Walking in the plan of God will require you to do things beyond your natural abilities. We closed the last post with a job description provided by Paul for those who desire to be used by God. He wants to use us in such a way that people will glorify Him and not us when they see the results.
We have been talking about the path Moses walked before he could step into and walk out God’s plan for his life. He discovered the plan of God and attempted to step into it using his strength to accomplish what he knew God had called him to do. His “self-effort” was rewarded with forty years of exile in the desert!
God wanted to do something supernatural through Moses but was blocked from doing so. Moses had been raised in the palace and was trained by the best instructors in Egypt. I can just imagine him thinking of all the ways he could deliver Israel with his military prowess and knowledge.
Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:6)
The modern Church seems to forget the lessons of Moses and this exhortation from Paul. If someone who has achieved great success comes to the altar, it seems that the majority will react by immediately putting this new convert to work because of their “name” recognition.
It should not matter to us if a recent convert were a homeless person or a well-known celebrity. We are called to make disciples, not to capitalize on how the status of a person to draw crowds! Moses attempted to use his name recognition to accomplish the plan of God, and I’ve observed many pastors make similar mistakes with recent converts who might be celebrities or successful businesspeople.
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
That no flesh should glory in his presence. (1 Corinthians 1:27 – 29)
We referenced these verses previously. God is not looking for people with “status.” Instead, He is looking for people who are not enamored with themselves!
We cannot let ourselves to be led by “need” or “situations.” Moses saw the suffering of the Israeli people and acted out of God’s timing. He ended up in the desert for forty years in exile as a result!
I acknowledge that the world is in a mess and seems to be falling apart around us. Some people will read these words and be unwilling to wait on the Spirit’s direction to take action. While it is true that people are dying every day without first receiving the gift of salvation, this does not mean you or I are called to reach them. It takes time to prepare ourselves to walk in the plans and purposes of God. We must not be in a hurry when it comes to the things of God!
We are not sure of the exact amount of time that passed from when David was anointed to be king until he stepped into the office. The account does show us, though, that it was at least thirteen years. Saul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and became a Christian. It was approximately fourteen years later when he launched his first missionary journey. Moses missed that he needed to prepare himself spiritually for ministry before attempting to step out as Israel’s deliverer!
I believe that Moses could have prepared for his call in the palace after it was revealed to him. Many people disagree and feel that the desert was a requirement for his preparation. They miss that it was not God who chose for him to be exiled to the desert. He discovered the plan of God and then attempted to step into it in his timing instead of waiting for God to tell him when he was ready.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1 – 2)
I spend some time in The Fundamental Keys to Unlock the Plan of God discussing these two verses. In them, Paul provides two keys for discovering the plan of God. First, you must present your body as a living sacrifice to the Lord. Second, you must renew your mind with the Word of God. Only after you have completed these two steps that the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God manifests in your life.
God will not reveal His plan to you until you’ve become a living sacrifice because He knows that would lead to disaster, just as it did for Moses. He will sometimes give us a glimpse of it but holds back the whole until we’ve taken the steps given by Paul in Romans 12:1 – 2.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)
It is not possible to walk successfully in the plans and purposes of God using only our natural understanding. We must learn to depend on the Holy Spirit and will not be able to do so if first we do not become a living sacrifice and renew our minds with the Word of God.
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