I didn’t want to be a Pastor. It was God’s idea.
Growing up, church was where I played ping pong before the service, hangman during, and talked to girls after. Despite my shenanigans and ulterior motives, my Pastor Chuck saw potential. He would shake my hand and say, “Heath, that’ll be you up there someday.”
I would smile, nod, and politely say, “Yeah, that’s right. Thanks Pastor.” On the inside though, I was shaking my head and envisioning robes, collars, and a life of pinching pennies. I thought, “Who am I to be a Pastor?” And what kind of girl would sign up to marry one?”
My plan was to be a professional basketball player. And if that didn’t work out, to be an actor or be in a boy band. I know – don’t judge.
I find it interesting; the Scriptures are full of people with plans and dreams. After murdering an Egyptian and fleeing to the wilderness, Moses found himself tending sheep for 40 years. At this point, Moses’ desire to free his people from slavery was long gone. His dream was seemingly shattered by his own choices and circumstances.
But God hadn’t forgotten. And God reminds Moses of his dream in 3 ways:
#1. In the stillness, God reminds us who He is.
Moses was able to encounter God in a way that he couldn’t back in the hustle and bustle of Egypt. Ever wonder why God’s voice isn’t loud enough? Maybe we can’t hear Him over the constant decibel level of our hectic lives.
People and music and iPhones and television and selfies and work schedules can each be good things. But there’s nothing like the stillness. There’s nothing like that quiet, unplugged, peaceful place of nothingness where God reminds us who He is:
And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6).
In 1999 and 2000, I had the opportunity to counsel kids at a camp in the Colorado mountains. In morning quiet times, God invited me into a much bigger story than I had ever imagined. In the slowing down and being still, I started to have “burning bush” and “holy ground” moments that changed my life forever.
#2. In the stillness, God reminds us who we are.
In verse 4, we read “God called to Moses out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Remember, the name “Moses” means “to pull/draw out,” and Moses was given this name after being drawn out from the Nile. You see, God is reminding Moses he’s not forgotten – that even in his shame God still knows His name.
So God reminds him of the plight of his own people. And God wants Moses to use his story to give Him glory. To use his past to shape others’ future. To draw his family out of Egypt just as he was drawn out of the Nile.
You know, in order to know where we’re going, we need to know where we’ve been. In the stillness of those Colorado mornings, God reminded me that I was His beloved son. This was my true identity. Not the fleeting labels and titles the world could provide.
And he reminded me of my broken story—one of stuttering, cheating, knee injuries, getting bullied, and ongoing lustful struggles. He said, “Heath, just as I rescued you, I want you to rescue others.”
#3. In the stillness, God reminds us what to do.
In verse 10, God says, “Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” So, God reminds Moses of his long lost dormant dream. You see, sometimes we need some wilderness to allow our character to catch up with our calling.
When we know who He is and who we are, we will know what to do. In the stillness of Colorado, God stripped away my insecurities, regrets, and excuses. He said, “I am your Father. You are my child. And I want to use your story to give me glory.” In sharing my story and faith, God used me those summers and after to “draw kids out” of their sin, and draw them into a relationship with Him.
So what is your dream?
When was the last time you rested in the stillness of God’s presence?
How might God, the Dream Giver, want to use your story to give Him glory?
Friends, may we allow the wilderness to strengthen our character and clarify our calling.
May we rest in the stillness of God so we can experience the fullness of life.
And finally, may we trust in the One who followed His dream all the way to the cross. And who was drawn out of death so we could be drawn into life.