In Your Face!

I was thinking about the lives of other Christians around me.  Then I was thinking about the lives of other Christians around the world.  Then I started thinking about the lives of Christians in the Bible.  And that is what got me thinking about the life of Moses.  Particularly about the incredible moment his life turned around.  The burning bush moment.

And then I started thinking about how Moses had failed at just about everything by that point in his life.  At least, I imagine that was how he viewed things.  He ran away from his former life and from all the difficulties and people directly related to it.   

He tried to start a new life, reinvent himself and have a second start.  Maybe the past even seemed like a dream to him by that point. And yet, whenever he would stop to think about where he was in his life and how he got there... I'm sure all the insecurities returned.

Have you ever felt that way?  Like, if only you could go back in time and undo something you did had you known what would happen?  Have you ever felt like you royally ruined your chances for a future of promise and happiness?  

There is no one alive on this Earth that hasn't felt like a failure at something at least once in their life.  And if someone has never experienced that awful feeling yet... the day will come.  And who hasn't wished to take back something they said or did? 

God, in His wisdom and mercy, doesn't allow anyone to go back in time.  He desires that people turn to Him.  But many times we don't do that.  We should... but we don't.  Like Moses our instincts are to run away and then ignore the huge, bleeding source of pain.  And to our own detriment.  

But God didn't let Moses self-destruct. While Moses was living according to the "out of sight out of mind" mentality God was patiently working events for the moment when He would intervene.

And I thought to myself, that's exactly where many of us are.  We're doing whatever just to get by, ignoring issues of the past that have never healed.  And the problem with that way of living is that its not trusting God with the future.  Its trusting ourselves.

And God will allow us to keep living in that suspended mentality for a time.  Just like Moses, things seemed okay.  Life went on and he believed that the past would never find him again.  But he was wrong.

God knew what Moses was doing the whole time.  And he knew that Moses was afraid, discouraged, and living a life that was not to be his destiny.  And I find it interesting that even in the "hiding" years of Moses life God used those experiences for the future.

Then one day, He got in Moses face... literally!  Within the awesome spectacle of a burning bush that never died, God called Moses and reminded him who was in charge of his life.  It didn't matter what excuses Moses could come up with God wasn't going to except anything less than obedience.

I believe that is how God is with each of us.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our savior we are God's forever.  But that doesn't mean that we will immediately go into the ministries we were destined for.  Sometimes we're afraid or have healing to do first. Or sometimes we're just plain stubborn.  Whatever the reasons God allows us time to wander.  But we can never escape our destiny.  And our destiny is God.  He lights burning bushes and sets them right in front of our faces. 

The choice is ours whether-or-not to investigate and obey.  

I don't know about you but I'm praying that God gives me wisdom and eyes to see the burning bushes He sets before me.   Moses may have started out feeling like a nobody and a failure but God did not leave Him that way.  With His guidance God transformed Moses into one of the greatest leaders in history.  Moses ended his life feeling loved, cherished, and respected.  And what touches me is that he died knowing that God was pleased with him.

That's what I want!   I want my life to please the God that created me for His pleasure. 

Exodus 3:3,4