Establishing A Trust

“Establishing a Trust”

Exodus 2:23-3:15

Barb and I do not look forward with any great excitement to the day when we can no longer take care of ourselves. But we are ready for it. We have established a trust – we have made provisions for making decisions on our behalf and for disposing of whatever earthly goods that might still remain. Having such a trust frees us from great worry and frees our boys from difficult, emotional, sometimes near impossible decisions. HAVING A TRUST LEADS TO FREEDOM.

The same principle is true in our spiritual lives. When we have a confident reliance on the integrity and honesty of God, when we have confidently committed our lives to His care for His use and safekeeping, we experience freedom. Having a trust leads to freedom.

But how do we establish such a trust? Consider Moses.

IT’S AN ISSUE OF PRESENCE. Moses was concerned about his qualifications for such a significant task. So he inquired of God (11), “"Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"” (12) “And God said, "I will be with you.””

IT’S NOT WHERE WE ARE, IT’S WHERE GOD IS THAT MATTERS. And God will be with us! God will be where we are! That is all that matters. No matter where we are, no matter where God leads us, no matter what the circumstances – if God is with us, who or what can defeat us? God is with us! Listen: "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob."” I am the God who was present with your people in the past. “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…” I am the God who is present with you now. “… 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." I am the God who will be present with you in the future. GOD HAS BEEN, IS, AND WILL BE PRESENT WITH US. He is the God of real people with real needs; He hears our cries and feels our pain. We may feel weak and insecure, but God is with us; we can rely on the power of His might. We may feel worthless, but God is with us; we can rely upon His worth. We may feel inadequate, but God is with us; we can rely upon His wisdom. We may feel all alone, but God is with us; we can rely upon His help.

Centuries later, during another dark and dreary time, another man stepped forth. His parents had named him Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. Through Jesus, God speaks to us, “Do not fear. I am with you – and always will be. All power, in heaven and on earth, has been given to me. You will not be one second without my companionship. You will not experience one difficulty with my cooperation. You will not face any Red Sea without my pathway stretching before you. You will not travel one inch of wilderness without the Angel of my Presence.”

WE ARE FREE FROM WORRY AND FEAR. We can go where God wants us to go and do what God wants us to do. Young people – everyone but especially young people who live in such a tough, defiant world – God has called you to be his witnesses, to live for Him. Never forget, He is not asking you to do it all alone. He is with you. Trust Him. It’s where God is that matters. And He is with us!

IT’S also AN ISSUE OF PERSONALITY. Moses was speaking personally with God – he had the advantage of this miraculous encounter, so He knew for sure this was truly God. But he wondered how he could ever convince the Israelites it was actually their God who spoke to him. Moses knew that everything depended on whether or not God could be trusted. (13) “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?" In other words, what if the Israelites want to know how they can depend on You, God? 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.' " 15 God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob-has sent me to you.' IT’S NOT WHO WE ARE, IT’S WHO GOD IS THAT MATTERS. I am that I am. What does that mean? God is self-existent and self-sufficient. He is unchangeable – the same yesterday, today, and forever. But who is He? He is that He is – He will be who He will be. He is the One who is always with us. More literally it means, “I am He who will make things happen.” God will make a way. When the Hebrew was translated into Greek the tense was switched and it became, “I am the One who makes things happen.” GOD IS.