Moses Had the Passion, God Had the Timing

 

In the Book of Acts, chapter 7, Stephen shares the history of the Israelites, our history with God, partially telling the story of Moses.

 

A Crime of Passion?

When Moses was 40, he killed an Egyptian who was mistreating one of Moses’ fellow Israelites, Stephen said.

Moses was thinking it was his time to rise up and free his people.

But the time was not right. His own people mocked him and he fled in fear of his life (Acts 7:23-29).

 

Right Idea, Wrong Time?

Moses had the passion to do what God would later use him for. Moses may have even had the "right idea."

He just tried, originally, to make it happen on his own schedule -- instead of waiting on God.

He fled to the desert and basically hid-out for another 40 years while God worked His own omniscient plan. During this time, God was also growing and changing Moses. .

 

Set My People Free

Then, when God knew the time was right, He got ahold of Moses (Acts 7:30-34), and used him for what Moses originally had a dream of and passion for doing at an earlier time in his life.

Moses just had the timing wrong.

But God’s timing is never wrong.

Wait on God. It will be worth it.

 

Prayer for You Today

Lord, please help those who read this to have peace about their timing, letting it be your timing. When it’s your time, please Lord, open doors for them with their dreams and your plans, doors which no one else can close.

Close all those doors which are nothing but distractions and temptations to keep us from fulfilling your plans for us, Father. In a way that only you could open them again.

Lastly, Lord, please, make your dreams our dreams, and your plans our passions. I ask this for everyone who reads this. In Jesus name I ask for these blessings, as Jesus said we could. Thank You, Father God, for your love. Amen.

 

You Handle It

 

Acts 21:14 says:

"We saw that we weren’t making even a dent in his resolve, and gave up. 'It’s in God’s hands now,' we said. 'Master, you handle it.'" (MSG)

 

Giving it to God is not just 'all we can do.' It's the right thing to do, quite often.

We take too much into our own hands -- or at least try to -- when it's simply not in our control. Then we come to God to 'help us' with the cleanup, rather than handing it to Him in the first place as we should.

 

Prayer for Today

Thank You, Father, for being an Almighty God. Thank You, Jesus, for being one with the Father. Please, teach us humility, and strengthen our faith so that we may experience that peace which you had, Jesus, while here on earth with us. Amen.

 

Cupcakes & Roses

In the New Testament, the Book of Acts chapter 14, verse 22 talks about Paul & Barnabus, and says this:

"...they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God."
(Acts 14:22)(NLT)

 

There is a misguided doctrine of Christianity that tells you that all you need to do is give yourself to Christ and life will be beautiful. You'll be blessed with riches, and a prosperous life, and blah, blah, blah.

Call it the Success Doctrine, call it the Prosperity Doctrine, call it what you want. I call it a misguided doctrine.

While such prosperity and blessings of monetary riches can & do happen, it is not automatic or for every believer, by any stretch of the truth.

In fact, Jesus himself says that we -- his followers -- will have a life of suffering. This verse above also clearly states that all the days of our lives will not constantly be full of cupcakes and roses while we are here on earth.

Though some may be blessed in such ways while here, that will be to fulfill parts of God's ultimate plan. For most of us such continuously happy, easy days will not come until we're in heaven.

While here on earth, though, to grow us to be more like Christ, the bible states that we will have a life of suffering, and must 'suffer many hardships' during our time here.

 

Consider This

Consider that in order to ‘grow,’ a thing has to be stretched, pushed & pulled this way & that. It has to be put under stress, is reshaped and changed, in order to ‘grow.’

Remember too, that in our weakness, He is strong.

 

May He bless you and protect you through it all. Thank You, Father, for your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Get Out While You Can

"Peter said, 'Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away--whomever, in fact, our Master God invites.' He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, 'Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!'”

(From the Book of Acts, Chapter 2, Verses 38-40)(MSG)