As we prepare to end this year and usher in the year 2022, it is very important for us to depend on the Holy Spirit to reveal to us what He wants accomplished in and through us in the new year. When our vision aligns with God’s vision for us, it is much easier to see things come to pass, while we also make sure we play our part.
I’d like to share something profound the Lord showed me from the life of Jochebed, who was the mother of Moses. Please read this text with me from Exodus 2:1-10 in the New King James Version.
2 And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. 2 So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. 4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.
5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. 6 And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”
8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. 9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”
In this story, the king gave the command for all male Israelite children to be killed because the people were becoming too powerful in a land that wasn’t theirs. The law applied to all Israelites without exception but there was a woman who dared to defy the king’s command because she believed God had a plan for her little one. I want you to understand that even though the Israelites are God’s covenant people, this did not stop the enemy from planning to extinguish them. The second verse of our text reads, “So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.”
The New Living Translation puts it this way: “The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months.”
The beauty she saw wasn’t mere physical beauty, but it was more like she sensed that God must have a plan for him. Moses was like any other newborn baby, there wasn’t anything spectacular about his appearance or birth, but Moses’ mother took her responsibility as his custodian very seriously. The decisions we make sometimes will not make sense to those around us, but it must make “faith” and be based on the word. Popular opinion is not necessarily the right opinion. We must learn to connect to God’s Spirit within us to know what steps to take when we are faced with challenges.
A lot of us have discounted the hand of God on our lives and are calling ourselves ordinary. We call the gifts and calling of God on our lives common. Have you discounted God’s assignment for you thinking it is insignificant? We say things like, “I’m just an ordinary mother or house wife. I’m just a stay-at-home mother” or “I’m just a common carpenter or regular banker or accountant” or whatever your profession may be. Remember the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5:1-14, how the Lord healed him through a slave girl who gave wise counsel and was not afraid to speak out to her master. She could have kept quiet and said to herself, “I’m just a slave and no one needs to hear my opinion,” but she didn’t. She recognized that she was Naaman’s point of contact with the God of Israel. Not only did Naaman get his healing, but he also became a believer in the Lord God of Israel. This is what can happen when we trust God in us enough to speak up.
Another thing Moses’ mother did was that she hid the child until she could no longer hide him. This season of your life may require you to be in hiding (in training) until God’s appointed time for your manifestation is complete. Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist showed us this. She was in hiding for five months.
Luke 1:24 says, “Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months,”
We must be able to stay with the process God is taking us through. His end goal is to reveal us to the world but that is not before we have gone through the whole process. Don’t be in a hurry to leave the training ground or what I call the incubator, before you are ready to be unveiled. The basket is not your destination, neither is the river your final destiny. God has positioned people, situations, circumstances along the path to His ultimate destination for you. It is our responsibility to prepare ourselves for the opportune time. In the case of Moses, his sister was there watching to make sure no harm came to her baby brother. God has us covered, every “road block” or hinderance will work for our good as long as we stay close to God. None of these experiences you are currently going through will be a waste on the long run.
She understood when the season of hiding was over. Are you holding on to a season of life? Is there something God wants you to move away from or move towards? Are you sensitive to God’s leading to know what to do in each season of life? Our ability to work in step with God is very crucial on this journey of faith. We don’t want to move ahead of God neither do we want to be far behind Him. King Solomon emphasized the importance of doing things at the right time.
Ecclesiastes 8:5-6 says, “He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful; And a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment, because for every matter there is a time and judgment, Though the misery of man increases greatly.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”
As we end this year and prepare for the new year, take stock to see if there’s any way you have belittled God’s assignment for you. Ask the Lord for mercy but most importantly, ask for new opportunities to make up for the lost ones. Ask Him to surround you with those who matter, those who will help nurture your gifts and calling into full manifestation. We all need such people in our lives and we need wisdom to identify them. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you sift through your relationships to know which ones to let go of and those to hold on to.
In conclusion, these three things will help you seize the moment and follow through on your vision for the New Year.
· Know when to be in hiding. Hiding time is an opportunity for God to breathe new life, new ideas, strength, and courage into you to birth or advance those things He has committed to your care.
· Know when to come out of hiding. It’s not just enough for God to breathe into us, we must step out in faith to do those things. We must be courageous to follow through even when what He’s calling us to is against the norm. We must be bold enough to trust His plans for us.
· Align yourself with destiny helpers, those who will see to it that you follow God’s path for you. In the same vein, you also must be a destiny helper for others on their journey of purpose as well. Sow the kindness, listening ears, prayers, and encouragement forward.
My prayer for you is that you will step out courageous without fear to do all that the Lord has prepared you for. This is your time to live purposefully.
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Register for More Than Rubies Prayer Meeting
Saturday December 18, 2021
Time is 9:30am to 10:30am
At 1555 Lucasville Road.