The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
How often have you heard people say that they didn't feel qualified to do something in the service of the Lord and use that as an excuse not to do anything for God. Our gifts are not meant to restrict our ability to serve the Lord, but rather to enhance our service. If the Lord wants us to do something for Him, then He will stretch our limited talents and multiply them just as He did when He fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Moses was a prime example to us of a man called by God who didn’t feel like he could do the job God was asking him to do.
Moses was a prince in Egypt, but he was not Egyptian. He was born to Levite parents. Most know the story of how his mother put him in a basket in the Nile river to save him from the King Pharaoh’s decree that every Hebrew baby boy born at that time would be cast into the river to drown. The Israelites were multiplying too fast in his opinion and this was another way to oppress them. He had already made them slaves.
Moses was found by Pharaoh’s daughter, floating in the river, and she rescued him. Moses’ sister was one of the King’s daughter’s servants, so she offered to find a woman to nurse the baby and Pharaoh’s daughter agreed. Of course, Moses’ sister got his own mother to nurse him, so she took the baby and kept him until he was older and then she took him back to Pharaoh’s daughter who then raised him as a prince in the king’s palace. From that time until he was around 40, we don’t really know what went on in his life. But when he was 40, he came upon an Egyptian beating a Hebrew man. Moses looked around to make sure no one was watching and then he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. Since no one was around so he thought no one would ever know, but someone how Pharaoh found out and tried to kill Moses. As a result, Moses fled to the desert to hide and escape punishment.
It is a bizarre story. Moses was a good man in word and deed, but he purposefully killed a man. He spent the next 40 years hiding in Midian where he marries Zipporah, the priest of Midian’s daughter. During his time in Midian, Moses became a father and tended his father-in-law’s sheep – a long way from the life of an Egyptian prince. Moses had no idea, but God was using this time to get him ready for the purpose God had for him.
All the events of Moses’ life had made him who he needed to be to carry out God’s purpose. Tending sheep for his father in law was good because when the Children of Israel fled Egypt, they took their flocks with them. After hiding in Midian for 40 years, he was well equipped to guide the Israelites through the desert. God can take our bad choices and turn them to good for His purposes. It is impossible for us to know what experiences God is truly using to prepare us for service. We have no idea the plans He has for our lives. What may seem like an insignificant moment today might become a pivotal point in our lives. What may seem like the destruction of the rest of our lives may turn out to be what changes our lives to become better than we ever imagined. No matter what mess we make of our lives, He takes our messiest places, shines them up, and uses them for His glory.
One thing we can be sure of is that whatever He calls us to do, He will qualify us for the task. Even though Moses didn’t feel qualified, it wasn’t even about him. It’s never about us when God calls us to a task – it’s always about Him. He is more than qualified to handle our issues and prepare us for His purposes.
