His steps to freedom and potential obscurity went right over the same sand that concealed the dead Egyptian. Every stride brought the man closer to liberty, but guilt remained regardless of distance traveled.  Moses made a mistake and worse, had been busted for it. It was time to leave a place he didn’t really belong anyway.

His next steps were taken with bare feet as Moses approached the burning bush, listening to his God speak. Time hadn’t washed away Moses’ sin. He still thought about it when he wasn’t preoccupied with something else. God didn’t seem to care though as he called Moses to be the deliverer of His people. Yahweh called the man in spite of his past.

Moses’ feet carried him to Egypt, out of it again, and over dry ground as the Red Sea split wide open for all of Israel, with Moses leading the way. Moses had been on a roll at this point, walking in the right direction, listening to God and succeeding as a leader, in spite of his prior actions.

The next forty years found the man’s feet carrying him all around the wilderness, leading a bunch of complaining idiots. He followed the pillar of smoke in the day, and tagged along behind the column of fire in the night.

That time in the wilderness must have seemed like Hell. Babysitting a bunch of contentious adults all in possession of a strong sense of entitlement wouldn’t be fun for anyone. Perhaps God chose a man who had murder on his list of accomplishments because Moses’ threats would mean something to a mostly innocent Israelite who hadn’t done much more than talk crap about one of his neighbors. One needs this kind of backing when making threats, you know.

Moses’ frustration with God’s people hit its apex only a second before miracle water gushed out from a boulder in the wilderness. Moses hit the rock to release the miracle as his God had told him, but he also hit it a second time, proabaly because he wanted to hit one of God’s people but decided against it.

That mistake prevented Moses’ feet from carrying him into the promised land. After all that work, he didn’t make it. Yahweh made sure that he died with his people’s new home in sight.

Moses made his way into the New Testament hall of fame in Hebrews, chapter eleven. This happened even though he had a parade of failures following close behind him. God used a man with a temper who argued with Him and did things wrong.

Yahweh probably had a uppity do-gooders who never did anything worse than think bad thoughts about their annoying neighbors who could have led the people of Israel better than Moses did.  Sure, they wouldn’t have any sort of past to make them scary like Moses, but their shining reputation would probably inspire others to live the same way.

I bet all of those people were afraid to step out, which immediately eliminated any chance of qualifying to be that great leader. Moses might have made some missteps, but that’s because he stepped out. The man heard God’s call and responded.

Killing that Egyptian might have been Moses’ only big mistake if he had stayed in Midian with His wife’s family. Instead, he got up and went out. That’s why we read his story.

How should you be stepping out?