Two Decades in the Making

Linda is away for March, Clayton Bjelan brings you today’s devotion…

20 years is a long time to be in training as an ‘apprentice’…

Exodus 33:7-11

Reference:  v11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. (NIV Bible)

Explore: Every so often I get to catch up and chat with a TV newsreader – he has been reading news on one of the main channels (into a television market of around 4 million people) for over 30 years now.  He loves news and is certainly billed as the ‘star of the news’ by the network in all their promotions.

Now, I said he’s been reading news for over 30 years, but only the last 10 or so has he been in the prime time slot of Monday to Friday bulletins… before that he spent 20 years reading the weekend bulletins!

20 years is a long time to be in training as an ‘apprentice’ anything –especially in the fast paced, back stabbing world that media can sometimes be.  However, he now has his dream job and still seems to be loving it as much as ever.

Application: Training can sometimes be difficult and tiresome – especially when you want to progress into a different position or have a burning desire to ‘achieve’ something.

I love this passage in Exodus which talks about Moses going about his business – meeting God and hearing from him, then going back and instructing the people… all that cool stuff!

But the leader in waiting – Joshua – seems to have his entire focus on just waiting in the tent of meeting and ‘soaking up’ as much of God as he could.

As we’ll see over the next little while – Joshua turned out to be an incredible leader, but even incredible leaders have to take their time in learning (from God and others).  No matter how much we’d like it – there’s no quick way to fast-track experience and knowledge.

Prayer: Dear God, help me not to run ahead of what you have for me– help me to be able to appreciate times where you want me to ‘soak up’ something of you.

Life with God is a balance – we don’t want to lag behind or run ahead… How can you slow down when he wants to speak to you and give you rest?

apprentice, God, Joshua, leader, newsreader, waiting