We ‘re so glad that you ‘re taking this clip to be with us because this is the topographic point where we take the Word of God and allow it talk loud and clear into our lives today. Derek!

Derek

I ‘m reminded of an angry automobilist went back to a garage where he had purchased an expensive battery for his auto six months before. “ Listen, ” the automobilist grumbled to the proprietor of the garage, “ when I bought that battery you said it would be the last battery my auto would of all time necessitate. It died after merely six months! ”

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A

“ Sorry, ” apologised the garage proprietor. “ I did n’t believe your auto would last longer than that. ”

A

We live in a twenty-four hours and clip when we expect everything to come with a lifetime warranty.A We do n’t desire our battery to of all time have on out.A We do n’t desire our auto to of all time have on out.A And yes, it ‘s even true that we do n’t desire our organic structures to have on out.A But each and every twenty-four hours we are reminded of what Peter said: “ All flesh is as grass, and all the glorification of adult male as the flower of the grass.A The grass withers, and its flower falls off, but the word of the LORD endures everlastingly. ”

A

We live in a universe composed of that which is temporary.A Nothing which is stuff will last forever.A All will finally fade.A All will finally go through away.A Merely that which has its foundation in God and His Word will populate on.

A

May we live our lives so as to be grounded in that which will ne’er be destroyed! And Word Alive is here to assist us make merely that.

Jane

We appreciate your remarks so do do the broadcast two-way. This programme is heard all around the universe and it ‘s besides helpful to us to cognize where you are – if you are able to allow us cognize that will be much appreciated. We are a hearer supported programme so we want to be certain where utilizing our resources sagely and good.

Dr. Stringer is tacking us through events in the life of Moses and the series is called Encountering God. We ‘ve come now to a cardinal clip with tonss of lessons for us today. Here once more is Derek Stringer.

Derek

Jane Moxon – thanks for your aid.

Well now – there are non many kids who enjoy traveling to school. Possibly it ‘s more accurate to state they do n’t wish traveling to school all twenty-four hours every twenty-four hours. I heard about a first class instructor who, on the first twenty-four hours of school, went to pick up her category from tiffin deferral. She rapidly realized one kid was losing from the line. So she started seeking everyplace.

Several proceedingss subsequently, she spotted him. When she got to him she asked, “ Johnny why are you non in category? ” He said, “ I ‘m waiting to travel place. ” The instructor explained to him that kids stay at school ALL twenty-four hours long. Rebel looked up at her and said, “ Well, who in the universe signed me up for that? ”

I would conceive of that you can all believe of times when you did n’t similar school. Or at least you did n’t wish some of the categories you had to take in school. And when we were kids, we did n’t ever travel by pick. There were many times that our parents had to do us travel.

Today, I want us to see that sometimes God sends us to school, and a batch of times he has to make so against our will because it ‘s non what we want to make. And that ‘s particularly true when God sends us to wilderness school.

Jane

Our bible transition is the Book of Exodus and chapter 2. One of the cardinal characters in our Bible is Moses, and Dr. Stringer is taking us through cardinal events in his life, it ‘s got a batch to state to us today if we want to meet God and turn in a relationship with him.

Derek

Merely endorsing up a little so that we can ease our manner into today ‘s subject – We saw in our last programme in chapter 2 of Exodus that Moses understood that it was God ‘s will for him to present the people of Israel, but his effort to present the Hebrewss in his manner and in his clip and in his strength failed miserably, and so Moses fled from Egypt and headed out into the desert, to the land of Midian. We pick up today in the 2nd half of verse 15:

Jane

“ aˆ¦Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian ; and he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven girls. And they came and drew H2O, and they filled the troughs to H2O their male parent ‘s flock. Then the shepherds came and drove them away ; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. When they came to Reuel their male parent, he said, ‘How is it that you have come so shortly today? ‘

“ And they said, ‘An Egyptian delivered us from the manus of the shepherds, and he besides drew adequate H2O for us and watered the flock. ‘

Derek

So he said to his girls, ‘And where is he? Why is it that you have left the adult male? Call him, that he may eat staff of life. ‘ Then Moses was content to populate with the adult male, and he gave Zipporah his girl to Moses. And she bore him a boy, and he called his name Gershom ; for he said, ‘I have been a alien in a foreign land. ‘

Jane

“ Now it happened in the procedure of clip that the male monarch of Egypt died. Then the kids of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out ; and their call came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His compact with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the kids of Israel, and God acknowledged them. ”

Over to Derek

Derek

It ‘s obvious here at the terminal of chapter 2 that God is about to do his move. He ‘s acquiring ready to make something about the Hebrewss in bondage. Now, retrieve, God was n’t ready when Moses took action and killed the Egyptian. But as we read about God ‘s concern over the state of affairs the Hebrews are in, you can see what ‘s coming. God is about to travel against the evil imperium.

Make you retrieve the really first Stars Wars film that came out back in the 70 ‘s? You retrieve how Luke Skywalker — that hotheaded immature adult male – wanted to travel take on the evil imperium, but he was told, “ You have n’t had your preparation yet. Do n’t travel against the imperium until you ‘ve completed your preparation. ” Well, something like that is go oning here in Exodus 2.

Moses did n’t gain it, but when he got to the wilderness, he entered God ‘s schoolroom.

Now I would conceive of that wherever you went to school at that place was a school slogan. One that I saw late was, “ Teaching how to populate and how to do a life. ” And, as slogan go, that ‘s a reasonably good one.

Well, wilderness school has a slogan, excessively. The slogan is this – “ Those God assigns, he ever refines. ” Those God assigns, he ever refines. You see, God has to make a work in us before he can make a work through us. And his favorite topographic point to make his refinement work is in the wilderness.

Jane

In fact, old ages subsequently, God will state to the kids of Israel who spent a batch of clip in the wilderness, “ You shall retrieve that the LORD your God led you all the manner these forty old ages in the wilderness, to humble you and prove you, to cognize what was in your bosom, whether you would maintain His commandments or non. ”

Derek

God makes no apology about it. He says, “ I send you into the desert to give you trials, I send you to the desert to travel to school. ”

Look through the Bible and you might be surprised to see how many Bible characters spent clip in the wilderness.

Moses, of class, spent some clip at that place.

Elijah did, excessively.

David spent a long clip in the wilderness, as did John the Baptist, and even Jesus spent some clip at that place.

Make no error about it – the wilderness is non a topographic point where you take to travel, it ‘s a topographic point that you ‘re made to travel.

And the wilderness can come in a batch of different signifiers. Some of you listening are in the wilderness right now. You ‘re traveling through a clip of proving, a clip of hard fortunes, a clip of hurting. And you did non take to be where you are right now, because if you had a pick, you ‘d be someplace else.

You ‘ve heard the look, “ No hurting, no addition. ” That ‘s non how most people prefer to populate. I know I do n’t. I prefer, “ No hurting, no hurting. ” myself. But that ‘s non God ‘s doctrine. God ‘s doctrine is, “ No refinement, so no assignment. ” I ‘m non traveling to give you an of import, important major undertaking until you go to wilderness school and you submit to my refinement work.

The wilderness is a topographic point where God teaches us. The wilderness is a topographic point where God communicates some of his most of import messages to us.

Jane

In Psalm 119, David said, “ Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word. ” Subsequently he said, “ It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may larn Your legislative acts. ”

Derek

What David is stating is that what he went through was painful, but it allowed David to larn something in the procedure. That ‘s what wilderness school is all about.

And today, those of you who have been to the wilderness and have survived it can now look back and state, “ God taught me some things in the wilderness that I ‘m non certain I of all time would hold learned if he had n’t sent me at that place. ” Possibly even some of you are able say, as David did, “ It is good for me that I have been afflicted. ”

Now if you go to wilderness school, there may be a batch of electives. But there are four classs that are required classs in the wilderness. Four classs that God will necessitate each and every one of you to larn before he can delegate you a undertaking. Because – retrieve – “ Those God assigns, he ever refines. ”

Jane

Let ‘s get down with what we can name Course # 1 –

Derek

I ‘ll name that Managing Humility 101

Most universe leaders tend to be instead proud and chesty. But God ‘s schoolroom produces work forces who are low and lowly.

Jane

Jesus said, “ Whoever desires to go great among you, allow him be your retainer. And whoever desires to be foremost among you, allow him be your slave. ”

Derek

Now that ‘s non some new construct that Jesus introduced ; it ‘s ever been God ‘s regulation for leading. Greatness in the land of God is for those who are willing to take the way of downward mobility, those who are willing to go the least.

And so it ‘s non surprising that when we look at the individual who, other than Jesus, was likely the greatest leader this universe has of all time known, we read this: “ Now the adult male Moses was really low, more than all work forces who were on the face of the Earth. ” This great leader was a adult male of humbleness. And where do you say Moses learned that humbleness? There ‘s perfectly no inquiry but that the clip Moses spent in the wilderness helped develop that character trait.

I mean, you talk about a calling displacement — traveling from prince of Egypt to cipher ‘s shepherd. Moses went from “ caput of province ” to “ caput of sheep ” . He went from “ who ‘s who ” to “ who ‘s he? ” But there ‘s something I ‘ve learned over the old ages: God seldom trusts a adult male with ill fame until that adult male proves he can manage obscureness.

Jane

One Church Minister tells that after he graduated and was ordained to the He got his first occupation as a young person curate and was all aroused. He showed up at the church edifice, ready for his first assignment. He wondered what great issue he would be given to work out the first twenty-four hours.

The Senior Minister took him into the big auditorium and said, “ I ‘ve got a occupation for you. ” The Youth Pastor said, “ What is it? ” “ See all these pencils in the church benchs. We need for them to be sharpened. Peoples ca n’t make full out their welcome cards because the pencils are excessively dull. ”

At foremost, he was insulted. He thought that was a large waste of endowment. But finally he came to recognize, “ If you ‘re excessively large to make this, possibly you ‘re excessively large for anything else. ”

Derek

Notice that in the wilderness, Moses was off from the hand clapping of work forces for the first clip in his life. For the first 40 old ages of his life, everything he did was applauded and extolled – he was a great adult male. And now, for the first clip in his life, Moses was in obscureness. He performed his undertaking with no 1 to state him how great he was. I think it was there that Moses learned to stand entirely, and to non necessitate the hand clapping of work forces. And that would turn out to be really of import later on in his ministry.

While we are in the wilderness, it is of import that we learn humbleness. In fact, possibly you ‘re in the wilderness right now and this is a lesson you need to larn. Because the smaller we are, the more room God has to work in us.

Jane

Let ‘s travel on to the following class – we ‘ll name it Course # 2 –

Derek

We could name it Facing Failure 201, Jane!

Anybody here of all time wished you could travel back and do something over once more? Have you of all time spent some insomniac darks wishing you could take back something you said, or wishing that you had the chance to undo some harm that you ‘ve done? I ‘m certain we all have. Because we ‘ve all failed in some manner or another in the yesteryear.

And most of us have cadavers we try to bury merely like Moses did to that Egyptian he killed. It ‘s human nature to desire to respond to failure by seeking to conceal it.

Jane

That ‘s the first thing Adam did when he sinned – he tried to cover it up. He thought he could conceal from God. And we ‘re a batch like him.

Derek

But Moses learned in the wilderness that concealing failure does n’t wipe out failure. And it ‘s much better for us to squeal our defects and to inquire God what he wants us to larn from our errors.

Henry Ford one time said that failure is the “ chance to get down once more, more intelligently. ”

I think he ‘s right. The inquiry is non, “ Are we traveling to neglect? ” The inquiry is, “ When we fail, are we traveling to larn something? ”

You see, Moses had failed God back in Egypt. But his clip in the wilderness taught him a valuable lesson. Moses learned that you ca n’t seek to make something for God and go forth God out. And he learned that covering your error is non the solution. From that point on, Moses leaned entirely on God. And while Moses would neglect him once more, ne’er once more would he seek to cover up his errors.

You ‘ve likely heard about a batch of churches that have services set aside for testimonies about how different members have succeeded in some manner or another? But have you of all time seen anybody keep a failure service? Maybe it ‘s non such a bad thought – to put aside a clip when we tell others about how we failed, squeal our failure, say, “ I blew it large clip, but this is what I think God wants me to larn. ” Our clip in the wilderness should learn us how to confront failure.

Jane

And now we come to Course # 3 –

Derek

And that ‘s Seeking to Serve 301

Remember how the Egyptians considered the occupation of be givening animate beings to be beneath them, particularly shepherding. Back in Joseph told his brothers back in Genesis that shepherds were abhorrent to the Egyptians. Have you of all time considered the fact that God gave Moses a occupation making what he was told all his life turning up he was excessively good to make?

Jane

You ‘re listening to Derek Stringer here on Word Alive and I ‘m Jane Moxon – thanks for fall ining us. Please retrieve we like to acquire your remarks or supplication petitions – it means a batch to us. I ‘ll be giving you our contact inside informations so please do a note of them.

Back to Derek Stringer.

Derek

A rich adult male in India was an devouring follower of Gandhi. He went to England and returned with a doctor’s degree from the London School of Economics. When he got back to India with his Ph.d. , he went to Gandhi ‘s retreat to seek counsel for future work. Gandhi ever gave occupations to people who came to his retreat. So, this adult male was surprised when he was assigned the responsibility to clean the lavatories. He was n’t used to this sort of work, or any other sort of work for that affair, because he came from a place where they had retainers to make all the humble labor.

So he went to Gandhi to kick and he said, “ I hold a doctor’s degree from the London School of Economics. ” He said, “ I am capable of making great things. Why do you blow my clip and endowments on cleaning lavatories? ” And Gandhi ‘s response was this. He said, “ I know of your capacity to make great things, but I have yet to detect your capacity to make small things. ”

You may hold great dreams of what you would make for God. But God has a inquiry for you — Are you willing right now to make what you can make right where you are? The inquiry is non, “ What would you make for God if you had 1000000s in the bank? ” The inquiry is, “ What are you making for God with the small money you have in your manus right now? ” The inquiry is non, “ What would you make for God if you had the ability to prophesy articulately or sing like the angels? ” The inquiry is, “ What are you making for God with the cock or the run uping needle you ‘ve got in your manus right now? ”

Understand this – if you ‘re excessively large to make something little for God, you ‘re manner excessively little to make something large for God.

Jane

Or as Jesus put it, “ He who is faithful in what is least is faithful besides in much. ”

Derek

One of the lessons God wants to learn us while we ‘re in the wilderness is that he has more ways for us to function him than possibly we have considered.

There was an article in Time magazine a few old ages ago about a physician who was populating in Hiroshima, Japan at the terminal of World War II.

When the atomic bomb was dropped, it exploded about a stat mi off from him. This physician heard the detonation, but by some miracle he was positioned behind a concrete wall such that he was unhurt by the blast which wiped out his metropolis.

Can you conceive of what that scene must hold looked like? Suddenly, all around him were the shrieks of people in intense hurting. The physician was stunned. He was subsequently asked, “ What did you make? ” He said, “ For a minute, I did n’t cognize what to make. So I merely opened my bag and started to assist the individual that was closest to me. ”

I think that ‘s good advice. We are surrounded by so much that needs to be done, so much that we want to make. We need to merely get down with the individual closest to us. While we ‘re in the wilderness, we need to larn the importance of functioning.

Jane

Let ‘s come now to what we can name Course # 4 –

Derek

And I give that the rubric Willing to Wait 401 Jane.

During those 40 old ages in the desert, I ‘m certain Moses kept in touch with how things were traveling back in Egypt from bargainers who passed through. I ‘m certain he was dying to travel back and do a difference. But Moses had discovered the difficult manner that you have to make God ‘s will in God ‘s clip.

We frequently ask God to steer our stairss, but sometimes I think we want to make up one’s mind merely how fast we ‘re walking. Moses was in wilderness school for 40 old ages. That ‘s a long clip. How many of us have been in the wilderness a batch shorter clip than that and pleaded with God to allow us drop out of school before we ‘ve learned what he sent us there to larn? We get in the thick of tests, hard fortunes, hurting comes into our life, and we seldom say, “ Lord, learn me what you want me to larn ” . We about ever say, “ Lord, allow me drop out of school today. I do n’t care if I learn any longer. ”

But be assured of this: God ca n’t polish your character if he gives you everything you want every bit shortly as you want it.

Jane

Listen to what Paul said in Romans 5, “ And non merely that, but we besides glorification in trials, cognizing that trial produces doggedness ; and doggedness, character ; and character, hope. ”

Derek

Did you notice that – trial produces doggedness, or forbearance, and forbearance green goodss character. We want to be people of character, so why does it upset us so much when we have trial. We ask God to model our character, we ask God to do us into what he wants us to be, so God sends us to school. We say, “ God, do me more loving. So God sends a truly unpicturesque individual into our life for us to pattern on, and we say, “ God acquire rid of that individual. ”

We pray, “ Lord, do me more forgiving ” so God lets person incorrect you, and you say, “ I did n’t desire that. ”

We pray, “ God, model my character, construct my religion ” , so God puts you in the center of a trial that takes a piece to travel through, and we beg and plead with God for it to be over with every bit shortly as possible.

Jane

In James 5:11, James said, “ You have heard of the doggedness of Job and seen the terminal intended by the Lord — that the Lord is really compassionate and merciful. ”

Derek

James says that God had a intent for Job, Job ‘s wilderness was non in vain. God does n’t direct you to school to penalize you. That ‘s what we have to state our kids. And that ‘s what God has to state his kids. God sends you to school to fix you.

And when you graduate from the wilderness, two things will ever go on.

One: Wilderness alumnuss can expect a particular assignment from God.

I want you to believe that with all your bosom. If God has put you in a wilderness, he will non blow that experience. It ‘s excessively cherished. At some point in clip, he will convey you to a combustion shrub, and he will state to you, “ I ‘ve got a occupation for you to make. ” And you ‘ll be given chances to utilize what you learned in school.

Jane

In Second Corinthians, Paul said: “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of clemencies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our trial, that we may be able to soothe those who are in any problem, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ”

Derek

Paul is stating here that God comes to you in the thick of your hurting non merely to convey you comfort, but to fix you to be his instrument to assist person else. God wants you to be their coach, and learn them what you have learned. You did n’t come out of the desert to retire. You came out to be re-commissioned. And so, if you have late been in the wilderness, you can expect a particular assignment that God wants you to make.

Jane

So – Wilderness alumnuss can expect a particular assignment from God.

Derek

And secondly: Wilderness alumnuss can look back and appreciate what God has done to fix us.

Did Moses ‘ clip in the wilderness prepare him for God ‘s call? As you think about the remainder of his life, those qualities of humbleness and service, forbearance, depending on God, did they come in ready to hand? You better believe they did! But did Moses cognize at the clip what God was making? I do n’t believe so.

You see, when you ‘re in the wilderness, you do n’t see yet how God will utilize this, but subsequently on, you can look back and state, “ Thank you, God, for now I understand why I needed to travel to school. ”

The Moses who went back to the Israelites was a different adult male than the Moses who tried to present them his ain manner. And I think you can see the same thing in your ain life. Can you look back to see how God has used fortunes you ne’er would hold chosen to fix you for chances you ne’er would hold imagined? I know I can.

It ‘s so easy for us to pray in the thick of troubles, “ Lord, acquire this over every bit rapidly as possible. ” Let me give you this advice, though — “ Do n’t blow a good injury. ” Do n’t blow it. Pray that God will soothe you and mend you. But do n’t blow a good injury. Be certain you learn what God wants you to larn. Because if you do n’t, he may hold to direct you back to school.

Jane

Those God assigns, he ever refines.

Derek

When Oliver Cromwell was premier curate of England, the authorities began to run low on Ag that was used for coining coins. So Cromwell sent his retainers on a mission to happen more Ag. They came back and said, “ The lone Ag we could happen is in the statues of the saints in the cathedrals. ” Cromwell responded by stating, “ Good, we ‘ll run down the saints and set them in circulation. ”

I want to propose to you that ‘s precisely what the wilderness is for. It is to run us down, so that God can set us into circulation.

Let me inquire – how do you experience about school?

Some of you are in the wilderness right now, taking some of these classs we ‘ve been speaking about and God is trusting that you ‘ll larn the lessons that need to be learned. Others of you will be traveling to the wilderness shortly, and some of you were in the wilderness but possibly you left without of all time larning anything.

But, if you ‘ve been through the wilderness, you ‘ve experienced those “ not-so-pleasant ” minutes, give thanks to God that you were made to travel to school, be grateful that God cared plenty about you to desire to polish you.

Jane

And thank God for any specific lessons you may hold learned. You have been listening to Word Alive a Good News Broadcasting Association production with Dr. Derek Stringer. I ‘m Jane Moxon and Phil Critchley is our Manufacturer.

Derek will be back in merely a minute with a concluding idea.

Word Alive is merely one of many programmes made by GNBA – and you can happen out inside informations at our web site. Merely travel to gnba.net. You can besides acquire free transcripts of this programmes and others in the series – gnba.net – We ‘ll direct them to an electronic mail reference. There are besides CD ‘s available – merely inquire us for inside informations.

Contact us if you would wish to cognize more or if you have specific supplication over issues for us to pray approximately. There ‘s a free figure you can name here in the UK – 08,000 92 78 92. That ‘s 08,000 92 78 92.

Now back to Derek Stringer for a wrap up remark.

Derek

“ Sir, What is the secret of your success? ” a newsman asked a bank president.

A ” Two words. ”

A ” And, sir, what are they? ”

A ” Right determinations. ”

A ” And how do you do right determinations? ”

A ” One word. ”

A ” And, sir, what is that? ”

A ” Experience. ”

A ” And how do you acquire see? ”

A

“ Two words. ”

A ” And, sir, what are they? ”

A ” Incorrect determinations. ”

A

A There ‘s a step of truth in that.A Though we can ( and should ) larn from the errors of others, experience genuinely does look to be “ the best instructor. “ A The experience of doing incorrect determinations in the yesteryear should assist us to larn so that we make better determinations in the future.A But are we willing to larn? God puts us through the wilderness school so that we should. But do we?

A

Paul is a great illustration of person who learned from his past errors and, as a consequence of that experience, made better determinations in his attempt to function God. In fact he went through a wilderness experience for a figure of old ages after He encountered Christ on the route to Damascus.

He wrote this: “ I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, seting me into the ministry, although I was once a blasphemer, a tormentor, and an impudent adult male. ”

A

I love the manner that I ‘ve heard that put – merely think about it this manner – “ God loves you wherever you are – but He loves you excessively much to go forth you where you are! ” Is n’t that good? And is n’t that so really true?

Father, one time once more I come inquiring forgiveness for the many times I ‘ve let you down.A As I confess to you my evildoings, I pray that you will assist me to larn from my errors – to acknowledge the effects of following my stubborn will, to gain the grief you feel when I turn a deaf ear to you, to larn from my mistake the demand to follow your word more closely. I have made incorrect determinations, but I pray that the experience of making so will assist me to develop the wisdom necessary to do better determinations in the hereafter, as I strive to pull closer to you.A In Jesus ‘ name, Amen.

A

God bless you.

From all of us at Good News Broadcasting Association – adieu and every approval.

Please fall in us once more following clip when Good News Broadcasting ‘s Bible Teacher Dr Derek Stringer will be back with the following episode from the life of Moses and lessons in meeting God.

Good-bye for now.

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