On the day I graduated from college, my sister was on a trip in the same state with her high school class. She wanted to celebrate with me and—fortunately—a chaperone was willing to drive her 6.5 hours north to my school. But as they drove away from the hotel, they headed south. Obviously, neither of them had a strong inner compass. For it was several hours later—after they entered a scenic area deep in the southern region of the state—that they knew something was amiss.
Moses was once in a wilderness far from home. The wilderness can be a place where you lose your bearings, a place where you walk in circles with no clear sense of direction. In the wilderness, sometimes you don’t know where you are or where you should go.
The Scriptures say that Moses was “on the far side of the wilderness” (Exodus 3:1 NIV). The NRSV translation states that Moses was “beyond the wilderness.” As any person who has been on a business trip far from home will tell you, it’s not easy to be away from where you would like to be.
The interesting thing is that Moses seemed quite content with his situation. He was looking for fresh grass for his flock, not for God. God, however, was looking for Moses. He searches for all of us.
While out in the middle of the desert, Moses came upon Mount Sinai—the very mountain where, years later, God in His shining glory would pass over him. This was the mountain where God would present the words of the Law. But on this day, He came to a shepherd alone with his sheep. God found Moses in the wild and called out his name, “Moses! Moses!” (Exodus 3:4).
God will find you. Listen as He calls your name.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Genesis 7:1-24
More:
Read through Exodus 3:1-15 again. What is Moses’ response to God’s appearance and instructions? What fears are signaled by Moses’ reaction?
Next:
Where is your wilderness? Do you notice any signs that God is seeking you?
daisymarygoldr on January 5, 2014 at 9:44 pm
Thankfully, we have Jesus who has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses (Hebrews 3:3). He did not lose His bearings, or walk in circles with no clear sense of direction. The reason? Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit and guided by the written word of God.
Jesus Christ provides a model for all believers who are first led into the wilderness to be tested before we commence our public ministry. In the wilderness, God is not seeking us but leads us to be tested. Jesus passed the test with flying colors and so do we.
As the sheep of His flock (Psalms 78:52), we don’t look for signs that God is seeking us. Because, we didn’t come to Mount Sinai which cannot be touched; even Moses was terrified. We are not far from home but have come to Mt. Zion, the city where the living God Himself resides—to Jesus the mediator of the New Covenant, a better covenant, bringing us to God the Father.
winn collier on January 6, 2014 at 12:41 pm
Yes, of course. There is still much to learn from our forefather Moses.