“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ And God said, ‘I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.’” — Exodus 3:11-12 (NIV84)

God’s economy, will, way, and approach are not always the same as ours. All right, most often they are not the same at all. God even said through the prophet Isaiah, ‘“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” What am I driving at? Moses was looking for a way out of the mission God had called him to fulfill. He was letting God know that he was unqualified and that God should look for another.

But not so fast! God promised two things to Moses. First, He promised to be with him while he was fulfilling his mission. Second, He promised Moses a sign. Signs are good. We all would like a few more divine signs in our lives, wouldn’t we!? But God’s promise of a sign had a strange twist. The sign would only come at the end of his mission. God told Moses that when he led the people out of Egypt he would bring them to this same mountain (Horeb/Sinai), and they would all worship Him there. The fulfillment of the sign would only be realized when Moses, through his obedience to his calling, faithfully brought the people of Israel out to meet God at the holy mountain. Note that the sign would work both ways. Moses would be able to see that while the children of Israel were worshiping God on Mt. Sinai, God was faithful to His promise to be with Moses throughout his mission. The children of Israel, on the other hand, would experience the presence of God just as Moses said they would and see for their own eyes what Moses saw in the burning bush.

But the key is that the sign would come after obedience. I find in my life that I am always holding out the fleece wanting God to act first. Maybe we are simply to be obedient to what it is that He has called us to do and trust that our sign will be revealed as we fulfill our mission. What has God called you to do? What are you waiting for? A sign? How about trusting the tug of the Holy Spirit on your heart to go and do the work and let the sign come after the fact? It may not be the way we would like it, but it is always the way it ought to be. I imagine the first night Moses arrived at Mt. Sinai and watched from a distance as the people of Israel worshiped and experienced the presence of God, he would have had it no other way.

God promises to provide signs of affirmation for our work in His kingdom. Just know, they may not come until the end!

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church