IN GOOD FAITH: When God Calls, Pt. 7

By PASTOR MARK MOLINA
Living Waters Church

Pastor Mark Molina

Pastor Mark Molina

What kind of fall is too far from grace? Cold blooded murder? Running from justice? Is this the kind of person you would want as a leader? Is this the kind of person you would choose as your leader? Would this be the kind of person you might want in your church? Better yet, what if this person became your Pastor? Would you stay or would you go? What would you think of God then? Can this type of person ever be forgiven, restored, redeemed and used for a divine and holy purpose? What if you are this person?

“One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” (Exodus 2:11-12 NIV)

Moses, the greatest leader in Old Testament Biblical History, did the following: “Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” In cold blood he killed and then hid the body.

The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?” The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as
you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.” (Exodus 2:13-14 NIV)

What’s even worse is that Moses had become self-righteous. In his diluted, twisted mind, he thought he could now
correctly judge. Then fear entered his mind for his sin had found him out! Can this type of person ever be trusted to lead again?

“When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.” (Exodus 2:15 NIV)

Moses fled from Egypt to Midian to get away from his sin. He crossed the Sinai Peninsula, on foot, to hide from the truth of his life.

He was now a fugitive from the most powerful political leader on the planet at that time. He was alone in the desert by day and by night. No cell phone. No internet. No GPS system. What was he thinking about? “What have I done?” “My life is over.” “I can never go home again.”

I serve as a Volunteer Chaplain for Cameron County. I minister in the jail in Olmito at Carrizalez/Rucker weekly. These are the same comments I hear from inmates every time I visit. I always remind them of Moses and God’s redemptive power.

When Moses got to Midian all he had the strength left to do was sit down by a well. Have you ever been in that place in your life? Running from your sin? Running from your past? Running from what others know to be true about you? Do you feel like you are crossing a desert, alone, in fear, lost, hungry, thirsty just so you can get away from death that is chasing you?

Well, if God could forgive Moses, He can forgive you. If God loved Moses enough to guide him to a safe place, He
will do the same for you. If God could see beyond the travail of Moses’ life, He can see beyond yours. If God could lead him to a well with water – in the desert, in a place he did not know anyone, alone without support — He will do the same for you! He will do the same for me! He will do the same for anyone whom He has called by His great name!

What’s the difference between Moses and us? Nothing! What’s the difference between his sin and ours? No difference! You may think that God only did that for Moses because Moses was special! Wrong! John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life.”

 

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2014/11/14/in-good-faith-when-god-calls-pt-7/

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