I spent time reading through the beginning of Exodus this week and there was a passage that stood out to me.
To give you a setup of the scenario, the Israelites have been enslaved for over 400 years. The current Pharaoh, the most powerful man in the world, was causing them to work mercilessly. The Lord raised up a leader, Moses, to free His people. Moses did not feel qualified and was uncertain of His calling.
The Lord’s perfect plan was to FREE his people so that they would worship Him.
To paraphrase the story, Moses approached Pharaoh about releasing His people to worship their God. Pharaoh said, “Only the men, the women and children and livestock must stay.”
Moses could’ve said yes to that deal, but it wasn’t the Lord’s perfect plan.
After a plague, Moses makes the same request of freedom to Pharaoh. This time, Pharaoh said, “the men, women, and children can go. But the livestock must stay.”
Again Moses could’ve settled. Moses is bartering with the most powerful man on earth! He could’ve settled, but it wasn’t the Lord’s perfect plan.
Finally, after the final plague, Pharaoh came to Moses and said, “You are all free to go”. Not only did they all leave, they were given gold and silver on their way out!
This is what God’s perfect plan looks like.
How often I have settled.
How often I have said, “yes” to the things that look like what the Lord promised but knowing they weren’t the perfect plan.
In my life I have seen it in relationships I have settled for. I have seen it in job opportunities I have settled for. I have seen life decisions I have settled for.
I will NOT settle again.
In all honesty, I don’t have all the answers to what the Lord will do in my life. I do not know the fullness of what the Lord’s plans are for my future.
The Lord may ask me to let go of things I hold dear to me to have things that He holds dear to Him. I may have to wait a long time to hear the next step. I may be afraid.
But I WILL seek his heart. I WILL trust his voice. I WILL have faith.
If Moses would’ve settled, the Israelites would not have received the fullness of what God had planned for them.
Instead, God’s plans were for them to be free.
Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that we have been set free.
We have the freedom to choose to walk out God’s perfect plan. Which will you choose?
