Leadership of the Exodus

I mentioned last week that I was in awe of the leadership and people that God used to deliver His people out of Egypt.  Here's my take on it.

First off, God used Moses.  Moses was born during a time when the Pharaoh (out of fear) had all the Hebrew baby boys killed.  Moses was saved and protected then sent down a river (again to save and protect).  He was found by Pharaoh's daughter (ya know, the daughter of the man who was ordering that these babies be killed) and grew up in Pharaoh's house as a prince in Egypt.  Moses was a Hebrew living in an Egyptian home.  As he grew, he learned the Egyptian ways, had relationship with Egyptians but also had his eyes opened to the fact that he was a Hebrew and what the Egyptians were doing to his people.  This led him to killing an Egyptian and living in the wilderness for 40 years. 

But here's what amazes me.  God told Moses to deliver God's people out of Egypt.  And when I thought about what qualifications Moses had, I realized he had connection with both the captor and the captives.  Moses could get an audience with Pharaoh because he was a prince of Egypt.  He could lead the Hebrews because he was one of them.  He was the connection between the 2 worlds.  Moses could talk to Pharaoh and the Hebrews.  Who else could've done this?

Because Moses did not grow up a slave, however, I think God sent Aaron and Miriam to help Moses' credibility with the Hebrews.

Aaron was Moses' brother (his blood brother).  When I look at the leadership of Aaron I realize that he was the one who could vouch for Moses and help the Hebrews to see the truth of Moses' leadership and plans for them.  He was the go between between Moses and the Hebrews.  Aaron had been a slave his whole life and could identify with the Hebrews.  He was also related to Moses and saw, from the beginning, the plans God had for his brother.  Without Aaron, Moses' job would've been infinitely harder.  Would the Hebrews have listened to just Moses?  Would they have followed a man who grew up in the Egyptian palace?  I don't know.  But this is why I think Aaron was vital.

And so was Miriam (Moses' blood sister).  Miriam was a prophetess and a worshiper.  And a woman!  I believe she had influence on the women.  Can you imagine being a Hebrew woman and being told to leave your homes and go to the desert?  Following a man you didn't know?  But then comes Miriam.  She was also a slave and lived her life as one.  But she was Moses' protector and saw the miracles God did to protect and save him at the beginning of Moses' life.  She also vouches for Moses and encourages the women to follow his leading.  She worshiped God along the way.  She led from the middle of the pack.  Miriam was also vital to the success of the exodus.   

Leaders don't always lead up front.  If you're a Moses leader then you have to.  But if you're an Aaron or a Miriam leader, you lead from the middle.  You encourage those around you to follow the leadership.  To trust God in the plans He's given leadership.  You encourage, you worship, you help.  Moses, Aaron and Miriam were God's chosen leaders.  Each for their unique role.  They were connectors between people.  Who are you a leader for?  What unique position has God placed you in to lead others?  Are you a Moses, an Aaron or a Miriam?

Here's how I see this played out in the church body.  If you serve in children's ministry or youth ministry or in another capacity where you aren't the "Moses" of the ministry, are you influencing the others around you to follow who God has chosen to lead?  I've had the privilege of doing this many times (and still do!).  Yes, I get to encourage others to follow my husband's leading, but I also get to encourage people to follow our Foursquare leadership.  God called these great men and women to lead our denomination.  I can use my influence and help lead like Miriam.

Are you using your influence to help lead from the middle of the pack?  Encouraging others around you to follow the children's pastor or youth pastor or other leadership?  God moved 2 million people across the desert (can you even imagine?!) and He used 3 main leaders.  What could He do with our church body if we lead from within?

Throwback Thursday - A Thankful Heart!

(originally published in 2011)

I've been pondering what it means to have a thankful heart and how it can change the way my children, all of you and I see the world around us.

It changes us....

from ewww! Gross dinner! I don't want any! to Thank you for making this. I appreciate it. from All he does is work! to I'm so thankful he has a job and is able to provide for us. from This job is hard/dumb/not fun etc...! It doesn't pay well..grrr! to I'm thankful to be where God wants me to be. from These kids are driving me crazy! to I'm thankful for each day I have with the gifts God has given me and for the refinement in my life :) from I don't like our government. I'm tired of this! to I'm thankful to be living in a free country where I'm allowed amazing privileges. from I hate the weather! to So thankful for each season that brings with it a purpose and a plan. from I didn't get enough sleep and I'm cranky! to I'm thankful for a warm bed sleep in. from My family drives me nuts sometimes! to I'm thankful for a family to be a part of. from I hate being sick. to I'm so thankful for the times that I am well. from I'm tired of the tough seasons in life. to I'm thankful for the seasons of blessings and for the work God does in me during the tough times. from I never have enough money! to I'm thankful for the many, many ways God provides for me. from I hate this house! to I'm thankful for a place to live, a roof over my head, running water, heat, electricity.... from Homeschooling is sometimes the stinkin most hardest thing I've ever done and boy does that yellow bus look inviting! to It's an honor to be able to have my kids home with me teaching them life skills, character development as well as "normal" school stuff. from A new car would really be nice. This old clunker is just not working anymore. to I'm thankful for a working car that gets me where I need to go. from I really don't like being so far away from family. to I'm thankful for my family of choice. from My church doesn't play the right music all the time or preach the things I want to hear and people can be seriously ornery and un-Christian. to I'm thankful that I am free to worship. I'm thankful for a place I can go, as a striving Christian myself, and be a part. I'm thankful for other striving Christians, even though they may hurt me sometimes. God has brought everyone in my life for a reason.

Here's to a change of heart!

Testimony Tuesday

  ---I would like to set aside Tuesdays as the day we testify to God's work in our lives.  I say we because I have asked women at the River Church to share what God is doing in their lives and families.  These are their stories!  "They defeated him [the accuser] through the blood of the Lamb and the bold word of their witness." Revelations 12:11 (MSG)---


My testimony of thankfulness to God:

God recently told He wants me to grieve the hurts of my childhood. I don't feel one way or the other about it but then a thought came to me. That's the problem, God wants those feeling switches to be turned on. He wants me to feel, grieve and grow. Second thought, how embarrassing. At my age it's kinda late in the game to not have this done with. Third thought, some people think I have it together. Ha! seriously? I try not to care about that. Up I went for prayer.

It's like when you are teaching your children to clean the bathroom or their room and you see they are doing a great job. In your quest to train them for excellence you see that lurking in the shadows under their bed or in the corner on the tile floor is something that needs looking after.  God has freed me up from many things but there are still some things lurking in the shadows and corners.  It will probably be a hard crazy making time. He loves me and I need to trust Him in this.

Margret Mondragon

Is it Better?

I've been reading through Exodus with my kids for the past few weeks and I've been in awe (again) of the story of Moses leading the people to freedom.  First off I was struck by the leaders God chose (totally another blog topic!) and then I was stopped by these few scriptures.

The Israelites had been heading out of Egypt, being led by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night {this seems obvious to me that God was leading and providing for them but that could just be me}  There were probably a couple million people total and all of their animals.  Quite a sight!  They were coming up to the Red Sea when they turned and saw Pharaoh's army heading toward them.

"They were terrified and and cried out to the Lord.  They said to Moses, 'Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?  What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?  Didn't we say to you in Egypt, Leave us alone, let us serve the Egyptians?  It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!'  Exodus 14:10-12

You see the Israelites had been taken care of in Egypt.  The Egyptians had to provide food for all of their slaves.  The Israelites may not have liked working as slaves (the conditions were horrible) but they had food.  They had a place to live (even if was almost nothing).  They had accepted their lives in bondage. 

Oh my goodness this sounds familiar!  I know this is something I've said as well as heard other people say.  Although it can sound a bit like "It's hard to make changes! It's easier and more comfortable to be angry.  At least I know where I stand."

Living out freedom is hard.  It means leaving the comfortable and journeying through the desert!  It's hard and may not seem better.  God frees us from sin and bondage and we are faced with a new path to take.  One that isn't traveled often.  At times it feels like blazing a new trail.  We can wonder if it just wasn't better to stay back in Egypt and accept our lives as a slave.  But is that why Christ set us free?  To stay and live the slave life?

"Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:13-14

My new favorite verses!!!  Do not be afraid my friends.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.  The fights and battles you see today you will never see again.  The Lord will fight for you; you only need to be still.

God parted the sea.  The Israelites walked across on dry land.  The Egyptians were drowned.  God's people were freed!  Miracle upon miracle as God provided their every need.   It was better.  It was hard.  But God showed His people and others that He is worthy and His plans are greater!  We need only trust and obey.

Hang in there.  If God is walking you on a path to freedom do not turn around and look back to Egypt and think that life was better there.  It's not.  His promised land is infinitely greater and it comes with a journey.  A journey which is sometimes difficult but always worth it!

Throwback Thursday - Change Me on the Inside

(originally published in 2011)

I was driving into church last Sunday humming a worship song, listening to my kids in the backseat, and of course driving when I felt like God spoke clearly to me. It had to have been the song I was humming mixed with the prayers I've been praying that prompted this Holy Spirit visit {although He really doesn't really need prompting - basically my heart was finally ready to hear what He was going to speak}.

This is what I heard:
{and when I say heard I don't mean an audible voice, it's more like a thought that I know is definitely not mine -- the Bible talks about how His sheep will know His voice - the more I get to know God the easier it is to figure out when He's speaking to me. That's not to say that I don't miss it when He speaks. I still do that. A lot. But this day I don't think I missed it.}

You pray for other people - which is not a bad thing - however, many times you pray for them to change. What about your own heart? Why aren't you praying for your heart to change towards them? You are missing out on the work I want to do in your heart by focusing on others.

Bam! Like a gentle smack in the head (honestly I love it when God does that). I really want to change. I don't want to be the same old me. One who is judgmental, prideful, selfish...I want to love others like He wants me to love. I want to think of others before myself. I want to be like Him. I realized that I did pray for others to change. I think it was so I didn't have to. Or didn't have to deal with the thing I didn't like. I don't completely know my motive - can't quite pinpoint it - but I do know that many times I had selfish motives for sure.

Has God spoken this to me before? Most definitely. Unfortunately I can be like a car out of alignment sometimes and start to drift off course. That's when I need a gentle smack on the head tug on my wheel to get me back on track. So thankful for those smacks!

Lord, Change me on the inside!

Testimony Tuesday

 ---I would like to set aside Tuesdays as the day we testify to God's work in our lives.  I say we because I have asked women at the River Church to share what God is doing in their lives and families.  These are their stories!  "They defeated him [the accuser] through the blood of the Lamb and the bold word of their witness." Revelations 12:11 (MSG)---

At the retreat I had a hard time figuring out what my testimony is since I am currently struggling in a few situations.  I have been a Christian since I was about 10 years old and since then I have strayed – most significantly in my college years.  Coming from a background where few people I knew went to college and/or even graduated, I fell into the lie that my value lies in my academic success and educational accomplishments.  During these years, I relied on myself and others to create my purpose in life.  When I graduated, I was far away from my childhood dream of becoming a doctor.  I quickly put that idea aside when the classes started getting challenging.  I was not into the rigor of science classes, and focused on a discipline that fed more of my self-interests and my idol of academic value which also strengthened my feelings of inadequacy. 

It was during this time that I met my husband.  We became pregnant before marriage, yet when we married, I decided I needed to turn back to God since I was now responsible for my child.  My husband was not a Christian when we married and marriage and fatherhood didn’t seem to affect him and he continued with the sinful life we had together before we married.  Eventually, this lifestyle became his idol and he is a slave to alcohol – now for about 20 years.  We are still married and have four children. 

Needless to say, God spoke so heavily to me during the last session of the retreat on the topic of Praise.  Logically, I know that God has carried me all these years in my imperfect marriage.  We have always been cared for with God’s provision – housing, food, vehicles, employment, etc.  – so I have always thanked God for his provisions.  However, I still have a hard time understanding his love.  Understanding Leah as wife and mother has been incredibly insightful as to my walk with God.  All these years, I have been so alone in trying to understand what I am to do in my marriage; I know I am to submit and honor my husband but he has been negligent of his responsibilities as a husband/father.  He is a Christian now but he is still enslaved. 
I used to think that my marriage was the worst decision I ever made.  Yet, I specifically remember praying for a husband during that incredibly sinful time of my life.  I know now that God brought my husband to me, he blessed me with four amazing children.  Just like Leah, I did not understand my marriage.  I struggled with being unloved and did not truly understand God’s fierce love for me until the last couple of years.  Now I spend my energy into freeing myself by strengthening my walk with God.  I know that I not responsible for my husband.  I have found peace and joy in God because I have accepted that I cannot change my husband, only pray and wait on the Lord.  I have started to walk into all situations as a test – knowing that even though they may be incredibly painful and difficult, God will never leave me so I need to rely on him to lead me through, and to remember to praise him always It is definitely not easy but I am so glad God is patient with me. 

The world tells me so many messages about my situation – for a long time I thought divorce was the answer, but God has placed a dream in my heart that includes my husband – not only as true partner for me, but a true man of God – which is far from present reality that I have often question it.  But this dream is consistent - for many years now I have had it so I am getting stronger in God to be prepared for this miracle to happen.  Because I know when my husband returns, I need to be ready, and I am not right now.  My heart is not right.  I have held and nurtured so strongly a worldly view of what a liberated woman should be, needs to be in order to be considered worthy or valued.  This is so hard to break free from because I have at least 20 years of this pride in myself – an American sense of rugged individualism - that severing the roots are amazing painful and emotionally draining.

I think I believed my testimony was not worth telling because I am still walking it. I was ashamed and wore a veil of shame for so long.  Now I know that God’s favor is my shield.  I seek refuge in his holy mountain, where there is no suffering and pain.

Is God Enough?

I realized the other day where some of my fear is rooted.  It is rooted in the question, in my time of need (financial struggle, illness, death, etc) will God be enough.

Will He be enough if everything in my life falls apart? 

Will He be enough if what I think should happen doesn't?  Or if what I don't think should happen does?

Will He be enough if my heart hurts and my body is tired? 

Will He be enough if I ever hear the worst news I can possibly imagine? 

I don't know.  I mean I don't know that from personal experience with those particular situations. 

What I do know is this.  He's always been enough in every situation in my life this far. 

In every struggle, every heartache, every challenge, in every tear shed, He's been enough.  He's never let me down.  Fear comes in when I think that He won't be enough when something "big" happens. 

The Word says "His grace is sufficient for me.  His power is made perfect in my weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9a

This was written down (under inspiration of the Holy Spirit) by a man who endured lots of "big" things.  Beatings, imprisonment, ship wrecks, persecution and eventually death.  He knew that God's grace was enough.  It was enough for every situation.  He was confident in that.  

The rest of vs 9 says "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 

My prayer is that when fear creeps in (it does and it will) my heart will resound with the echo and the confidence of Paul,  "He is (and will be) more than enough!"