From Failure to Divine Appointment
by Sue Nesbit
Moses was an anomaly—a Hebrew who grew up in Pharaoh's household. The Hebrews were slaves. The Egyptians were cruel taskmasters. Grieved at the continual injustice he witnessed, Moses snapped. He killed and buried an Egyptian. Although his action was discreet it was still seen by two Hebrew men. The Hebrew men turned against him. In fear Moses fled to Midian. When Pharaoh heard, he sought to kill Moses.
Midian was far away and sparsely populated. There Moses met Jethro. There he married Jethro’s daughter, Zipporah. There he busied himself shepherding Jethro’s flock. Each day Moses traversed the sparse wilderness with his flock, acutely aware of his own failure. One day he was drawn to a burning bush.
The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn't burn up. "This is amazing," Moses said to himself. "Why isn't that bush burning up? I must go see it." When the LORD saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, "Moses! Moses!" "Here I am!" Moses replied (Exodus 3:2-4 NLT).
The same Moses who had murdered an Egyptian, stumbled upon a divine appointment with God. Through the encounter Moses was commissioned and sent to deliver the Israelites from Egypt.
Here’s the all too familiar pattern: missed opportunities lead to closed doors; the enemy whispers “You’re a failure!”; we give up. The enemy is a liar! Failing at something doesn’t mean we are a failure.
God is rich in mercy. He is the God of divine encounters, divine appointments, and new beginnings. It’s as we look beyond failures and missed opportunities that we encounter His presence. His presence ignites destiny, restores identity, and positions us to go forward. Every weapon fashioned against us is rendered ineffective (Isaiah 54:17). Don’t let failure rule your life. God has a plan—and it’s good.
© 2020 Sue Nesbit.
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The Doorway – Sue Nesbit
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