What's Your Motivation For Worship? {Exodus 5-7:13}
12:00 AM
How does your
worship compare on days when you feel God’s blessing as compared
with other times when you don’t? The nation of Israel had been
crying out to God for deliverance from the Egyptians and God heard
their cries and was preparing for an amazing rescue; intending to use
Moses to help Him carry it out! Only, after Moses appears, their
troubles grow worse! And the people themselves are now blaming Moses
for their increased hardship, and have decided to reject his
leadership.
Moses,
consequentially accuses God of unfaithfulness and of doing evil to
his own people. Pretty amazing, don’t you think? But the Lord
simply reasserts His plan to use Moses, to cause Pharaoh to allow
Israel to leave Egypt here in Genesis 6:2-9,
Have you ever been there? Can you relate to the people of Israel, or to Moses?
-
The Israelite’s cried out for deliverance, only to face
greater hardship.
-
Moses hadn’t asked for this calling, and now finds himself rejected by the ones he has promised to help.
Has this ever
happened to you? You’ve trusted The Lord and taken a huge step of
faith only to find yourself much worse off than before? Do you still
worship Him, still trust Him then, or have you’ve been tempted at
times to give up on God; give up on this life of faith and go back to
trusting in yourself to work it all out?
"Man’s
extremity," according to Matthew Henry, "is God’s
opportunity of helping and saving. Now that the affair has come to a
crisis, and things are as bad as they can be, Pharaoh is at the
height of his pride, and Israel is at the depth of her misery, now is
God’s time to appear." And that is precisely what God did.
Only, He begins his course of action by continuing a conversation
with Moses, and the words He speaks are precious! Not only to Moses,
or to Israel, but to us!
Think about this a
moment; The Lord never promised to spare us from any hardships, BUT
He did promise to never leave us, nor forsake us! (Duet 31:6; Heb
13:5)
-
David knew this when he wrote, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” -Ps 23:4
-
Daniel wasn’t spared having to face the Lion’s Den, but he did get to witness God shutting the mouths of the lions! (Dan 6)
-
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not spared being thrown into the fiery furnace, but they did find The Lord in there with them keeping even their clothing from being singed. (Dan 3)
I’ve never
preferred to face trials of any kind. If I’m honest, I’d have to
admit, I’ve actually preferred to avoid them to the very best of
my ability, but when they have come, I’ve found myself admitting, I
wouldn’t trade this time with my Savior for anything, for it’s
during these times that I grow more deeply in love with Him.
The verses that have become so precious to me during these times are found in Psalm 46,
"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea...There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns...The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
Come, behold the works of the Lord...
“Cease striving [Be still] and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah."
...and then there is peace.
0 comments