Moses' call to return to Pharaoh is an extremely challenging and daunting task, one that he tries very hard to get out of. But God promises to equip him and to support him in what he is being asked to do.
The result is a confrontation with one of the world's most powerful rulers of the time.
'Let my people go' God says through Moses, but Pharaoh is not in agreement and so a series of plagues are brought upon the people until at last Pharaoh relents and sends the people on their way.
It is a story of conflict and difficult personal challenges. Moses is clearly out of his comfort zone and yet he remains faithful to what God has called him to do.
Many years ago I had the great privilege of hearing Chris Bonnington talk about his experiences of climbing Mount Everest. He reflected on three things, that he felt most alive when he was out of his comfort zone, that fear was always a close companion when he attempted anything new and that it was those around him that enabled him to achieve his best.
Recently I have also been enjoying reading Bear Grylls' account of his successful climb of Mount Everest. The book is called Facing up and on one of the first pages there is an inscription of Psalm 121:1,2
I lift my eyes up to the mountains where does my help come from
My help comes from the Lord the maker of heaven and earth
A reminder that God never asks us to achieve something on our own, however far out of our comfort zone we may be.
As we come to the end of our first full week, we will be thinking of the fact that God always promises to be our help and that he graciously gives us friends and companions to be with us as well.
