“When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian…” Ex. 2:15, NIV
If there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s that God loves a “welcome home” story. We see a reunion in just about every familial relationship in the Bible. Jesus, Himself even comes back to His disciples after the resurrection to remind them of the fulfilled promise. God loves to see reconciliation!
There are, however, times when the reunion isn’t so beautiful. Such is the case in the story of Moses. We know all too well of the miraculous deliverance of the children of Israel. We know of the parting of the Red Sea, the pillar of fire by night, and the promised land. But not much is ever said of the general annoyance at the first sight of the man they called Moses.
From birth, Moses had one strike against him. He was spared from death by being hidden and subsequently adopted. And as we all know Elders of a family keep really good tabs on the family growth. The baby that God spared became the taskmaster that they grew to loathe. Here he was, dressing like Egyptians, speaking like them, and forcing them to do what their deceased children could not do. (Talk about a loaded conversation.) Moses kept a constant internal struggle about who he was and where he fit in. A piece of him wanted so desperately to gain the approval of his “father” Pharaoh. Yet the other piece of him longed to understand why he was so different. Further, he had an adopted brother who was the true son of Pharaoh that despised the favor he had with his father.
As contentions grew within and without, Moses did as BEST he could to juggle who he was and who he was supposed to become. It wasn’t until he saw his first scandal that he understood his forever assignment. A Hebrew slave was being tormented under the hand of a hard taskmaster, and Moses’ reality and identity collided. The advocate in him defended the Hebrew, resulting in the death of the Egyptian, and he ran in exile to avoid the looming judgment of the King. Or so it seemed.
Perhaps I’m a serial optimist or just have seen the wonder of God too many times. But I absolutely love how He never leaves anything as garbage. The embarrassing exile was actually an empowerment session. The run was a retreat with the manufacturer to reset back to the original intent of his being born. I am more than confident that, whether naturally or spiritually, every single leader is required to deal with a wilderness experience. Moses could not “be” if he was pretending. And nothing humbles and heralds us into our destiny like a wilderness.
Perhaps you feel stuck. Perhaps you are wrestling with your reality and your destiny. Perhaps you’ve, like Moses, had to throw your hands up and give it all away and just run for your own sanity. Can I free you? Your reach will always be outnumbered by His righteousness. He will never scorn a “try.” Wherever you are, no matter what state you are in, if life has made you feel exiled it is because God is preparing you to be exhausted. And oftentimes he will send you right back to the nucleus of the place where it all fell apart. God is not one who leaves unfinished business. If you feel angry about where you are, perhaps think about “why” you are. God will always affirm, correct, affirm again, and then send. Prepare your heart, your mind, and your life to say, “I’ll be right back…”
The Traveler Weekly 