Ex 7-9 Letting Go Gives a Better Grip

January 20th, Exodus 7-9

       This story of Pharaoh reminds me of a David Crowder song "Foreverandever Etc..." The last line of the pre-chorus and the first two lines of the chorus say...
       Letting go gives a better grip.  I'm finding everything I'll ever need, By giving up, gaining everything.
       When your in a position of power, how do you hold onto that power. Whatever power we do have is like having power over sand. The more you try to grip sand the more it flows out of your hand, it's another one of the ironies of life. Pharaoh is wanting full control and the tighter he's holding on the more he's losing it. 
       In this case he's going to lose it anyway because it is what the Lord wills. Similar to times in our life when God is going to have His way. We can fight it and feel like we're losing everything, or we can let go and be gripped by God instead of doing all the gripping.
       When you and I are gripped by God we don't have to act so desperate. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, Blessed be the name of the Lord. -Job I'm finding everything I ever needed by giving up, holding everything with an open palm, thanking God for what's in my hand in this moment. When God chooses to replace what's in the palm of my hand with another situation, again I'll say thanks, not grip onto it, trying to make it mine. Doing my best to honor God with what's been given me (see life of Joseph) and not attempt to squeeze it to death in my fear, or failure to acknowledge God and His will (see life of Pharaoh). 
       Fear and control...good luck, falling into the hands of Him who is sovereign over all...a better grip.

Ex 4-6 Overwhelmed by Leadership

January 19th, Exodus 4-6

       We think we want to know what God's will is for our life. D.L. Moody said you actually don't want to know. Moody said if you knew what God's will was for your life you'd never do it. What God invites us to is so overwhelming we don't want to participate, take Moses and his future...
       God gives you couple of cools signs to perform to Pharaoh...that's about where the fun part ends. Next go to the most powerful nation in the world and demand anything from them. Take your family into the storm with you. Leadership lesson 101... make all of the people you are about to lead hate you with the whole brick/straw debacle. The people he was called to save are now cursing him for Pharaoh's new work order.
       A moment like this would make me wonder when the whole snake/staff and leprous hand/pocket tricks were supposed to be used. I moved my family here for this!!!!
       BUT...Genesis 6:1 "But the Lord said to Moses, Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of the land." 
       God continues chapter 6 with his promises to his people and the hearing of their cries and the redemption that will come. Finally a promise about a new land and all God wants them to possess.
       Moses feels the same thing you and I feel in the midst of leadership. It says the people were not listening to Moses because of a broken spirit and harsh slavery. Why would Pharaoh listen to me? In the midst of our leading sometimes, it seems no one is listening. But leadership is about bringing the flock to a new pasture, bringing a child to a new behavior, bringing a group of people to see all that God intends. I pray that we would grow in our ability to lead, to face challenges and not shrink back, to breath life into situations around us.

Grace, Peace, Strength, Courage for the Journey.