Mensa Otabil - Going In God's Power
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Yesterday, we looked at Moses and how he responded to the call of God. He sought permission from Jethro, and Jethro blessed him. Now we look at the next thing that happens in Exodus chapter 4, verses 19 and 20. The Lord said to Moses in Midian, «Go, return to Egypt, for all the men who sought your life are dead.» Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey. He returned to the land of Egypt, and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
Moses fled Egypt forty years earlier as a wanted man. He had betrayed the house of Pharaoh, and they were really angry with him. One of the reasons Moses stayed outside of Egypt for all those forty years was that he was afraid of what would happen if he went back. He was uncertain about his future and what awaited him.The Lord sensed how Moses felt. Moses was ready to go, but he was not sure how he would be received. God knew how Moses felt and guaranteed him safe passage. How did God do that? The Lord said to Moses, «All the men who sought your life are dead.» These are magnificent words of relief because Moses has probably been having nightmares. In his mind, he sees the face of Pharaoh, and even after forty years, he can’t imagine that they are still not there. In his mind, they are still present.
Many times, there are enemies or fears in our minds that are dead, that are not there. These are things we faced in our past, things that used to harass us. In our minds, they are still there, and we fight them. We run away from them, trying so hard to overcome them, but they are no longer there. That is what God is saying to Moses: the thing you have been fighting for all these forty years in captivity is gone. I’ve taken it away; I’ve solved it. They are dead, so now you can fulfill your mission.
When Moses heard that the people who were seeking his life were dead, he took his wife and sons and started to go to Egypt. I don’t know what you learned from this, but I believe that for some of you, you’re fighting, and God is telling you, «It’s dead; it’s gone. The thing you fear is no longer there; it’s out of the way. Just go on and do what God wants you to do.
I also want you to notice something: when Moses left, he left with the rod of God in his hand. That’s how the passage puts it. Earlier, this rod was a rod of Moses. It was a shepherd’s rod-what he ordinarily used to drive the sheep into pasture to guide them. This was not an extraordinary thing; of course, God had used it supernaturally, but it still remained a shepherd’s rod. However, when Moses took hold of this rod to go back to Egypt, he recognized he was not going alone; he was going with the power of God. How do I know? Because God has taken what is ordinary in my hand and transformed it into an extraordinary weapon.
This is an important lesson for us: sometimes God can take what is ordinary in your hand and do extraordinary things with it. You may look ordinary, but in you rests extraordinary power. When Moses set out for Egypt, he knew that even if those who sought him were dead, there was still some Pharaoh there. He knew about the gods of Egypt; he knew about the power they had; he knew about all the things that could confront him. But he also knew that God was with him because He had given him a weapon to use in His name and had given him signs to perform when he went into Egypt.
So if you’re a child of God, a spiritual child of God, you may look ordinary on the outside, but inside you is the awesome power of God. Don’t ever underestimate the power of God residing in you. For Moses, the power was in his hand as a stick; for us, the power is in our spirits, in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit. May the power of God go with you wherever you go this day, throughout this week, throughout this year, that you may experience the supernatural power of God.
Let us pray. Say with me, „Heavenly Father, lead me in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Take what is mine and use it as Your own. In Jesus' name, Amen, and Amen.“ Well, I’ll catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.