Exile

"And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened,

and he tried to kill Moses.

But Moses fled from Pharaoh 

and went to live in the land of Midian.

When Moses arrived in Midian,

he sat down beside a well. . .

Moses accepted the invitation,

and settle there with him.  In time, Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife.

Later she gave birth to a son,

and Moses named him Gershom,

for he explained,

'I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.'"

Exodus 2:15,21-22 NLT

He ran back to the place where he felt safe, far away from the voices telling him to take responsibility for his family.  When he was in this self-imposed exile, the feelings of guilt and failure faded into the background of his consciousness and he was able to feel some semblance of pride in himself.  While he knew deep down this was not where he belonged, he stayed there anyway; it was simply more comfortable.

While this man was running away from his duty as husband and father, God was using the time to put His greater purpose into motion.  Our friend may have thought he was simply escaping from the place where he felt so much pressure or even protecting himself from further hurt and failure.  In the grander scheme of things, however, there was much more to it.

You see, as this husband and father was running, God was busy lining up a job and opening up an affordable home where he could provide for his family in the way the Lord intended for him to do.  His time away seemed only like an escape to him, but to God it was an opportunity to bring about His greater purpose.

It is the same with me.  God can use the times I drag my feet, fail to obey Him, or go in the complete opposite direction for His glory.  He takes my failures, unwillingness and insecurities and turns them into beauty. (Isaiah 61:1-3)

Humbling

It took forty years.  His pride was such a problem that God needed four decades to chip away enough of his own self before Moses would be at the point where God could consider using him.  Growing up in a culture where self is exalted, it took a lot to rid the man who was raised in Pharaoh's household of his own sense of independence, self-importance, and desire to be served.  Therefore, God used his self-imposed exile as a time of humbling.

There is a lot in me that also needs to be chipped away by the chisel of God.  As He conforms me into His Son's image, He uses hard experiences, difficult people and uncomfortable circumstances to humble me to the point where He can use me.  Once there is less of me and more of Him, I am a more effective tool in His hands.

Therefore, when it seems my life is going nowhere and my time here on earth consists of one difficulty after another, I can keep in mind that God is using this time to rid me of some of my self-centered ways.  I learn how little I have to do with my success in standing firm against sin, loving others and obeying God and how much of a role submitting to God plays in any triumph or failure.  

God also uses my time of humbling to give me more of His perspective.  When I see things from His point of view, a trial is transformed into a transformative tool, a coworker who always picks on me becomes a woman who desperately needs the love of God, and a grumpy spouse is now seen as a hurting child.

My time of disobedience or desertion can be used by the Master Potter to humble me into a lump of malleable clay. (Isaiah 64:8)

Preparation

Moses spent his time in a foreign land as a lowly sheep herder, working for his father-in-law, Jethro.  While he tended the flocks, Moses most likely learned many lessons that would prepare him for his later service. (Exodus 3:1)  

In the same way, the position I now find myself may seem insignificant and without purpose, but God is most likely preparing me for what is to come.  Instead of bemoaning my present circumstances, then, I can get busy paying attention to the training I am now receiving.

Instead of thinking God is trying to torture me, I could be learning patience and tolerance as I work with those who know how to push my buttons.  When I'm faced with disappointment after disappointment, I can either feel sorry for myself or discover the value of letting go of my expectations and simply let God choose for me.  For the times when I find myself in the middle of a feud, I can take the opportunity to learn the art of mediation.

My time spent away from the life with which I'm comfortable can be used by God as a time in God's training ground for the battle that lies ahead.  (Psalm 144:1)

Leeway

He was busy raising his family, working the flocks and tending to the needs of his wife.  Little did Moses know that while he was building a new life in Midian, God was giving all the pieces time to fall into place for his masterplan.  Before the Lord could send Moses into Egypt to rescue His people, the king who had a price on his head must pass away.  Once a new Pharaoh took the throne, and the people of Israel had reached a point of desperation, the time was right for an epic rescue mission that would display the mighty power of God. (Exodus 2:23)

In a similar way, I may feel tired of waiting for something to happen in my life.  It might seem like I'm going nowhere fast.  I could even feel like God is never going to use me.  In reality, God could be waiting for all the pieces of the puzzle to be in place before He launches me out on a mission.

When I think about the complexity of God's plan, it boggles my puny mind.  Based on the small part I can perceive, I may think it is time to make a move.  God in His sovereignty, however, sees the big picture and knows which people need to be in place, which obstacles need to be removed, and which hearts need to be softened.  In this way, it is wise for me to trust God in His perfect timing.

Therefore, when I think I'm ready to launch a new company but nothing seems to be going right, it could be that God is having me wait for the market to be right before I open the doors for business.  When I am ready to answer God's call and move into the mission field but the paperwork keeps holding me up, it could be there is a serious obstacle to the spread of the gospel that first needs to be removed.  When it seems I'm never going to get to fulfill the dream God has placed on my heart, it could be that I'm not ready to handle the stresses that will surely come with it.

My time spent seemingly waiting for life to begin could be used by God as a time to move all the necessary pieces into place.

There are times when I think I'm running away from God's plan or that nothing is happening to move me forward in my walk with Him.  God, however, can use these times to humble me, prepare me, and to give enough leeway to allow everything to move into the necessary place.  In these ways, I can trust that God is at work, even when it seems nothing is happening.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God even when I feel far away from Him and His plan for my life.

When do I tend to run away from God? 

How would the knowledge that I can't hide from God or His plan change my tendency to run (Psalm 139:7-12)?