The Lord is Always Working

Sometimes, an account in the Bible skips over a lot of years in a few verses. Such is the case with the account of Moses. At the end of Exodus 2, we hear of Moses running away from Egypt at the age of 40 (see Acts 7:23) due to him killing an Egyptian and beginning a new life in Midian where he marries and has a son. Then, in Exodus 3, we have the account of Moses at the burning bush at the age of 80 (see Exodus 7:7 and Acts 7:30).

I wonder what Moses was thinking during those 40 years in Midian? Was he scared that someone would come looking for him to get revenge? Did he think about his fellow Israelites or contemplate his early years growing up in Pharaoh's household? Undoubtedly he had learned the story of how the Lord preserved his life after his parents put him in a basket in the Nile. Did he question what God's plan was for him? Did he even think much about God?

We are told that Moses' father-in-law was a priest of Midian (see Exodus 2:16). What that exactly means the Bible doesn't make clear. (For more about his father-in-law Jethro, see Exodus 18:5-27). What is implied is that between the ages of 40 and 80 Moses was living in a setting in which it was assumed God was involved in the lives of people.

But just because someone is living in that setting doesn't mean that someone is conscious of the Lord always being at work in his or her life. St. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:4-5 that in the last days, people will be "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power."

In Moses' case, the Lord came in a dramatic way at the burning bush. For many of us, it happens as the Lord speaks to us through His Word and the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see the Lord at work in our lives. It might seem less dramatic than a burning bush, but powerful nonetheless.

What are your expectations of God's involvement in your life? -Pastor Schmidt