Essay: A quest for more…

The Potter’s Hands, Hillsongs

Friends, I have come to realise that anything of transcending value comes with a high price. And with this thought in mind, let’s look at the life of the biblical character, Moses.

Born of Hebrew parents under the reign of a “short sighted” Egyptian King who saw the Hebrews as a national threat. As a result he carried out a policy of forced labour and also enacted a decree for the killing of any male child born of a Hebrew.

Moses’ mother was however “long sighted”, so she was able to see through her spiritual eyes that he was destined for greatness. She hid him for three months, thinking of how best to preserve his life. Then one day she encountered a eureka moment. She made a basket, coated it with tar and pitch, wrapped him up nicely, put him in the basket and left him on the river Nile.

She did it as an expression of her faith in The Potter’s ability to preserve, sustain and protect this seed of greatness. She sowed her son into The Potter’s Hands in the knowledge and understanding that the fruits of a harvest is always greater than the seed sown!

True to His nature, The Potter rose to the challenge. Baby Moses was discovered by the King’s sister. She adopted him, and went ahead to put out an advert for a nanny. And in The Potter’s classic orchestration, Moses’ mother applied for the job and she was successful. Wow…!

When Moses came of age he chose to give up a life of nobility to deliver his people from the yoke of pain, shame, poverty, oppression and slavery. He was so consumed with this mission that he made enemies within his adopted family, including his adopted Mother who loved him dearly. In fact many saw Moses as one biting the very hands that fed him.

After a brave but lousy attempt to deliver his people, he ended up in exile as a fugitive for forty long years. This period would have been very dark for him. There would have been off days. Times when doubt, regret, fear and insecurity crept in to gain a foothold on his mind.

Times when he questioned his decisions, values, faith, beliefs… Times when he looked back to the luxury he enjoyed and influence he exercised as the son of the daughter of Pharaoh.

But friends our darkest hour is always the period closest to our breakthrough. Sadly this is always the point where most people throw in the towel. They simply walk away from it all to settle for a “normal life”.

On an ordinary day while Moses was ruminating over life, he suddenly saw an extra-ordinary manifestation — The Potter had showed up! The rest is history.

Reading this beautiful biblical account, it’s amazing to see that Moses got back far more than he gave up. His patience and focus, was rewarded with a more purposeful and spiritually richer life.

One theologian encapsulates it in these words,

“ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God[The Potter] rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.

I simple say — its marvelous what we can achieve when we put our lives and complete trust in The Potter’s Hands.