July 14, 2025 • 24 mins
Have you ever felt like you missed your chance? Like the window of opportunity has closed because of past mistakes, delays, or detours? Moses' story might be exactly what your heart needs to hear.
Most of us know about Moses leading Israel through the wilderness for 40 years, but we often overlook another crucial season in his journey—the 40 years he spent as a shepherd in Midian. From privileged prince to fugitive to shepherd to deliverer, Moses' path was anything but direct. Yet those seemingly wasted years became the very training ground that prepared him to lead a nation.
This episode unpacks how God uses wilderness seasons to shape our identity and calling. We explore why passion without preparation leads to disaster, and how the mundane role of shepherding taught Moses the exact leadership skills he would need later. You'll discover why God often reveals Himself not through dramatic circumstances but through faithful obedience in ordinary moments. The burning bush appeared not in a temple but in Moses' everyday workplace—a powerful reminder that divine encounters can happen anywhere when we're paying attention.
Perhaps most encouraging is how Moses responded to God's call with hesitation and self-doubt. "Who am I?" "What if they don't believe me?" "I am slow of speech." His objections reveal a man humbled by time and aware of his limitations. Yet God didn't need Moses' confidence—only his obedience. The promise wasn't "you've got this" but simply "I will be with you."
Whether you're leading a ministry, raising a family, or navigating career transitions, this message offers hope: delays aren't dead ends; they're divine development. God isn't just preparing something for you—He's preparing something in you. Your current season of waiting might be the very soil where your most effective leadership will grow.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey friends, welcome back to the podcast.
I'm so glad you're here,Whether you're tuning in for the
first time or you've beenfollowing along since the start.
I want you to know this spaceis for you.
You're not just a listener,you're part of a growing
community of leaders and Christfollowers who want to grow
deeper in faith, lead withpurpose and navigate life well.
I'm Pastor Nick and I'm excitedto jump into episode two of our
(00:22):
current series, leading in theWilderness.
If you missed episode one, Iencourage you to go back, check
it out.
We laid the foundation bytalking about why God leads us
into wilderness seasons, thosedifficult, dry, often confusing
times in life when we feel stuck, unseen or even unsure of
what's next.
We explored how the wildernessisn't punishment, it's
(00:42):
preparation.
It's where God reveals what'sin us, refines our character and
prepares us for what's ahead.
And today we're taking thatidea even further by looking at
one of the most well-knownleaders in Scripture, a guy by
the name of Moses.
Let me ask you a few questionsas we begin.
Have you ever felt like youmissed your chance, like the
(01:03):
window of opportunity has closed?
Or maybe you've made somemistakes in the past and you
wonder could God still usesomeone like me.
If that's you, then thisepisode is going to speak
directly to your heart.
Today's focus is on leadingafter long delays.
Moses spent 40 years in thewilderness, not once, but twice
(01:23):
First in Midian and then withthe Israelites.
That's a lifetime of waiting,wandering and wondering.
Right, I mean, think about this.
When we talk about Moses in 40years, we usually talk about the
wilderness.
We don't usually add in thedays in Midian.
But that was a long time.
And here's the beautiful partGod wasn't done with Moses.
In fact, those years inobscurity became the very
(01:46):
training ground that preparedhim to lead a nation.
In this episode, we're going tounpack how God uses Moses'
wilderness season to shape hisidentity and calling.
We're going to unpack whydelays are often part of divine
development and, finally, whatyou can do when your own dreams
feel like they've stalled.
So if you're in a season whereit feels like nothing is moving
(02:07):
forward, stick with me.
There's encouragement andwisdom here for you.
Today.
Let's dive in Moses.
Born under a death sentence,yet rescued by Pharaoh's
daughter, he grew up with everyprivilege the Egyptian court
could offer elite education,military training and even a
royal title.
(02:27):
Yet somewhere beneath the finelinen and palace corridors beat
the heart of a Hebrew.
Day after day, he watched hiskinsmen labor under Egyptian
whips, attention mountingbetween the life he enjoyed and
the injustice that he witnessed.
The dam finally burst in Exodus2, verses 11 through 15.
(02:48):
While visiting the worksites,moses spots an Egyptian overseer
savagely beating a Hebrew slave.
In that split second, decadesof suppressed identity and
righteous anger collided.
Glancing both ways and seeingno one, he strikes the Egyptian
dead and buries the body in thesand, convinced he's acted as a
(03:10):
deliverer.
But word travels fast.
When Moses tries to break up afight between two Hebrews the
next day, one sneers who madeyou ruler and judge over us?
Are you thinking of killing meas you killed the Egyptian?
In that moment, panic sets in.
The secret he thought he had isout.
Pharaoh, hearing of the murder,orders Moses' execution.
(03:34):
Overnight, the prince becomes afugitive, sprinting for his
life across blistering sandstoward Midian.
This moment is a dramaticturning point.
Moses' zeal for justice is real.
Yet his strategy is reckless.
Instead of liberating Israel,he now endangers them and
himself proving the truth of oursticky statement that passion
(03:57):
without preparation leads todisaster.
Moses had the heart, but notthe readiness.
God would now take him into aseason that would transform
passion into purpose.
The palace door slammed behindhim and the wilderness yawns
ahead, seemingly a dead-endseason.
Yet the very exile that lookslike failure is the soil God
(04:19):
will use to cultivate humility,patience and dependence,
qualities a nation builderdesperately needs.
In other words, moses hasn'tfallen off God's radar.
He's walked straight into God'sclassroom Next up.
We're going to see how the quietyears of Midian, tending sheep
instead of commanding armies,become the unlikely training
(04:40):
ground that shapes a deliverer.
When Moses fled Egypt, hewasn't just running from Pharaoh
, he was being drawn into God'srefining fire.
Midian wasn't a punishment, itwas a process.
To the outside world it mighthave seemed like Moses
disappeared, but in reality hewas being deeply reshaped by God
.
In Midian, moses finds shelterwith a priest named Jethro.
(05:03):
Eventually, he marries Jethro'sdaughter, zephora, and starts a
family.
This might seem like a sidenote in the grand story of
deliverance, but it's actuallypretty significant.
Marriage grounded Moses.
Zephora wasn't from royalcourts or Hebrew tribes.
She was a desert woman,practical wise, rooted in a
different kind of strength.
(05:23):
Their union symbolized Mosesstepping into a more grounded
relational identity, no longerdefined by Egyptian power or
Hebrew pain.
He begins learning the quietrhythm of community commitment
and responsibility.
In this season, Moses stopsliving in reaction to his past
and starts learning to buildsomething stable, that
(05:46):
foundation faithfulness tofamily, loyalty to a new people,
humility in a different culture.
That becomes a key ingredientin the kind of leader he would
become.
Moses' role as a shepherd forJethro may seem like a massive
downgrade from being a prince ofEgypt, but in God's economy it
was a promotion of the heart.
(06:06):
Shepherding taught him patiencebecause sheep are slow, they're
stubborn and they're prone towonder.
Shepherding taught him guidancebecause a shepherd leads from
out front, not behind.
It taught him protectionbecause predators came and the
flock depended on him.
It taught him provision becausehe had to find food and water
(06:27):
in dry places.
Sound familiar?
Those are the same leadershipmuscles he would need to guide
Israel through the wildernessfor 40 years.
The parallels are unmistakableand deeply intentional.
As Eugene Peterson once wrote,leadership is not about charisma
but character, not performancebut perseverance.
(06:47):
In Egypt Moses acted beforeasking.
He stepped in, killed theEgyptian and watched his plan
unravel.
But in Midian he learned tolisten before leading to the
voice of God, the needs ofothers and the rhythm of life
outside the spotlight.
There's no record of Mosespreaching or commanding armies
in Midian.
Instead, he watched over flocks, walked quiet trails, learned
(07:09):
how to care for things thatdidn't belong to him.
This brings to mind thatpowerful quote from AW Tozer it
is doubtful whether God canbless a man greatly until he has
hurt him deeply.
Moses had to be broken beforehe could be trusted with the
burden of leadership.
Midian wasn't just isolation,it was transformation.
(07:31):
The wilderness broke his pride.
It shaped his soul.
It taught him that strengthcomes not from status but
surrender.
This is the often overlookedpart of Moses' story.
We focus on the plagues, theRed Sea, the miracles, but none
of that happens without his timein Midian.
It was the hidden years thatformed the man God would use to
(07:55):
liberate a nation.
The irony is powerful.
Moses once led from privilegeand impulse.
Now, after decades of obscurity, he would lead from humility
and wisdom.
He would shepherd peoplebecause he had first learned to
shepherd sheep.
He would speak on behalf of Godbecause he had finally learned
to listen.
So if you feel like you're in aseason of obscurity, like
(08:17):
nothing is happening and no onesees, you remember this God
often does his most importantwork in the least visible
seasons.
Moses didn't waste Midian, andneither should you and I.
Now, when we imagine divineencounters, we tend to think of
mountaintops, holy temples ordramatic revelations.
(08:37):
But in Exodus, chapter 3, thefirst six verses, it flips that
expectation upside down.
Moses isn't fasting orpreaching or doing anything
obviously spiritual.
He's doing his job.
He's tending sheep for hisfather-in-law on the far side of
the wilderness.
It's just another day in Midian, just another step in a long,
(08:59):
quiet season of obscurity.
And it's right there, in themiddle of the mundane, that God
shows up.
Verse 2,.
There the angel of the Lordappeared to him in the flames of
fire from within a bush.
Moses saw that though the bushwas on fire, it did not burn up.
What makes this momentextraordinary isn't the bush,
(09:20):
it's the fact that Moses noticedit.
He slowed down enough to seethat something unusual was
happening and turned aside toinvestigate.
That's when God spoke.
This is the profound truth forleaders and believers alike.
God often reveals himself notthrough fireworks, but through
our faithfulness.
Not in palaces or platforms,but in the quiet places of
(09:43):
consistency.
Moses didn't earn this momentthrough extraordinary
achievements.
He simply showed up day afterday tending the flock, and it
was in that posture of quietobedience that heaven broke in.
I've heard it said this way,that ordinary obedience is the
gateway to extraordinaryencounters.
(10:04):
Let that sink in for a moment.
How often do we assume thatspiritual breakthroughs happen
only in big church services andconferences or moments of
emotional high?
And yet some of the mosttransformative encounters come
in the quiet corners of life.
A verse that hits differentlywhile folding laundry, a
prompting from the Spirit duringyour morning commute, a
(10:27):
conversation with a strangerthat ends in prayer.
Notice how God doesn't choose asynagogue or a temple for this
moment.
He meets Moses in the verypasture.
He's walked a thousand timesbefore, but when God speaks,
everything changes.
Verse 5, take off your sandals,for the place where you are
(10:49):
standing is holy ground.
It wasn't holy because ofgeography.
It was holy because God wasthere.
And that same presence can fillyour workplace, your kitchen
table, your quiet car rides, ifyou're willing to turn aside and
notice.
And the truth is he's stillshowing up in those places today
(11:11):
.
Maybe you felt like your currentseason is too ordinary to
matter, like you're stuck inroutine, waiting for something
more spiritual to happen.
But God doesn't need perfectcircumstances to make something
sacred.
He just needs you to payattention to notice the burning
bushes in your own backyard.
I remember a season of ministrywhere I felt like I was in a
(11:32):
spiritual lull.
No big breakthroughs, nomountaintop moments, just normal
Sundays, staff meetings, sermonprep, parenting, pastoral care,
baseball, pickleball all thethings right.
But one morning, while sittingalone in my car after dropping
off one of my kids, I felt anoverwhelming sense of God's
presence.
No dramatic music, no vision orangel, just quiet and clarity
(11:57):
and peace.
That moment reminded me thatGod doesn't wait for the
spotlight to speak, he waits forstillness.
And yet, as powerful as thismoment was for Moses, it wasn't
the end of a story, it was thebeginning.
Because right't the end of astory, it was the beginning
Because right after theencounter comes the call.
And, as we'll see in the nextsection, moses struggles with it
.
Despite hearing from God,despite standing on holy ground,
(12:20):
he's filled with doubt,insecurity and questions Sound
familiar.
Many of us can relate.
We want the burning bush moment, but when the call comes we
hesitate.
So let's take the next step inMoses' journey and look at what
happens when divine encounterslead to difficult assignments.
(12:42):
You might expect that after sucha powerful encounter with God
at the burning bush.
Bush that Moses would be firedup, ready to charge back into
Egypt like a spiritual superhero.
But that's not what happens.
Instead, moses hesitates, heresists, he second guesses and,
honestly, it makes him morerelatable when God gives Moses
his assignment to go to Pharaohand lead the Israelites out of
(13:05):
Egypt.
Moses doesn't jump at thechance.
He pushes back with a series ofprotests that reveal a heart
full of reluctance andinsecurity.
Verse 11, who am I that I shouldgo to Pharaoh and bring the
Israelites out of Egypt?
Chapter 4, verse 1, what ifthey do not believe me or listen
to me and say the Lord did notappear to you?
Verse 10, pardon your servant,lord.
(13:28):
I have never been eloquent.
I am slow of speech and tongue.
Each objection pulls back thecurtain on Moses's mindset.
The same man who tried todefend a Hebrew slave with his
own fist is now standing infront of a burning bush,
paralyzed by self-doubt.
What changed 40y years in thewilderness will do that?
(13:50):
Time has humbled Moses, butit's also worn down his
confidence.
Delays often do that.
They create space for doubt togrow louder than dreams.
The longer we wait, the morelikely we are to believe the lie
that our moment has passed orthat we're not enough.
Moses thought he had missed hiswindow, but God knew His
(14:11):
preparation was right on time.
What's striking is how Godresponds to each of Moses'
objections.
God doesn't try to boost hisself-esteem.
He doesn't say you've got this,moses.
You're smarter and strongerthan you think.
Instead, god simply says I willbe with you verse 12.
That's the heart of the calling.
(14:32):
It's not about Moses'qualifications, it's about God's
companionship.
John Maxwell said it this wayGod doesn't call the qualified,
he qualifies the call.
And often the qualifying processlooks like 40 years of silence,
shepherding and self-doubt,because God is more interested
in who you're becoming than howquickly you get there.
(14:54):
This is true for every leader,every parent, every pastor,
every believer.
If you're waiting to feel readybefore you step into what God
is asking you to do, you maynever move.
God isn't looking forperfection, he's looking for
obedience.
If you've ever heard God's calland immediately thought I'm not
(15:15):
smart enough, I don't speakwell, I don't have the right
credentials, what if they rejectme?
You're in good company.
God doesn't need your resume,he needs your yes.
So what do you do when you feelinadequate?
Name the fear.
Get honest about what's holdingyou back.
Take a moment to remember hispromise.
(15:36):
God didn't say go and I'llcheck in later.
He said I will be with you andthen take the next step.
Anyway, courage isn't theabsence of fear, it's obedience
in the face of it.
Moses' reluctance didn'tdisqualify him.
In fact, his weakness becomesthe stage for God's strength,
(15:57):
and, as we'll see next, the Godwho calls us also equips us,
often through the very seasonswe thought were setbacks.
So stay with me, because whathappens next is the beginning of
Moses' stepping fully into hiscalling, despite his
insecurities.
One of the most overlookedaspects of Moses' leadership
journey is how long it took.
(16:18):
From the palace in Egypt to theplains of Midian, to the edge
of the promised land.
Moses' path was anything butdirect.
It's a powerful reminder forall of us that delay doesn't
mean denial and that thewilderness seasons and
leadership often hold ourgreatest lessons.
When we feel stalled orforgotten, it's easy to become
(16:39):
discouraged, but Moses' storyhelps us see delay not as
punishment but as preparation.
These takeaways from hiswilderness journey offer
guidance for any leadernavigating a season of waiting,
obscurity and uncertainty.
Number one wait.
Well, waiting is hard,especially for leaders who are
wired for action.
(16:59):
But how we wait says as muchabout our leadership as how we
lead.
Moses spent 40 years in Midianbefore receiving his call at the
burning bush.
That's not a timeout.
It's a full curriculum inhumility, patience and
preparation.
Think about that.
God wasn't in a hurry, andneither should we be.
Think about Abraham Lincoln.
He lost several elections andendured years of obscurity
(17:23):
before becoming president at age52.
His earlier failures taught himperseverance, empathy and
resolve qualities he would needto lead a divided nation.
The lays are not empty time.
They are soul-forming time.
God is always working, evenwhen it feels like nothing's
happening.
Number two stay faithful insmall things.
(17:44):
Before Moses ever led people,he led sheep.
Day after day, in heat and dust.
He guided a flock that wasn'teven his.
It wasn't glamorous, but it wasformative.
Jesus echoed this principlewhen he said whoever can be
trusted with very little canalso be trusted with much Luke
16.10.
Many leaders wanna skip to thebig things.
(18:05):
Platforms influence titles, butthe training ground for great
leadership is often found in themundane and unseen.
Whether you're leading a teamor folding laundry, god sees
your faithfulness.
The way you lead when no one iswatching is the best indicator
of how you'll lead when everyoneis.
Some people say it this way bigdoors often swing on small
(18:29):
hinges right.
Number three listen for God'scall.
It was an ordinary day whenMoses noticed a bush on fire and
everything changed.
God didn't break in through aroyal announcement or part the
heavens in front of a crowd.
He whispered his call throughan unexpected flame in the
middle of nowhere, and Moses waspaying attention.
Many of us miss God's voice,not because he isn't speaking,
(18:52):
but because we're too distractedto hear.
And so let me encourage youcreate space for solitude,
silence and scripture.
Take walks, pray withexpectation, journal your
questions.
These spiritual rhythmsposition you to hear the whisper
when it comes.
Sometimes God doesn't shout toget your attention.
(19:14):
He waits until you're quietenough to hear.
Number four don't disqualifyyourself.
Moses' self-doubt after God'scall is painfully human.
Who am I?
What if they don't believe me?
I'm not good with words, butGod never asked Moses to be
perfect.
He only asked him to beobedient.
The Bible is filled withleaders who failed before they
(19:34):
flourished.
Peter denied Jesus, but laterpreached boldly at Pentecost.
Paul persecuted the church butbecame its greatest missionary.
David fell into sin, but wasstill called a man after God's
own heart.
If you've failed, stumbled ordelayed obedience, you're not
disqualified.
In fact, the place ofbrokenness may be the very soil
(19:55):
where God's power takes root,may be the very soil where God's
power takes root.
If God could use Moses aftermurder and David after moral
failure and Peter after denial,he can certainly use you after a
delay.
According to a Barna Groupstudy, over 60% of Christian
leaders report experiencing aseason they originally believed
(20:15):
was a setback, only to realizelater it was essentially
preparation for their calling.
That statistic should encourageevery heart that feels behind
or discouraged or forgotten.
You're not the exception.
You're in good company.
Let's end this section with asimple truth that ties it all
together.
In God's economy, delays aren'tdead ends.
They're divine development.
So don't rush the process.
(20:37):
God isn't just preparingsomething for you.
He's preparing something in you.
As we wrap up today's episode,let's take a moment to step back
and reflect on the biggerpicture.
Moses' story is a masterclass indivine timing.
From palace privilege to desertobscurity, from burning bush to
Pharaoh's court, his lifereminds us that God is never
(20:58):
late, but he's also rarely early.
He operates on a differenttimetable, one that prioritizes
our transformation over ourcomfort.
What may look like a wildernessdelay is often God's
development.
The 40 years Moses spent inMidian weren't a holding pattern
.
They were the forge where Godshaped the man who would lead a
(21:19):
nation.
And that same truth is true forus.
When we're in the season thatfeels still slow or silent, our
instinct is to move faster, topray louder or to question our
purpose.
But Scripture gives us a betterway.
Psalms 37.7 says be stillbefore the Lord and wait
(21:39):
patiently for him.
That's not passive resignation.
That's active trust.
It's believing that the God whocalled you sees you, knows
where you are and is using everyhidden day to shape who you're
becoming.
Maybe right now you feel morelike a shepherd than a deliverer
.
Maybe your dreams feel distantand your voice feels small.
(22:00):
If so, take heart.
You're in good company, becauseGod is still in the business of
turning ordinary shepherds intonation-shifting leaders, and
all he asks is that you stayfaithful, stay teachable, stay
tuned in to his voice, even whenit comes in a whisper through a
burning bush on a regular day.
(22:20):
If this episode spoke to you,there's a good chance someone in
your life needs to hear it too.
Share it with a friend, ateammate or someone who's
navigating their own wildernessseason.
You never know what word ofhope might shift their
perspective.
And don't forget, subscribe tothe podcast so that you don't
miss the rest of our Leading inthe Wilderness series.
We've got some powerfulepisodes coming up that continue
(22:41):
to unpack how God meets us,shapes us and uses us, even in
the dry seasons.
God's timing is never wastedtime.
It's working time.
So keep walking, keep waiting,keep trusting.
We'll see you next episode.
Hey friends, welcome back to the podcast.
I'm so glad you're here,Whether you're tuning in for the
first time or you've beenfollowing along since the start.
I want you to know this spaceis for you.
You're not just a listener,you're part of a growing
community of leaders and Christfollowers who want to grow
deeper in faith, lead withpurpose and navigate life well.
I'm Pastor Nick and I'm excitedto jump into episode two of our
(00:22):
current series, leading in theWilderness.
If you missed episode one, Iencourage you to go back, check
it out.
We laid the foundation bytalking about why God leads us
into wilderness seasons, thosedifficult, dry, often confusing
times in life when we feel stuck, unseen or even unsure of
what's next.
We explored how the wildernessisn't punishment, it's
(00:42):
preparation.
It's where God reveals what'sin us, refines our character and
prepares us for what's ahead.
And today we're taking thatidea even further by looking at
one of the most well-knownleaders in Scripture, a guy by
the name of Moses.
Let me ask you a few questionsas we begin.
Have you ever felt like youmissed your chance, like the
(01:03):
window of opportunity has closed?
Or maybe you've made somemistakes in the past and you
wonder could God still usesomeone like me.
If that's you, then thisepisode is going to speak
directly to your heart.
Today's focus is on leadingafter long delays.
Moses spent 40 years in thewilderness, not once, but twice
(01:23):
First in Midian and then withthe Israelites.
That's a lifetime of waiting,wandering and wondering.
Right, I mean, think about this.
When we talk about Moses in 40years, we usually talk about the
wilderness.
We don't usually add in thedays in Midian.
But that was a long time.
And here's the beautiful partGod wasn't done with Moses.
In fact, those years inobscurity became the very
(01:46):
training ground that preparedhim to lead a nation.
In this episode, we're going tounpack how God uses Moses'
wilderness season to shape hisidentity and calling.
We're going to unpack whydelays are often part of divine
development and, finally, whatyou can do when your own dreams
feel like they've stalled.
So if you're in a season whereit feels like nothing is moving
(02:07):
forward, stick with me.
There's encouragement andwisdom here for you.
Today.
Let's dive in Moses.
Born under a death sentence,yet rescued by Pharaoh's
daughter, he grew up with everyprivilege the Egyptian court
could offer elite education,military training and even a
royal title.
(02:27):
Yet somewhere beneath the finelinen and palace corridors beat
the heart of a Hebrew.
Day after day, he watched hiskinsmen labor under Egyptian
whips, attention mountingbetween the life he enjoyed and
the injustice that he witnessed.
The dam finally burst in Exodus2, verses 11 through 15.
(02:48):
While visiting the worksites,moses spots an Egyptian overseer
savagely beating a Hebrew slave.
In that split second, decadesof suppressed identity and
righteous anger collided.
Glancing both ways and seeingno one, he strikes the Egyptian
dead and buries the body in thesand, convinced he's acted as a
(03:10):
deliverer.
But word travels fast.
When Moses tries to break up afight between two Hebrews the
next day, one sneers who madeyou ruler and judge over us?
Are you thinking of killing meas you killed the Egyptian?
In that moment, panic sets in.
The secret he thought he had isout.
Pharaoh, hearing of the murder,orders Moses' execution.
(03:34):
Overnight, the prince becomes afugitive, sprinting for his
life across blistering sandstoward Midian.
This moment is a dramaticturning point.
Moses' zeal for justice is real.
Yet his strategy is reckless.
Instead of liberating Israel,he now endangers them and
himself proving the truth of oursticky statement that passion
(03:57):
without preparation leads todisaster.
Moses had the heart, but notthe readiness.
God would now take him into aseason that would transform
passion into purpose.
The palace door slammed behindhim and the wilderness yawns
ahead, seemingly a dead-endseason.
Yet the very exile that lookslike failure is the soil God
(04:19):
will use to cultivate humility,patience and dependence,
qualities a nation builderdesperately needs.
In other words, moses hasn'tfallen off God's radar.
He's walked straight into God'sclassroom Next up.
We're going to see how the quietyears of Midian, tending sheep
instead of commanding armies,become the unlikely training
(04:40):
ground that shapes a deliverer.
When Moses fled Egypt, hewasn't just running from Pharaoh
, he was being drawn into God'srefining fire.
Midian wasn't a punishment, itwas a process.
To the outside world it mighthave seemed like Moses
disappeared, but in reality hewas being deeply reshaped by God
.
In Midian, moses finds shelterwith a priest named Jethro.
(05:03):
Eventually, he marries Jethro'sdaughter, zephora, and starts a
family.
This might seem like a sidenote in the grand story of
deliverance, but it's actuallypretty significant.
Marriage grounded Moses.
Zephora wasn't from royalcourts or Hebrew tribes.
She was a desert woman,practical wise, rooted in a
different kind of strength.
(05:23):
Their union symbolized Mosesstepping into a more grounded
relational identity, no longerdefined by Egyptian power or
Hebrew pain.
He begins learning the quietrhythm of community commitment
and responsibility.
In this season, Moses stopsliving in reaction to his past
and starts learning to buildsomething stable, that
(05:46):
foundation faithfulness tofamily, loyalty to a new people,
humility in a different culture.
That becomes a key ingredientin the kind of leader he would
become.
Moses' role as a shepherd forJethro may seem like a massive
downgrade from being a prince ofEgypt, but in God's economy it
was a promotion of the heart.
(06:06):
Shepherding taught him patiencebecause sheep are slow, they're
stubborn and they're prone towonder.
Shepherding taught him guidancebecause a shepherd leads from
out front, not behind.
It taught him protectionbecause predators came and the
flock depended on him.
It taught him provision becausehe had to find food and water
(06:27):
in dry places.
Sound familiar?
Those are the same leadershipmuscles he would need to guide
Israel through the wildernessfor 40 years.
The parallels are unmistakableand deeply intentional.
As Eugene Peterson once wrote,leadership is not about charisma
but character, not performancebut perseverance.
(06:47):
In Egypt Moses acted beforeasking.
He stepped in, killed theEgyptian and watched his plan
unravel.
But in Midian he learned tolisten before leading to the
voice of God, the needs ofothers and the rhythm of life
outside the spotlight.
There's no record of Mosespreaching or commanding armies
in Midian.
Instead, he watched over flocks, walked quiet trails, learned
(07:09):
how to care for things thatdidn't belong to him.
This brings to mind thatpowerful quote from AW Tozer it
is doubtful whether God canbless a man greatly until he has
hurt him deeply.
Moses had to be broken beforehe could be trusted with the
burden of leadership.
Midian wasn't just isolation,it was transformation.
(07:31):
The wilderness broke his pride.
It shaped his soul.
It taught him that strengthcomes not from status but
surrender.
This is the often overlookedpart of Moses' story.
We focus on the plagues, theRed Sea, the miracles, but none
of that happens without his timein Midian.
It was the hidden years thatformed the man God would use to
(07:55):
liberate a nation.
The irony is powerful.
Moses once led from privilegeand impulse.
Now, after decades of obscurity, he would lead from humility
and wisdom.
He would shepherd peoplebecause he had first learned to
shepherd sheep.
He would speak on behalf of Godbecause he had finally learned
to listen.
So if you feel like you're in aseason of obscurity, like
(08:17):
nothing is happening and no onesees, you remember this God
often does his most importantwork in the least visible
seasons.
Moses didn't waste Midian, andneither should you and I.
Now, when we imagine divineencounters, we tend to think of
mountaintops, holy temples ordramatic revelations.
(08:37):
But in Exodus, chapter 3, thefirst six verses, it flips that
expectation upside down.
Moses isn't fasting orpreaching or doing anything
obviously spiritual.
He's doing his job.
He's tending sheep for hisfather-in-law on the far side of
the wilderness.
It's just another day in Midian, just another step in a long,
(08:59):
quiet season of obscurity.
And it's right there, in themiddle of the mundane, that God
shows up.
Verse 2,.
There the angel of the Lordappeared to him in the flames of
fire from within a bush.
Moses saw that though the bushwas on fire, it did not burn up.
What makes this momentextraordinary isn't the bush,
(09:20):
it's the fact that Moses noticedit.
He slowed down enough to seethat something unusual was
happening and turned aside toinvestigate.
That's when God spoke.
This is the profound truth forleaders and believers alike.
God often reveals himself notthrough fireworks, but through
our faithfulness.
Not in palaces or platforms,but in the quiet places of
(09:43):
consistency.
Moses didn't earn this momentthrough extraordinary
achievements.
He simply showed up day afterday tending the flock, and it
was in that posture of quietobedience that heaven broke in.
I've heard it said this way,that ordinary obedience is the
gateway to extraordinaryencounters.
(10:04):
Let that sink in for a moment.
How often do we assume thatspiritual breakthroughs happen
only in big church services andconferences or moments of
emotional high?
And yet some of the mosttransformative encounters come
in the quiet corners of life.
A verse that hits differentlywhile folding laundry, a
prompting from the Spirit duringyour morning commute, a
(10:27):
conversation with a strangerthat ends in prayer.
Notice how God doesn't choose asynagogue or a temple for this
moment.
He meets Moses in the verypasture.
He's walked a thousand timesbefore, but when God speaks,
everything changes.
Verse 5, take off your sandals,for the place where you are
(10:49):
standing is holy ground.
It wasn't holy because ofgeography.
It was holy because God wasthere.
And that same presence can fillyour workplace, your kitchen
table, your quiet car rides, ifyou're willing to turn aside and
notice.
And the truth is he's stillshowing up in those places today
(11:11):
.
Maybe you felt like your currentseason is too ordinary to
matter, like you're stuck inroutine, waiting for something
more spiritual to happen.
But God doesn't need perfectcircumstances to make something
sacred.
He just needs you to payattention to notice the burning
bushes in your own backyard.
I remember a season of ministrywhere I felt like I was in a
(11:32):
spiritual lull.
No big breakthroughs, nomountaintop moments, just normal
Sundays, staff meetings, sermonprep, parenting, pastoral care,
baseball, pickleball all thethings right.
But one morning, while sittingalone in my car after dropping
off one of my kids, I felt anoverwhelming sense of God's
presence.
No dramatic music, no vision orangel, just quiet and clarity
(11:57):
and peace.
That moment reminded me thatGod doesn't wait for the
spotlight to speak, he waits forstillness.
And yet, as powerful as thismoment was for Moses, it wasn't
the end of a story, it was thebeginning.
Because right't the end of astory, it was the beginning
Because right after theencounter comes the call.
And, as we'll see in the nextsection, moses struggles with it
.
Despite hearing from God,despite standing on holy ground,
(12:20):
he's filled with doubt,insecurity and questions Sound
familiar.
Many of us can relate.
We want the burning bush moment, but when the call comes we
hesitate.
So let's take the next step inMoses' journey and look at what
happens when divine encounterslead to difficult assignments.
(12:42):
You might expect that after sucha powerful encounter with God
at the burning bush.
Bush that Moses would be firedup, ready to charge back into
Egypt like a spiritual superhero.
But that's not what happens.
Instead, moses hesitates, heresists, he second guesses and,
honestly, it makes him morerelatable when God gives Moses
his assignment to go to Pharaohand lead the Israelites out of
(13:05):
Egypt.
Moses doesn't jump at thechance.
He pushes back with a series ofprotests that reveal a heart
full of reluctance andinsecurity.
Verse 11, who am I that I shouldgo to Pharaoh and bring the
Israelites out of Egypt?
Chapter 4, verse 1, what ifthey do not believe me or listen
to me and say the Lord did notappear to you?
Verse 10, pardon your servant,lord.
(13:28):
I have never been eloquent.
I am slow of speech and tongue.
Each objection pulls back thecurtain on Moses's mindset.
The same man who tried todefend a Hebrew slave with his
own fist is now standing infront of a burning bush,
paralyzed by self-doubt.
What changed 40y years in thewilderness will do that?
(13:50):
Time has humbled Moses, butit's also worn down his
confidence.
Delays often do that.
They create space for doubt togrow louder than dreams.
The longer we wait, the morelikely we are to believe the lie
that our moment has passed orthat we're not enough.
Moses thought he had missed hiswindow, but God knew His
(14:11):
preparation was right on time.
What's striking is how Godresponds to each of Moses'
objections.
God doesn't try to boost hisself-esteem.
He doesn't say you've got this,moses.
You're smarter and strongerthan you think.
Instead, god simply says I willbe with you verse 12.
That's the heart of the calling.
(14:32):
It's not about Moses'qualifications, it's about God's
companionship.
John Maxwell said it this wayGod doesn't call the qualified,
he qualifies the call.
And often the qualifying processlooks like 40 years of silence,
shepherding and self-doubt,because God is more interested
in who you're becoming than howquickly you get there.
(14:54):
This is true for every leader,every parent, every pastor,
every believer.
If you're waiting to feel readybefore you step into what God
is asking you to do, you maynever move.
God isn't looking forperfection, he's looking for
obedience.
If you've ever heard God's calland immediately thought I'm not
(15:15):
smart enough, I don't speakwell, I don't have the right
credentials, what if they rejectme?
You're in good company.
God doesn't need your resume,he needs your yes.
So what do you do when you feelinadequate?
Name the fear.
Get honest about what's holdingyou back.
Take a moment to remember hispromise.
(15:36):
God didn't say go and I'llcheck in later.
He said I will be with you andthen take the next step.
Anyway, courage isn't theabsence of fear, it's obedience
in the face of it.
Moses' reluctance didn'tdisqualify him.
In fact, his weakness becomesthe stage for God's strength,
(15:57):
and, as we'll see next, the Godwho calls us also equips us,
often through the very seasonswe thought were setbacks.
So stay with me, because whathappens next is the beginning of
Moses' stepping fully into hiscalling, despite his
insecurities.
One of the most overlookedaspects of Moses' leadership
journey is how long it took.
(16:18):
From the palace in Egypt to theplains of Midian, to the edge
of the promised land.
Moses' path was anything butdirect.
It's a powerful reminder forall of us that delay doesn't
mean denial and that thewilderness seasons and
leadership often hold ourgreatest lessons.
When we feel stalled orforgotten, it's easy to become
(16:39):
discouraged, but Moses' storyhelps us see delay not as
punishment but as preparation.
These takeaways from hiswilderness journey offer
guidance for any leadernavigating a season of waiting,
obscurity and uncertainty.
Number one wait.
Well, waiting is hard,especially for leaders who are
wired for action.
(16:59):
But how we wait says as muchabout our leadership as how we
lead.
Moses spent 40 years in Midianbefore receiving his call at the
burning bush.
That's not a timeout.
It's a full curriculum inhumility, patience and
preparation.
Think about that.
God wasn't in a hurry, andneither should we be.
Think about Abraham Lincoln.
He lost several elections andendured years of obscurity
(17:23):
before becoming president at age52.
His earlier failures taught himperseverance, empathy and
resolve qualities he would needto lead a divided nation.
The lays are not empty time.
They are soul-forming time.
God is always working, evenwhen it feels like nothing's
happening.
Number two stay faithful insmall things.
(17:44):
Before Moses ever led people,he led sheep.
Day after day, in heat and dust.
He guided a flock that wasn'teven his.
It wasn't glamorous, but it wasformative.
Jesus echoed this principlewhen he said whoever can be
trusted with very little canalso be trusted with much Luke
16.10.
Many leaders wanna skip to thebig things.
(18:05):
Platforms influence titles, butthe training ground for great
leadership is often found in themundane and unseen.
Whether you're leading a teamor folding laundry, god sees
your faithfulness.
The way you lead when no one iswatching is the best indicator
of how you'll lead when everyoneis.
Some people say it this way bigdoors often swing on small
(18:29):
hinges right.
Number three listen for God'scall.
It was an ordinary day whenMoses noticed a bush on fire and
everything changed.
God didn't break in through aroyal announcement or part the
heavens in front of a crowd.
He whispered his call throughan unexpected flame in the
middle of nowhere, and Moses waspaying attention.
Many of us miss God's voice,not because he isn't speaking,
(18:52):
but because we're too distractedto hear.
And so let me encourage youcreate space for solitude,
silence and scripture.
Take walks, pray withexpectation, journal your
questions.
These spiritual rhythmsposition you to hear the whisper
when it comes.
Sometimes God doesn't shout toget your attention.
(19:14):
He waits until you're quietenough to hear.
Number four don't disqualifyyourself.
Moses' self-doubt after God'scall is painfully human.
Who am I?
What if they don't believe me?
I'm not good with words, butGod never asked Moses to be
perfect.
He only asked him to beobedient.
The Bible is filled withleaders who failed before they
(19:34):
flourished.
Peter denied Jesus, but laterpreached boldly at Pentecost.
Paul persecuted the church butbecame its greatest missionary.
David fell into sin, but wasstill called a man after God's
own heart.
If you've failed, stumbled ordelayed obedience, you're not
disqualified.
In fact, the place ofbrokenness may be the very soil
(19:55):
where God's power takes root,may be the very soil where God's
power takes root.
If God could use Moses aftermurder and David after moral
failure and Peter after denial,he can certainly use you after a
delay.
According to a Barna Groupstudy, over 60% of Christian
leaders report experiencing aseason they originally believed
(20:15):
was a setback, only to realizelater it was essentially
preparation for their calling.
That statistic should encourageevery heart that feels behind
or discouraged or forgotten.
You're not the exception.
You're in good company.
Let's end this section with asimple truth that ties it all
together.
In God's economy, delays aren'tdead ends.
They're divine development.
So don't rush the process.
(20:37):
God isn't just preparingsomething for you.
He's preparing something in you.
As we wrap up today's episode,let's take a moment to step back
and reflect on the biggerpicture.
Moses' story is a masterclass indivine timing.
From palace privilege to desertobscurity, from burning bush to
Pharaoh's court, his lifereminds us that God is never
(20:58):
late, but he's also rarely early.
He operates on a differenttimetable, one that prioritizes
our transformation over ourcomfort.
What may look like a wildernessdelay is often God's
development.
The 40 years Moses spent inMidian weren't a holding pattern
.
They were the forge where Godshaped the man who would lead a
(21:19):
nation.
And that same truth is true forus.
When we're in the season thatfeels still slow or silent, our
instinct is to move faster, topray louder or to question our
purpose.
But Scripture gives us a betterway.
Psalms 37.7 says be stillbefore the Lord and wait
(21:39):
patiently for him.
That's not passive resignation.
That's active trust.
It's believing that the God whocalled you sees you, knows
where you are and is using everyhidden day to shape who you're
becoming.
Maybe right now you feel morelike a shepherd than a deliverer
.
Maybe your dreams feel distantand your voice feels small.
(22:00):
If so, take heart.
You're in good company, becauseGod is still in the business of
turning ordinary shepherds intonation-shifting leaders, and
all he asks is that you stayfaithful, stay teachable, stay
tuned in to his voice, even whenit comes in a whisper through a
burning bush on a regular day.
(22:20):
If this episode spoke to you,there's a good chance someone in
your life needs to hear it too.
Share it with a friend, ateammate or someone who's
navigating their own wildernessseason.
You never know what word ofhope might shift their
perspective.
And don't forget, subscribe tothe podcast so that you don't
miss the rest of our Leading inthe Wilderness series.
We've got some powerfulepisodes coming up that continue
(22:41):
to unpack how God meets us,shapes us and uses us, even in
the dry seasons.
God's timing is never wastedtime.
It's working time.
So keep walking, keep waiting,keep trusting.
We'll see you next episode.
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