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JUST STAND: EVEN WHEN YOU'RE NOT READY



My best friend says that if I had a superpower, it would be getting ready at warped speed.  I attribute this to two things: being a mom of boys, and not being a morning person.  As a boy mom, I learned when my kids were small that mommy better hurry and get dressed or they would be climbing on top of shelves or building forts with blankets that I had just put away.  As a night owl, that last ounce of sleep is precious time, so I’d rather not waste time primping when I can sleep.  I’ve developed a clear routine that has me ready and out the door in forty-five minutes or less.  But it took some time to perfect this.  My mom can tell you I certainly wasn’t this way as a teenager.  I can’t tell you how often I wasn’t ready on time.  Today I want to discuss how we can just stand even if we aren’t ready for something.

I think it’s fitting to explore the life of Moses.  He clearly wasn’t looking to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.  He was a fugitive in hiding.  But God had other plans for him.  That’s just like God.  He takes us by surprise just when we’ve settled into what we think life should look like for us and redirects.  All for His glory.  Enter Moses.  Born and destined to die as an infant, rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter, raised in the royal household.  And then he messes up.  He murders an Egyptian while trying to defend an Israelite slave.  Word spread faster than gossip on social media.  Before long, the one pulled out of the bulrushes was running for his life.  He found sanctuary in the land of Midian and even got married and had children. 

But his story was far from over.  God saw Moses from the moment he was born and set his purpose in place.  And now that Moses was separated from outside influences, God made His move…

4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

“Here I am!” Moses replied.

5 “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father[a]—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.
7 Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. 9 Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:4-10 NLT)

Moses finally obeyed, though it took some convincing.  He wasn’t ready, but God was.  When Moses decided to obey, God showed up in the form of signs and wonders.  Pharaoh’s magicians could not keep up with the miracles that came from the staff of Moses and the hand of God.  And then, when it seemed life couldn’t get worse, God sent the plagues. 

What we find about the life of Moses is that from the start, God told him that He had heard the cry of His people (the Israelites) and would deliver them.  He didn’t command Moses to go into battle to fight for the deliverance of the Israelites.  He told him to go tell Pharaoh, “Let my people go.” When Moses obeyed, God did the rest.  The Israelites left Egypt with more goods than they could carry because the Egyptians were afraid of the God of Israel and gave their treasures to them.

The Israelites came to the Red Sea.  Once again, Moses obeyed, and God delivered.  They wandered in the wilderness for forty years (because of unbelief and disobedience), but God made sure they always had enough to eat, and their clothes never wore out.  Finally, God delivered them into the promised land.  All because one man obeyed.

We aren’t always ready to fight.  If I’m being honest, I am never ready to confront or fight. But the enemy is always ready to engage us.  So, we must put on our armor, stand firm, and obey.  God does the rest for us. Just stand…even when you aren’t ready. 

© Jill Cook and Unbroken & Undone Ministries.  All rights reserved.

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