Text: Exodus 4:18-20
Memory verse:
“So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” (Exodus 4:18).
Do you realize that the people that God removes from your life are not always bad people? Yes, God sometimes removes good people. It is hard to understand why He will allow a perfect person to walk out of our lives but God knows us and will allow things to happen in our lives that are in accordance with His ultimate plan.
Now, let’s consider why this happens.
God may remove someone from you or from among you because that person is needed somewhere else for a divine assignment. This is very hard to accept especially when that person is very useful to you. For example, Jacob had served Laban for fourteen years but when it was time for him to leave in the pursuance of a divine agenda, Laban could not accept it. Jacob’s presence in the house was only a temporary stopover in the destiny journey and never the end of the journey. “Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.” (Gen 31:3).
“And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead.” (Gen 31:22-23).
It took a divine intervention to stop Laban from harming Jacob (Gen 31:29).
In contrast, Moses, having served Jethro, his father-in-law, for a period of forty years, had to leave to fulfill a divine assignment of leading the people of Israel to the promised land. Even though, Moses had helped his business growth and had become so knitted to him, having married his daughter, yet Jethro did not hesitate to release him. “..And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”(Exod 4:18).
In like manner, God had to remove some of the disciples from Jerusalem and from among the apostles for the gospel to reach the other parts of the world, in accordance with God’s plan. “Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. ..Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.” (Acts 8:1, 5). The great miracles, wonders and salvation that accompanied Philip’s preaching were proofs to the divine assignment. These would not have happened if the disciples remained in Jerusalem.
Friends, always remember that God has a plan for everyone. The plan can be part of your divine assignment and to perpetuate it, like Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha or Paul and Timothy. It may also be to take such away from you to fulfill another mission, after fulfilling their assignment with you or after you have fulfilled your assignment in their lives. This latter reason is because God might just have brought such to you to learn something for the next assignment. Even then, nothing can frustrate any God-initiated separation, whether with the person being removed or the person from whom such is being removed. Every divine separation leads to growth and fulfillment but self-initiated separation gradually leads to frustrations and irrelevance.
Prayer points
1. Father, please, let me never work against your divine purpose in my life and in others in Jesus name.
2. Father, let every divine removal from me lead to my advancement and fulfillment in Jesus name.
Today’s declarations
1. I am under divine direction, so, divine separation don’t frustrate God’s plan for my life but moves me forward.
2. I don’t act in the flesh or follow popular opinions, because self-initiated separation leads to frustration and death.
Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng