THE LORD WANTS TO USE YOU
Introduction:
– In the book of Exodus, we read a great story of God’s intervention in the lives of His people.
– We see a series of miracles and interventions that led to the deliverance of the nation, from bondage and slavery, to a land flowing with ‘milk and honey’.
– Within this story, of divine intervention, there is a story of a man, and his name was Moses.
– Moses was appointed, positioned and used by the Lord to facilitate freedom for an entire nation.
– It is interesting to see how this happened and the lengths God went to, to make use of Moses, to do great things.
– In the same way, amid your story, the Lord wants to use you.
– Perhaps we can learn some lessons from this remarkable account of the difference one person can make in the lives of many people around him.
1. GOD ALWAYS HAS A PLAN
– No matter what may be going on or what we may be going through, the Lord always has a plan, and this plan is to move us towards something better.
– In the Exodus story we see God’s plan in Exodus 5:1 ‘Let my people go…’
– His plan was to free His people from oppression and hardship and give them their own land.
– His plan was not easy at first, in fact things got worse before they got better.
– The truth of the matter was that God was working in the lives of all the people involved, the Nation of Israel, Pharaoh and the Egyptians and in the life of Moses.
– The Lord knew that Pharaoh would not just let them go, because he was enjoying the benefit of having them in his land and had come to depend on them. For the people to be totally free, Pharaoh would have to get to the point of rejecting them and driving them out of his kingdom.
– The Lord knew this, and part of his plan was to bring things to this critical point.
– Exodus 6:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of My mighty hand he will let them go; because of My mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.’
– Sometimes our situations must reach that critical point where all the different aspects can come together to bring the breakthrough.
– During this time frame, things may appear to be moving slowly or not at all. It may even seem as if things are getting worse and that breakthrough will never be a possibility – but God is working with a plan.
– In fact, He always has a plan. Although we may not see it, it is slowly unfolding.
– Romans 8:28 ‘And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.’
– Notice these words: ’causes everything’ to ‘work together’ for ‘the good’!
2. AGAINST ALL ODDS
– Moses was the first-born son of a new marriage, and he was born into a situation of divine order.
– Exodus 2:1-2 ‘Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son.’
– From the time of his birth, people could see that this child was special and beautiful.
– Exodus 2:2 ‘…she (his mother) saw that he was a beautiful child…’
– Other translations say that he was a fine child, a special child and a goodly child (pleasantly attractive and significant).
– So here we have this special and significant child born at time of great hardship and struggle.
– Even though the circumstances of his conception and birth were ideal and he was born blessed, everything else was against him.
– His parents were part of a nation that was being mistreated and oppressed.
– He was born into a nation of slaves, who had bitter lives of hard work and toil.
– To make matters worse, Pharaoh had given instructions that all the boy children had to be killed as soon as they were born. When this did not work, he instructed his people to throw new-born boys into the Nile river.
– His mother had managed to hide him for three months, but she could no longer hide him and so made the decision to let him go and let fate take its course.
– Exodus 2:3 ‘When she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River.’
– Against all odds, he was discovered by one of Pharaoh’s daughters and was taken in and raised as a prince in Egypt.
3. RUNNING AWAY
– Due to circumstances that had happened and things that Moses had done, he ended up running away.
– The Living Bible says it so well: Exodus 2:15 ‘Moses ran away into the land of Median.’
– It was here in the land of Median, far removed from his purpose and destiny that he spent many years.
– It was a wilderness experience where he ended up marrying and having children.
– It was also here that he spent many hours looking after his fathers-in-law’s animals.
– Exodus 2:21-22 Moses accepted the invitation, and he settled there with him. In time, Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife. Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, for he explained, ‘I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.’
– How often things happen in our lives and we end up running away and we find ourselves in a wilderness period.
– No experience we go through is ever wasted.
– God uses every experience and process we go through to ultimately bring us back to His purpose and plan for our lives.
4. A TIME OF PREPARATION
– Moses spent 40 years in exile in the wilderness.
– But these were not wasted years.
– The Lord used these years to work in Moses’ heart and to change him and bring him to a place of total surrender and reliance on the Lord.
– Often, we may think that there are many wasted years in our lives, but nothing is ever wasted with God.
– The 40 years that Moses spent in the wilderness was a time of preparation.
– Never underestimate the importance of preparation.
1. Preparation brings lasting results.
– Have you ever discovered that before you can paint out a room, you need to prepare the walls for the paint?
– Even if the wall surface is in perfect condition, some preparation work must be done before applying a new coat of paint. Once the wall is prepared the paint can be applied. A clean surface ensures that the paint will adhere to the surface, and in the process, last longer. Painting unprepared walls could results in peeling and other unsightly results.
– Skipping the preparation stage will bring regrets later.
2. Preparation brings us to the place of authority.
– Take an individual, who takes years out of his life to study in a particular field. After the period of preparation is completed, they have the authority to speak about that field of knowledge.
3. Preparation and opportunity eventually meet.
– If we will allow the preparation stage of our lives to be completed, that preparation will eventually lead us to an opportunity.
5. AN APPOINTED TIME
– Moses went through this period of preparation within himself.
– He came to the end of himself and was ready to do what God told him to do.
– We know little about the 40 years in the wilderness, and this time of preparation, but we know a lot about the results.
– In one day, everything changed.
– Exodus 3:1-4 One day… the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. God called to him from the middle of the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ ‘Here I am!’ Moses replied.
– At the appointed time, after the preparation was complete, opportunity arrived.
– The opportunity was the privilege of being used by God to bring the long-awaited freedom his nation had so longed for.
– Exodus 3:10 ‘Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.’
– I believe that God had always planned to use Moses for this great calling and opportunity. He had allowed and even facilitated the season of preparation in the wilderness and the Lord had never given up on Moses.
– Moses was His ‘Plan A’ and there was no ‘Plan B’.
– The Lord wants to use each one of us. He has taken us through our own period of preparation by way of our unique journey and He has a plan and purpose for each of our lives. Be ready for that ‘one day’!
6. DOUBT – THE BIGGEST HURDLE
– Perhaps the biggest hurdle that Moses had to overcome was his doubts and fears.
– God believed in him, and the Lord had prepared him for such a time as this and such a huge task as this, but he had some challenging hesitations.
– It is amazing how that, at the very moment of opportunity, we can come up with so many reasons and excuses, not to follow through with what God tells us to do!
– Exodus 3:11 ‘I’m not the person for a job like that!’ Moses exclaimed.
– I can almost hear myself say these words…
– Exodus 4:1 But Moses said, ‘They won’t believe me!’ (Living Bible)
– Exodus 4:10 But Moses pleaded, ‘O Lord, I’m just not a good speaker. I have never been, and I’m not now, even after You have spoken to me, for I have a speech impediment.’ (Living Bible)
– Exodus 4:13 But Moses said, ‘Lord, please! Send someone else.’ (Living Bible)
– Doubt, fear and excuses are the hurdles in the way of us being used by God.
– Do not let doubt, fear and excuses rob you of a life that is used by God.
– There is no greater joy, fulfillment or privilege in life, than being used by God.
– You may say, times are difficult, there is a global pandemic raging, I cannot do anything, but you can if God is with you.
7. OBEDIENCE, BREAKTHROUGH AND DELIVERANCE
– In His faithfulness, God reaffirms Moses and promises to be with him
– Exodus 3:12 The God told him, ‘I will certainly be with you!’ (Living Bible)
– Exodus 4:19 Before Moses left Midian, the LORD said to him, ‘Return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you have died.’
– The crucial thing was that Moses decided to obey.
– He made the decision, despite all his fears, doubts and excuses, he rose above it all and took up the challenge.
– Exodus 4:20 ‘So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to the land of Egypt. In his hand he carried the staff of God.’
– So, Moses returned to Egypt and the great story of miracles, breakthrough and deliverance began to unfold.
– The Lord used Moses and his life to bring about great things and today we can encourage ourselves with this miraculous life story.
– Moses became, ‘Moses – the great deliverer!’
– If you will follow the Lord’s leading and obey His direction, He will use you, in ways you could never even begin to imagine.
– The Lord wants to use you.
– The mere fact that you received these notes and are reading them up to this point, could be a ‘burning bush’ experience for you.
– You are standing on holy ground, this is a sacred moment, the Lord wants to speak to you and use you.
– Take up your position, get up and do whatever He tells you to do.
– John 2:5 ‘Do whatever HE tells you.’
By Pastor Andrew Roebert
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