Troubles, Tests and Trials
The big news of the day is I submitted my book manuscript to begin the review process. This starts the timeline toward an anticipated spring release of my book entitled, “The Longest Campaign.” I was also able to get another work out. I believe the consistency will help me achieve greater mobility.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble….they confronted Moses and Aaron….“May the Lord take note of you and judge,” they said to them, “because you have made us reek in front of Pharaoh and his officials—putting a sword in their hand to kill us!” So Moses went back to the Lord and asked, “Lord, why have You caused trouble for this people? And why did You ever send me? Ever since I went in to Pharaoh to speak in Your name he has caused trouble for this people, and You haven’t delivered Your people at all.” Exodus 5:19-23 HCSB
Because we are familiar with the story of the Exodus, it is easy to gloss over and forget the struggles that took place before the plagues and eventual freedom for the Israelites. As I read these verses this morning they caught my attention. Moses was the reluctant delivered, but trusting in the Lord he took on the task to be God’s instrument of salvation for his people. But before things got better, the got worse.
He goes to Pharaoh and is rebuffed. Not only that the Hebrew slaves are made to work harder, which results in punishment for the foreman. We see the series of events. Pharaoh creates trouble for the slaves, the slaves confront Moses, Moses confronts the Lord. Everyone is wandering “what is going on? ….Why is this such a good idea? or perhaps like Gideon in years to come “Lord, if you are with us, why is all this happening?”
Moses was walking through all of this day by day. We know the end of the story, he was experiencing the “story.” We can see in Moses’ words the the Lord that he expected an immediate deliverance from Egypt. Instead it was going to be a long journey of a series of plagues. Not only that, the first plagues would create as much hardship for God’s people as they did for the Egyptians.
As I considered this “it-got-worse-before-it-got-better” sequence, I realized how much we see that trials, tests and trouble preceded greatness for many in the Bible the God used.
We see it in David. The shepherd boy anointed King and the slayer of the giant. He found himself as a fugitive for years, running from Saul and hiding in caves. There were trials, troubles and tribulations with a lot of questions and uncertainty. But David was able to hold on to God’s promise and wait for God’s timing for God’s promise to come true.
When we look at Jesus, He was baptized by John and the Bible says, “immediately he was lead by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan.” (Mark 1:12 HCSB) Before the first miracle or words of teaching Jesus faced the test of temptations. The we see at the end of Jesus life, He faced the cross before the resurrection and ascension back to heaven.
As I consider these illustrations, the words of my physical therapist to Debbie at a critical time in my hospital crisis take on greater meaning. As I was in intensive care, Gary Harkness, my physical therapist and strong believer told Debbie, “stay the course, keep your eyes on the cross.” The reminder in that is not just the cross as an object of suffering, but of obedience and the path to resurrection and it was all in God’s plan and purpose.
How we respond when the miracle doesn’t happen immediately and the promise is not fulfilled in our timeline is all important. It is okay to have doubt, confusion and questions. But we need to “stay the course…keep our eyes on Jesus” and to keep following the Lord. That is what Moses did, one step, on plague at a time, until the deliverance came. That is what David did until he was crown King. That is what Jesus did until He was raised and glorified. That is what we need to do until we experience the promise of the Lord in His time and in His way.