So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:10
Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. Deuteronomy 31:7
Drawn Out To Be Sent Out
The name Moses means “To draw out.”
God is still drawing His children out of captivity, out of hiding.
Do you feel trapped?
Have you ever been imprisoned by unforgiveness, addictions, others’ opinions, abuse, fear, or negative feelings?
Have you tried everything you and others can think of to break free from these unseen prison bars and chains?
As we read in the Bible about Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, we recognize all the miraculous things God did to accomplish this wondrous escape.
There were plagues, including the killing of all the firstborn males in every Egyptian household (and remember, Pharaoh was given fair warning about this and could have protected his people).
There was also the parting of the Red Sea, as God’s people crossed over to safety, after which those same waters closed in to drown all of Pharaoh’s army.
Then, there was God’s miraculous provision of food and water for His people in the wilderness.
All these things point to God's power.
God is still in the process of drawing out His people from captivity.
Yet the wilderness is not our final destination!
Many have accepted His forgiveness yet haven’t crossed into the promised land of freedom.
That’s what Joshua (whose name means “God saves”) accomplished after the Israelites had wondered and wandered in the wilderness for forty years.
Through Jesus, we are not only saved from the penalty of sin but also given power over sin.
Through Him alone, working through us by the power of His Holy Spirit, we can forgive, break addictions, cast off others’ opinions, overcome fear, and not be ruled by feelings.
Where are you living now:
In captivity?
In the wilderness?
In the promised land?
Lord, reveal your purpose and power to complete our freedom. May we never see our calling as only for us but for others, too. It is time we believe what You say and walk in all Your Son, Jesus paid for. Amen