Don’t Miss the Value of a Footprint in the Sand
If we are to be teachers who bring God the glory He deserves, it would be beneficial to look at the lives of those who have already done that. How did God mold them and equip them to do the jobs He gave them to do? What kind of relationship did they have with God? What held them back? What moved them forward? A great example of how God wants to work in us and through us is seen in the way God worked in and through them. Let’s look at Moses.
To mold Moses and shape him from an Egyptian prince, whose idea of control included murder, to become a humble servant leader, God chose the job of herding sheep. As I study the life of Moses I can’t help but see a real parallel to 1 Corinthians 13. Moses learned to endure long and became patient and kind. Moses learned that it was a good thing to hold his temper and refused the temptation of jealousy. He learned to not boast, or display himself haughtily. He was humble in God’s presence, deflated of all pride, willing to bare his feet in order to walk on holy ground. He learned to be diplomatic instead of rude and that acting unbecomingly left a poor example for others to follow. He learned the folly of insisting on his own rights or his own way. He became a leader who was not self-seeking, not touchy or fretful or resentful. He learned that it was unwise to keep a list of the evil done to him.
God taught Moses not to rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness. He learned to rejoice when right and truth prevailed. He strengthened Moses so that he was able to bear up under anything and everything that came until he was ever ready to believe the best of God’s plans. Eventually he came to even see the how that the success of their journey was linked to the glory of God’s name; his intercession was based on God’s reputation as deliverer.
God’s faithfulness to hear and answer, His grace and goodness to meet needs, strengthened Moses’ faith. He led the people out of Egypt under the nose of the Pharaoh and through the Red Sea where God drowned Pharaoh's army. Without knowing where the water would come from, he led them through the desert and right to the border of the Promised Land. He trusted the God who went before him to be enough for all that would be needed. His hope in God’s deliverance endured even under the weight of overwhelming circumstances.
We can learn much about teaching and leading if we take the time to examine the conversations, trials, hearts and lives of those in God’s Word that have been handpicked by God as our examples. If we look carefully they have left their footprints in the sands of time. Don't underestimate the value of the footprints God has left for us to follow.
Suzi Ciliberti
Suzi Ciliberti works for Christar, a Missions Agency that plants churches among least-reached Asians worldwide. She served in Japan for two years as a single missionary and another nine with her husband and two children, then the family returned to the states. She and her husband have been serving in the US Mobilization Center since 2000. As a part of the Member Care Department, Suzi is consultant to families with children. She has been working as a children’s teacher since she was 17 and began her training under Child Evangelism Fellowship. She has taught in the church, as a school teacher for two years in a Christian elementary school, and as a speaker for adults training to work with children. She has also trained children, who are a part of families that work overseas, in their identity in Christ. She brings 44 years of teaching experience to her work. She loves creative writing as well as teaching and has found great fulfillment in combining the two as she blogs for Heartprints. She finds it a great privilege and joy to serve the Lord and His people. One of her favorite verses is Deuteronomy 4:10b, "Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children."
