i never knew moses

Moses is probably the most famous prophet of all time. Talks to a bush, gives the king of Egypt the what-for, leads a group of hundreds of thousands in to the middle-eastern desert for forty years, parts a sea, I mean, the guy has quite the resume.

I'm not going to lie, though. I never understood what all of that really meant.

I've always known of Moses, but I never knew him. At least not until recently.

I'm assuming you know the story of Moses, so I won't tell it here. I'll just skip to the good parts.

One day, after leaving the comforts of his egyptian home, he leads the sheep out to graze in the mountains. Then the presence of the Lord shows up in a burning bush.

The first thing God tells him: I've heard the prayers of my people. I know their sorrows. I am come down to deliver them.

I can imagine that Moses had something like this go through his mind: Sweet! God's going to do a great miracle and free my people! Thanks for the heads up! I'll get a few tents ready out here in the desert in case any visitors pass by.

But then God said this, "Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt."

Of all the people in the world, I imagine that Moses would understand the implications of demanding that the king of Egypt free his work force.

And thus he reasonably responds, "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

I find it rather interesting how the Lord builds Moses' faith.

Over and over again, Moses tells God that he can't do it. That whatever the Lord has asked of him, is too hard. That Pharaoh would never listen, that the children of Israel are too hard-hearted, that freeing Israel is an impossible task. Hopeless, Moses cries out, "why is it that thou has sent me?"

I think that recently I have passed a threshold that I didn't know existed. God has always told me that miracles will come in my life. I loved it when I saw His tender mercies simply fall in my lap. Like manna from heaven, where the only effort I had to put forth was to go and pick it up.

I feel like it's not like that anymore. No more manna. Now He just gives me a bow and arrow, telling me there is plenty of game in the nearby woods. This freedom scares me. I want more answers, more direction, more instruction. I want a map that leads to the exact spot where I can collect berries on low bushes.

On a smaller scale, I think I'm beginning to understand how Moses may have felt. Wanting God to do all the hard parts. I mean, where is the miracle of I'm doing all the work?

The miracle isn't always that some amazing feat has been realized. Most of the time the miracle is that now I have the strength and courage to do things for myself.

This new kind of direction is not to prove to God, but rather to prove to myself that I can recognize and obey.

But I will not be alone.

Just as to Moses, God will always offer to me the same response, "Certainly I will be with thee..."