Show Me Your Glory (part 1)
A group of ladies and I were having lunch one afternoon enjoying good friends, good Mexican food and great conversation when one asked somewhat randomly, ‘What do you look forward to most in heaven?’ The responses of the ladies were as different as the ladies themselves. One replied she looked forward to the absence of sin and temptation to sin. Another replied she looked forward to talking to some of the great men and women of the bible. Still yet another commented how she looked forward to hearing God’s voice. As for me, I look forward to gazing into the eyes of Jesus and hearing Him call my name. Have ever wished you could see God? Hear His voice? Know for certain you are leading as He wants you to lead?
A group of ladies and I were having lunch one afternoon enjoying good friends, good Mexican food and great conversation when one asked somewhat randomly, ‘What do you look forward to most in heaven?’ The responses of the ladies were as different as the ladies themselves. One replied she looked forward to the absence of sin and temptation to sin. Another replied she looked forward to talking to some of the great men and women of the bible. Still yet another commented how she looked forward to hearing God’s voice. As for me, I look forward to gazing into the eyes of Jesus and hearing Him call my name. Have ever wished you could see God? Hear His voice? Know for certain you are leading as He wants you to lead?
Perhaps one of the greatest challenges to leading is just that, knowing with certainty that you are leading as God wants. We can learn much from the leadership examples God provides us in Scripture. Jesus was THE leader to emulate but there are others. Nehemiah led with great wisdom, Paul led with great passion and Deborah led with great courage. My personal favorite is Moses. Here is a man who answered God’s call with ‘O my Lord, please send anyone else whom you wish to send?’ (Ex 4:13) Does that not sound like some of us? God, however, saw leadership in Moses, had prepared Moses for the job and wanted Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. There would be no other.
We know the story, we’ve seen the movie; Moses did as God asked and led God’s people out of Egypt. God miraculously delivered them from Egyptian oppression yet at the first pangs of hunger and thirst, the people began to complain to and about Moses. “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this desert to kill this whole assembly with hunger!” (Ex. 16:3) Did they really believe God parted a sea and drowned an army of Egyptians only to let them die of starvation? The Israelites incessant complaints wore on the patience of Moses and of God.
Children’s ministry leader, are you one who has answered God’s call with “really God, me?” If you are, be encouraged. God sees leadership in you and He has prepared you for the task He has called you to. It may not always be easy and there will be days full of hardship, but God will not abandon you. Then, there will be those days when God gives you a glimpse of the fruit of your labor and you will see that it is all worth it.
This is just the beginning of the story; there is so much more we can learn from the leadership of Moses. Next time, we’ll look at how Moses dealt with open opposition and how he boldly asked to see God’s face.
