Scripture:

“”I am God. I will bring you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I will rescue you from slavery. I will redeem you, intervening with great acts of judgment. I’ll take you as my own people and I’ll be God to you. You’ll know that I am God, your God who brings you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I’ll bring you into the land that I promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and give it to you as your own country. I AM God.”
 

But when Moses delivered this message to the Israelites, they didn’t even hear him—they were that beaten down in spirit by the harsh slave conditions. Then God said to Moses, ‘Go and speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he will release the Israelites from his land.’
 

Moses answered God, ‘Look—the Israelites won’t even listen to me. How do you expect Pharaoh to? And besides, I stutter.’
 

But God again laid out the facts to Moses and Aaron regarding the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he again commanded them to lead the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.” Exodus 6:6-13 (MSG)
 

Perspective:

Moses had a specific word from the Lord to give to the Israelites. The Israelites were working day in and day out under very harsh slave conditions. The more Moses tried to intervene, the worse the work conditions became for the people. The Egyptians had increased their expectations of the Israelites’ daily quota of production. The people felt the weight of their misery. So, when Moses came to give them a promise that was different than their predicament, they didn’t have the perspective to see how it could be true. Moses’ words didn’t even touch their hearts, because they couldn’t receive it. God sent Moses back to Pharaoh, but even he was reluctant to go because of his experience with the people. Moses was part of the plan to turn the situation around for the Israelites, and God wasn’t willing to let him miss the blessing from being part of God’s plan to fulfill His promises, even when it was hard.
 

The circumstances in our lives impact how we view the future.  It’s difficult to believe the promises of God when the reality of your circumstances are challenging.  Our conditions impact our courage, countenance, and perspective. How are your current conditions affecting your perspective? When we allow what we are facing to become what we believe about the future, it squelches our hope and faith. The situation faced by the Israelites was bleak, but God was still at work. It seemed like their current reality would be indicative of their future. Yet, the story about their future deliverance had yet to be written on that one day when their bodies were breaking under the weight of their work. God was not discouraged by what He saw, because He knew His promise held greater weight than their misery. You may need to remember today the phrase, “But God,” even when the conditions are not your preference. A turnaround can come at any unlikely moment.

 

Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002.  Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. 

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About Hona Amer

I help people live life to the fullest. Check out my book, Smart Work U. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. In order to receive updates, subscribe below.

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