To whom much is given, much is required.

I saw a pair of hands lifting a baby from a basket that was floating among the reeds in the river. Images flash back and forth from this sight to a scene where a woman, downcast and whose face was shadowed by her headdress, embraced her baby one last time, then gently placed her precious one into a basket and let it float away in the river. Then a voice said to me, “Moses”.

This story, my dear friends, is the very heart of God for each of you reading this piece. I woke up this morning and meditated on Exodus 2 as the Holy Spirit reminded me of the birth of Moses. Over and over I read and the same voice spoke, “To whom much is given, much is required. Write about this.”

It is recorded in Exodus 1 that Pharaoh gave an order to all his people that every boy born must be thrown into the Nile, but let every girl live. The Hebrew woman I saw in the vision was the mother of Moses. God had opened a way for Moses to live; He delivered Moses out of the death decree and gave Him that which was uniquely his – Prince of Egypt.

In our lives, there were moments when God had delivered us out of our circumstances, gave us each unique experiences and placed us in positions according to His divine plan. Yet many times, we are not aware of God’s sovereign deliverance and favor till He chooses to reveal. And when He does, He requires us to make a stand and respond to Him. The Bible says that God gives according to the measure of our faith (Romans 12:3). God revealed to Moses in a burning bush, and that was given according to the measure of his faith. It was by faith that Moses refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and chose to be mistreated along with the Israelites. By faith, He left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger because he saw God (Hebrew 11:24-27). When God called to Moses in the bush of fire, Moses responded, “Here I am.” (Exodus 3: 4) Perhaps, if Moses had not recognized the voice of God, He would not have responded in this manner. But by faith, Moses knew God and responded. When God calls you, He will send you and empower you to accomplish His purpose because He is faithful and He will be with you (Exodus 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:24).

Moses’ name was a prophetic name which sounded like the Hebrew for ‘draw out’ (Exodus 2: 10c, NIV). Moses was drawn out of the same river Nile that bore the death of many Hebrew baby boys. He was set apart for God’s mighty deliverance plan. If you know that God has called you to carry out His calling for you, do not fear because just as Moses was set apart, you too have been set apart by God to fulfill His work.

Some of us may be feeling dry despite the certainty of God’s calling in our lives. Let us declare that the glory of Zion and the year of the Lord’s favor are upon us:

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” (Isaiah 60:1-3)

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.  And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours. ‘For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them.  Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.’ I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.” (Isaiah 61)

So, my dear friends, to whom much is given, much is required. God has delivered you out of your circumstances over and over again. He has given you favor in the sight of God and man. He has given you unique experiences where you’ve tasted and seen His goodness. And now, what he requires of you is to walk humbly with Him and respond to His calling for your life. You did not choose Him; He chose you to GO – to GO and bear fruits that will last (John 15:16).

Got it? Or rather, done it?