Chosen & AppointedSample

Essence It's human nature to wonder about our purpose. Its not the sort of thing other creatures deal with. Your dog has never woken up and thought, “Why am I here?” But the odds are good, you have. I take comfort in knowing that many of the greats in the Bible didn't search for purpose. Instead they found it along the journey of their stories being written. Moses' story is unique. He was an orphaned child who God still used. Consider a few incidents from Moses’ life... In his youth, he murdered an Egyptian who was mistreating Hebrew slaves. Later, he encounters two Hebrew slaves that are arguing and steps in to stop the argument. Further into his story, Moses is at a well and helps some women who were coming to gather water, but were being prevented by local shepherds. On the surface, these events don't seem connected, but they expose a motivation that is at the very heart of who Moses is; his essence. Moses is driven by a sense of justice, unafraid to step into the conflicts he sees. With this in mind, it makes perfect sense that God would call Moses, charging him to go back to Egypt and be the advocate for God’s chosen people. Naturally, Moses was hesitant to accept the call that God had for his life. He presented many excuses to God, explaining why he wasn’t capable of doing what God was asking. By denying this call, Moses was denying his own essence, his God-given moral compass. Even more than denying himself, Moses was questioning if God made the right choice. It's only natural to excuse ourselves out of God's call, yet in doing so we risk erasing the Bible-worthy moments of our lives. Moses would go on to liberate a nation, develop leaders, and change his world. THINK ABOUT IT: If you replayed your life, what decisions reveal your essence or character? REFLECT: Like Moses' sense of justice, what moves you to action? PRAY: Ask God to reveal those characteristics in you that He wants to use.