 have been reduced to 11, because one had a different agenda. Then, the bible records, to replace Judas Iscariot, they drew straws. You don't draw straws if everyone is in agreement, or there are no other choices. 

Before the Holy Spirit was able to come, they had to settle their differences and come together.  They went back to what Christ had taught them via the scriptures concerning the number twelve.  They re-established His order, then waited for Him to empower them.

I wonder what would happen if we, after strife or division, would follow His set-forth pattern, come into agreement according to His Word, and wait for Him to empower us in our lives?

Living Sober

1 Peter 1:13 tells us to, "be sober".  This does not speak simply of being under the influence of alcohol, but rather being intoxicated with the things of this world. The word sober could be better translated as "not sleep" or "being indifferent" and "careless". 

Think of a person whom you have seen intoxicated.  They often sit by, as if not concerned about things which are happening around them.  Then at a certain point they rise up, only to find their legs are not under them. Down they go, flat on their face.  

Often times we as Christians become intoxicated with the events which happen around us. We sit by as if nothing is happening. We don't read our bibles, pray, or studying our Word. We allow situations in our lives to just pass us by, then when things get to out of control, we try to rise up, only to find our legs are not under us, and we fall under the weight of the situation.

Its time we stop sitting idly by, begin to wake from our slumber, and live sober, non-careless lives! Let God arise and His enemies be scattered!

Buck Up!

BUCK UP! Yes the Bible tells us to "BUCK UP!" 1 Peter 1:13 says, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind..."  It calls us to stand up and to take courage in the face of trials which we are called to endure in our life time. 

This means no more complaining about what so and so did...how we lost this and that...or even why this person or that person didn't love us the way we should have been loved. This also goes for financial downfalls, divorce, and even bouts of depression. This command holds true to every situation which we deem, "didn't go our way" and we find way to grumble and regress into any form, which does not take on the form of a Child of God.

Today, begin to know the trials only come to make you stronger. Grow in your faith in Him, and not in how far you can stick out your bottom lip!

Two Commands, Three Blessings

"My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee."- Proverbs 3:1-2

Here we see two commands.  1) "Forget not my Law". This assumes we take time to learn His law or commandments.  How to govern ourselves in everyday life situations, whether someone is watching or not.  It takes into our account to make decisions based upon His Word and not our feelings or emotions.  2) "Let thine heart keep my commandments". The very thing which drives us, and gives us reason to do what we do, expecting a certain outcome, this is where He wants to reside.  He wants us to be governed by His commandments, for He already has an expected end for us.

We also have three blessings. 1) Length of days.  This is both time and enjoyment. We will find delight in Him no matter what the day holds. 2) Long Life.  All life is brief, however by keeping His commandments, we will fill fulfilled and accomplished in the time we have here on earth, no matter the number of days we are allotted.  3)  Peace. This peace will allow you to rest in the midst of your storm.  To find comfort in your times of trouble. It will also allow you to give guidance to others as they travel life's treacherous highways. 

What law of God can you learn and remember today? What command of His can you bind upon your heart?  Are you willing to do the work, to reap the reward of the three blessings?