Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.”

                                                                                                                     Exodus 3:1-3 

Read: Exodus 3

At the time Moses received a message from the Lord via the burning bush, several things had already taken place in his life. Here are four:

1. He had murdered a man (Exodus 2:12)
2. He had fled in order to avoid being captured for the murder (Exodus 2:15)
3. He married and settled down in Midian (probably believing that this was how he would spend the remainder of his life, Exodus 2:16-22)
4. He had already lived approximately two-thirds of his earthly life

So Moses had plenty of reasons to believe that he would never be used of God but that didn’t stop God from choosing to use him in the most extraordinary of ways, namely, leading the people out of captivity from their bondage in Egypt.

It might be tempting for some of us to get to a certain age and also begin to believe that God could not use us either because of our age or because of something in our past. But the life of Moses should put to rest any such thinking. In fact, the Bible has plenty to say about youth, aging, and how Christians are to advance in our years. Consider the following:

He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

                                                                                                                 Isaiah 40:29-31 

God gives strength to the weary. God increases power to those who lack might. In fact, He desires for us to comprehend the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe (Ephesians 1:19). When we expectantly wait for Him, we will “mount up with wings like eagles.” We will “run and we will not grow tired.” We will “walk and will not become weary.” As believers, these spiritual truths are ours to enjoy. They certainly were necessary for Moses to accomplish the calling that he had on his life and they are essential for us as well. Consider the words of David, another great man of God:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

                                                                                                               Psalm 103:1-5 

Remembering all that God has done for us through Jesus Christ is also essential in having spiritual strength. It is only when we forget His benefits and begin fighting with ourselves for something that we have already obtained, that we begin to weaken spiritually. As believers, God has pardoned us, healed us, redeemed us, crowned us with His love and kindness, and He continues to satisfy us with good things as we move along in this life. When we bask in the glory of these spiritual realities, we see that our “youth is renewed like the eagle.”

And finally, as with Moses’ life, God can do amazing things with us, even in our later years. Consider the truth behind how every Christian is to age:

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

                                                                                                            2 Corinthians 4:16 

Our bodies will change over time. As we get older, we notice those changes. But that doesn’t mean that our spirit has to age. In fact, just the opposite is supposed to happen. As Christians, we do not view this life as the world does (namely that this is all there is). We set our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2) and we live with a youthfulness of spirit. Our inner man (spirit) is to be renewed every day. So as we get older, inside, we are actually getting younger, stronger, and more powerful.

At the ripe old age of eighty years, Moses probably thought that God was done with him. But nothing could have been farther from the truth. So no matter what our age, let’s continue to pursue God’s will and purpose for our lives so at the end of our time here on earth, we can hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant!”