Exodus 4:18-7:13

The Jews had it bad enough. Long after Joseph and his brothers were dead and gone, their ancestors found themselves slaves in Egypt. By now these people were born slaves, and the harsh treatment of Pharaoh and his thugs was all they knew.

But here comes Moses with a word from God. “I’m getting you out of here.” When the Jews received the news, they immediately bowed down and worshiped.

Hope. It’s a beautiful thing. Even a glimpse of hope can cause a heart to sing. That glimmer of light through the clouds gives reason to rejoice. And as a Christian woman, I can rejoice in the hope that is mine through Jesus. This life is not the end. These trials won’t last forever. My enemy Satan cannot win!

I don’t have just a glimpse of hope. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood, and His righteousness. I am His. He is mine.

But something happened to the Jews. God didn’t immediately open the doors of freedom and march them out of Egypt that same day. They continued to do the slave-thing, day after day after day.

Then, to make matters worse, Pharaoh didn’t take Moses’ request for a few vacation days so the people could go into the desert to worship God very well. In fact, he made it harder for the Jews to do their job, then beat them when they couldn’t get the job done.

You call this a rescue?

Moses pleads with God on their behalf, and God assures him He has a plan.

“…I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.”  (6:8)

Moses assured them God is true to His word. Don’t lose hope. But 6:9 says:

…but they did not listen to (Moses) because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.

Sometimes, even Christians who have placed our hope in Jesus, get discouraged. Health issues, jobs, relationships, plans begin to crumble, and we feel like those Jewish slaves must have felt. ” I can’t…”

Discouragement throws a shadow over hope.

Are you discouraged? Maybe God is using this time in your life to nudge you in a different direction. Maybe He is revealing a sin you need to confess. Or maybe His timing  just isn’t the same as yours.

Don’t lose hope. Don’t let the discouragement stop you from looking ahead, trusting that God’s got this, even if we don’t feel like He does at the moment. If you have placed your hope in the Lord, trust Him to open the doors, part the seas, rain manna from heaven at exactly the right time.

I pray you will let your hope throw a shadow over your discouragement.