Have you ever thought about how God prepares us for what He has prepared for us? It must be amazing for God to watch as His plan unfolds on earth. We are limited to what we read in history, a brief overview of the future from the Apostle John in the book of Revelation, and our own time on this planet. We get a glimpse of things, but our Heavenly Father has watched it all unfold since the beginning. He creates us and then in time He watches us as we begin to take our place in His master plan.
 
I wonder how many times the angels gather around the throne and God says, “watch this!” Perhaps that was the way it was when God brought Moses to Egypt. Moses had a miraculous childhood because God protected him in the very River where Pharaoh had declared all the male babies should be drowned. Then God had the daughter of the same Pharaoh take Moses in and raise him as a child. For the first 40 years of his life Moses was exposed to all the wealth and power of Egypt. Then because Moses tried to take matters into his own hands, he had to flee Egypt to the desert. It was there that for the next 40 years God would take some of Egypt out of Moses and replace it with a Shepherd’s Heart.

God spent 80 years preparing Moses for 40 years of ministry. He used two very opposite training courses but He got the job done. Moses needed both the experience of life in the Palace of Egypt, and the patience that comes with tending sheep in order to be effective at leading the Israelites through the desert.
 
Many times we think we are ready to lead when we are not. One Bible Commentator said, “it took God just a moment to get Moses out of Egypt, but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of Moses.” The lessons Moses learned in Egypt would help him when he returned to face Pharaoh. But taking care of sheep for 40 years would teach Moses lessons that would serve him best as he dealt with the wondering Hebrews. Perhaps God is using your circumstances right now to prepare you for something He has prepared for you in the future!