Explores God's guiding hand in our lives, encouraging perseverance through hardships and rejoicing in new beginnings, as exemplified in Moses' early life.
Good morning, dear church family. It's a joy to gather with you all today, to open God's Word together and allow it to speak into our lives. As we gather in this sacred space, let's remember that we are not alone. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, both present and past, who have walked this same path of faith.
We find ourselves today in the book of Exodus, chapter two, verses one through ten. It's a passage that takes us on a roller coaster of emotion, from the depths of despair to the heights of hope. It's a story that resonates deeply with our own experiences, our own struggles and triumphs, our own moments of darkness and light.
In the story of Moses, we see a past that is far from perfect. The Israelites are in bondage, enslaved by the Egyptians. Moses himself is born into a world of hardship, a world where his very existence is a threat to the ruling powers. His mother, in a desperate act of love, places him in a basket and sends him down the Nile, hoping against hope that he will somehow survive.
A past that is marked by suffering and struggle: It’s marked by injustice and oppression. It's a past that many of us can relate to in our own ways. We all have parts of our past that we'd rather forget, parts that are painful to remember. We all have moments of hardship and heartache, moments when we've felt like we were adrift on the Nile, at the mercy of forces beyond our control. But here's the thing: God is at work in the midst of that rotten past. He's at work in the hardship and the heartache, in the suffering and the struggle. He's at work in the life of Moses, guiding him to safety, preserving him for a purpose. And He's at work in our lives too, turning our pain into purpose, our trials into triumphs.
God raises up a deliverer: Moses, a child born into a world of hardship, is chosen by God to lead His people out of bondage. It's a powerful reminder that God can use anyone, regardless of their past, to accomplish His purposes. Moses' past, as difficult as it was, prepared him for the role he would play in God's story. His experiences gave him a unique perspective, a heart for the oppressed, a desire for justice. His past, as rotten as it was, was not wasted. It was used by God in powerful ways.
Our own lives: We can see the same thing. Our past, no matter how difficult or painful, can be used by God for good. Our experiences, our struggles, our failures - all of these things can be used by God to shape us, to grow us, to prepare us for the plans He has for us.
The power of faith: Moses' mother, despite the danger and uncertainty of her situation, trusted in God. She placed her son in a basket and sent him down the Nile, trusting that God would protect him. Her faith was rewarded. Moses was found by Pharaoh's daughter, who took him in and raised him as her own. In the midst of a rotten past, God provided a way forward, a way of hope and promise.
Our own lives: We too are called to have faith. To trust in God, even when the circumstances seem impossible. To believe that He is at work, even when we can't see it. To hold on to hope, even when the past seems overwhelming.
The power of God's providence: Despite the hardship and suffering of the Israelites, despite the danger and uncertainty of Moses' situation, God was in control. He was guiding the events, orchestrating the circumstances, working out His plan. Moses, a child born into a world of hardship, was preserved by God, raised in Pharaoh's household, and ultimately used to deliver the Israelites from bondage. It's a powerful reminder that God is in control, that He is working out His purposes, even in the midst of a rotten past.
Our own lives: We can trust in that same providence. We can trust that God is at work, that He is guiding our steps, that He is turning our past into purpose. No matter how difficult or painful our past may be, we can trust in God's providence, in His power to bring good out of even the most difficult circumstances.
The story of Moses' birth and early life is a testament to the transformative power of God ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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