MONDAY
This week we are coming off of our serve Sunday food pack event. Since the devotionals are usually themed towards the sermon from Sunday we are going to tie the two themes of service and the presence of God together this week. Let’s look at a few biblical characters who were divinely empowered to accomplish their missions that God calls them to.
The big idea is simple—to serve God and others we need to be familiar with the presence of God.
We’ve talked about this at length already in this campaign, but it’s worth revisiting here on this them of divinely empowered service. Moses gave it a go on his own in Egypt when he killed the Egyptian and expected the Hebrew people to rally behind him. When they didn’t and Pharaoh was determined to kill him he fled into the desert where he remained an obscure shepherd for 40 years. Then God appears to him in a burning bush and calls him to serve him and the Israelite people by returning to Egypt and delivering the people from slavery. It’s there that we read this exchange between God and Moses:
Exodus 3:11–12 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 And God said, “I will be with you.”
The conversation continues as Moses struggles with his shame and self doubt in spite of God’s assurance of his presence. Yahweh patiently reassures him and shows him signs that reveal his powerful presence will go with Moses.
Last week we saw God’s great deliverance in the 10 Plagues and Moses’ obedient service to what God called him to do. The rest of this campaign we will see Moses’ complete dependence on the presence of God to serve in the capacity God called him to.