Receiving God's Redemption Plan

As already seen how God saw the groanings of the Israelites in Egypt and how God was concerned for His people. We also saw how God had prepared the Leader for the Israelites and now that everything and everyone is ready God reveals His Redemption Plan for the Israelites to Moses. I feel that the giving of the Redemption Plan to Moses, just did not happen one fine day in Moses's life but that God had prepared Moses' heart and mind to a place he would listen to God and obey God so that God's plan would be appreciated by His people.



The Burning Bush Experience (Exodus 3:1)

Background:It has been a long time since Moses fled(Exodus 2:23) from Egypt after killing the Egyptian for flogging an Israelite(Exodus 2:11-15). He is now married to Zipporah and even has a baby from her named Gershom(Exodus 2:21-22). I'm thinking of writing about names a little later. Moses was out tending his father-in-law's sheep.

• Moses takes his sheep to the far side of the desert.(Exodus 3:1)

(My thoughts-When God has something important to say to you, He would have you come to a far side, mostly somewhere you've never been before.Don't be afraid of going onto the far side, it could be something you haven't done before. Trust God)

• A burning bush-a strange sight (Exodus 3:2,3)

(My thoughts-Look out for what God is trying to get your attention to. Sometimes when we are in a strange situation, we prefer not to look around,to hide ourselves from the strange when probably there is something God would like us to see. Pay attention to what God would have you see, no matter what situation you are in, that paying attention to what God has to show and say will be instructions regarding how God can use you in that situation. Its all in how attentive we are to God's voice and calling. If Moses wouldn't have gotten interested in the things of God (though they be strange)- the redemption for the Israelites would take another long time-also Moses' passion suppressed would have gone away with him and we wouldn't read about him and be blessed. So be careful to listen and pay attention to what God wants you to attend to.)

• Getting in position to receive God's Plan (Exodus 3:4-6)

1. Go closer to God- in Moses case he went to see the bush closely and God spoke to him. (My thoughts-If we want to hear anything from God, we've got to go nearer to Him and wait)
2. Respond correctly when God speaks -God called out to Moses by name and Moses responded. (My thoughts-God knows you by name, He is concerned about you. So when God wants to talk to you, respond. Most of the times , we are so bogged down by our own wonderings and musings, we might be too engrossed to respond. I wonder what if Moses was staring at the burning bush and so engrossed in it at the way it burns, that he wouldn't have heard God. Or could have said "Wait a minute Lord, I haven't seen anything like this. Lemme enjoy this view." The situation then would have turned out to be something else altogether. Many times I feel, we get so engrossed in the episode rather than in the God behind it, that we may not even hear God talk through it and we go one about it.I did that some time ago.I was so worried about a certain thing that was bothering me that I would sit to pray and go on and on and on and on about my situation and pray on and on. I thought I was doing the right thing and when I was done unloading my cares I would get up and go. Then I learnt to stay there and to BE STILL and KNOW THAT HE IS GOD.I am glad Moses responded the way he did and God introduced Himself to Moses for the first time and you know what's written later on in Exodus about Moses-The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. If only we had the patience to turn our attention to the right direction, and respond rightly instead of just saying what we feel we must say and wait to hear from God in His Presence, we would know what God would have for us. Even our redemption.)
3. Reverence-God taught Moses to rightly position himself before God. God asked Moses to take off his sandals because the place is holy and introduced Himself. (My thoughts-We know a lot about courtesy, to honour people, to respect our elders, our bosses and the likes but too often we leave our manners way behind when we come in the Presence of the Lord of lords and King of kings. How many of us would like to talk back to our bosses knowing that's the only job we can get or the only one which suits us? Not many I guess, I wouldn't. How much more should we be in respect when in the Presence of the Almighty God.Just because God would like to call us friends and treat us like one, it does not remove or cancel the fact that your FRIEND is the Living God, the Creator of the Universe, the Alpha and Omega, the Holy One of Israel and much more than who you are.Let's not just go into a time of prayer and go on and on about us, but listen to God and respect what He wants because after He is omniscient. All knowing and knows how we should respond. Let's learn from THE TEACHER.)
4. God Reveals his heart-Remember in the previous post about how God was concerned about His people and now we see, something which God was concerned about, He reveals to Moses. This is really glorious to grasp, knowing that an Almighty God would use a mere person to carry out His concern, also from the background of Moses we read earlier in the leader being prepared for Israel we know that Moses had realised his passion(freedom for the Israelites), the passion that God has put in his heart and now was ready to get on the plan.(My thoughts-God already has a plan for our lives, and when we get onto the same page as God, understanding what God would have us do, we position ourselves to use our potentials to the full. The key I found to receiving God's plan for our lives is to stay so close to God, long enough that our thoughts, our purposes become the same as God's.You also see here that the redemption was not for Moses, it wasn't for his benefit. He might have been OK with his new family and new place. Most of the times, the plan God has for your life is rightly for blessing someone else, but rest assured, as you seek to do God's plan for your life, you'll find a.) You get closer and closer to God through His plan b.) You become a blessing, not to one but many c.)Your situation automatically aligns itself to God's plan of blessing for you because God blesses you and this blessing overflows from your life into other people's lives)

Conclusion:I have been more blessed in times where in a prayer I have welcomed God and then sat down reading the Word of God in His Presence. It has helped me to understand God and what He can do about my situation. Makes me feel confident that God can and has done something about my situation already. Even before I even came across this point of my life. He knew it and has dealt with it. We need to just be rest assured and continue doing our work for the Kingdom of God. Don't let the pressures of life hamper your work for the Kingdom of God, for that's what those pressures can do, divert your attention to yourself, your own needs and while you're fighting for things which God has already taken care of, souls are being stolen away from the Kingdom of God because the one person who could be helped only by you was never attended to by you. For God indeed has taken care of everything and anyway, what can you do anything about your situation which could be for your good. Would you know to do the right thing for it on your own? So "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Mathew 6:33)