Overview:
Exodus 3:1; Deuteronomy 8:2; 32:10, 12
In the desert far from all he’d ever known, Moses entered a season of solitude—when he was alone with God.
From Exodus 2 and 3, Pastor Chuck Swindoll explains the backdrop of Moses’ encounter with God. Just when Moses became a nobody, God was readying him for greatness. God uses the desert experiences of our lives to teach us, to communicate with us, and to prepare us for His purposes.
Dry times in life aren’t meant to ruin you but to shape you!
Message Summary:
In this fifth message of the series Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication, Pastor Chuck Swindoll looks into the transformative power of solitude. For forty years, Moses lived in the desert of Midian, far from the influence of Egyptian royalty. This “desert school” was not a period of punishment, but a divine prerequisite for leadership. It was here that Moses learned the difference between who the world said he was and who he truly was in the eyes of God.
Message Key Facts:
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The Shepherd’s Life: Moses, once a prince, spent four decades tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, on the “back side of the desert” (Exodus 3:1).
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The Purpose of the Wilderness: Biblical “desert experiences” are designed to strip away self-sufficiency and replace it with a total dependence on the Lord.
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The Hidden Work: While Moses appeared to be doing nothing significant in the eyes of men, God was doing a significant work in him—cultivating patience, humility, and a quiet spirit.
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The End of Self: God waitied until Moses became a “nobody” before He was ready to use him as a “somebody” for the deliverance of Israel.
Message References:
Primary Scripture References
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Exodus 3:1: The setting of Moses’ quiet labor—tending sheep near Horeb, the mountain of God.
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Deuteronomy 8:2: Moses’ later reflection on the wilderness, noting that God led the people there to “humble you and test you.”
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Deuteronomy 32:10, 12: A description of God finding His people in a “desert land” and shielding them, proving that the Lord alone led them.
Lessons from the School of Solitude
Chuck Swindoll shares how “dry times” in life are actually strategic seasons of growth:
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Solitude Breeds Self-Discovery: In the absence of crowds and titles, we are forced to confront our true character and motives.
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Silence Precedes Communication: We often cannot hear the “still small voice” of God until the noise of our busy lives is silenced by a desert season.
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Obscurity Prepares for Greatness: God does not recruit the proud; He refines the humble. The desert is where our “self-life” dies so that God’s life can shine through.
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Dry Times are not Dead Times: Just as the desert nurtured Moses for his greatest assignment, your current struggle may be the very thing preparing you for your future purpose.
