Take Another Step

Moses tried to live out God’s call.  He went to Pharaoh and it seemed to backfire.  Everyone turned against him.  That’s why he turned to God and asked what he should do.  God made it clear that moment wasn’t going to get the job done.  Moses was going to have to trust God step by step.  So, Moses trusted God and took a step.  Aaron turned the staff into a snake.  Even when the Egyptian magicians turned their staffs into snakes, Moses and Aaron’s staff swallowed them up.  Their first step was a success.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river. Confront him on the bank of the Nile, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. Then say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened. This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. (Exodus 7:14-17 NIV)

Moses saw God’s faithfulness with the last step.  The snake won the confrontation and was now turned into a staff again.  So, when God calls Moses to go back to Pharaoh, he goes back without any resistance or complaint.  Moses takes another step.  This would begin a pattern that continues over and over and over again.  Ten plagues would beset Pharaoh and Egypt before he would finally set God’s people free.  Moses would need to be faithful every step of the way.  Take a look at what happened:

• (Exodus 7:14-25) Water into Blood

• (Exodus 8:1-15) Frogs

• (Exodus 8:16-19) Gnats - Magicians could not match this.

• (Exodus 8:20-32) Flies - Goshen different. Pharaoh flip flops.

• (Exodus 9:1-7) Livestock

• (Exodus 9:8-12) Boils - Magicians affected, too.

• (Exodus 9:13-35) Hailstorm - Egypt warned first. Pharaoh flip flops again.

• (Exodus 10:1-20) Locusts - Pharaoh officials turn against Pharaoh.

• (Exodus 10:21-27) Darkness

Moses was faithful each step of the way and the result was that God set the Israelite nation free.  So, how about you?  Are you faithful to God’s call in your life, even when it takes multiple steps before you see the results God promises?  Do you stay with God and His plans each step of the way?  Are you always ready to take another step?