Days of the Ordinary

And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

Exodus 2:23-3:2

Everyday is ordinary. Routine...work...boring? Perhaps not. God uses times like these to prepare us for greater service. Consider the story of Moses. Moses the prince. Moses the military general. Now he's Moses the murderer, Moses the fugitive. He fled from Egypt and lived near the backside of the desert, tending the flock. As Moses was running, God was working behind the scenes. God was answering the prayers of His people, Israel. And God will use a man whose daily routine was watching over the flock, and was content to do it. God was getting ready to call Moses who had no idea what great things lay ahead for him.

Contentment is a very important character that God wants to develop in us. The Bible says "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." (1 Timothy 6:6-8). When our hearts are set on things above, and not hungry for material things that we don't really need, we become a ready vessel for God to use. God uses those whose eyes are fixed on Jesus. We are in this world but not of it.

Our daily routine can be an opportunity to look around us. There's always an opportunity to encourage, to love, to share. There's always an opportunity to tell the truth about Jesus to others. The ordinary days are important to God. It is the place to grow, and when those seasons come for God to move mightily and show forth His glory to the world, then we will be ready and well-prepared to be used by God. We have to be faithful in the little things. How we respond to the ordinary days will determine how we respond to the extreme days of the Spirit. That's because what's really in our hearts is exposed in the ordinary days -- days we would consider "boring" or "routine." In reality, this is where the action begins.

So be anxious for nothing. This is the season for planting, the season for preparing. It is at least that way in my life right now.