What's Your Motivation For Worship? {Exodus 5-7:13}

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,

"God spoke further to Moses and said to him, ‘I am the Lord. And I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God almighty. But by My name, Lord, I did not make myself known to them. And I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. And furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because they Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Say therefore, to the sons of Israel, I Am the Lord. And I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Then I will take you for My people. And I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you, for a possession. I am the Lord.’ So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel. But they did not listen to Moses, on account of their despondency and cruel bondage."

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.