Growth Prompted By God
Daily Old Testament Reading: Exodus 9-11
Daily Focus Passage: Exodus 11
Moses struggled with the Lord's command to be the Lord's mouthpiece before Pharoah. This struggle led to the Lord reminding Moses that he would be faithful to his calling on Moses' life and that he would provide a helper in Aaron to carry out the plan. As Moses faced Pharoah and trusted in the Lord to carry out the plagues, we find that Moses grew in confidence and strength. This development occurred as Moses trusted in the Lord and carried out the will of the Lord for his life. This truth remains a truth today. We grow in faith and confidence as we serve the Lord.
GROWTH BEGINS WITH A STEP
Moses needed to take the first step of obedience for growth to commence. The first step often becomes difficult because doubt, struggles, and fear cloud it. In the case of Moses, he received the call and struggled to take the first step because of his fear of what the people would think and the feeling of inadequacy from his speech impairment. The first step of obedience set the course for the steps that followed and opened the pathway for spiritual development and maturity.
We battle many doubts, fears, and feelings of inadequacy today. As followers of Christ, we often attempt to delay the first step of obedience because of these uncertainties. When the first step occurs, we begin to experience the faithfulness and provision of the Lord. When the Lord reveals his work in our life, growth occurs, and we become more confident in trusting in the Lord in faith and obedience. The vital first response to initiate growth is the first step of faith. Where is God calling you to step, and what barrier keeps you from taking that step?
GROWTH OCCURS THROUGH THE JOURNEY
Exodus 9-11 unfolds the plagues that occurred in Egypt. Each of these plagues allowed Moses to stand before Pharoah and declare the message from the Lord. As each plague occurred, Moses developed confidence in standing before the leader of Egypt because he grew in his trust in the Lord to work in powerful ways. The plagues promoted Moses' reliance on the Lord and developed a process by which Moses' faith deepened, and his confidence grew because of the Lord.
Once we take the initial step of faith, we travel a journey of spiritual development. We seek to remain faithful as the Lord leads and works through us and around us. This journey opens the avenue to grow in confidence because of the Lord's work and presence. The more we trust the Lord and develop our relationship with him, the more our spiritual relationship with the Lord deepens. The journey may not be easy, but the journey exists to promote growth and development. How is your spiritual journey with the Lord promoted greater spiritual growth?
GROWTH HAPPENS BECAUSE OF THE LORD
The growth in Moses' life did not occur through Moses's works but because of the Lord. The Lord's strength and presence provided the needed resources for developing Moses' spiritual life. Spiritual growth does not occur because of humanity but because of the Lord's work in one's life and the ability to trust him more. Moses' development occurred because the Lord fulfilled his promises and carried out the plagues. Thus, Moses grew in confidence and trust.
When we grow in the Lord, we must recognize that the Lord facilitates growth. He provides the opportunities and the promises that encourage us to grow in our relationship with him. This truth means that we must seek to see life as a journey that allows us to constantly grow closer to the Lord as we experience his faithfulness. When we consider the great faithfulness of the Lord, how are we encouraged to trust him more and grow in our relationship with him?
