VALGOOD

“So Moses told the people what the Lord had said, but they wouldn’t listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the increasing burden of their slavery.” Exodus 6:9

Have you heard the expression, ‘it might get worse before it gets better?’ The above verse in Exodus jumped off the page to me this week as I read it. The people had recognized that God had “seen their misery and was deeply concerned for them” so they worshiped Him (Exodus 4:31b). But, they weren’t immediately rescued. Instead, their situation got considerably worse. They were ordered to make the same quota of bricks and needed to go gather their own straw and got punished for not being able to keep up with the increased demands.

“So Moses went back to the Lord and protested, ‘Why have You mistreated Your own people like this, Lord? Why did You send me? Since I gave Pharaoh Your message, he has been even more brutal to Your people. You have not even begun to rescue them!” (Exodus 5:22-23, emphasis mine).

When life gets harder, we tend to point our finger at God. Why, oh Lord, are YOU doing this to us? We know that God is all knowing and all powerful, so we believe that hardships we face must be His fault. How often we miss seeing the bigger picture! Moses accused God of not even beginning to rescue His people. But, was that the case? NOT AT ALL! God had a plan. God had a purpose. God had heard His people’s cries. God did not allow His people more hardship than they could face. And God had already sent Moses to begin the process. It got worse (and it was going to get worse still) … but God knew the ultimate outcome was that His people were going to be free. Plus, He was going to “multiply [His] miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 7:3) and show everyone that He alone was God.

We have read this story before, and we know the ending. But His people didn’t at that time. They had no idea why God would allow their suffering to increase. In fact, when Moses went to tell them the following message from the Lord “I am the Lord, and I will free you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with mighty power and great acts of judgment. I will make you my own special people and I will be your God. And you will know that I am the Lord your God who has rescued you from your slavery in Egypt. I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It will be your very own property. I am the Lord!” (Exodus 6:6-8), they wouldn’t listen because they had become too discouraged.

My dear discouraged friend, let me speak this into your very being, “NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD!” When your circumstances show that only God can rescue you, that’s when He has your attention – and even the attention of those around you – to display His awesome signs and wonders. We serve a living God! A God who is still in the miracle-working business. A God who is still GOOD. Still TRUSTWORTHY. Still full of MERCY, GRACE and COMPASSION. We serve a God who still sees the suffering of His people and remembers His covenant of love. We can call Him Father and trust in His good plans and purposes. If you are feeling utterly discouraged, then I encourage you to shift your focus from yourself to the Holy God of the Bible. The Israelites quit listening, quit believing… but that didn’t stop God from moving.

In case you’re reading and you need to hear this, the people saw the plagues (even experiencing some of them). They had more lows coming, but when they left Egypt, not only were they free, they had ‘plundered’ the Egyptians who had given them gifts of riches and clothing and wealth. They left on a high note with God in their sights. They were FREE… but may we not forget that there was a time where they didn’t listen when God said, “I’m here. I’m listening. I haven’t forgotten. My time is perfect. Trust me.” Today, let this seep into your soul when discouragement sets in. Remember God’s perfect Word and that His story in your life isn’t finished yet…

Father God, we ask You to open our eyes that we may see You. Open our ears during times of discouragement that we may hear Your truth. Open our hearts that we might feel Your love. Open our mouths to praise You alone. We believe that only You are God. We believe that You alone can rescue and save. We believe that You can free us, heal us, make us who You desire us to be. And we believe that Your timing is perfect. May Your Name be glorified in our lives as we wait for You. We trust You to act as only You can. We worship You today. Please forgive our sin that we may worship in spirit and truth. We love You. In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!