In my last three posts I shared three keys, from the life of Moses, God uses to make a leader:

• Leaders are made through brokenness before experiencing breakthrough
• Leaders are made in private before recognized in public
• Leaders are made through faithfulness in the small things before entrusted with the big things

The final key we learn from the story of Moses is this: Leaders are Made in God’s Presence Where They Receive God’s Purpose, Plan, and Power. In God’s presence Moses received:

• God’s Purpose – In Acts 7:30-36 we read the story of Moses at the burning bush. In this divine encounter, God says to Moses, “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” (V. 34). At the burning bush, in the very presence of God, vision was born. Forty long years had passed and then God clearly spoke His purpose to Moses. When God births a vision, it’s something that is meant to be. It’s not merely a neat idea, but rather a commission to a God-ordained future.

• God’s Plan – Receiving a vision and pursuing it are two completely different things. God himself understood that, and therefore provided a plan to accompany the purpose. In Exodus 3:13-22 God describes the plan in detail and tells Moses exactly what to do. The plan still required faith–great faith–but Moses was clear about his first steps. And the same is true for us. Visions are rarely accompanied with the details of a Google map. But once you leave your cul-de-sac of comfort, the next step often becomes clear.

• God’s Power – Moses’ staff became more than a tool in the hand of a shepherd. It represented the power of God. Exodus 4:1-16 is a clear demonstration of God’s power. It was very clear that God was empowering Moses for leadership. He was not to operate solely by his gifts and abilities, but was to lean on the power of God to fulfill the purpose of God. If you can fulfill God’s purpose without His power, I would question whether or not you’ve discovered His true purpose.

Brokenness, private shaping, and faithfulness in the small things are not without reason. They are the preparation for the purpose for which God created you–a purpose so great that it requires God’s perfect plan and enabling power.

Questions: Have you allowed the purpose of God to be birthed in your heart? How is God preparing you for this purpose? Are you leaning on Him for direction and His power?