By Jon Opgenorth
Read: Exodus 2:10
“He became her son.” (v. 10)
Our experiences shape our lives in ways we cannot always know. The God who “knitted me together in my mother’s womb” knows this (Ps. 139:13).
For example, my parents paid me to memorize Scripture. At a dime a verse, I learned that longer passages earned money quicker! I thought of memory work as a means to get the next toy, but years later, I became a preacher. This practice of memorizing God’s Word became a lifelong habit that has allowed me to step out of the way and let Scripture speak to the soul of the hearer.
It’s a big deal that the daughter of Pharaoh made Moses her son. Moses learned the language, manners, and indeed, the whole culture of the Egyptian king. For 40 years he breathed the air of Pharaoh’s world. God was preparing Moses for a task he couldn’t imagine, but one for which he was uniquely qualified.
We see this pattern repeated in the New Testament when the Holy Spirit confronts the apostle Paul in Acts 9 with a stunning vision and a command to proclaim the name of Jesus. His past? A scholar trained to know the Hebrew Bible inside and out. Who better than the top student in Pharisee school to proclaim how all Scripture leads to Jesus.
Just as God uses people to shape our lives, God also plans experiences to prepare us for his future, even if we cannot understand them now. What past experiences is God using now to shape your life?
As you pray, ask God to help you see your past as a gift from him for your future.
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Rev. Jon Opgenorth serves as president of Words of Hope. Previously, he served for 18 years as senior pastor at Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City, Iowa. In preparation for ministry, he received a BA in Religion from Northwestern College, and an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Read: Exodus 2:10
“He became her son.” (v. 10)
Our experiences shape our lives in ways we cannot always know. The God who “knitted me together in my mother’s womb” knows this (Ps. 139:13).
For example, my parents paid me to memorize Scripture. At a dime a verse, I learned that longer passages earned money quicker! I thought of memory work as a means to get the next toy, but years later, I became a preacher. This practice of memorizing God’s Word became a lifelong habit that has allowed me to step out of the way and let Scripture speak to the soul of the hearer.
It’s a big deal that the daughter of Pharaoh made Moses her son. Moses learned the language, manners, and indeed, the whole culture of the Egyptian king. For 40 years he breathed the air of Pharaoh’s world. God was preparing Moses for a task he couldn’t imagine, but one for which he was uniquely qualified.
We see this pattern repeated in the New Testament when the Holy Spirit confronts the apostle Paul in Acts 9 with a stunning vision and a command to proclaim the name of Jesus. His past? A scholar trained to know the Hebrew Bible inside and out. Who better than the top student in Pharisee school to proclaim how all Scripture leads to Jesus.
Just as God uses people to shape our lives, God also plans experiences to prepare us for his future, even if we cannot understand them now. What past experiences is God using now to shape your life?
As you pray, ask God to help you see your past as a gift from him for your future.
—————
Rev. Jon Opgenorth serves as president of Words of Hope. Previously, he served for 18 years as senior pastor at Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City, Iowa. In preparation for ministry, he received a BA in Religion from Northwestern College, and an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary.
