Called By God
The past several Sundays, we have been involved in a study through Exodus. There is a great story that we have not had time to examine in our Sunday messages, but I’d like to look at it in this article. The story involves Moses as he was doing his job as a shepherd. Walking along a dusty road, doing the daily grind, Moses was caught off guard. He saw a bush that was engulfed in flames, yet it was not burned up. Moses needed to go and check out this mysterious sight, and it was here that God initiated a conversation with Moses.
I have to admit that I envy Moses. The reason I get a bit green with jealousy is that Moses had a clear conversation with God about where his life was to go and what God expected him to do. So many times, I find myself walking in a proverbial wilderness wanting to know what God expects me to do. As we consider Moses’ story, there are several questions that we should ask: Why does God share this story? What does God want us to learn? What can we learn from the wilderness period of Moses' life? As we look at the life of Moses, we will see that God asked Moses to do some specific things. I believe God asks the same of us today.
When Moses encountered the burning bush, he carried a shepherd’s staff in his hand. This long stick was used by shepherds in many ways. God asked Moses to lay the staff down. No big deal, right? Just lay the stick down. Done. We can read this command by God and not see anything big in it, but through the flames of the bush, God was asking Moses to lay down a part of who he was. For Moses, the rod represented his identity, his income, and his influence. As a shepherd, Moses’ staff was his tool in caring for the sheep. The staff was also a marker of identification. How did the community know what Moses did? His staff was his business card. As a business card, it would read: "Moses of Egypt, Shepherd Extraordinaire." Moses’ email address might read: Mo@RodStaffs&More.com. It’s like seeing a person in a blue uniform with a gold badge on their chest and a gun on their hip. We can assume that this person is in law enforcement. In the same way, others would identify Moses as a shepherd by his staff. As a man with sheep, Moses had income, and the rod was also a symbol of that income. Having income meant you had influence. Moses was a man of influence, taking care of his family when God appeared to him in the burning bush. While minding his own business (literally), Moses’ life was interrupted by God’s fiery call. The invitation to lay everything down asked for a step of faith that I’m not sure would have occurred without the supernatural display of God’s power and call.
God often moves in amazing ways when He calls us to important actions or decisions. Many people are bothered by what God calls them to do, say, and be. Little do most people realize the great price God has paid on our behalf. It is not popular to discuss the idea that people are broken. Our politically-correct culture desires to turn a blind eye to mankind’s corruption and wickedness. Such words offend our self-serving sensibilities. However, the result of closing our eyes to the truth is that we also do not see the grandeur of God’s love. If I feel that I do not need much help or correction, I miss the magnitude of God’s mercy and grace. God went out of His way to get Moses’ attention; God does the same today. God called Moses to a mission that would forever change his life; God does the same today. Seeing God’s greatness is vital if we are to understand God’s life-changing call. Do you see the greatness of God? Do you stand amazed in His holy presence? Join me next week as we explore this thought further. Keep looking up!