When Moses thought it was all over, God appeared to him.

Moses was eighty years old when God appeared to him. He was at a stage in his life when he did not have any expectations of things changing. He was in the desert looking after a few sheep which belonged to his father- in- law.

In Egypt Moses was a prince but he had run away forty years before after killing an Egyptian who was mistreating a Hebrew slave. He was no longer leading the armies in Egypt into battle but was a humble shepherd.

Egypt was the last place Moses wanted to go back to but God other plans for him. Moses was near the Mountain of Horeb when he saw a bush was on fire but it was not burning. He thought this was a strange sight. Moses went nearer to have a look at it.

Then God called out to him, “Moses, Moses, do not come any nearer the ground you are standing on is holy ground. “Take off your sandals. Moses was afraid to look at God. He had encountered the holiness of God. God was teaching Moses that God was holy and that he could not stand in his presence. Moses was being taught humility.

Moses had not heard from God for 80 years. God was now telling Moses he had a job for him to do. God had not forgotten Moses. There was a calling upon Moses’ life which was now being fulfilled. God is faithful.

God asked Moses to go back to Egypt and bring his people out of it but he was reluctant to go back. He told God that he was nobody and that he could not go back and bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses knew the strength of Pharaoh. He knew he had armies and Moses was just one person.

God demonstrated his power to Moses. God asked Moses to throw the stick he had in his hands to the ground. When Moses did this the stick turned into a snake and he ran. God then asked him to pick up the snake up by its tail. Moses did and it turned back into a stick. Then God asked to Moses to put his hand into his cloak. When he took it out it was leprous and when he put it back in it was restored. Then God asked Moses to take some water from the Nile and pour it on the ground and it turned into blood.

Moses was still reluctant to go back to Egypt even after God had performed these miracles but in the end he went back to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt.

Moses waited eighty years for God to use him. God called him when he was humble and knew humility. He was no longer in the position of power but weakness. These qualities he did not have as the prince of Egypt. God can only use us when we come to him empty of ourselves and willing to put our trust in him. (The story of Moses is found in the Bible in the Old Testament.)

Dear God,

I come before you humbly

Empty me of everything

That is not of you.

Please use me.

Amen

19/02/2020

By harbajan (servant of Jesus)