God notified Moses that he had been selected to lead the Israelites out of Egypt by speaking to him through a burning bush that did not extinguish.
Due to this sensational interaction, Moses knew with absolute certainty that he was following God’s direction and not a delusional impulse when he returned to Egypt to begin this assignment.
Moses encountered serious resistance upon his arrival. Pharaoh responded to his initial request to free the Israelites by intensifying their suffering. The Israelites blamed him for making their lives worse.
After gaining their freedom, the Israelite’s journey from their homes to the Red Sea was perilous. God’s circuitous route to the designated crossing point gave the Egyptian army time to catch up with them and threaten their newfound freedom.
Moses must have been perplexed at times by the range of difficulties he faced, but the dramatic nature of his initial conscription gave him the courage to press on until his mission was completed.
Our Calling
Occasionally, God’s guidance for some of us is unusually obvious. He may not speak to us through burning bushes, but his message is clear and unmistakably divine.
The dramatic nature of God’s calling could mean we are about to encounter some challenging situations. He wants us to be able to look back and remember that we did not wander into them by mistake.
Instead, he wants us to know with absolute certainty that we are where he wants us to be, doing what he wants us to do, so we will have the courage to persevere through our afflictions.
God wants this knowledge also to assure us that he has anticipated our anguish and made preparations for its aftermath, whatever that entails. Then, if we enjoy success, we will know that it was his doing, not ours.
But if our divine destiny initially includes failure, we can be confident God will help us endure the resulting distress as we walk in harmony with him and ultimately produce goodness from it.
