How can we trust God's purpose during times of feeling like outsiders? “Then she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, ‘I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.’” \Feeling Like a Foreigner: Moses’ Reality and Ours\ - Moses fled Egypt, cut off from family, culture, and calling. - Naming his son “Gershom” (“a stranger there”) shows how strongly he felt the dislocation. - Many of us carry our own “Gershom”—a constant reminder that we don’t quite fit. \God’s Hand Is Already Moving Behind the Scenes\ - Even in exile, Moses met Zipporah, built a family, and learned wilderness survival—skills essential for leading Israel (Exodus 3–4). - Romans 8:28: “We know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him…” Even foreign soil is God-tilled ground. - Jeremiah 1:5 assures us God knows and sets apart His servants before birth; exile cannot cancel His plans. \Gershom Points to a Bigger Story\ - Moses’ outsider status foreshadows Israel’s sojourn in Egypt and later Babylon. - Hebrews 11:13 cites patriarchs who “acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” Feeling foreign links believers across generations. - 1 Peter 2:11 calls us “sojourners and exiles,” reminding us our true citizenship is heavenly (Philippians 3:20). \Christ—the Ultimate Outsider Who Welcomes Us In\ - John 1:11-12: Jesus “came to His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive Him…He gave the right to become children of God.” - Hebrews 13:12-14 portrays Jesus suffering “outside the camp,” inviting us to bear reproach with Him while looking for “the city to come.” - Because He was rejected, we are accepted; our outsider moments are fellowship with Him (Philippians 3:10). \Trusting God’s Purpose When You Feel Displaced\ 1. Remember His promise of presence • Isaiah 43:2—He is with us through waters and fire. 2. Recall past faithfulness • Like Moses tending sheep, look back at skills and relationships God is shaping now. 3. Re-anchor identity • Ephesians 2:19: “You are no longer strangers… but fellow citizens with the saints.” 4. Rehearse Scripture aloud • Psalm 139:16; Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28—truth combats isolation’s lies. 5. Serve where you are • Moses defended Midianite women (Exodus 2:17). Small acts align us with God’s larger plan. 6. Anticipate future redemption • Revelation 7:9 pictures every nation gathered—today’s outsider is tomorrow’s overcomer. \Encouragement to Carry Forward\ - Seasons of “Gershom” are not God’s absence but His classroom. - The wilderness that feels like loss may be the exact ground where deliverance strategy is born. - Trust the Author who turns foreigners into leaders and exile into exodus. |
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