Sunday Mornin' Hope : Mentors

by Psalmist November 9th 2013, 8:14 pm

Exodus 17 :

5GOD said to Moses, "Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile. And go. 6I'm going to be present before you there on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock. Water will gush out of it and the people will drink."
Moses did what he said, with the elders of Israel right there watching. 7He named the place Massah (Testing-Place) and Meribah (Quarreling) because of the quarreling of the Israelites and because of their testing of GOD when they said, "Is GOD here with us, or not?"

8Amalek came and fought Israel at Rephidim. 9Moses ordered Joshua: "Select some men for us and go out and fight Amalek. Tomorrow I will take my stand on top of the hill holding God's staff."

Mentor - Merriam-Webster Online

someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person.

We all have had mentors in our life at one time or another. God brings around us people that can and are willing to help. Or better yet, He brings us to those people for help. More often than not, it's what that person didn't say that taught us so much. About twenty years ago my wife and I were invited to a 'night of worship' at a large church. The guest worship leader was Kent Henry. He had recorded several times and was worship pastor at a large church near St. Louis. We barely got in and the place was packed. Before he got up, the church's regular worship pastor led a few songs. He gave so many commands, it sounded and looked like a Richard Simmons exercise dvd! Then Kent got to the piano and used the 'house band/singers'. The first few songs were simple and slow. After some time the tempo and volume built up. At the peak of the night, the people were singing and shouting praises to Jesus. Then Kent turned his back to the audience and faced the piano vocal monitor for a few minutes. Being young in leading worship, I thought 'Come on Kent. YOU'RE blowing it!' I didn't realize he was taking time to hear from God. Lesson learned.

A few years later he came back to that same church and I was volunteering as their worship leader. After service Kent was in the back of the room selling tapes, videos, etc. There was a lot of people all around him. When I got up to him I thanked him for coming and what a pleasure it was to 'be' on his team for a weekend. He smiled and said "Where's your wife and children?" I explained that they were all in the van getting ready to go home. He said "Let's go!" I tried to talk him out of it... but couldn't. He and I came to our old van and he prayed over my wife and children. Then he grabbed a spare 'pop gun' and dueled my son for a few minutes. I was blown away! As a travelling singer or whatever, those sales are vital in getting to the next town. It's not what he said or did that impressed me most. It was what he didn't do.

Moses finished that paragraph by calling that staff "God's staff". He didn't say 'My staff and I are going to......." God mentored Moses step by step. Every night Moses would meet God face to face. I'm pretty sure they shared some laughs together. The Bible says 'The joy of the Lord is my strength.' Therefore we know that God is full of joy. God said earlier 'the staff you used..' and doesn't call it Moses' staff.

God has brought good mentors around you. Listen to them and encourage them too. Or maybe you are the 'mentor' and don't realize it. People actually watch and listen to you. They take notes on what you do and don't do. Now it's your time to share humbly what you've learned. Have a fantastic warm week and get a lot of good riding in. Remember I'm praying for you.