“But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.” Exodus 2:15-17
God had a plan for Moses’ life, and the enemy tried to stop it right from the beginning. Moses’ mother found a way to protect her boy and as a result he was raised in Pharaoh’s palace. As he grew to be a man, he saw how his people were being treated and tried to do something about it. It was not God’s timing, things didn’t turn out well, and he had to flee Egypt.
In our scripture today, we find him sitting by a well. I wonder if he thought of the story of Jacob fleeing from his brother and stopping at a well. Similar circumstances only this time there were seven young women who came to the well to water their sheep. This time they were not being treated well by the other shepherds, and so Moses came to their rescue. As a result, he was invited to their home and eventually married one of them, Zipporah.
God had not given up on his plan for Moses to deliver the children of Israel, it just wasn’t time yet. Moses had lessons to learn, and for forty years he tended sheep. Instead of all the riches of the palace, he now spent lonely hours in the desert. His food was simple and very much different from what he had enjoyed for so long. Moses had time to meditate, and I am sure he thought a lot of the stories his mother had told him as she looked after him for the princess in his early years. The lessons he learned from the sheep would stand him in good stead when he was ready to lead the people out of Egypt. Eventually, God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and revealed His calling and purpose to Him.
God has a plan and a purpose for each of us. Like, Moses, we need to wait on Him, but that doesn’t mean we sit around and do nothing. Reading the Word of God, spending time in prayer and meditation, and drawing near to God are important. These things prepare us for the time when the Lord opens the door for us to minister in the capacity He chooses. Time spent to sharpen the sickle is never spent in vain.
Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Prayer: Lord thank you that you have called us to be your children, help us to wait on you and be ready for you to use us.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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