2/12 Exodus 2:11-12

¹¹ One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. ¹² He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

This is the Chuck Norris' or Bruce Willis' movie way of dealing with the bad guys. Your people are being abused, so you go out and deal with them. Moses had good intentions, but he was completely out of God's will. He did not wait for the Lord to give him direction as to how to help his people. God had something in mind that would amaze the world and Bible readers ever since. The Hebrews whom Moses rescued must have told others and the word spread until Moses had to flee.

God used the next 40 years to train Moses in the way of God. He had to learn to listen for His voice and wait on His direction. In the process, Moses also learned about the desert in the Sinai and how to herd flocks of sheep that are very much like the flock of people he will eventually lead there. God uses everything, and He used Moses' impetuous action to send him to school in the ways of God.

The lesson for us is not merely to refrain from acting suddenly or in violence; it is to learn the ways of God. The Scriptures tell us that ⁷ He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. Psalm 103:7(KJV) We will only learn the ways of the Lord when we spend time with Him, waiting for Him. His ways are so much higher than our own.

Perhaps you are dealing with the long lasting consequences of an impetuous action. God will use this time to teach you just like He used Moses' time in the desert to teach him. Learn to wait for God and hear His voice.

Prayer: Lord, teach me to wait for You and not run ahead on my own. Remind me that without You, I can do nothing. Your way is always so much better than any choice I would make without You.