Being Prepared

Day one hundred and four

My new niece was born yesterday which means today I have the opportunity to play with my little nephews!  They are ages 2 and 3 and are hilarious.  So this morning my prayer is filled with gratitude for the arrival of a new member into our family and for the chance to spend some time with my nephews. I hope they know how much I love them!

Exodus 2

After reading chapter 2 I really wanted to write about the qualities of a godly women, but that is not what I was to focus on.  The Lord directed my studies towards recognizing the preparation that is going on in this chapter.

Ex 2:1-4
I noticed that just at the time when Pharaoh's cruelty rose to it's height by ordering the Hebrew children be drowned, the deliverer (Moses) was born.  Thoughts of the Second Coming popped into my head, that's the situation the world will be in before Christ comes again, just when we think all hope is lost He will come and save us.

Lesson:  When men are striving to ruin God's people, God is preparing for their salvation.

I also noticed that Moses' parents were prepared for their challenge.  In Hebrews 11:23 we learn that, "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment." 

Lesson:  Faith in God will set us above the fear of man.

Ex 2:5-10
Just when it seems that Moses is at his most vulnerable (a helpless baby alone on the water) we see that God was with him as Pharaoh's daughter finds him and takes him for her own.  Then to top it off, his mother is chosen to be his nursemaid.  Moses was able to learn both the Hebrew and the Egyptian ways.

Lesson:  When we seem most neglected and forlorn, God is most present with us. He puts us where we will benefit the most.

Ex 2:11-15
Moses now 40 years old seems ready to protect his people.  He protects a Hebrew slave from an Egyptian, but instead of keeping his secret and protecting him they turn on him. This incident leads to Moses leaving and travelling to the land of Midian, exactly where the Lord needs him to be.

Lesson:  Don't be too quick to judge the actions of others, you never know who is behind their actions or where it will lead you to.

Ex 2:16-22
Moses helps Jethro's daughters at the well.  This act would lead to Moses marrying, starting a family, and being spiritually prepared for his call as a Prophet of God.

Lesson:  Serve others, you never know how it will affect their life or your own life.  It's one way the Lord  prepares us spiritually.

Ex 2:23-25
The Israelites, feeling the weight of their burdens finally cry out to the Lord. He hears them and soon will deliver them from their bondage.

Lesson:  Sometimes the process of being prepared is painful and happens over a long period of time, we need to turn to the Lord and he will help us through it. 

The lessons learned from this chapter are all pretty basic doctrine, but sometimes when we are in the midst of going through this preparation process we forget them.  It is hard to stay focused on the positive aspects of the situation when we are feeling the growing pains. Keeping the proper perspective is a challenge that I struggle with. I needed this reminder, it put me back on track, exactly where the Lord needs me to be!