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.
As a result of this sensational encounter, Moses knew with absolute certainty that he was following God’s direction, not a delusional impulse, when he returned to Egypt to begin this assignment.
Moses faced serious resistance upon his arrival. Pharaoh responded to his initial request to free the Israelites by intensifying their suffering. The Israelites blamed him for worsening their lives.
After gaining their freedom, the Israelites’ journey from their homes to the Red Sea was perilous rather than pleasant. 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 he completed his mission.
Our Calling
On rare occasions, God’s guidance is unusually dramatic for us as well.
He may not speak to us through burning bushes, but we know only he could have led us to the opportunity before us, or delivered the message we received.
Following God’s unmistakable guidance may open the door to a world of prosperity and adulation. If so, he wants our hindsight to remind us that our affluence and acclaim are primarily his doing, not ours, so we will remain humble and use these things for his purposes.
Alternatively, we may find ourselves mired in woe after following God’s clear direction. In that case, he wants our hindsight to remind us that we did not arrive there by accident.
Instead, God wants us to know with absolute certainty that we are where he wants us to be and doing what he wants us to do, so we will have the courage to persevere through our tribulation.
This knowledge assures us that he has anticipated our situation, charted a path through it, and made preparations for the aftermath, whatever that may be.
We can be confident that as we walk in harmony with him, he will help us endure the anguish we experience, produce goodness from it, and resolve it as he deems best, an assessment we can trust.
