Are you sure?

In Exodus 4, God tells Moses to go to the Pharaoh and ask for release for his people. So off go Moses and Aaron to see the Pharaoh in Exodus 5. They ask Pharaoh just like God told them, and just like God told them the Pharaoh says no. But then something happens that God didn't warn Moses and Aaron of, their people get punished. Made to work long and hard gathering straw to make bricks. The Hebrew foreman are even beaten when the quota is not met. 

It's not long before Moses starts to receive some flack for talking to the Pharaoh in the first place. A foreman approaches him and says "May the Lord look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us" Ouch. Those are fightin' words as my grandma would say. It seemed to Moses like this couldn't have really been what God meant for his people.

Moses returned to the Lord and said, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.

Sounds like one of my temper-tantrums.  Here's how it would have gone down if I were Moses:

So God, this surely couldn't have been what you meant to happen. You obviously don't see these people down here and they're suffering. How could you have intended for us to suffer? All I did was do what you told me and now it feels like you're punishing me. The worst part? You're not even helping! You got us into this mess, why haven't you rescued us?

Moses did exactly as God told him, yet he found himself questioning God and questioning his calling. Yet, God is so patient with him. "You'll soon see my plans unfolding." He comforts, "This is exactly what I planned for. This is happening so that all will know I am God, the Lord of the whole universe. It will be obvious I rescued you and your people" (the Angi paraphrase of Ex 6:1-2)

God knows we don't always understand His ways or the plans He has laid before us. He is patient in our times of doubt and discouragement. Yet, just as Moses sought God in his doubt, we must also respond to doubt by seeking God and continuing to do what He's called us to do.

This reminds me of a story from one of my favorite teachers- Lee Strobel in one of my favorite books The Unexpected Adventure. The story starts with Lee Strobel feeling the Spirit leading him to share the gospel with a man at his work. He obeys and excitedly shares all about Jesus with this man only to be cruelly shot down. "But God," he thought "I know you were leading me there. I was so sure that was what you wanted. Why didn't he put his faith in you?" Discouraged, Lee continued on in his walk with Christ.

Years and years later, as a pastor of a church, a man came up to him and thanked him for bringing him to Christ. "Oh no..." Lee thought. "I've never met this man in my life. How do I not remember sharing the gospel with him?" Confused, Lee asked the man to explain. "Years ago, you shared the gospel with a man at work. He was super rude and shot you down. You didn't know then, but I was just out of sight fixing the tile on the floor. I heard everything you said and surrendered my life to Christ right then. Since that day, I've gotten my life together and attend church regularly with my family" Lee was stunned.

Sometimes we don't see what God is doing. But just like Lee Strobel and Moses, we must not let our uncertainty stop us from doing what God has called us to do.

I'm linking up with Laura for Reflection Sonday

This time last year...

I was talking to my dad a couple weeks ago about how I was anticipating the end of the year. He looked at me funny and simply said "It's only May...?"

I think for the rest of my life, I'll always be on the 'school' schedule. Start of the year is August and May is the end of the year. That's just one of the greatest parts about doing college ministry.

But really, I can't believe this year is already over. I'm so thankful to God how much he has grown me this year. I'm getting ready to take a big step in my ministry- applying for a full time staff position. It is so so so exciting! This time last year I was just trying to figure out if doing the internship was right for me. How cool God is :)

I thought it would be fun to remember where I was at one year ago. Here's an excerpt from my journal entry from last year:


"I met with Kelsey yesterday, and she is going to be my first supporter! PRAISE GOD!...My prayer is that I will continue to persevere with courage and boldness, that I will continue to walk by faith and constantly be trusting God.  I walso pray that the Spirit will be guiding me and I'll display the fruits of the Spirit and not the desires of my own self. ... My job description is simply the Great Commission! How awesome! But in order for the light of Jesus to shine through, I must be less so that He can be more."

(The only thing your missing is my nearly illegible handwriting and the countless cups of coffee I have in the morning)

Where were you one year ago?