Are you feeling stuck in life?

Even the best people get stuck

Most of us think of Moses as some proverbial Superhero.

I mean it makes sense - look at him - he’s got a cape and has superpowers - at least that’s how it is in the movie 😂

Seriously, if anyone ever deserved the title - The Man, The Myth, The Legend - it’s probably Moses.

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Moses had an exceptional start - (you can read about it in Exodus chapter 2)

He was born of a Hebrew woman who was a slave in Egypt, during a time when their babies were being killed immediately after giving birth to keep their numbers down.

However, his mother is able to hide him away for a while and then sends him down the river in a basket, where (DUN DUN DUUUUN) the daughter of Pharaoh finds him; taking him home with her and raising him in Pharaoh’s house.

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We get our first glimpse of his calling in verse 11 when it says, “Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work”.

Moses sees an Egyptian beating one of the Hebrew slaves. He is filled with rage. He looks around to make sure no one is watching, kills the Egyptian, and buries him in the sand.

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At this point, his calling goes sideways as the story spreads among the Hebrews, who begin to call him out on it.

When word of this gets back to Pharaoh, he orders him to be killed.

And just like that Moses’ life is shipwrecked.

He flees to Midian to hide, where he rescues the Priest’s daughters.

Gets married, has some kids, and tends sheep for his wife’s father, the Priest.

Then verse 23 of Exodus 2 says, “Years passed, and the king of Egypt died.“, and according to Acts chapter 7… 40 years go by - while Moses plays it safe from his calling.

Are we much different

Maybe we started off our relationship with God like it’s me and Jesus against the world.

We hit a few bumps and unforeseen events throw us off course.

And we quietly say in our hearts - nope I’m good. I’ll just stay in my lane and hope I don’t hit any more bumps, thank you.

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We settle into -

• attending church, but not too involved

• working that 9-5

• making money - paying bills

• looking forward to Friday’s

• hating Sunday evenings

• scrolling Facebook or watching YouTube

• never asking what God might have for me

• never taking a step of faith

• just surviving today… then doing that again tomorrow

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I wonder if Moses ever thought to himself, “Man, I blew it. I had my chance to be great. But alas, this is now my lot in life”.

Have we, like Moses, stopped asking God about what we should be doing with our lives?

Or, like him, stuffed our callings away to simply become a shepherd.

You can hear Moses’ resistance when God invites him to his calling again, when he says, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

Do we say the same now for ours? Who am I…?

For Moses, it was 40 years, but here’s the hard question… How many years has it been for you? How many will it become?

But the LORD is kind and asks an amazing question to Moses - one that I believe he also asks us.

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Stirring the coals of your calling

Just a few chapters later, God reminds Moses of his calling.

After going round and round with him for a bit (check out Exodus 3 & 4) - the LORD finally asks Moses this question, “What is in your hand?”

Now in case you forgot… Moses is a shepherd - what do you think he has in his hand? A hammer, a guitar, a chisel? Maybe some whicker to make baskets?

No, he has a staff - a shepherd’s staff!

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“Ok, Jay… - what does it matter what he has in his hand?”

Because I believe that God equips the called! He does not necessarily call the equipped.

God will use this staff in Moses’s hand for the remainder of his life - the 10 plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, water from the rock, and other miraculous signs.

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So what’s in your hand?

• Is it a mobile phone to make TikTok videos

• Is a fishing rod

• Is it the gift of comfort

• Is it the wheel of a wheelchair

• or a rail of a hospital bed

Let’s be honest here.

It is not God’s lack of ability to use what’s in your hand, it’s that we don’t feel what we have to offer is worth offering.

Moses had a staff and I’m here to tell you God can certainly use what’s in your hand.

The LORD’s not done with us yet!

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In the New Testament, Jesus tells us the parable of the vineyard workers.

The farmer goes out early in the morning and hires some folks for a full day’s wage.

He feels he needs some more help and keeps going back to hire more - even down to the last hour of sunlight.

Here’s the kicker… they all get paid a full day’s wage for doing their part.

That’s right, the guy who started working an hour before the day ended is paid the same as the guy who started hours earlier.

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It is never too late to start doing the work that God has called you to do.

The real question is…

Will you start?

Final Thoughts…

1. Stop wasting your life worrying that you missed your calling. If you’re breathing, God still has work for you that needs to be done.

2. What is the thing in your hand or the circumstance you are in that can become a powerful mission in the hand of God?

3. Now take a deep breath… commit it to the LORD and take action on it.