Ordinary Moses

The past few days, as I step more fully into resting in God's love, I've been dreaming a lot, opening myself up to the crazy stuff that could potentially be down the road, in my future, in God's plans. God uses ordinary people in the Bible to do such extraordinary things and I think "Wow! I'm ordinary, I wonder what extraordinary stuff God might have purposed for me." I watched the Prince of Egypt animated film today. So mind you, it was a slower day in India, but once in a while an animated movie is good for the adult soul and I figured a biblically based flick is even better. In the film Jethro, who is the high priest of Median, is throwing a celebration for Moses because he recently defended his young daughters against thieves trying to steal from the family flock and protected them. Moses wishes that Jethro wouldn’t honor him and says, “I‘ve done nothing in my life worth honoring.” And then this beautiful song begins and the lyrics are as follows:

~Through Heaven’s Eyes~
A single thread in a tapestry
Through its color brightly shine
Can never see its purpose
In the pattern of the grand design

And the stone that sits on the very top
Of the mountain's mighty face
Does it think it's more important
Than the stones that form the base?

So how can you see what your life is worth
Or where your value lies?
You can never see through the eyes of man
You must look at your life

Look at your life through heaven's eyes

A lake of gold in the desert sand
Is less than a cool fresh spring
And to one lost sheep, a shepherd boy
Is greater than the richest king
If a man lose ev'rything he owns
Has he truly lost his worth?
Or is it the beginning
Of a new and brighter birth?

So how do you measure the worth of a man
In wealth or strength or size?
In how much he gained or how much he gave?
The answer will come
The answer will come to him who tries
To look at his life through heaven's eyes

And that's why we share all we have with you
Though there's little to be found
When all you've got is nothing
There's a lot to go around

No life can escape being blown about
By the winds of change and chance
And though you never know all the steps
You must learn to join the dance
You must learn to join the dance

So how do you judge what a man is worth
By what he builds or buys?
You can never see with your eyes on earth
Look through heaven's eyes
Look at your life
Look at your life
Look at your life through heaven's eyes

It is a beautiful song and a powerful film. It compelled me to read the actual, incredible account told in Exodus. Through looking at his life through Heavens eyes, Moses, who finds that he is not royalty but rather an ordinary descendant of an enslaved people, is humbled before the Lord and is chosen by God to do the extraordinary. In the movie, brotherly love between Ramses and Moses is heavily developed and portrayed. We can only imagine that these boys, who grew up together as brothers, would have had a deep bond. Now as adults, Ramses has become ruler over the most powerful empire in present day and Moses is chosen, by God, to perform miracles and lead the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt, who are under his brother's rule. The Israelites have been waiting for this deliverance for over 400 years. And an orphan, who becomes royalty, is moved with compassion for an enslaved people that he later comes to find out he has descended from, is chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery against every opposition facing the most powerful empire of their time. Uuummmh WOW! As he faces a burning, not so burning, bush and call from God, Moses’ first reaction is doubt. Doubt that God has chosen the right person for the task at hand. Its comforting to me to know that while God is speaking from a bush that’s on fire, but again not burning, Moses is doubting. It assures me of the patience of the Lord when God challenges me to act courageously or calls me to something I think I can’t handle and I immediately doubt if I’m suited, prepared, or able to step forward in faith. Time and time again, we read in the Bible, stories of God’s calling on people who seem ill-suited. The call seems too great, the sacrifice too high, the person too ordinary and yet every time God equips the called with power, strength, and wisdom. (and a staff that turns into a snake, turns water into blood and parts the sea to rescue 600,000 of His children, if your lucky) Why do I doubt that I am the right person for the job? Why do I constantly need to be reminded the He is God and we are not? Today I answer, "Here I am Lord!" I answer the call and just step out in faith to let Him do what he does best… PROVIDE!