Braving the Elements

Hi there,
I hope that you're well, and coughed out the last of the winter flu's.
Today I want  to talk to you about braving the elements.
Because of the weather, we've been having, it's Aneno weather, that means that we're going to have a dry spring and a wet summer people.
And I'm not related to Jim Hickey, I have it on good authority from my geologist.
So what is braving the elements?
And are we cooking with gas?
Saying that we do have a new gas hob at home, and oh my goodness it's the best thing since Tiggy's dental examination, that was the other day.
Go out and support the good Dunedin design folks at Fisher and Paykel.
Nope today, we are talking about storms.
And I went out for a run yesterday in one, and it was good, got soaked by the rain, then a big clap of thunder came and I ran to my car, I didn't get very far, 8 miters, but it's a start.
Nope, today I'm going to talk about being strong.
Let's turn to Exodus chapter 8 to 11.
I'm sure you know the story, its about Moses, and the plagues.
He was braving the elements, in fact, he at first ran away, to Midian, because he kills someone who wasn't an Israelite.
However before that, we read that Pharaoh the good Pharaoh, died, the one that let Joesph into the country, and let him be  governor over the land because he interrupted his dream.
There  was good in Egypt, in those days.
But now all the goodness has died, and a new Pharaoh reigned.
This one, was ruthless, because he knew how good the Israelites were, they were strong, dedicated to the cause, and had children fast, and therefore multiplied rapidly.
Moses was the only young child left in Egypt, because his mother saw that he was special, now we use the word ''special'' now days because we label people, ''special'' i.e. different, but this mother saw that he really was something.
So she did something rather risky, she put him in a basket, lined with tar, and said good bye to him on the Nile.
This mother had faith, the water can be dangerous for a little basket, and she had faith where Moses ended up was his call on his life.
Miriam had a part to play too, because we read that Egyptians didn't like Israelites, and to go near one, especially some one who is a princess.
Well Miriam saw where Moses ended up, and went and got help, in fact, got her own mother.
And the Princess paid her to look after her own son, then she was to hand him over for Moses to grow up in the palace.
It seems such a lovely story, here was a  baby the only one left of his kind, in the country, but it was probably bitter sweet, because some of the mothers had children die by the Egyptian army.
I'm sure that Moses mother thought of that too.
We read that Moses grew up, and it wasn't until he was out of Egypt, that he had a plan for his life, that was to go back and take the Israelites to the promise land, a land that flowed with Milk and honey, a land with no more hardship.
And the Israelites had faith in God that one day, they would leave Egypt.
It wasn't all plain sailing, it was often a hard road to walk, because each day God instructed Moses, to go and tell Pharaoh, to let his people go, if he didn't God sent plagues.
In the end it costed Pharaoh a high price, in fact one of his own kind to die, before he let his people go.
But it wasn't without a cost, because Pharaoh, came after them when they were crossing the Nile.
Moses braved the elements, he went and didn't give up, nor did any harm come to the Israelites when Egypt was harmed by the plagues.
What can we learn about Moses?
Well he didn't give up, he rarely complained, until later.
2. The Israelites cried out to God, they knew that one day their deliverer was coming.
3. Moses, prayed on behalf of Pharaoh to God.
4. Moses didn't go or do everything alone, he had his family, around and helped him, see Aaron.
5. Moses, didn't harden his heart, he didn't say ''after all that I've done for you'' type attitude.
6. You have to be brave and do what the Lord has called you to do.
The Lord made Moses to stand out, from all the rest, Miriam wanted to see him safe when he was a baby, Moses mother believed in God, and when you believe in God, he come through for you.
Even if it's putting everything on the line so to speak.

Moses went after God with all he had, and what was that?
A stick, his only staff,  he didn't take anything extra, he went believing in God.

Some times things get hard, sometimes, you have prayers that you can't speak, sometimes you work so hard to fix everything, sometimes you might just have a stick a staff.
That's all that you might have, God sees your staff my friend, and with him on your side, you won't just have enough to get by, you will have more,  you'll be so surprised on what little you have, he'll give you more than enough.
No matter what the world says you have to have, or you have to have it now.
God is your staff.
Well that's all I want to say.
Take care
Chloe