And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. Acts 7:22.
Moses supposed that his education in the wisdom of Egypt had fully qualified him to lead Israel from bondage. Was he not learned in all the things necessary for a general of armies? Had he not had the greatest advantages of the best schools in the land?—Yes: he felt that he was able to deliver them. He first set about his work by trying to gain the favor of his own people by redressing their wrongs. He killed an Egyptian who was imposing upon one of his brethren. In this he manifested the spirit of him who was a murderer from the beginning, and proved himself unfit to represent the God of mercy, love, and tenderness. He made a miserable failure of his first attempt. Like many another, he then immediately lost his confidence in God, and turned his back upon his appointed work; he fled from the wrath of Pharaoh. He concluded that because of his mistake … God would not permit him to have any part in the work of delivering His people from their cruel bondage. But the Lord permitted these things that He might be able to teach him the gentleness, goodness, long-suffering, which it is necessary for every laborer for the Master to possess….
In the very height of his human glory the Lord permitted Moses to reveal the foolishness of man’s wisdom, the weakness of human strength, that he might be led to understand his utter helplessness, and his inefficiency without being upheld by the Lord Jesus..
In slaying the Egyptian, Moses had fallen into the same error so often committed by his fathers, of taking into their own hands the work that God has promised to do. It was not God’s will to deliver His people by warfare, as Moses thought, but by His own mighty power, that the glory might be ascribed to Him alone. Yet even this rash act was overruled by God to accomplish His purposes. Moses was not prepared for his great work. He had yet to learn the same lesson of faith that Abraham and Jacob had been taught—not to rely upon human strength or wisdom, but upon the power of God for the fulfillment of His promises..
Conflict and Courage p.82
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Prayer Requests
—– Robin and Jake’s good friends just lost their 2 children [their only children] in a car accident yesterday. The babysitter somehow lost control and went over the bridge. I long for heaven’s promise of “no more tears.” Joyce
—–Please pray for our family. It seems like the devil is attacking. L
—–Please pray for baby Harrison. He has been through so much with his heart and now he has an ischemic injury on the right side of his brain. Mercedes
—– Mom has uti and right lower lobe penunemia, she is on medications prayers appreciated. Dianne
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Dear Friends,
When I was ten, my mother, her new husband, and I often went for a drive in the country. Sometimes, I really enjoyed these outings, but other times he was not very pleasant and made things miserable. On one such occasion, I had become so distraught over the miserable time I was having, that I was not paying much attention to what I was doing. When I got out of the car, I slammed the door hard in anger and frustration. Unfortunately, my right thumb was in the way. Worse yet, it was right in the latch. Oh! How that hurt! I nearly fainted from the pain.
It hurt so much that I did not even think of opening the door. My step-father saw what had happened and yanked open the door (which was stuck because of my thumb). Cars were much larger and heavier in the 1950’s, so my thumb was a real mess. He told me to go into a nearby drugstore and have the pharmacist care for it. In those far-off days, pharmacists not only filled prescriptions, they also administered first aid. When the man saw my poor thumb, he cleansed it, put some ointment on it, bandaged it, and sent me on my way. It took a long time for that thumb to heal, but eventually it did. When my thumbnail finally grew back in, it had a heavy line running through it. The nail on one side of the line never wanted to grow quite right, although most of my thumbnail was completely normal. Over the years, it has been a reminder of that far-off day.
Just so, every sin that we have committed leaves its scar upon us. When we sin, we are never quite the same again and soon the “whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” Isa 1:5,6
Praise God, we can find forgiveness in Jesus Christ our Lord. We can find forgiveness in the One Who is “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” Ex 34:6 “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Ps 103:10-14 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
We can pray as did David, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. . . . Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Ps 51:1-13
Even though forgiven for his iniquity, still there were scars, there were consequences that lasted the rest of David’s life. It is not surprising, then, that it is the same with us. We are never quite the same again. Sin weakens us making it easier to sin the next time. How important it is, then, to flee from even the first suggestion of the enemy. James tells us, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 Peter adds, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith.” 1 Peter 5:8,9
Let us be diligent to resist the evil one through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Heb 12:1-4 Let us “be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” “for [our] redemption draweth nigh.” 2 Peter 3:14;Luke 21:28
Rose