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Is it possible that when one’s life has been burnt to ashes, that a new fire will be relit? Is it possible that after the fire has gone out, to be given fresh fuel to restart the fire? Is it possible when one has nothing left to give, to find a fresh reservoir to pour out from? That is the miraculous story of Moses. A has-been is transformed in to a man of the moment. A failure becomes a success. Because God came into the picture.
In part 1, we shared how Moses’s trajectory was changed by an encounter with God at the burning bush. In the same way, we may need a fresh encounter with God to relight our fire inside. This encounter with God led to a fresh revelation of God. We too can receive a lifechanging fresh revelation of God.
In part 2, we continue unpacking the impact of Moses’ encounter with God to reveal 2 other key elements that enables our hearts to burn anew with a holy fire.
FRESH VISION FROM GOD (v7-9)
Exodus 3:7–9 (NIV) 7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.
We all need divine vision. Without divine vision, we wander aimlessly in our lives. Without divine vision, we live far below our God-given potential. Without divine vision, we lose motivation and dry up.
God began to impart a fresh vision into Moses' heart that defined the rest of his life purpose. Vision is critical in our lives. Prov 29:18 (KJV) Where there is no vision, the people perish… We all need divine vision. Without divine vision, we wander aimlessly in our lives. Without divine vision, we live far below our God-given potential. Without divine vision, we lose motivation and dry up.
Do you have a divine vision stirring in your hearts? If not, you need a fresh vision from God. You need to be burnt anew! What does divine vision stir in us?
Divine cause to champion (v7) “…"I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying ….. and I am concerned about their suffering.”
After 40 years in the desert, Moses had probably given up any hope of helping his enslaved people in Egypt. His personal vision had withered and died. But now, God visits him with a fresh vision. Not Moses' vision but God's.
Every divine vision contains a moral cause to champion. It starts with a divinely-inspired insight into a situation that cries out for a deliverer.
Every divine vision contains a moral cause to champion. It starts with a divinely-inspired insight into a situation that cries out for a deliverer. An insight that is like an arrow that has pierced our heart and burns it afresh into our spirits. Moses got an insight into how God saw the situation “that the people were in slavery, in misery and need of freedom from their slave masters”.
Such insight stirs us into holy discontentment. It will grow and grow in us as we let God nurture it in our spirits. Nehemiah had holy discontent when he saw the state of the wall and the plight of His people. Neh 1:3-4 (NIV) 3 They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." 4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
We will not be able to sit still, with holy discontent burning in our hearts! It will stir us into action and provide divine purpose in our life. You cannot remain directionless. A key reason why I got involved in the Hope movement was because I was dismayed at the general state of many churches I saw around. Where people were not being discipled, Christians were not being envisioned for the Great Commission. Consequently, many Christians were largely pursuing their own ambitions.
Today God is looking for people to champion the cause of His Kingdom. Will you be one of those?
Divine partnership (v8) “So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land…”
When God inspires vision in us, He is inviting us to join in a divine partnership with Him. For the task would be so great that unless God is involved, we cannot accomplish it ourselves.
God makes it clear to Moses that God Himself will be involved in rescuing His people from the plight they were in. When God inspires vision in us, He is inviting us to join in a divine partnership with Him. For the task would be so great that unless God is involved, we cannot accomplish it ourselves. When it is God's vision, He will be involved. He will back us up all the way.
So how do we know that God is with us? Look for signs of favour. Jonathan and his armour bearer were in a divine partnership with God to take the Philistines in 1 Sam 14. They rightly discerned God's sign of favour. That led to an overwhelming victory where 2 men initiated the defeat of a whole army.
Is God involved in what your church does? Can you see signs of His favour upon you that confirms that He’s involved in the vision that you pursue?? Is God's favour upon what you do? A fresh vision from God gives us a divine cause to champion and brings us into divine partnership. Let God's fire burn anew into us.
Divine glory established (v8b) “..into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey - the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.”
The chief end of any God inspired vision is to bring glory to God Himself. The ending was meant to fulfil the promise that God had given to Abraham and establish God on the throne of His chosen people. We find the fulfilment in Joshua’s time. Jos 24:11 (NIV) "Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands.”
A great test of our motives is whether we are willing to give all the glory to God and to receive none for ourselves.
The fulfilment of the vision was not about elevating Moses or Joshua but elevating God. A great test of our motives is whether we are willing to give all the glory to God and to receive none for ourselves. Yet when God is glorified, it also leads to our personal satisfaction and rejoicing.
FRESH CHALLENGE FROM GOD
Exodus 3:10 (NIV) So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
God challenged Moses to rise up and deliver the Israelites. When we encounter God, it will often come with a fresh challenge. For God will not visit us just to give us goose bumps and a wonderful testimony.
God will challenge us to rise up in faith to the call of God. God will give you the steps but we must step out of our place of comfort. You might not feel ready. It was the same with Moses. You might not want to confront the Egypt of your life. But you can and you will have victory with God on your side! Moses wasn't fully ready when the call came to him to get involved. He had to learn a lot along the way. Yet when Moses rose to the challenge, it set a whole nation free!
Smith Wigglesworth was an uneducated plumber. In the early years of his marriage, it was his wife Polly who was the evangelist who preached in many meetings. While he was contented in his plumbing business, even though he helped many people. The first time he preached was because the leaders of a church prodded him into getting onto the pulpit to preach while they attended a conference. Smith only did it because he thought someone else would volunteer to preach before the day. 15 people got saved and a man on crutches got healed. No one was more surprised than Smith. That started his healing ministry where many thousands were healed including raising the dead.
CONCLUSION
Come and seek God today. Come and be burnt anew by God. Let us seek God together that we might encounter God in a fresh way. That we might receive a fresh revelation of God. That we might receive a fresh vision from God. That we might receive a fresh challenge from God. All of which can relight our fires. O God, burn us anew for you!
Copyright©️2023 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.
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