From Passionate to Pitiful to Powerful

This is what happened in Moses’ life. Check out Exodus 3 and 4. Moses grew up the adopted Israelite son of an Egyptian. He was connected as an Egyptian but he was passionate as an Israelite. He knew what was right and wrong and he knew that God’s people were due more than they were getting in life. He was caught between two worlds and he had a tough time walking that life trail. Let’s break down the story and see what we can learn about what really happened at the burning bush.

1. Moses was always passionate about God’s people. Remember Moses murdered an Egyptian for beating an Israelite and tried to be a peacemaker among two Israelites. But his misplaced and misused passion sent him away to hide instead of pushing him to lead. We must not allow our passion to mislead us.

2. Moses’ sin made it difficult to impossible to operate in his passion. When we get selfish and sinful with our passions (even good passions) we lose the ability to truly operate in them for the glory of the Lord.

3. God forgave Moses for his sin and restored him to a place of serving in his passion. If we take hold of the grace of God in our lives he can still use us, but we have to be willing to be forgiven.

4. Moses had to face his fears, failures, and selfishness to give his life back over to his passion. We will examine the conversation at the bush to learn this truth. We will examine the things Moses has to say to the Lord.

a. Here I am. – I am comfortable here. I am no longer bothered by that situation.
b. Who am I? – I am no longer a person of importance. I am not usable for such a task.
c. Who are you? – I don’t even really know who you are. My identity problem is really about me having a problem with your identity. Our failures often reflect themselves more in what we think about God than what we think about ourselves.
d. What if people don’t listen or follow me? – People did not listen last time, why will they now?
e. I am not good enough. - I can’t talk, etc. How can you use me?
f. Send someone else. – Finally, honesty. Moses is saying I lost my passion. I don’t care enough to take and make the risk again. Send someone who cares.

God sent Moses. He gave him some help, but he sent the one he gave the passion. He did not change his plan to match Moses’ failures or fears or selfishness. He restored the man he created. Moses was no longer incapable to be the man God wanted him to be when he put that passion in his heart years earlier. He was now ready to be that man.

Don’t let passion be all you have. Passion is great, but displaced and misused passion will cause much heartache and failure. Give your passion to God and let him use you.