In the Wilderness

“He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand….Then Moses was afraid, and thought, ‘Surely the thing is known.’ When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian” (Ex. 1:12, 14-15).

There are various things that might lead a person into the wilderness. Jesus was led there by the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Elijah ran there out of fear of Jezebel. But Moses was there because of murder.

We often forget that the greatest characters of the Bible, were some of the worst actors, but here we are reminded — Moses was a murderer.

And so into Midian he went, and there he would remain in total obscurity for 40 years. He would be an 80 year old man before the call on his life to liberate the Jews from Egyptian slavery was to happen.

The Apostle Paul was similar. He too was a murderer when God called him. And he too would go off into the wilderness for three years with God (Gal. 1:17). And even after returning from this pilgrimage, Paul would remain in relative obscurity for 14 years, until God finally sent him out as the missionary and Apostle we know him as.

There is a Chinese saying which says, “May success find you early in life.” It is meant as a curse.

Usually we need a season in the wilderness so that God can prepare us for the work he has in store for us to do.

What is God seeking to strip you of, so that you can be ready for the blessings he wishes to pour out into and through your life?