LSEM > Devotions > No Escape

No Escape

  • May 29, 2025
  • Posted by: Carolyn Mahal
  • Category: Devotions
No Comments

“At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for in his father’s house. When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’ “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord’s voice: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals; the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’ – Acts 7:20-34

When it comes to finding an example of someone running from God, Jonah is the first and most obvious choice. However, Moses provides another example of trying to escape, and in some ways, his story is more applicable to our modern lives. He had murdered an Egyptian in anger and thought he had concealed the crime. But once he discovered that other people knew what he had done, the thought of being caught and punished filled him with so much fear that he abandoned his life in Pharaoh’s court and fled into the desert.

At times, we also try to run away from the parts of our lives which create the most trouble, even though we know that it does us no good. Homeowners know that a leaky window isn’t fixed by closing the drapes. Some people think the light on their car’s dashboard is just a short or an error and not trying to alert them of a problem with the vehicle. The same simple concept applies to bigger issues we try to avoid or handle on our own apart from God and His plan. Instead of relying upon our own intellect, strength, resilience, or stubbornness, we should take our failings and fears to our Heavenly Father. His love for us will provide us with a way through. Besides, where can we go to avoid the presence of God? Jonah tried the sea and ended up in a fish. Moses tried the desert and found the burning bush. All our hiding spots (geographic or otherwise) are well-known to God. We may avoid the world for a while, God and His purposes in our lives will never escape us. His will is good and perfect, and it will be done both here on earth and in our lives as well.

So, if hiding doesn’t hinder God, who does it affect? Only those people who are attempting to hide from or ignore their situation. What do we gain from turning away from our problems? How much pain do we create by running? What is the impact of those actions? Ignoring the leaky window or the dashboard warning only allows the issue to grow worse, ultimately making the solution more difficult. Time lost in the presence of God the Father, living lives fully in line with His plan for us is equally fruitless. Instead of fleeing from Him, we must go to Him sooner, more often, and press closer to Him. Running may be natural and feel right in moments of fear, but it resolves nothing. When things in life scare or confuse us, we can always find peace and direction in His word.

May God, who has created us to live lives of purpose, lead us through His Spirit to remain in His presence, finding peace and joy through His love, and atonement through Christ’s redemptive work. Stand firm, knowing that there is no need to flee from the One who is best able to provide for every need we have.

 

Devotion by Richard Schumacher

Senior Director of Operations