A devotion by Steve Long
I had a friend who told me the other day that he had wasted the last fifteen years of his life because the vocation he had chosen seems to have led to nowhere.
Moses may have felt this way. For the first forty years of his life, he was the grandson of the King (Pharaoh) of Egypt. Not bad, right?
But at forty, he saw an Egyptian abusing an Israelite. There he made a choice that he would identify with the people of God (Israel) to which he belonged. He killed the Egyptian, looked both ways, and buried him in the sand. When word got out, Moses had to flee for his life into the desert of Midian. This seems to have wiped out all he had accomplished up until then.
After he arrived there, he married a desert woman who gave birth to two sons. Sounds good, but it wasn’t what Moses expected out of his life. He named his first son Gershom, which means “Foreigner.” Terrible name that is. Moses named him that, I think, because he felt like a foreigner in a strange land. But, he named his second son Eliezer which means “God is my help.” By now, perhaps Moses was beginning to see that God had spared his life for a purpose. I’m not sure he knew what that purpose was but Moses was content to live in the desert with his wife’s father herding their sheep. This must have certainly caused many questions to pop up in Moses’ head abo`ut just what it was God might be up to. He must have wondered if there might still be any purpose for his life at this point.
Then, seemingly out of the blue, God did something very special in Moses’ life.
One day, while tending his father-in-law’s sheep, Moses saw a bush burning out in the wilderness. He had probably seen fires out there before – perhaps with lightning strikes or other causes. Moses turned to look and saw that the bush wasn’t being consumed. Some say this was the glory of God, for Moses hid his face from God there.
It was there that everything would change for Moses. God called him from the bush to go back to Egypt and demand that the Israelites be liberated. Moses was reluctant but one thing was certain, his life would never be the same.
Now, Moses the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, who had become a shepherd would now shepherd thousands and thousands of Israelites out of Egypt to the brink of the Promised Land. He would receive the commandments of God, deliver Israel from Egypt, perform miracles and write most of the first five books of the bible. He is literally one of the most well known and respected people in all of history and accomplished so much that was truly worthwhile. It didn’t always seem that way for Moses, but that’s how it all turned out.
Again, you may not feel you’ve done a whole lot of any great value in your life, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Here are some things that I believe the bible teaches about how to make whatever time you have left here worthwhile.
Start as Quickly as Possible.
Moses may have felt this way. For the first forty years of his life, he was the grandson of the King (Pharaoh) of Egypt. Not bad, right?
But at forty, he saw an Egyptian abusing an Israelite. There he made a choice that he would identify with the people of God (Israel) to which he belonged. He killed the Egyptian, looked both ways, and buried him in the sand. When word got out, Moses had to flee for his life into the desert of Midian. This seems to have wiped out all he had accomplished up until then.
After he arrived there, he married a desert woman who gave birth to two sons. Sounds good, but it wasn’t what Moses expected out of his life. He named his first son Gershom, which means “Foreigner.” Terrible name that is. Moses named him that, I think, because he felt like a foreigner in a strange land. But, he named his second son Eliezer which means “God is my help.” By now, perhaps Moses was beginning to see that God had spared his life for a purpose. I’m not sure he knew what that purpose was but Moses was content to live in the desert with his wife’s father herding their sheep. This must have certainly caused many questions to pop up in Moses’ head abo`ut just what it was God might be up to. He must have wondered if there might still be any purpose for his life at this point.
Then, seemingly out of the blue, God did something very special in Moses’ life.
One day, while tending his father-in-law’s sheep, Moses saw a bush burning out in the wilderness. He had probably seen fires out there before – perhaps with lightning strikes or other causes. Moses turned to look and saw that the bush wasn’t being consumed. Some say this was the glory of God, for Moses hid his face from God there.
It was there that everything would change for Moses. God called him from the bush to go back to Egypt and demand that the Israelites be liberated. Moses was reluctant but one thing was certain, his life would never be the same.
Now, Moses the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, who had become a shepherd would now shepherd thousands and thousands of Israelites out of Egypt to the brink of the Promised Land. He would receive the commandments of God, deliver Israel from Egypt, perform miracles and write most of the first five books of the bible. He is literally one of the most well known and respected people in all of history and accomplished so much that was truly worthwhile. It didn’t always seem that way for Moses, but that’s how it all turned out.
Again, you may not feel you’ve done a whole lot of any great value in your life, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Here are some things that I believe the bible teaches about how to make whatever time you have left here worthwhile.
Start as Quickly as Possible.
Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them": (Ecclesiastes 12.1)
Whatever You Do, Do Big.
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. (Ecclesiastes 9.10)
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men (Colossians 3.23).
Whatever You Do, Do it for God and for His Glory.
…as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: (Ephesians 6.6-7)
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10.31).
Whatever You Do, Do it Well.
God can take a job well done – whether it is Plumbing, Medical, Real Estate, Academics, Cooking, Preaching, Teaching, Sales, I.T., Witnessing, Parenting, or any other vocation, and use it to bring glory to him and blessing to others.
Don’t Give Up.
If you feel like you’ve been a flop, you’re not the first. Many people have felt like their lives were useless and they’ve thrown in the towel prematurely. As long as you still have a breath left to draw, there’s still time to correct your course.
Have you been knocked down? Get up! Have you been knocked down again? Get up again.
For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again (Proverbs 24.16).
Have you failed? You aren’t the first. Many have failed and rebounded for the glory of God. By God’s grace, you can too.
Did you make a wrong turn somewhere? It may be the long way to your destination, but you can get back on the track toward your goal.
Peter denied Jesus three times and cursed but Jesus made his life more fruitful afterward than ever before.
Jonah ran from God but could not outrun him. When God caught up to him, he was ready to go and be significant for God.
A young man named Mark abandoned God’s servants Paul and Barnabas, but later was considered profitable for the work of the Lord.
Joseph had dreams of big things but wound up in a pit, sold as a slave, lied about, and then placed in prison. Could his dreams be fulfilled? Only with God in charge, but yes, they could and they were. God used him to feed the known world of his time.
You only have one life to live while here. Make it count.
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