Forty years in the wilderness

I was reminded again recently in my Bible reading that Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness before returning to Egypt to confront Pharaoh. Forty years that must have seemed pointless to well-educated Moses. Forty years of watching sheep, a job despised by the Egyptians among whom he grew up. Forty years of desert heat and cold. Forty years of dust and thirst. Forty years of wasting his talents.

Most likely Egypt reached its pinnacle of power during Moses time in Midian. He may have even heard whenever he was around human company of the great power of the Pharaoh, of his many exploits, and his victorious campaigns. All that while, he sat in the desert. He had been trained in all the wisdom of Egypt. But while men with whom he had grown up reached the zenith of success, he presided over stinky, stupid sheep.

But God was at work during this time. He was giving Moses the opportunity to learn what life in the desert was like. He was training Moses to deal with childish, superstitious people. He was preparing Moses to be completely reliant on Him. Wow! And Moses had no idea.

It was not Moses plan to return to Egypt in triumph. When God told him to go back to Egypt, he made every excuse that he could. Moses did not want anymore to do with his fellow Hebrews; he even married a Midianite and neglected to circumcise his sons, an obvious sign of forsaking his Hebrew heritage.

And so God plucked another man from among sheep—a forgotten no one—to challenge the greatest ruler on earth at the time. Do not fret in your time in the wilderness. Maybe God has you there for a reason.