The Reason For The Cross

Have you ever thought about why Jesus died on the cross? I’m not talking about just recognizing once a year when Easter rolls around that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. I’m saying have you ever REALLY taken the time to think about why Jesus died on the cross?

This week I’ve been trying to spend my daily devotion time reading the different accounts of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. I figured it would be a good way to prepare myself for the upcoming Easter weekend. As I was reading on Thursday, I started to think about something I have never really thought about before. I was reading Luke 23:32-43.

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

While reading this passage I began to think about Jesus hanging on the cross. Some of my thoughts were as follows: 

“Imagine how awful that must have been!”

“How dare all those Roman soldiers and bystanders mock Jesus! It’s your sin He’s dying for!!”

Then it hit me…the words echoed in my head. “It’s your sin He’s dying for…”

IT’S MY SIN HE DIED FOR.

I’m the reason Jesus hung on the cross. You’re the reason He hung on the cross.

Let me repeat that: WE ARE THE REASON JESUS HUNG ON THE CROSS.

I feel like sometimes we get caught up in reading the “story” of the crucifixion. And we read it as just that, a story. We forget that Jesus was a real man, who lived a real life, who died a VERY real death, and then REALLY rose from the dead three days later.

Like, that really happened, y’all!

When Jesus said “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” He wasn’t just talking about the Roman soldiers, and the religious leaders, and the bystanders!! HE WAS TALKING ABOUT ME! HE WAS TALKING ABOUT YOU!

Because we’re sinners, we are all the reason Jesus died on the cross.

THE GOOD NEWS: (and I know some of you have heard this a million times, but don’t write me off yet!)

God, the creator of the entire universe, the one who literally spoke (LIKE LITERALLY SPOKE) the universe into existence, He loves you SO much that He sent His son to die in your place.

NEWSFLASH: If you haven’t figured it out by now, IT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE US ON THE CROSS!

But God loved you so much that He sent his only son to take your place.

Jesus was a real man, who lived a pure and blameless life, and died so that you and I may be forgiven.

He came to Earth to pay a debt he did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay.

·       John 3:16

·       Romans 5:8

·       2 Corinthians 5:21

 

Maybe you’re reading this today, and you’re thinking “Well, Hannah, I’ve heard all this before. But this Jesus thing just isn’t for me.”

Let me explain something to you: Jesus is for everybody.

When Jesus died on the cross, he didn’t just die for the preachers out there, he didn’t just die for the missionaries, he didn’t just die for the “good people.”

Because none of us are good (Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23)

Jesus died for every single person that has ever and will ever walk on the face of the Earth.

Adolf Hitler? Jesus died for him.

Osama Bin Laden? Jesus died for him.

Hannah Smith? Jesus died for ME.

Jesus died for everyone knowing that some would never love him back.

But for those who do love Him back, the payoff is pretty great! We get to live a life full of joy, as we serve the one who saved us from death. Then, one day, we get to spend eternity in a marvelous place called Heaven. ( I’m secretly hoping God has a pink castle and an eternal supply of Reese’s cups with my name on them up there! Haha!)

But seriously, there are a couple of things I want you to take away from this post:

1.      Your sins are the reason Jesus died on the cross

2.      God’s love for YOU is also why Jesus died on the cross

3.      Jesus is for everybody that is willing to admit they need a savior, turn from sin, and love and follow Jesus eagerly.

 

As Easter approaches quickly, take some time to ponder why we as Christians celebrate Easter. It’s not the chocolate bunnies, and dying Easter eggs. Although these things are fun and they’re great traditions to have with your friends and family, don’t forget the real reason for celebration.

Jesus left his throne to come to Earth, lived a blameless life, and died a death that he did not deserve. He died for YOU! And three days later he rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven. He is now sitting on his throne at the right hand of God.

Praise HIS holy name!

Remember how much HE loves you!

Hannah  ♥

OE Fever

Hi readers! So this is not what I intended for my next blog to be about but I know several people that have been on mission trips this past week, and needless to say I’m suffering from what I like to call “OE Fever.” So this is what has been on my heart and I figured I would share!

For those of you that know me well, you know that I’m basically obsessed with a little town in Honduras called Guaimaca, and more specifically with a place within that town called Orphanage Emmanuel. I’ve gotten the chance to share this story with a few people over the past couple of years, but I would like all of you to hear it. So here it is.

I can recall very few times in my life that I plainly, I mean PLAINLY, STRAIGHT UP, heard the Lord telling me what to do. I don’t see this as a bad thing. The Lord speaks to everybody in different ways. Most of the time His voice is more of a feeling inside of me that I just have to go along with and trust that it is really Him. But one of the few times that I have been so absolutely sure about what He was saying to me was around July of 2012. The Honduras mission team at my church was preparing to leave for their trip and for some odd reason it just hit me that day. I was supposed to go to Honduras. Whattttt? So any of you that know me well know I have had a “bubble” for most of my life. I like to stay in my bubble and any move outside of the bubble makes me super anxious. Well, this was the day that the Lord began to poke holes in my bubble (FYI, he’s still poking holes today). I remember telling my dad that day that I thought that God was calling me to go to Honduras. He asked me the question that I still get asked when I tell this story today, “Well, how do you know He’s calling you?” My answer was the same that day as it is today, I wouldn’t make that choice on my own. Going to Honduras called for me to step out of my bubble, something that I don’t just willingly do. If you had asked me a year or even a couple of months prior to that day, I would’ve told you that God’s not going to call me to missions. I was convinced missions were not for me. But that day, sitting in my car after church, I knew I was going to go to Honduras. I didn’t know how. I didn’t know how I was going to find the money, or how on Earth I was going to do this without just completely falling apart (P.S. Don’t let me fool you, I did have several meltdowns). But the Lord was faithful, and I can now look back and say that making the choice to go to Honduras was by far one of the best decisions I have ever made. In August, I will make my third trip to Orphanage Emmanuel, and I am BEYOND excited! I just wanted to share this for anybody that feels like they’re stuck in their bubble. I know how you feel. I still currently know how you feel. I have been slowly letting the Lord poke holes in my bubble, but I am nowhere near as adventurous as I desire to be. My advice is take it one “hole” at a time. And trust that if you’re doing something to glorify the Lord, He will not let you face it alone. Be willing to just answer the Lord’s call and be a little adventurous for Him. It’ll probably end up being one of the best decisions you’ve ever made, I promise!

 

Now I just want to share a little about OE and some pictures from my previous trips. Orphanage Emmanuel (OE) is a Christian based orphanage in Guaimaca, Honduras. It was founded in 1989 by David and Lydia Martinez after David received a vision from the Lord. They sold everything they had and moved to Honduras, not knowing what the Lord had in store for them. You can read David and Lydia’s full testimony and find out more about OE on http://orphanageemmanuelhn.weebly.com/. I highly suggest you take some time to check it out!

As for my personal experiences at OE, they have been indescribable. Like literally. There are no words, or pictures that I can use to describe how amazing and life changing my visits to OE have been. But since I know that not everyone will be called to serve at OE, I will try my best to describe it.

As soon as you arrive at Emmanuel, you can tell that there is something different about it.

There is just a happiness that radiates around the whole place.

 

 

 

 

 

The kids just love to be loved, (and play with your phone/camera, if you’ll let them)

 
Selfie!

 

 

They’re also not shy about asking for/taking any water bottles, food, or candy that you may have in your possession.

 

This is an action shot of a knock-down, drag-out over a water bottle.

 

 

 

 

My sweet Maria. I met Maria during my trip last August. We bonded over the week and shared some great broken Spanish/English conversations over cheddar Pringles and Frescas at “la tienda” (the store).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Banessa

 

 

 

So in case you haven’t figured it out yet, this blog has basically just been a

 

way for me to cope with my “OE Fever.”

 

 

I don’t have any profound end points that I want you to take away from this blog like I normally do. I just wanted to share a little about OE for those of you who have heard me talking about it, but you weren’t really sure what it’s all about.

However, I will give you some things to ponder and pray about:

1. Pray about God poking holes in your own “bubble”

2. Pray for me and my fellow team members as we prepare for our upcoming trip in August.

3. Read Matthew 28:19-20 and pray about what part God has for you to play in missions

 

Not all Christians are called to travel overseas, or even out of their own

home town to spread the Gospel. But EVERY Christian is called to serve

and to play a part in making disciples. Whether your part is moving to a

third world country, or simply praying for missions and helping financially,

we all have a part to play. Discover your part.

 

 

If the opportunity to go on a foreign mission trip ever arises for you, I highly encourage you to take the opportunity. I promise you won’t regret it!

 

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this blog. I feel like it was kind of random and a little unorganized, but it was on my heart and I felt like I needed to share. Don't forget to check out Orphanage Emmanuel's official website: http://orphanageemmanuelhn.weebly.com/

 

I have a few ideas for my next blog, but I haven't made a decision yet.

Keep an eye out for it!

 

Thanks again!

 

Remember, Jesus loves YOU!

 

Hannah ♥



 

 

 

 


 



Fix Your Eyes

Hello readers! I’m back! So I came up with the idea of this blog a little over a month ago, but I’m just now finding the time to write it. It’s actually a funny coincidence that the passage of scripture I’m going to talk about is the same passage that was preached a couple of weeks ago at Engage JSU (a college ministry I’m involved in.)

Also, DISCLAIMER: I got to thinking about this the other day and I feel like I need to address it. I don’t want anybody to be under the impression that I’m perfect and that I don’t have struggles. Chances are, if I write a blog post about it, I have or am currently struggling with the subject that I blog about. Not always, but a lot of times that will be the case. So please do not read my posts and be under the impression that I don’t have trouble “choosing joy” every day, or that I don’t struggle with making excuses before God. Because I do, EVERYDAY! But I’ve been told that I give decent advice, and I happen to be an okay writer. So I’m just here to blog about what I struggle with, what I have watched others struggle with, and what I’ve learned from these struggles.

So now that I’ve written a mini novel as a disclaimer, let’s move on!

Like always, I’m just going to jump right in with scripture.

 

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

-Matthew 14:22-33

 

Okay, so that’s pretty straight forward, right? I mean if you’ve been in church for any given amount of time, you’ve probably heard this story.

Basically, Jesus walks on the water, Peter asks Jesus to confirm that it’s him by letting him walk on the water. Jesus is like “Well come on Peter, what are you waiting for?” So then Peter steps out on the water and begins to walk. But something interesting happens. And that’s what I want to focus on.

³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

 

So in December, I went skiing for the first time. Long story short, the Lord did not intend for me to become a professional skier. It was an adventure to say the least. I have never been extremely athletic, but I’ve always wanted to be. So I was determined to at least make it down the biggest bunny slope. And I did. But that’s not the point of this story.

We were fortunate enough to be able to have a lesson with a ski instructor, so I at least knew how to stand up in my skis. The most important thing that the instructor told us to do is to keep our eyes forward, to keep our eyes on her. Because, the moment you look down at your feet, you’re going to fall.

Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, and he began to sink. He got so caught up on the wind and the waves, that he took his eyes off Jesus. So he began to sink.

This happens to us, too. None of us have probably ever walked on water, but when the “storms” of life hit us, we tend to take our eyes off of Christ. Why do we do that? Like, we take our eyes off the only one who can truly help us. It’s kind of ridiculous if you think about it. But see what Peter does next? As soon as he begins to sink, he cries out to the Lord to save him. We can learn something from Peter, here. When the storm comes and we begin to sink, we should immediately cry out for help from the Lord. The cool thing about it is, the Lord is GUARENTEED to reach out and take you by the hand.

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

So here are 4 things I want you to get out of this post:

1.     Fix your eyes on Jesus. It will make things much easier.

2.     There are going to be times when you “look down at your feet.”

3.     When those times come, quickly call out to Jesus for help.

4.     Jesus WILL reach out and take you by the hand, you just have to take the first step by calling out to him.

 

This has been a shorter post, but I hope it speaks to you the way it spoke to me. Remember to ALWAYS fix your eyes on Jesus. He will never fail you. And when the time comes when you DO take your eyes off of Him (because that time WILL come), remember to quickly call out to Him. He’ll reach out and grab your hand to keep you from drowning.

THANK YOU to all of my faithful readers! I have no clue when my next post will be, or what it will be about. You’ll just have to wait and see! Thanks again for reading!

 

Remember, Jesus loves YOU!

 

Hannah ♥

God Doesn't Beat Around the Bush, He Burns It (Part 2)

Okay, so I’ll be honest, I’ve struggled with writing this post. I’ve thought about it off and on for the past two weeks and I just couldn’t seem to decide how to start it. I also wasn’t sure what to talk about, and what not to talk about. Like where do I even begin? I mean I could write a dissertation about the book of Exodus and God calling Moses to deliver the Israelites. But I sometimes forget that I’m not getting my PhD, I’m just writing another blog post. So I just sat down and started typing and this is what I came up with! Hope you guys enjoy it!

“God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called.”

This is one of my favorite quotes and it really sums up the point I want to get across in this post. I’m going to pick up exactly where I left off in part 1, so if you haven’t read part 1, I suggest you go back and read it first. Let’s just start off with some scripture.

 

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

-Exodus 3:11

All of us are called by God to do something. We all have a purpose to serve while we’re here on Earth. Some people’s calling may seem more extreme than others. Some may seem more basic than others. But there’s no doubt that your purpose in life is extremely important, and it’s crucial to the kingdom of God.

A lot of times when God reveals his purpose for us, we tend to question Him. Just like Moses in verse 11, we often ask “God, who am I to complete this important purpose? Can’t you just find someone better equipped to do it?”

This is the beauty of it all. Nobody is equipped. There is not a person on this Earth that is absolutely, completely, 100% equipped for what God is going to call them to do. But it doesn’t matter, Because God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called. Do you think I feel equipped to be a teacher? To educate and influence children in a way that only a few people can. HECK NO, I don’t feel equipped. But what I do know is that God will equip me through my education, and through His power to help me fulfill my purpose.

 

So if God has already revealed your calling to you, chances are, you probably had a mini freak out like Moses when you realized what it was. If God hasn’t revealed that to you yet, wait for it, you’re almost guaranteed to flip out just a little. The cool thing about it is, God doesn’t expect you to fulfill your purpose all on your own.

 

And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

-Exodus 3:12

When Moses started to freak out and question God, God made sure to point out to him “I will be with you. . .” How cool is that? That the God of the entire universe, the God that created the ocean, and the moon, and the sun, He is with you. Like, all the time. He never leaves. It really blows my mind!

 

 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

-Exodus 3:13-14

In this passage of scripture Moses does what most of us tend to do when God speaks to us. He tries to make excuses and almost tries to outsmart God. Moses is basically like “Well say I go to the Israelites and tell them that you’ve sent me, and then they ask who you are. What do I do then God?” and then God replies with something that I kind of see as His way of saying “Did I stutter?”

God replies “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Vs. 14)

BOOM!

Like does anybody else kinda feel like God just got a little sassy with Moses? I love it!

Then God goes into this long spill about Him being the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, etc. (P.S. these verses are important, but this post is becoming longer than I intended, so if you want to check it out for yourself it’s Exodus 3: 15-22.)

So basically God is just shutting Moses and his lame excuses up.

But what does Moses do? He does what any normal human does and makes another excuse.

 

Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” 2 Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. 3 The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”6 Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.7 “Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. 8 Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second. 9 But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.”

-Exodus 4:1-9

Okay, hang with me, I know that was a lot, but it’s pretty important to the story.

So Moses makes another excuse “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” (Vs. 1)

Here we see Moses making the typical, “But God, what will people think of me when I do/say that?” excuse.

NEWSFLASH!

God doesn’t call us to be comfortable!  He calls up to be bold! So what if nobody believes you! You’re still doing what God has asked of you!

So this time God decides to perform some miracles to knock some sense into Moses. God performs not one miracle, not two miracles, but THREE miracles to help convince Moses to go to the Israelites.

But again, Moses just isn’t having it. So Moses decides to make one more excuse to try to get himself out of it.

 

Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

-Exodus 4:10-12

Like Moses is just standing by a talking, burning bush (nothing out of the ordinary, right?) And he’s making all of these excuses for why he’s not equipped for this job, THINKING he’s fooling God.

But again, God replies and He’s like “Really Moses? Like please look at who you’re talking to!”

 

The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? – Exodus 4:11

I just really love that! God’s like “Moses! Seriously? Are you forgetting who gave you your mouth?”

Then God promises in verse 12 that He will help Moses speak.

 

Now pause for a moment…and think about all of the times you’ve been like Moses. Think about how many times you felt God calling you to do something and you just kept making excuses. I’ve done it. Numerous times! How dare we? How dare we stand there and tell God that we cannot use our mouths (the mouth HE gave us) to tell someone about the good news. Like what makes us so entitled that we can tell the God of the ENTIRE UNIVERSE that we cannot do what He’s asked of us. Shame on us.

The thing about it though is, we’re human. And God knows when we’re going to make excuses. That’s why He’s prepared to help us. Just like God was preparing to help Moses speak, He’s preparing to help you.

Okay last passage of scripture, STAY WITH ME!

 

But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” 14 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”

-Exodus 4: 13-17

At this point in the story, I’m about ready to tell Moses he needs to get his life together. Like quit making excuses, you’re just wasting time. But then I have to remind myself how many times I’ve been like Moses. Fighting God, making excuses, telling Him I don’t want to do something.

Finally, God makes a final deal with Moses. God’s like “Look what about your brother Aaron? Isn’t he pretty good with words? Tell you what, I’ll let Aaron do the talking, but you’re still going to have to listen to me so you can tell him what to say, cool?”

Moses is cool with that plan and he heads back to Midian to tell His father-in-law that he has to go back to Egypt (Exodus 4: 18).

 

So finally, three excuses later, Moses agrees to do what God has asked of Him. (And if you know the rest of the story, you know Moses definitely ends up fulfilling his purpose).

Conclusion: So now you’re probably thinking “What in the world does Hannah want me to get out of this?”

I want you to know that:

1.      God has a specific purpose for your life.

2.      It’s normal to want to make excuses.

3.      Just because it’s normal, doesn’t mean you should.

4.      Trust that God will equip you with whatever you need to fulfill your purpose.

When God presents you with a mission, it can sometimes be hard to not make excuses. But God will not let you do it alone. He’ll be with you every step of the way. It might not always make it easier, but in the end, it will be worth it.

 

For those of you who are still with me, THANK YOU so much for reading. I hope you found some inspiration somewhere in this post. It ended up being a lot longer than I expected, but I hope you still enjoyed it. I hope you all will now be on the look out for your own “burning bush” and my prayer is that you will listen to whatever God has to say to you! Again, thanks for reading!

Until next time!

Remember, Jesus loves YOU!

Hannah ♥

 

God Doesn't Beat Around the Bush, He Burns It (Part 1)

First and foremost, I have to give my roommate, Brooklyn, credit for the title of this blog post.  I’m not going to go into the long explanation of how it came about, but just know she inspired this post.

Also, disclaimer: This post is a little long. I’m breaking it into two parts, but I still tend to be a little long winded when I get on a roll. Just try your best to stick with me to the end, and I promise it will be worth it.

 

If you’ve grown up in church, or if you have been in a church setting for any given amount of time, you’ve probably at least heard of the story of Moses and the burning bush.  But, just in case you haven’t, here it is:

 

     “Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. 7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt. “

Exodus 3:1-10

 

STOP! You people that are familiar with the story, I know what you’re thinking!

You’re thinking, “That’s not the end! Why did you stop there?” Well, all shall be revealed in part 2! Be patient!

Now, back to part 1!

    So just to give you a little background on Moses, he was born in a time when Pharaoh was ordering that all Hebrew baby boys be killed (Exodus 1:15-22). So when Moses’ mother gave birth to him, she hid him for three months to keep him from being killed. When she realized she could no longer keep him hidden, she put him in a basket and let him float down the Nile River. While Moses was floating down the river, who just so happen to be in the river bathing? You got it, Pharaoh’s daughter. Pharaoh’s daughter saw Moses in the basket and decided to basically adopt him (Exodus 2:1-10). Crazy huh? The man who ordered that all Hebrew baby boys be killed now has a Hebrew grandson. Anyway, we’re starting to get to the good part now. So Moses grew up Egyptian, even though he was really Hebrew. One day, when he was older, he was out where the Hebrew people were working and he saw an Egyptian beating up a Hebrew. Well you know what Moses is thinking, “Oh no he didn’t!” So what does he do? He kills the Egyptian, and hides the body before anyone could see. The next day he saw two Hebrews fighting and he was like “Dude, why are you beating up on your brother, man?” And the Hebrew guy was like “What are you going to do about it, Moses? You going to kill me like you killed that Egyptian yesterday?” PLOT TWIST Now Moses is like “Oh shoot, they must have seen me kill the Egyptian yesterday!” So then Pharaoh hears about it. He gets all mad and tries to kill Moses. But Moses does what any good criminal would do, and he flees to this place called Midian. In Midian, Moses gets married to this woman named Zipporah, whose father is the priest of Midian. (Exodus 2:11-21)

P.S. In case you didn’t catch on, all of that ^ was paraphrased by me :)

So this is where we pick up at Exodus 3:1-10. (Remember, the scripture from the beginning? Maybe you guys are still with me! Hang in there!)

So I’m sure you wondering, “Where are you going with all of this, Hannah?” Well, in the above scripture (Exodus 3:1-10), I have highlighted some particular parts that I really want to really hit on.

#1 Sometimes God uses strange ways to get our attention.

So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

– Exodus 3:3

If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for “signs” from God. I’m always on the lookout for things that I think God is pointing out to me. Most of the time I think too deeply about it, and I just end up confusing myself. What I got from this verse is, if God wants you to know something, He’s going to make sure to catch your attention. He might have to use something strange like a burning bush, but if He wants to speak with you, you’ll know it. You just have to pray that He will reveal things to you in His own time. Sometimes we pray for things, and expect an immediate answer. But most of the time that’s not the case. The Lord’s timing is perfect, and we have to learn to be patient and wait on Him.

 

#2 When God calls out to you, you need to answer Him.

God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

-Exodus 3:4

Just like God called out to Moses from the burning bush, when God wants to get our attention He calls out to us. It most likely won’t be from a burning bush, but God does speak to us through many different methods. It might be through His word (the Bible), it might be through a friend, or it might be through a song. God can really use anybody or anything to grab our attention and speak to us. Pretty cool, huh? Almost 3 years ago, when I made the decision to go on a mission trip to Honduras, I knew it wasn’t my decision. Because I would never decide to go to a dangerous foreign country all on my own. But I felt at peace about it and I knew it was God telling me to go. It wasn’t my decision, it was His. Now, as I start to prepare for my third trip to Honduras this summer, I’m forever thankful that I listened to God when He spoke to me.

If and when you feel like God is speaking to you, remember how Moses answered the Lord. He saw something strange (the burning bush), heard the Lord call out to him, and he answered. Never be afraid to answer the Lord’s call!

#3 God sees you struggling.

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt...”

-Exodus 3:7

Have you ever had one of those days when everything just seems to be going wrong? You wake up 30 minutes late, you have no clean jeans because you forgot to do laundry (yoga pants it is!). Then, when you finally get ready to leave, your car won’t start. On top of all of that, when you get to work/school, you realize you forgot your lunch sitting on the counter. The same day you get your math test back just to see that you completely bombed it, or that project at work that was originally due in 2 weeks, yeah, the due date has been bumped up a week.

In the midst of all the chaos of life, sometimes it’s hard not to question God. “Why is all of this happening to me, God?” “Can’t I catch a break?” “Hello? God? Are you up there? Can you hear me?”

Life is the struggle sometimes, and it’s normal to ask all of these questions. But the good news is, YES, God does see you struggling! And the even better news is, YES, He is willing to help. But only in His time. The Israelites (Hebrew people, like Moses) had been enslaved by the Egyptians for a long time, and they continued to pray to God for deliverance. And God had a plan (more in Part 2). Even though that plan took a long time to come to fruition, it was the perfect plan. God sees our struggles and, like the Israelites, we have to continue praying and putting our faith in God, knowing He has a perfect plan for us. We also have to be patient in waiting, because God’s timetable is different from ours. Often times we pray and want immediate relief from our struggles. But sometimes we need to struggle in life, to remind us of the ONLY One who can deliver us from our struggles (Hint: God’s the only One.)

 

Okay, for those of you that are still with me, HANG ON! The end is near!

#4 (The final point) God has a job for you to do.

“So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt. “

-Exodus 3:10

We are each born with a purpose. Before we are even born into the world, God has a special job for each and every one of us to do (Take a look at Psalm 139:13-16.) Some of us know our purpose before we even graduate high school, and then some of us are in our 40s or 50s before we truly figure it out. But whenever God does reveal your purpose to you, no matter how old you are, you have to listen to Him. God’s will for your life is non-negotiable. End of story. God’s will is good, pleasing, and perfect (See Romans 12:2.) All we’re asked to do is live it. Because your purpose is specifically crafted for you, nobody else can do it. And if you don’t listen to the Lord when he reveals His will for your life, you’re not only hurting yourself, but you’re hurting the people that you were supposed to make a positive impact on through fulfilling your purpose. But most importantly, you’re hurting God. It breaks His heart when He’s worked out a perfect plan for your life, and then you deny Him.

Example:

Say your favorite teacher assigns you a project. Since you love this teacher so much, you want to make her happy. So you spend weeks staying up late, working on this project. You even spend half of your paycheck buying supplies for the project. When it’s done you step back and look at it and think “It’s perfect! Mrs. So-and-so will love it!” The day to turn in the project comes and you walk into Mrs. So-and-so’s classroom and present the project to her. Before you can even open your mouth to explain the project, she gives it one look and says “That’s horrible, I won’t accept that.” Talk about a stab in the heart. You spent many sleepless nights working on this project, you spent your own money buying the supplies, and she doesn’t even give it a chance. Not to mention she’s your favorite teacher. You love her and just wanted to make her happy, and she denied it.

This is how God feels when we deny his plan for us. He loves us so much and wants us to be happy with what He has prepared for us. But when it’s presented to us, we deny it without even giving Him a chance to explain.

Pretty cruel, huh?

 

Conclusion (AKA what you’ve all been waiting for):

 Even though it may feel like it sometimes, God doesn’t beat around the bush. God knows that you struggle and He hears you when you call out to Him. In His own time, He will burn the bush for you (Translation: he’ll give you a sign.) He’ll point out His perfect plan for your life, and He’ll be expecting you to answer Him. The best answer to give him is “Here I am.” Be willing to be used by God for a greater purpose. He won’t disappoint you, I promise!

 

So THANK YOU to those of you who have made it to the end. I hope you enjoyed it, and are glad that you held on till the end. Also, I apologize for any major grammatical errors. I’ve proof read this thing a million times, but as soon as I post it I just know I’ll find some horribly obvious error!

 Part 2 will be coming soon, and it should be much shorter (NO PROMISES! Haha!) Part 2 will discuss what to do when God calls us, and how we should react to it. 

Once again, thanks for reading!

Remember, Jesus loves YOU!

Hannah ♥