Follow the Fire: Lessons in Life and Leadership: From Bondage to Promise: 40 Days in the Footsteps of Moses

By Dr. T.J. Jenney

Embark on a 40-day journey following in the footsteps of this remarkable man of faith, and take up the challenge to grow personally and spiritually in life and leadership. Learn the lessons of life and leadership that brought Moses from the baby in a basket of bulrushes to the bulwark of faith on the battlefront. God called Moses from the brink of death to the pinnacle of power in Pharaohs house of privilege. Then from the pinnacle of power and privilege, Moses fled to the humble and desolate sands of the desert wilderness. And then after 40 years of being molded by Gods Spirit, Moses responded to the call to lead the Israelites from slavery to freedom, from defeat to victory, from bondage to promise--not because of his abilities, but because of the transforming power of faith in God and the promises of God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Mar 9, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512773651

Dr. T.J. Jenney

Rev. Dr. T. J. Jenney, Ph.D. is a seasoned pastor and leader who has served churches as well as served as a campus minister and chaplain for police and fire departments as well as the Air Force Auxiliary. Dr. Jenney also served as a faculty member at Purdue University, serving as an adjunct professor in Organizational Leadership. His experience includes serving as a president and CEO of non-profit organizations. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Higher Education Administration from Purdue and an M.Div and an S.T.M. from Yale University. He served as a contributing editor of William B. Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (1989) and Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000), as well as written articles for journals. T.J. is a private pilot and an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hiking, biking, skiing, scuba diving, boating and travel, but the thing he enjoys most is spending time with his daughter.

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Copyright © 2017 Dr. T.J. Jenney, Ph.D.

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Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

The Paradoxical Commandments are reprinted with the permission of the author. (c) Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001. www.paradoxicalcommandments.com.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-7364-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7366-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7365-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017901184

WestBow Press rev. date: 03/09/2017

Contents

Dedication

Introduction: Challenged to Change: Transformed by Trust

Part I: The Spark of Fire

Lesson 1: Breaking the Chains That Bind Us: Making a Change

Key scripture: Exodus. 1:6-14

Lesson 2: Trusting God with Our Dreams

Exodus. 1:15-2:10 (Key scripture 2:3,4)

Special Leadership Supplement: Dreams and Vision Casting

Key scripture: Exodus. 2:3,4 (further reading 2:5-10)

Part II: Refined by the Fire

Lesson 3: Working Through Weakness

Key scripture: Exodus. 2:11-14

Lesson 4: The Fiery Kiln: Strengthened Through Trials and Adversity

Key scripture: Exodus 2:13-15

Lesson 5: The Wisdom of Learning from Others

Key scripture: Exodus. 2:16-22

Lesson 6: Dealing with Discouragement: The Answer to Prayer is on Its Way—But It Seems Like a Long Way!

Key Scripture: Exodus. 2:23-25

Part III: Called by the Fire

Lesson 7: Touched by the Fire: The God Who Is There

Key scripture: Exodus. 3:1-10

Lesson 8: Knowing the Great I Am: God Will Be Faithful

Key scripture: Exodus. 3:11-15

Lesson 9: Facing Feelings of Inadequacy: Thanks, But No Thanks!—Send Someone Else!

Key scripture: Exodus. 4:10-13 (further reading 4:1-9)

Lesson 10: You Don’t Have to Go It Alone—Building a Team

Key scripture: Exodus 4:13-17

Part IV: Forged Strong by the Fire

Lesson 11: Confronting People and Powers: Standing Strong for What Is Right

Key scripture: Exodus 4:29—5:2

Lesson 12: Keep the Faith! The Night Is Longest Just Before Daybreak: Dealing with Discouragement

Key scripture: Exodus 5:3-9, 20-23 (further reading 5:10-19)

Lesson 13: Growing Strong in the Face of Adversity

Key scripture: Exodus 6:6-8, 7:5

Part V: Led by the Fire

Lesson 14: The Lord Provides: The Price of Redemption

Key scripture: Exodus 12:13 (further reading 11:1-12:12)

Lesson 15: Trust God: Faith Packs the Bags Before the Train Comes In

Key scripture: Exodus 12:11 (further reading 12:8-10)

Lesson 16: The Lord Will Fight for You—Only Be Still

Key scripture: Exodus 14:10-14 (further reading 12:31-14:9)

Lesson 17: Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude: The Power and Priority of Praise

Key scripture: Exodus 15:1, 2 (further reading 15:26,27)

Lesson 18: The Secret to Joy: Transforming the Waters of Bitterness in the Face of Grumbling

Key scripture: Exodus 15:22-25 (further reading 15:24)

Lesson 19: The Secret to Contentment: Living Life Day to Day—Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread…and Quail

Key scripture: Exodus 16:1-5 (further reading 16:11,12)

Lesson 20: Water from the Rock: Overcoming Adversity

Key scripture: Numbers 20:1-13 (further reading Exodus 17:1-7)

Lesson 21: Facing Battles: The Prevailing Power of Persistent Prayer

Key scripture: Exodus10-13 (further reading Deuteronomy 25:17-19)

Lesson 22: From Wandering to Wondering: Sharing the Goodness of God

Key scripture: Exodus 18:8-12 (further reading Exodus 18:1-7)

Lesson 23: Discover the Power of Delegating and Team Ministry

Key scripture: Exodus 18:17-23 (further reading Romans 12:4-8)

Lesson 24: A Firm Foundation for Living: Re-discovering the Big 10

Special Leadership Supplement: Ethics

Key scripture: Exodus 19:4,5 (further reading 19:16-20.21; Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:34-40)

Lesson 25: Stillness in the Storm: Learning to Practice Holy Rest

Key scripture: Exodus 20:8-11

Lesson 26: Torn Between the Mountain and the Masses: When People Fail, Don’t Throw the Bible Down

Key scripture: Exodus 32:15-20 (further reading 32:1-14)

Lesson 27: Now Show Me Your Glory The Priority of Daily Renewing Our Relationship with God

Key scripture: Exodus 33:7-11, 14,18, (further reading 33:12-23)

Lesson 28: Fighting Giants: The Secret to Personal Growth and Success —Seeing the Problems or Seeing the Promises

Special Leadership Supplement: Facing Challenges with a Positive Attitude

Key scripture: Numbers 13:32-14.9

Lesson 29: From Wondering to Wandering the Desert: Without a Vision the People Perish

Special Leadership Supplement: Goal Setting and Organizational Change

Key scripture: Numbers 14:20-24 (further reading Deuteronomy 2:1-18)

Lesson 30: Snake Bitten: Dealing with Failure

Special Leadership Supplement: Dealing with Failure

Key scripture: Numbers 21:4-9 (further reading John 3:14-17)

Lesson 31: When A Donkey Knows Better: Lessons in Discernment and Conflict Management

Special Leadership Supplement: Conflict Management

Key scripture: Numbers 22:21-35

Lesson 32: Servant Leadership: Meekness Is Not Weakness, but Gentle Strength

Special Leadership Supplement: Mission and Ministry-The Tension Between Task and Relationship in Leadership

Key scripture: Numbers 12:3 (further reading 12:1-15)

Lesson 33: Forging A Family of Faith: The Community of Love and Faithfulness

Special Leadership Supplement: Building a Community of Character

Key scripture: Deuteronomy 30:10-20

Lesson 34: Maximizing Life: Making the Most of Time

Special Leadership Supplement: Time Management

Key scripture: Psalm 90 (a psalm attributed to Moses)

Part VI: Passing on the Fire

Lesson 35: Passing the Baton: Leaving a Legacy That Lives on Through the Power of Mentoring

Special Leadership Supplement: Mentoring—Instilling Vision and Discipline in a New Generation of Leaders

Key scripture: Deuteronomy 31:1-8 (further reading Numbers 27:12-23)

Lesson 36: Standing on the Mountain: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Key scripture: Deuteronomy 34:11,12; 32:1-4

Lesson 37: Facing Giants: Be Strong and Courageous

Key scripture: Joshua 1:1-9

Lesson 38: Taking the First Step Toward Victory: Getting Your Feet Wet

Key scripture: Joshua 3:5 (further reading 3:1-17)

Lesson 39: Tapping the Power of the Past for the Battles of the Present

Key scripture: Joshua 4:21-24 (further reading 4:1-20)

Lesson 40: Fighting Giants: Transformed by Trust—The Lord Will Bring It to Pass

Key scripture: Joshua 5:13-6:20

Appendix

Endnotes

Earth’s crammed with heaven,

And every common bush afire with God;

But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,

The rest stand around and pick blackberries

—Elizabeth Barrett Browning¹

The Fire of God called Moses, and still calls to us …

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 desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 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. So Moses thought, I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.

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. (Exodus 3:1—4 NIV)²

By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. (Exodus 13:21,22 NIV)

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. (Acts 2:1—3 NIV)

______________________________

Introductory Statement: My hope and prayer is that Follow the Fire will make the journey of Moses more real than ever before. Moses was a man who like any of us was fearful of challenges and obstacles. Yet Moses was faithful as he responded to the call of God on his life and trusted God in the most difficult and trying of circumstances to become one of the greatest leaders in all history. He defied the greatest leader in the known world, and led the often difficult and shortsighted Israelites from slavery to freedom. In many ways, each of us struggles in faith to move from bondage to promise. Moses is a man for all times. The lessons learned from Moses for life and leadership are the lessons of faith and trust with which we all wrestle—the keys to his success are also the keys with which each of us through faith and trust in God can live victoriously. These lessons of faith are the lessons of life and leadership that enable each of us to move from bondage to promise. The story is as compelling today as is was more than 3,000 years ago, and the lessons of life and leadership are as poignant and relevant today as any time in history.

My hope and prayer is that leaders will be informed and inspired by the struggles and insights of Moses to empower them for fruitful living and dynamic service of God and others.

______________________________

The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet—Frederick Buechner³

Special Features:

Each chapter contains the scripture lesson along with a featured Proverb for Living and a Word of Inspiration and Insight. The chapters are designed for devotional use, yet inspire people to discover deeper Bible study, as well as strengthen them in wrestling with the great lessons of life and leadership learned from Moses and used in top leadership programs today.

The division into 40 chapters or lessons lends itself well to devotional use during Lent or Advent as well as other times. Moses’ life flows naturally into 40 chapters; and 40 is significant in the life of Moses since the Bible divides the life of Moses into three sections of 40 years each: his time in the household of Pharaoh, his time in the desert, and his time leading the Israelites through the wilderness to the Promised Land.

Each chapter contains a special Leadership Principle, many chapters also contain additional Supplemental Leadership Sections. There is also an extensive topical leadership index, as well as a leadership series designed for retreats or leadership focus groups. The series groups the leadership principles together in convenient order at the end of the book for retreats or leadership reflection.

Follow the Fire uniquely combines devotional reflection with biblical studies and leadership development. Follow the Fire is a unique book aimed at anyone who struggles with faith and the realities of life and leadership. It combines inspiring devotional material with leadership principles taught at the top leadership programs today.

Author’s Note: There is a fair amount of scholarly debate over the date of the exodus as well as the specific pharaoh and the location of the cities Pithom and Rameses mentioned in Exodus (Exodus 1:11). Despite a wealth of archaeological discoveries from ancient Egypt, archaeological evidence is sparse concerning the exodus itself. There is no specific mention of the exodus in Egyptian records, although this should not be surprising as the records of the time are meant to extol Egypt and its pharaohs. The term pharaoh itself was first used for the palace area where the ruler lived, and only later became used for the ruler, and still later became a title attached to specific rulers. There are plausible arguments for both a 15th century exodus with Amenhotep II as the pharaoh, as well as a 13th century exodus with Rameses II as the pharaoh. Much of the debate surrounds archaeology as well as the chronology mentioned in 1 Kings 6:1: In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the Lord (NIV). The construction of Solomon’s temple is generally believed to have begun in 967 BC. However, some scholars contend that the mention of the number of years may be a schematic use of 480 years representing 12 generations of 40 years, which could in actuality be closer to 25 years due to overlapping generations and shorter life expectancy, fitting more into the 12th century timeframe. The 15th century school of thought would put the exodus near 1450 BC in the reign of Amenhotep II and explain the use of the later name of the city of Rameses, instead of its earlier names of Rowaty and later Avaris and still later Perunefer, as an editorial updating since early names were no longer in use. The city of Pithom, also known as Per-Atum, may well have been located very near Heroopolis also known as Heroonopolis, as some evidence exists, though once again, research continues. Cities were often built on top of the ruins of another, and names changed over time, as new rulers came to power. However, it is not the purpose of this book to argue for a particular date of the exodus, but rather to reflect on the timeless lessons of Moses and the people of Israel and God’s presence with them. Ongoing archaeological discoveries will continue to shed valuable light on the exodus and the time period.

This is also the case with the debate regarding whether the Israelites crossed the Red Sea (which in antiquity presumably would include both the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aquaba) or the Sea of Reeds, where again the exact location is a matter of debate, or other possible sites, which may take into account that the Suez Canal has changed the topography in a profound and lasting way. Rather than focus on the debate surrounding ongoing archaeological studies, it seems best to focus on God’s provision and protection, which would have been remarkable whatever the body of water, providing both a pathway of deliverance for Moses and the Israelites as well as a subsequent place of destruction for the armies of pharaoh which were in pursuit. However, the use of the term Red Sea in this book could as easily be Sea of Reeds; it seems best to use the more familiar, Red Sea.

Faith perspective: It is well to remember that Moses is revered in three of the great world religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Moses was first and foremost Jewish, and his faith defined the very core of his life. Christians hold the Hebrew scriptures alongside the New Testament writings as part of their canon of faith, choosing to see these scriptures through the lens of faith in Jesus as the Christ, the very image of God in human form, bringing grace and reconciliation. Those of the Islamic faith, choose to see both the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament scriptures through the lens of Muhammad and the Quran. While deeply respectful of both the Jewish faith and the Islamic faith, my perspective is Christian as I am a follower of Christ and this book is written from a Christian perspective, often reflecting on the principles of Christ’s life and teaching alongside those of Moses. However, Moses’ faith and life invites reflection from all of these faith traditions as well as those who hold other religious perspectives as a cross roads of reflection and understanding. It is my hope that this book will invite a dialogue of mutual respect and understanding as the lessons of Moses’ life and leadership are rich and rewarding.

Dedication

Follow the Fire is dedicated to my daughter, Savannah, who is a constant inspiration to me and the joy of my life!

Follow the Fire is also dedicated to all those who serve others every day and whose dedication and selfless service inspire us and give renewed hope for lives of service for God and others.

Introduction

Challenged to Change: Transformed by Trust

Heroes are drawn to the fire! When flames burst from the windows, or smoke billows from buildings in flame, most of us run in the other direction. But not heroes. Heroes are drawn to the flame. They run to the buildings engulfed in flame, help the helpless, rescue the besieged, assist those in need, and lead them to safety. More often than not, heroes look ordinary, but act extraordinary.

Heroes are drawn to the flame—and so it is in the world of faith.

The Hebrew brothers did not shrink back from the fiery furnace; instead it solidified their resolve to stand firm in their faith in God. And God was faithful. They were examples of courage, faith and trust to all of Israel in the trying years of captivity for generations to come. As the wisdom of Proverbs reminds us: The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart (Proverbs 17:3 NIV).

Moses, too, was drawn to the fire. He was called from the flame of the burning bush in the desert, where the fiery trials had prepared him for leadership. The flame of the Spirit called, and Moses responded.

The name Moses sounds like the Hebrew word for to draw out –for Moses was drawn out of the Nile River, its waters meant for death by Pharaoh’s cruel edict, were it not for the intervention of God through Pharaoh’s own daughter. But that was only the beginning. God drew out of Moses the character that would make him a person of deep faith and an extraordinary leader.

Moses was a man whose faith was lit by the flame of God’s Spirit and whose character was molded in the fiery crucible of the desert. Moses became a leader like no other. He called the Israelites to follow God in a world of oppression and adversity, as he challenged Pharaoh, the leader of the greatest world empire of the day. Moses led the Israelites from slavery to freedom; from bondage to promise; from defeat to victory. And along the way, Moses faced challenges beyond measure in life and leadership.

No individual more experienced the making of a leader and the trials of leadership in scripture than Moses. No individual better expresses the frustrations and fulfillment of leadership than Moses. No leader has faced more challenges and obstacles than Moses; and no leader has accomplished more, through God’s power and grace, than Moses. His life is a rich resource to be mined for a treasure of insights in life and leadership.

Embark on a 40-day journey following in the footsteps of this remarkable man of faith, and take up the challenge to grow personally and spiritually in life and leadership. Learn the lessons of life and leadership that brought Moses from the baby in a basket of bulrushes to the bulwark of faith on the battlefront. God called Moses from the brink of death to the pinnacle of power in Pharaoh’s house of privilege. Then from the pinnacle of power and privilege, Moses fled to the humble and desolate sands of the desert wilderness. And then after 40 years of being molded by God’s Spirit, Moses responded to the call to lead the Israelites from bondage to promise, not because of his own abilities, but because of the transforming power of faith in God and the promises of God.

Journey with Moses as he moves from bondage to promise. Follow Moses as he is humbly transformed from anger to meekness. Follow as we trace Moses’ steps from failure with anger, and fearfulness of leadership, to allowing God to transform him step by step as he experiences the presence and power of God and discovers God’s plan and purpose for his life.

Witness how Moses was transformed as he learned to trust God facing challenges and adversity. Let your own faith be strengthened as you experience how Moses grew in faith as he faced Pharaoh and the challenges of the wilderness and learned to trust God, leading the people to promise through the power God.

It has been said that God uses ordinary people to do the extraordinary. So it was with Moses. It can be true in each of our lives. God’s challenge comes to each of us to follow the plan and purpose God has for our lives. Like Moses, God has a plan and purpose for each of our lives. And when we yield our lives to God, God’s presence and power can transform our lives. Let the story of Moses inspire you to trust in the future God has for you, a future filled with promise and fulfillment.

The road of life brings us many challenges but, like Moses, those challenges are there to mold and transform us. In the same way, Jesus invites us to walk with him in the journey of faith and discipleship, a journey that transforms us through the fires of faith.

Begin the journey of faith. It is the adventure of a lifetime! It is a journey with mountaintops and valleys, with joys and challenges, but it is an adventure where you will never be alone. You will find that God is faithful. And though the journey may be filled with challenges, God will help you grow in faith and promise through God’s eternal power and purpose. Allow faith in God to transform you as you follow in the footsteps of Moses from bondage to promise.

Moses did not shrink back from fear facing Pharaoh or the demands of leadership. As he faced each new challenge, he grew in faith and leadership. We, too, can grow in faith and life as we face challenges and commit to a life following God’s purpose and promise.

Moses followed the fire. Moses was called from the fire of the burning bush. The pillar of fire led Moses and the Hebrew children through the wilderness. The fiery trials of the desert worked to forge stronger faith and character in the Israelites that would one day help them take the Promised Land.

Come spend 40 days in the footsteps of one of the greatest leaders of all times. Learn the lessons of life and leadership God taught Moses. Draw close to the fire. Hear the still small voice of God tugging you to new vistas of faith and new challenges of life and service.

As you journey with Moses, allow the Master Craftsman to form and fashion you. God will purify and refine you through fire; then strengthen you for service in the heat of the fiery kiln. You will find chains are broken, seas are parted, water is provided in the desert, and battles are won—because God is faithful. Trust God. Life is an adventure. Grab your staff and follow the fire!

Part I: The Spark of Fire

Lesson 1: Breaking the Chains That Bind Us: Making a Change

Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. Look, he said to his people, the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.

So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly. (Exodus 1:8—14 NIV)

Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,

prisoners suffering in iron chains,

because they rebelled against God’s commands

and despised the plans of the Most High.

So he subjected them to bitter labor;

they stumbled, and there was no one to help.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and he saved them from their distress.

He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,

and broke away their chains.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for mankind,

for he breaks down gates of bronze

and cuts through bars of iron. (Psalm 107:10—16 NIV)

Wisdom for Living

Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,

but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. (Proverbs 10:17 NIV)

Words of Inspiration and Insight

One meets his destiny often in the road he takes to avoid it— French Proverb

Dawn rose on the immense empire of all that was ancient Egypt, limning the immense monuments of human engineering and ambition with a golden halo. The pyramids and sphinx and temples brought awe to all who stood in their shadow—and still do to this day. Egyptian trade power stretched in every direction. The Egyptian army was large and powerful and armed with ornately decorated horses and chariots and all the accoutrements of war. The soldiers were resplendent in their ornate uniforms. They were well equipped with bows and spears and javelins and shields that glistened in the Egyptian sun. When they marched, the earth shook, and the air thundered with the hooves of horses and the cadence of disciplined soldiers marching, as a plume of dust billowed behind them like the tail of a great scorpion that could be seen for miles in the distance. All who saw it feared.

The architects of the great pyramids and monuments took their orders, like the commanders of war and priests of worship, from no one but Pharaoh—he was god on Earth. He was dressed in all the finery of Egypt, educated at its finest schools by the greatest teachers, and made his home in the finest of palaces. When Pharaoh spoke all listened.

But all this was built not only on the leadership of Pharaoh or the engineering knowledge of its architects, or the skills of its builders, or even the victories of the armies—it was also built on the blood and sweat of the slaves under the lash of Egyptian task masters. Slaves made the bricks for buildings, and slaves quarried the immense slabs of stone for Egyptian monuments. Then under the harsh Egyptian sun, they pulled and trundled and hoisted them into place—a marvel of achievement that stands to this day.

Under the lash of slavery were the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob and his sons and daughters. They prayed for deliverance, but deliverance did not come. They prayed for a leader, but a leader was nowhere to be found.

It was not a portentous time to be a leader. Doubtless, every man, woman and child knew they needed a leader—but no ordinary leader would do!

Through a twist of fate, the powers that had provided respite in famine had become the chains of slavery. Joseph, the leader whose mercurial rise to power had saved his family from the pangs of famine, had long since died. The legends of his wisdom and leadership and discernment had long since faded, eclipsed now by the specter of a powerful pharaoh who had used this sojourning people as slaves.

Doubtless, some blamed God. After all, had not God led them here to Egypt in the throes of famine for the grain, like water following a stick drawn through mud? Was God nearsighted? Had the miracle of Joseph’s provision now become a myopic divine blunder?

Or did the blame lie at the feet of the people? In their comfort had they forgotten the God who had delivered them? Did the cloud of malaise and self-satisfaction slowly blanket the sky of God’s face? Had they outstayed the time God had intended them to sojourn in Egypt? After all, the famine had long since ended. Did the bed of comfort and contentment become the chains of slavery long before the Egyptians shackled them?

Had God to make the conditions so deplorable that they finally would take the risk needed to cast off the shackles of shame and bondage and strike out again in hope of the Promised Land, as had Abraham and Sarah so long ago?

Perhaps it is a lesson we all must learn. For it is precisely in our malaise of comfort that we become self-satisfied, forgetting the God for whom our heart once so fervently yearned. One need only look at the malaise of much of the modern Western church for such signs. We are often lackadaisical in our prayer life. We tend to take worship for granted. We rarely read, and less often study, the foundation of our faith—God’s Word. We tend to share our faith only in the comfort of like-minded believers.

How different is our faith of comfort and privilege from the faith of Abraham and Sarah who left all to follow the leading of God. How different from the Jews who suffered under Roman rule at the time of Christ. How different is our faith of comfort and privilege from the faith of the early Christ-followers in Acts who daily prayed and shared and ventured living out their faith in the face of the harsh opposition of the cultures around them.

How different from many believers in developing-world countries today, who challenge and inspire us with their fervor. Contrast our spiritual flabbiness with the disciplined and fervent prayer and Bible study we see in countries where faith is persecuted or punished. See how those living a difficult life in the developing world often treasure time to worship, walking miles for services, and lingering afterwards for genuine fellowship where they nurture and encourage one another.

And while we are not slaves chained to a task, so often we have become slaves to things and passions that now master our lives instead of God. We are shackled by the chains of working for success, rather than set free to work for significance. We are in the chains of consumption, rather than enjoying the freedom of contributing. We are slaves to making a dollar instead of enjoying the freeing satisfaction of making a difference. All around us are the monuments that engender marvel—but we are not the masters; rather, we have been subtly enslaved. We are slaves of privilege and pride. And whatever the marvels of modernity, all around us are the barren deserts of shallow and unfulfilled relationships, work without meaning, lives without true direction and significance, and a callous, often shallow attitude toward the injustices that are very real at home and abroad.

What are your chains? What are the things or relationships that have you shackled from the freedom of serving God as you were meant to serve God? What are the attitudes that keep you from living a life of freedom and blessing rather than bondage? What is the path to living a fulfilling life with significance and blessing that makes a lasting contribution?

What are the chains of bondage or injustice that enslave men and women in countries or cultures around our world? Does our comfort prevent us from the risk of involvement and speaking out in the name of justice and the God of human worth and dignity?

… And finally the people cried out to God! The shackles were too tight; the desperation too much. They wanted deliverance. And deliverance could come only from Almighty God.

And so our cry should be. For God is waiting to bring deliverance and new life. And it is God alone who is able.

God heard the people’s prayer. To this desperate scene was Moses conceived …

As leaders, we need to understand that not even God can lead people until they want to be led. Often that means we have to become dissatisfied with our present state and willing to take the risks that change involves in our lives. In order to break the chains that bind us, we must be willing to allow God to change our lives. Breaking the chains involves recognizing that we have chains—as the saying goes, Denial is not just a river in Egypt. Recognize the chains! What is it that is shackling us and oppressing us?

Breaking the chains involves making a change! Leadership always involves change, and change makes us uncomfortable and challenges us. But often people have to become uncomfortable before they are truly motivated to change.

Jesus challenged people to change. Jesus challenged them to follow him and give up the things and the passions that might rule their lives. Jesus challenges people to take the risk of change. To Nicodemus he challenged to be born again. To the rich young man, he