Greetings again my Brethren. Before God can use us in ministry so that we answer His call we must allow God to reveal Himself to us. As we look at the life of Moses, the one called by God (not by Pharaoh or even Moses) to lead his people out of 430 years of harsh bondage we learn there are six areas as part of his preparation for the work ahead Moses had to allow God to open up to him. We often think God as being all powerful (and He is) he should just do things in our lives that He (being God) wants done, but that is not the way God operates. All that God does in our lives comes out of us wanting what God has for us. God will not twist our arm nor will He violate our will and sovereignty. We often think (and even say) we are the captain of our ship and without God at the helm of our life this is true. God has no desire to turn us into angels, oh no He made man in the image and likeness of Himself and He wants icons of Himself ruling and reigning on earth as His will is done in heaven. For this to happen God will not interfere with us. God will allow us to continue in our selfishness and self-seeking all the way to hell even though He wishes none to be lost no not one, but sadly there are. The first of the six areas Moses (and us if we are going to be used of God) had to allow God to reveal to him was God’s presence (where He is). In Exodus we read, “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.: (Exodus 3:1-4) The presence of God is always in His glory. What a glorious sight for Moses to behold the presence of God in a bush that burned, but was not consumed. And please notice Moses only saw this glorious sight because “he turned aside” or stopped doing what he was doing and looked to see what God was doing. Moses knowing God’s presence was invaluable to Moses as he led the Children of Israel the 40 years in the wilderness. Time and time again it was the presence of God that spoke to Moses getting guidance and leadership to the point again in Exodus 33 we read,
“And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give the rest. 15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.” (Exodus 33:14-16) Moses valued God’s presence more than anything funny how often we take God’s presence for granted. Moses knew something about the presence of the LORD. The next area God had to reveal to Moses was of His nature (what He is). It would do us all well to come to understand the nature of a holy, but loving God. Too many Christians look at God as a loving old grandfather, well my friend that is so far from the truth. Yes God is loving, but first He is a holy God who wants us to obey His holy word. At the essence of God’s nature is love. 1 John tells us, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” (1 John 4:7), but God’s love is in the form of a benevolent dictator. We cannot do and say what we want to say and do. Did you know we cannot even love the way we want to love. Oh no we must love like God wants us to love, unselfish with no ambition or intention as God loves. Again God wants us to be icons (images) on earth doing and saying things according to the way He would do and say things. With Moses’ first encounter (God’s presence and not face to face) with God, He told Moses even the ground where I am is holy. “And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5) Now you know if the very ground where God dwells is holy everything else in between must be holy. God was saying I am holy (and you are not) from the Alpha to the Omega I am holy and there is nothing like me. If we have a wrong understanding of God’s nature all that we do for God will be wrong our motives and desires will be skewed and our intentions and heart condition will be wrong. Remember in God it does not matter what we do for God that counts, but how we do it. Our how in God is what we shall receive rewards for.
Next month we will continue to look at more areas Moses had to allow God to reveal to Him (of His character) by way of preparation for ministry. Think not these areas are just for Moses, oh no. All who would be called into ministry MUST allow God to reveal them for the work of God to come. Do you hear Him call now?
