“Which direction do you choose?”
There was a time in life when one of our daughters faced a lot of uncertainty in her mind. Doubt gripped her mind and ‘what if’ scenarios stormed her thoughts, despite our persistent encouragement. It was a season that tested our family’s patience, ignited our prayers and drove us into intentional conversations. As my husband and I pushed to anchor our daughter’s identity in everything God says she is, we watched her battle a war in her mind.
One of my favorite books of the Bible is Exodus. It is a great representation of the journey through life; the ups and downs, the uncertainty and doubt, and the moments weaving faith into Moses’ life.
Exodus 19 tells of Moses arriving with the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai. They have fled Egypt with fear of the unknown, watched the Red Sea part with wide eyes, grumbled to the Lord, and come full circle at times with hearts of thankfulness. Moses is preparing to meet God at the top of the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments and lead this army of people to a new way of life.
I feel a bit certain you are familiar with this setting in the Bible, but did you know Moses had a pivotal moment at this mountain before this scene? Many moons ago he stood in front of the burning bush in this same area stuttering in doubt of his inability to carry out God’s command, but now he boldly heads up the mountain to meet with God for a game plan.
So, what happen between these two moments that brought Moses from “who am I?” at the burning bush to delivering the message boldly to a nation? Life, that’s what happened.
Life has an interesting way of offering opportunities for movement towards or away from God. The choice to shift your focus is always present, but it’s ultimately your choice.
Looking back at Moses’ life we see an array of emotions and circumstances. Inadequacy as he questioned God’s command, frustration with people as he led them out of their misery, doubt as he stared at roadblocks, weariness as he tried to fix everyone’s problems, and eventually, we will see him break with anger.
It’s safe to say, most of us can relate to Moses on some level. But step back and ask this question, “Did he move towards or away from God,” as circumstances arose. It’s interesting to compare Moses’ stance in Exodus 3 to the one he holds in Exodus 19; a stuttering, uncertain, contrary man that now hikes up and down the mountain to interact with his almighty God and speak truth to an army of people.
Recently, our bedtime Bible story book asked, “What’s a time you suffered and how did it make you feel?” Our daughter mentioned that uncertain season in her life and sweetly commented how God helped her. We now, see that life was happening during that trying time and our daughter was given a choice within her own mind, turn towards Him or move back.
If you are in a season of challenges or simply doubting His plan within your life, ask yourself, “what direction am I moving?” Spend some time talking with God. Reach out to a trusted friend to sort through it or move towards His Word. He is trustworthy to strengthen you and steady your heart.
