December 15, 2024

Passage Read: Exodus 3-6
Meditation Verse: 5:17

Thought

How often do faith and trust in the Lord result in harder times rather than blessing? For the Israelites, this should have been a time of joy and celebration because the Lord had come to free them! And it was, for a moment, until Moses and Aaron went to speak to Pharaoh to have the Israelites released. Then things took a turn for the worse. Pharaoh refused, and made their work harder, thinking them lazy and dreaming of a holiday. The Israelites and even Moses didn't expect this turn of events.

Application

How often do I expect my obedience to result in blessing, but instead it results in increased hardship? Even when the Israelites were freed, they went into the desert for two years. How many of them considered that an upgrade? Things getting worse hopefully made the Israelites want to leave even more, and the same is true for me: Things being worse here because of my obedience should make me love this place less and long for eternity more. As long as things aren't so bad here, or even are pleasant, why would I want to leave? And if I'm so fond of this place, why would I do anything that might upset the pleasantness? So I need to fix my heart on heaven, so as to desire that more than all the pleasure I can experience here, so as to live in honor of the Lord and not be surprised when that brings me trouble.