Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:9-10 NLT
After Moses fled Egypt following the great questions tossed at him. He became a wanderer for a moment. Like they say, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. Moses arrived at Midian and there he was sitting thinking about home, the king’s meal portion and every other emolument he had always enjoyed. But he dare not return there for his life was now in danger as he had been declared wanted by the press.
While he was sitting, a replay of the same event that happened to one of his forefathers, Jacob, was about to happen. There appeared seven beautiful ladies from all girl’s family. And because of their family setting, these ladies had to take up masculine responsibility of filling the trough, watering and grazing the flocks. There are antagonists, the shepherds standing on their ways daily that always made their journey an uneasy task and time consuming.
They always use their baritone voice and six packs to chase these ladies away. The best solution was one of ladies has an eye among the shepherds but that did not happen, thus, fetching water might be a daily difficult task.
But this day, a born leader and defender was standing by and watching from a far. He just slain an Egyptian few days ago, slaying shepherds that harass ladies will be a just recompense. Moses arose and defended these ladies once and for all from their daily oppressors in the hands of the shepherds. These ladies did their daily activities fast and quick.
This short duration didn’t go unnoticed by their father, Jethro, they explained how an Egyptian rescued them from the hands of the shepherds. Also the ladies didn’t forget to add that this deliverer was a wanderer that has nothing to eat, nor where to lay his head. The father was more than happy and the parable of one good turn deserves another came to play. Jethro invited Moses to his house in appreciation to what he just did for his daughters. Moses now has a transitional home for himself. Not only that, he soon became a husband, father and a bonafide member of herdsmen association in the country, courtesy of Jethro, his father in law.
Note that Moses was not running helter skelter to achieve all those things, even when he had no house to stay, he was not running to connect with the ladies, neither form alliance with the shepherds to do evil, at least he had the chance. Sirs and mas, on the journey of purpose, you will have it all rough and bitter but do not jump to build what the Lord has not approved. Every assistance is not help, but true help comes from the Lord. Take a break, rest and let God make his arrangement for you.
Forty years down the line, an ex Egyptian prince who was a born leader and deliverer, led nothing but cattle delivered nothing but sheep from the wolves. Was this the sole reason God would have preserved a man from being killed over eighty years ago? Just to tend sheep and cattle? No, there is definitely more to his life more than going home annually with the award of the best shepherd. He has been consistent annually with that award.
Moses was happy and fulfilled, every charges against him has been buried, in fact the king that declared him wanted was dead. What more will he pray for? His favourite verse those days was ‘all things are working for his good, it is intentional.’ But God knew that this shepherd duty was nothing but a training ground for the coming days.
However, like Newton’s law of Motion, an object (Moses) will continue in his state of uniform rest (in Midian as a shepherd) unless acted upon by an external force. God needed to apply force to bring him to order. Why? Because his people are in great pain these 80 years crying for help. Yet, Moses was there doing olori ebi duty in a strange land.
Brothers and sisters, how long have you also kept God waiting in the manifestation of the purpose of your birth? Of course, on the yardstick of human fulfillment, you have a good job like Moses, six figures smiles into your account monthly, you just completed your site in the village, your second car on the way. These are all human standards of achievement not God’s. The ones he had formed you to rescue or serve are still in pain and depression but there you are wasting God’s time and people’s lives. Will these people die in pain because you are tarrying more than expected? There is definitely more to your life than that 9-5pm job. He destined you for something huge.
There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”
Exodus 3:2-3 NLT
And God created a scenario to catch Moses’ attention. Nothing could have made more sense to Moses than event surrounding his properties (the flock.) If you like organize disco party, break bottles, kill yourselves only do not come near Moses and his flocks. He had lost interest in defending and killing people that are fighting themselves, so far you will definitely not come near his flock. However, there was this strange fire burning around the flock. This overall best in cattle rearing, Moses jumped out to see if it was his enemy from the south that are trying to attack his flocks. But more than a burning bush, Moses saw God and his life changed.
A man can live 50 years of his life and still be dinning and wining in sin, confusion and guilty may overwhelm a man but not after such man sees God. You can pray all day and look forgotten, nobody wants you, your life is sorrowful more than Marah? You may have even been accursed from birth like Jabesh but all these are for a moment. The moment you see God, your story will turn around. This was exactly what happened to this older Moses. He saw and heard God in the burning bush and there his purpose and destiny was revealed. His life changed. The God’s kind of plot, He distracted Moses for his purpose. Moses had thought everything about him was being a shepherd but the burning bush encounter awoke him from this identity misfit.
These several years you have been battling and confused on what exactly your purpose is? You only hear people talk about purpose and destiny but it makes not much sense to you. In fact, you have attended several seminars and conferences on purpose discovery but they all left you more confused than you came. You need nothing but God. Let him reveal Himself to you and you will discover your purpose. He is your maker, thus, he knows your statutory duty.
However, like Moses your purpose is not something that got deposited suddenly, it has always been in you. Moses had been living his purpose long before the burning bush encounter, he was to be a deliverer and defender. Remember how he defended the Hebrew against an Egyptian, he also defended Jethro’s ladies from the shepherd’s oppression and now he was defending sheep and cattle in the mountain of the Lord. Moreover, purpose took him to the mountain of the Lord where he had encounter. Those were building blocks for the bigger purpose of delivering children of Israelites. What are those things that occur naturally to you? Even when you were not called to do them, they appear naturally easy to do. So easily to the extent that even when you are not been motivated with sweet words and money, you still do it. Those are green lights, get busy with them first and there God will shed more light on your path.
Priest, please shed more light on purpose and profession(career). Moses’ profession (9-5pm) in our today’s world is that cattle rearing, being a shepherd. But he had passion for the leadership role and some thing tells him there is more. He could have opted in for being a bouncer (that was synonymous to being a defender)but that will not put food on his table. He was busy with cattle rearing as his job but at every damage control events around him, the leadership role in him will be ignited. That is purpose. You are a writer, song composer, orator, actor. Those and many more are potential things for the advancement of God’s kingdom, that is purpose. Purpose is your contribution to the advancement of the kingdom, that is the reason for your existence. Why God had kept you this far, the purpose. Your course of study, what you practice and many more is your career or profession, they may have to foot your bill till God says otherwise. Do you get this analogy?
Let’s pray!
Lord, reveal yourself to me. I have learnt today that at thy revelation my life will take a new turn and the purpose of my birth will be established, please let me see you. I want to see you. Let my light shine. Amen.
Jabez cried to the God of Israel, saying, Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and You would keep me from evil so it might not hurt me! And God granted his request.
1 Chronicles 4:10 AMPC
Are you blessed?
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