Moses was assigned a formidable task by God to deliver Israel from cruel oppression in Egypt. Egypt was then a dreadful nation governed by the tyrant Pharaoh whose military might was revered by most nations at that time. Therefore when God sent him to confront Pharaoh to release Israel from its bondage, he was hesitant. Egypt would not let Israel go without a war because their economic structure was dependent on the labor force of Israel. Moses was no way equipped to face the military prowess of Egypt by himself. Therefore challenging Egypt to a war was out of the question. Debating his cause in the court of law seemed unreasonable because he was a stammerer. He could not eloquently state his case in the palace court. Moses was plagued with deficiencies that were an impediment to his assignment. When he stated these obvious hurdles to the mandate, God empowered him to turn his staff into a snake to prove that he was sent from God. Even then it will seem as a joke for one to come before Pharaoh branding a walking stick as his authority to deliver the Israelites. His mission seemed to be a recipe for disaster. God confirmed this fear by telling him that he was going to suffer an initial set back. Even when he performs this credible miracle that will fascinate the revered magicians of Egypt, his request will still be denied by Pharaoh. In spite of this prediction of setback, God insisted that he still embark on the assignment. God expected him to be zealous, and very persistent in the task ahead. Even though Pharaoh will not let the people go, Moses was to see to it that he performs the miracle instructed by God.

Ex 4:21 (KJV) And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand

Though the miracle will not achieve its intended purpose of liberating Israel, God still expected Moses to still perform it anyway. The lack of result was not a legitimate excuse to exempt him from obeying God. Though he was bound to fail he was expected to be faithful.
Moses was not to be deflated in his zeal or laid-back because of the impending disappointment. He does not have to show any sign of frustration because of Pharaoh's stubbornness or dejection because of lack of result. Though he was going to experience a temporary set back, God assured him of a victory at the end. As far as God was concerned, the setback had no influence on the final victory that God had promised him. The purpose of God cannot be derailed by any obstruction of circumstances. What He has purposed will stand.

Isa 14:24 (KJV) The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

Turning Setbacks to Victories
If God predicted an initial failure, why send Moses anyway? Why does He expect Moses to demonstrate a miracle if it was not going to achieve its intended purpose of delivering the people? Why wouldn't He send him at a time when it will be definite that he will experience a victory or success? God needed Moses’ faithfulness than his results to bring out Israel from Egypt. Moses' obligation was to just obey and then God will acquire the victory at the end. He must be willing to suffer a temporary humiliation, the smirks of the cynics, and the suspicion of those who doubt his divine mandate and yet be still faithful to the plan of God. He must endure the setbacks and wait patiently for God to acquire the victory. If Moses will stay faithful to God, there were no setbacks devastating enough that could deny him of his ultimate goal of bringing the people out.
His faithfulness was not result oriented but was based on his trust in God. He was devoted to God's plan than motivated by results or success. Though he did not understand the process, his trust in God caused him to obey anyway.
How many ministers today will undertake such task if they knew they will experience some initial set backs? When such failure stirs up questions about the validity of their divine calling? How can God send you and yet be experiencing some failures? Will you stay faithful to pastor even if your members are not increasing? Will you minister faithfully even when you are not experiencing any notable breakthrough? Will you be diligent in your divine assignment if it will bear no fruits?
We assume that collective results lead to achievements of our divine purpose. Therefore we strive after results even at the cost of sometimes rejecting God’s plan. We have become opportunist who will sell our integrity, spiritual ethics for anything that will seem to facilitate the progress of our ministry or ambition. Therefore we seek after opportunities that seem lucrative or productive rather than ways to be obedient to God. Instead of being faithful to what God has assigned us, we chase after results that cause us to deviate from the call. We are ignorant that no one can achieve the purpose of God on results alone. It is God that gives the promise through your faithfulness.

Rom 9:16 (KJV) So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.

We are captivated with results that we break all divine process, abuse friendships; neglect our divine responsibilities so we can achieve a temporary progress. We want result at any cost even sometimes using the methods of the devil as long as it seems to facilitate our progress. We will lie, cheat, dishonor and have no qualms about it just to get ahead. We careless about who we hurt as long as we achieve a notable progress of our agenda. We want result at any cost that we neglect the dealings of God if it does not promote our ambition.
God sent Moses not to chase after results but be completely submitted to His direction even if it seems like a setback. He needed Moses faithfulness rather than his results to achieve His purpose of deliverance. God is not looking for result oriented people but those who are faithful to His ways. God will do much more with faithful people who will not question His process than ambitious people who chase after results. We are so diligent to our ambition yet very unreliable to the calling of our life.

Pr 25:19 (NLT) Putting confidence in an unreliable person is like chewing with a toothache or walking on a broken foot

God does not want you to build your ambition but submit to His will. How many have neglected their assignments, compromised divine truths, neglected divine restrictions because they were not experiencing the result they wanted? How many ministers have relocated because they could not get the result they expected in their divinely assigned locations? How many ministers suck up to corrupted celebrated ministers because of the promise of a lucrative ministerial platform? Many have taken a detour to the path God ordained for them because they want quick results. They hate setbacks even if it is God orchestrated setbacks. We are impatient when it seems it delays our ambitious schedule.
God assured Moses that he should not allow the set back to discourage him because he will still triumph if he continues to be faithful. The end result was not governed by the setbacks or contrary circumstance but by God. What God needed from Moses to achieve the ultimate deliverance of His people in Egypt was his faithfulness. Moses needed to endure the setbacks until God brought the victory. If he gives up through the process of setbacks, he will miss the great deliverance that God promised him. The finality of his assignment was determined and setbacks can not change it. The guarantee to the promise is his faithfulness. The blessed future of a faithful man is assured.

Pr 22:29 (KJV) Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

Your level of commitment to the purpose of God will determine where you stand in the future. No matter what happens to a faithful man, his end will be prosperous. We have not seen the promises of God because we could not endure the dealings of God that seems to deny us of results. We cooperate with Him only when we see an obvious result in the pipeline. We assume that disappointments have influences on the end result and that contrary circumstances make it difficult for God to achieve the ultimate goal. We cannot trust God to bring victory out of defeat. We don't see how disappointments culminate to achieving the promise therefore we drop the assignment of God if there is any hint of failure and chase our lucrative ambition. Our impatience to endure the process of God causes us to deny God and run off to do what seems promising. There are many ministers who are not in the location that God has ordained them to be because they suffered some setbacks there. Some have become prophets whiles they were called to be teachers. Some have become Evangelist whiles they are supposed to be Pastors. God will only bless you in the location that He wants you to be. Until you go back to the work God has ordained for you, you will never achieve the promise that God has ordained for you.
Moses will not endure the initial setbacks if he did not believe that God controls the end result. He believed that whatever Pharoah will do to impede the assignment can not change the end result that God had determined.

Isa 14:27 (KJV) For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

What will guarantee such result is his cooperation through faithfulness. With all the setbacks that Joseph experienced, he would have missed out on the purpose of God if he did not remain faithful to God. Even when portiphar's wife seduced him he refused to sin because he will not sin against his God. He will not capitalize on the seduction of Portiphar's wife to be promoted. He knew that as long a he stayed faithful to the end, his dream was assured. If setbacks determines the end result of the promise, then there was no way that Joseph could be put in a pit, charged as a rapist and put in prison, and end up being the prime minister of Egypt. How could Jesus chose a bunch of fishermen as his ministers, end up on the cross and yet still start a Christian revolution that is still growing. These show that your God ordained set backs does not determined your end but God does.

Ecc 9:11 (NLT) I have observed something else in this world of ours. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise are often poor, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives.

God completes the Assignment before HE Calls You
Before God sends you, the end result is already established. He does not call you until He has predestined and accomplished your purpose. God surprised Jeremiah with this revelation.

Jer 1:5 (KJV) Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

When Jeremiah complained of his immaturity to fulfill the mandate of God, God surprised him by telling him that he had ordained him as a prophet before he was born. His assignment was completed before he was called. This proves that the end is predetermined before you are called to initiate it. God does not start something He has not already finished. However, the only way that purpose can be achieved is to obey Him in walking the predestined path.

Rom 8:28 - Rom 8:30 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified

All things work together for good for those who love God. Therefore don’t stop walking in the love of God if you want to turn your setbacks into achievements. The guarantee to the promise is your faithfulness in the path God has predestined for you. When Abraham was old, and his barren wife, Sarah, had entered into menopause and it seemed that all hope to have their promised son was extinguished, God visited him and urged to remain faithful.

Gen 17:1 (KJV) And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Though there was no reason for Abraham to continue to be faithful, his contrary circumstances had diminished his ability to have the son God promised. He was well pass the age of child bearing, his wife Sarah was barren and entered into menopause. All their hope in their natural ability was dashed yet God told them not to give up. God needed his faithfulness to guarantee the promise. The guarantee to the promise is your faithfulness.

Therefore your defeats, failures do not make Him uneasy. He is not nervous because the assignment seems difficult. His divinity does not diminish because you are failing. If you can keep your eyes on Him instead of the result, your dream will never fail. He is God. If you can believe that, you will not worry because it seems things are tough. Staying the course of your divine assignment is the guarantee of your victory.
Though Abraham had no potential to produce the result, God was going to give him the son anyway because of his faithfulness. What his result could not acquire his faithfulness achieved.

You are not promoted on just your result but by being faithful to what God has called you. Even when you lack results in your divine endeavor, God will promote you on the basis of your faithfulness.

There was a man who was asked by God to push a big rock. The man was very faithful and pushed the rock everyday. Surprisingly the rock never moved. After sometime the devil showed up and started to mock him. The devil made him feel very stupid for pushing a rock that never moved. Feeling dejected, he stopped and sought the face of God about this anomaly. He complained to God that th rock was not moving. God then questioned the guy whether he told him that the rock will move. God made him aware that He was going to bless him not on the basis of the rock moving but by being faithful to push the rock. The guy had been frustrated on an issue that God was not considering to bless him.

How many are at the verge of giving up because they are unfruitful in the assignment that God has given to them. They assume that the lack of result handicaps God to bring the promise to pass. We must understand that your lack of result does not incapacitate God. He is not limited by your failures. He is the God who promises a kingdom to a shepherd boy David and had the power to do it. He calleth those things that be not as if they are; and He delights in using the weak things to confound the wise. He is GOD.
The mere fact you are failing does not mean that God has not sent you. God sent Joseph yet look at the struggles he went through. He is testing your faithfulness. God sent Jesus to the cross though He was obedient to His calling. Your setback must not cause you to deny your faithfulness. God will promote you to a position that your results cannot attain.

Promotion of Faithfulness
Mt 25:21 (KJV) His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

If you are faithful in the divine assignment that might be even producing least results, God will give you the much. However, we chase after the much and neglect the least. Why do you want more members if you have not discipled the few you already have? The much is given by God but not just worked for. If you try to attain it by yourself you will be frustrated. Be diligent in what you know you have been assigned and leave the promotion to God. He will raise you in the end. Don't give up on God, don't compromise, stay faithful and He will reward in the end.

Gal 6:9 (KJV) And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Hebrews 6:9-10 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. 10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

By Pastor Reindorf Mantey

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