IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP, THERE'S STILL HOPE- 1- MOSES
One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?" The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known."
When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock. Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, "Why have you returned so early today?" They answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock." "And where is he?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat." Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, "I have become an alien in a foreign land." (Exodus 2:11-22)(NIV)
Overconfidence, youthful zeal, crazy adventuring...call it whatever you will, but Moses lost much because of it. The comforts of the Egyptian palace, the honor and glory that came with being Pharaoh's daughter's son and much more. Was it a mistake or was that the path in which God wanted to mould him into being his servant? It could have happened differently, but God chose to use Moses' indiscretion to change his personality. No doubt there were blessings, like getting married and having children, but life in Midian must have been lack-luster compared to the royalty of Egypt. For the next 40 years Moses was in God's school of preparation for a ministry that would last another 40 years. And what a ministry that turned out to be.
SO IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP THERE'S STILL HOPE. REMEMBER, GOD CAN TURN YOUR FAILURES INTO SUCCESS.
One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?" The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known."
When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock. Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, "Why have you returned so early today?" They answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock." "And where is he?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat." Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, "I have become an alien in a foreign land." (Exodus 2:11-22)(NIV)
Overconfidence, youthful zeal, crazy adventuring...call it whatever you will, but Moses lost much because of it. The comforts of the Egyptian palace, the honor and glory that came with being Pharaoh's daughter's son and much more. Was it a mistake or was that the path in which God wanted to mould him into being his servant? It could have happened differently, but God chose to use Moses' indiscretion to change his personality. No doubt there were blessings, like getting married and having children, but life in Midian must have been lack-luster compared to the royalty of Egypt. For the next 40 years Moses was in God's school of preparation for a ministry that would last another 40 years. And what a ministry that turned out to be.
SO IF YOU HAVE MESSED UP THERE'S STILL HOPE. REMEMBER, GOD CAN TURN YOUR FAILURES INTO SUCCESS.
