By Oludare Mayowa
Are you willing to be used of God, then prepare to be tested in the crucible, be ready to go through the refining fire and be humble enough to submit to His will.
When God wants to make use of people, He first calls them out, cleansed them, trains them before He unleashes them to do His assignment.
Look at the story of Moses, he was destined to be the deliverer of Israel, but such assignment requires a man with a tough upbringing, a person who can endure hardship and tough terrain. On the contrary, Moses was almost born into royalty, except that he was picked up from the river bank by the princess of Egypt and was schooled in the culture of royalty, being prepared to be the next Pharaoh, so his destination was the throne and not the wilderness.
From the look of things, no prince of Egypt is tutored in the act of flock shepherding nor imbue with the capacity to live in the jungle. Rather, they are trained to live a life of opulence, being in a position to command the respect of their subjects and also able to ride rough over their slaves.
No doubt, there are some good attributes in the upbringing of Moses; being royal align with the desire of God for His people: “A chosen generation, a royal priesthood.” However, there are still some traits that are still missing in the life of Moses; the ability to withstand danger in the wilderness, the passion of a Shepherd for his flocks and temperament of an intercessor; that is a compassionate heart. His royalty did not prepare him for a life of leading a rebellious group nor the ability to live by faith in the midst of lack.
For forty years, Moses lived his life in the palace of Pharaoh, he was used to his three square meal daily and at the snap of a finger, a retinue of servants ministered to his needs. Yet God has chosen him to be the one who will lead His people out of bondage and deliver them to the promised land; at least close enough to a safe distance from the land of Cannan.
What does God need to do to make him perfect for His callings upon him? He took Moses out of his comfort zone, wean him off those traits that could make him arrogant and bullying his people and placed him in the wilderness for another forty years of his life to learn the traits of a Good Shepherd. In those forty years with the priest of Midian, Jethro, Moses was schooled in the act of shepherding, he learnt the trick (methodology) of navigating in the wilderness without being scared of the wild animals that lurk around in the dark and was able to appreciate how to defend, care for and direct the flocks with passion.
Let’s now combine Moses eighty years life experiences from royalty to wilderness as a Shepherd and then back as the deliverer of God’s people. The making of Moses should be a guiding light to us on how God relates with those who He has separated for His use. While it is partially true to some extent that God sometimes makes use of the available and not ability; He usually prepares His vessel through a process before He unleashes them unto His work. He will never hand over His work to a novice, hence he is puffed up and ended in self destruct. That you are available does not in any way qualifies you for His use; idleness or availability is not part of the qualification He looks for in choosing those He wants to use for His glory.
Sometimes, availability could be as a result of your inability to discern the direction of God for you and your failure to discover His purpose for your life as well. So if He places you in a position of responsibility, it is possible you might still not be able to overcome those traits that kept you idle in the first place.
King David was a Shepherd boy, taking care of his father’s flocks in the wilderness, while his brothers were home and available when Prophet Samuel came calling; but God refused to choose any of them. Rather, He elected to place the mantle of leadership on the shoulder of a small shepherd boy, David.
Beyond the fact that David was busy in the wilderness, tending to his father’s flocks, there were also some traits God discovered in him; his ability to protect, care and passionately watch over the flocks. God must have said to himself; “if David could risk his life to save his father’s flocks from the lion and the Bears, then he is in a position to watch over my flocks, Israel.”
Even yet, God did not hand over the reign unto David until he was made to pass through the required test of life. He was subjected to various training through the period of his persecution by King Saul. During that period, he was able to organise his own army, trained them and learn the art of perseverance before he was finally allowed to ascend the throne.
Are you willing to be used of God, then prepare to be tested in the crucible, be ready to go through the refining fire and be humble enough to submit to His will.
The popular saying that says there is no gain without pain is very relevant in preparing us for his work. Christ went through the cross before He was enthroned as the King of kings and Lord of lords, so what makes you think your journey will defer from His?
Enroll in God’s masterclass today and let Him mold you to what He desire and his glory will begin to shine and manifest in you life.#GFD
