Believe, have Faith, Trust the LORD

I wonder on the regular, what am I doing and where is the LORD in it all. I am sure that situations and circumstances have come up that are very difficult to see to the other side on. There is a lack of understanding as to the path forward and frankly if deliverance will be achieved.

The LORD has a plan and as I have noted on many occasions in my writing, that plan is way more that I can understand or fathom. Everything is in His design and has an outcome that may be far from known or seen by us. The Israelite escape from Egypt is an example.

The LORD had delivered the Israelites from the rule of Pharaoh. Then, He had them turn back slightly at the edge of the Red Sea. Yes, they turned back when they could have just kept going and felt as though they were getting away for good. I don’t know about you, but given the choice to keep running and escape or turn back and wait, I would keep going. The LORD told Moses that He was going to conquer the Egyptians. And, Moses being Moses led the people back and as expected, they were concerned.

“¹¹They said to Moses, ‘Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? ¹²Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: “Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians”? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’” – Exodus 14:11-12 (ESV)

The people expressed their lack of belief, faith, and trust in the LORD in this moment of fear. But, the LORD again had plans that the people were not able to see.

“⁴And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.” – Exodus 14:4 (ESV)

Now, we know the rest of the story that the people made it across the Red Sea on dry ground and Pharaoh and his army perished in the sea. So, the LORD did as He said and fully delivered the people from the Egyptians.

Here is where I was going with things this morning. We see the story of this escape as the great escape, and it was. But it is not without its drama. What I see is the lack of belief, faith, and trust in the LORD by those same Israelites that had already been delivered from the immediate rule of Egypt. And yet they did not believe the LORD would continue to do so even just a few days later.

I find myself in this exact situation all the time. I will ask the LORD for deliverance and then take things into my own hands because I am not getting the result I think I should be getting. I know that the LORD will deliver me, as He has done so many times before and will continue to do so. But I continue the trying to do things on my own thanks to my lack of belief, faith, and trust in Him. And, you know what, the LORD knows I will, and He continues His work despite my doubt.

My pastor indicates that doubt is okay, because is generates questions to generate understanding, leading to belief. Therefor, I will continue to question to gain belief. I will have faith, and trust that the LORD will do His work despite of me as He wants nothing but the best for me.

Where is your belief, faith, and trust in the LORD? Are you in a position where you are lacking in any or all of them? What if instead of not believing or having faith or trusting in Him, you questioned to understand and know that He will deliver?

Sometimes Action of the LORD is No Action

I find myself in prayer asking for the LORD to take action and deliver me. I find myself in circumstances that are weighing me down and in need of resolution and deliverance from those circumstances. I also find myself asking for things from the LORD and waiting on Him to do provide those things.

“¹²For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. ¹³The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.” – Exodus 12:12-13 (ESV)

Reading this morning of the Passover, I am reminded that sometimes it is the no action of the LORD that is the action He intends. You see, the people placed blood on the doorposts and lintel so that the LORD would pass over their houses and not deliver the plague of death to their home. The LORD would pass by and move on to the next house as He was delivering action to the land of Egypt.

Remember that time that you were late to work only to find that there was an accident that happened about two minutes ahead of you on the road. Or that time that you missed out on going to an event to find out later that the event was not what you expected it to be. Or that time when you were delayed and not able to make a purchase to find that the exact funds for the purchase were able to cover a debt completely.

The LORD provides in many ways for us. We may ask for things and expect that He will deliver those things in our idea of how they should be delivered, when in fact He delivers without taking action. The Israelite people were spared in the Passover thanks to their obedience to the LORD. He did not take action and delivered them from the circumstance befalling on Egypt.

I have to remember that I should continue to ask the LORD to deliver me. But I also have to remember that His deliverance may just be that He is taking no action.

What is your expectation of deliverance? Are you finding yourself seeking to be delivered in just they way you imagine? What if you simply asked for deliverance and opened yourself to the LORD and His deliverance, even when He takes no action?

When Will You Learn

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is a phrase attributed to many different people and/or organizations. It does not matter from where it came, it is true today as it was in biblical times.

Pharaoh continued to resit the LORD’s demand to let the Israelite people go out of bondage. As I am reading this morning’s passage, seven plagues on Egypt have already occurred and Pharaoh is still not getting it. Moses and Aaron, at the direction of the LORD are now asking Pharaoh, when will you learn.

“³So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.”’” – Exodus 10:3 (ESV)

Those in the direct council of Pharaoh were even asking him when will you learn.

“⁷Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, ‘How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?’” – Exodus 10:7 (ESV)

Pharaoh continued to resist and do the same thing over and over again, expecting that the LORD would relent, or that the plagues were all a coincidence and that the LORD did not have a hand in any of it. Either way, Pharaoh was determined that at some point his strategy would work. He was convicted to keep the people in bondage and the cost did not matter to him.

I look at this example and work to see how it applies to me. I know that I have gone through times of doing the same things over and over again expecting different results. When Lori and I married, I decided that I “needed” Sunday’s for me and did not attend church, to play golf or some other personal indulgence. Things were okay, but once I came back to the LORD, things were better. I resisted tithing to the LORD because I “needed” the money to survive, and I was doing that, surviving, but could not get ahead. I finally began to tithe and things were better. Many more examples abound from my life. All ending in better once I did something else.

When are we going to learn? The LORD wants nothing but the best for us. It is up to me to follow Him every step of the way. When I do, I will be granted peace in the circumstance that was not there as I resisted. It may not be in that exact moment, remember that God’s timing is perfect and not aligned with mine, but I will find peace. I have to do things differently in order to get the different result.

What is your approach? Are you continuing to do the same things over and over again expecting a different result? What if you relented and listened to learn from the LORD?

Guarded From the Wrath of God

“²²But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.” – Exodus 8:22 (ESV)

The LORD put up a wall of protection for His people so they would not experience the plague of flies. This may seem like a small thing, but the He continued(s) to guard us. Noah built the ark and he and his family were spared. The Israelites were guarded from the flies and other plagues. The Israelites were delivered by way of dry ground to cross the Red sea. St. Paul’s Church, less than 100 yards from the World Trade Center, was spared in New York on 9/11. The LORD continues to guard his people.

Now, I know that some would and have worked to find ways to explain all of these events. And yes, there may be some scientific explanation for them. But, as God created all things, He created the science as well.

“¹¹Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.”

— Revelation 4:11 (ESV)

I am not here to debate the explanations behind how things happened. I am only here to give my thoughts and show that the LORD’s wrath is real and that as a child of God, I am guarded against that wrath. I have been saved by grace and as such have receive everlasting life in heaven. This world is only a place for me to be right now until my times comes to be with the LORD. And, as long as I am here, I will be guarded against His wrath.

What is your position in this world? Are you subject to the wrath of God? What if you were to accept the grace of God through salvation and be guarded against His wrath in this world?

The LORD’s Plan is Way Bigger Than We See

First question this morning is, what was the result of Moses, Aaron, the Israelites, and Pharaoh? Well, the result was that the Israelites did escape from the land and rule of Pharaoh, in fact, Pharaoh willingly let them go.

Yes, the LORD’s plan was realized, but when we look back at the beginning of the plan, it did not look to promising. You see, the Israelite people were doing work for Pharaoh and thanks to Moses and Aaron, that work was made harder.

“⁴But the king of Egypt said to them, ‘Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.’ ⁵And Pharaoh said, ‘Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens!’ ⁶The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, ⁷’You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves.’” – Exodus 5:4-7 (ESV)

Moses and Aaron tried to get relief for the people and instead Pharaoh made their work even harder. They were to no gather straw on their own for the bricks and continue to produce the same results of the work, doubling the effort needed.

The part we have to remember is who is in control during this entire time. God! The people could not see the plan of the LORD. All they saw was that they now had more work and things were harder for them. But, the LORD was just starting the work to get them released. And, the time it took for them to be released was not short (some say about a year). So, it stands to reason that the people did not see the plan that God had for them in the beginning.

For us, we have to do the work assigned by God. It may be difficult in the moment, and it may get even more difficult and we may not see the plan He has for us. The results may not be revealed until we get there. It may take years, and as we see with the Moses and the promised land, we may not even get to be there for the result. But God does have a plan and it is up to us to do the work and realize it is for the result of this plan we work, even when we may not be there when it is resolved fully.

What is your view of the plan of God? Do you expect that you know where it all ends? What if you did the work, knowing that you may simply be at the beginning of the plan that will play out over a long period of time?

God May Make it Difficult

“²¹And the Lord said to Moses, ‘When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.’” – Exodus 4:21 (ESV)

What is this, the LORD sends Moses to work for Him. Tells him exactly what to say and what to do. And for his trouble, the LORD hardens the heart of Pharaoh. Obeying the LORD is not where the work ends, there is more to it.

The LORD told Moses that just telling Pharaoh in His name was not going to work. Not because it would not, but because the LORD was going to make it not work. Isn’t this just a bit contrary to what we might believe to come from the LORD. Aren’t we to obey the LORD and in doing so, He will take care of us? Why then would the LORD have us do something that would not work, shouldn’t it be that the LORD wants that things carried out in His name be done and take care of that which He intends? Well, yes, but there is more to it.

This is of course one of those things that makes it difficult for me. The LORD has something for me to do, I do it, and yet the result does not come out as planned. Why would the LORD do such a thing?

He is not doing it to get the result “we” have planned. There is a greater result that He is working toward, and I am just one part of the plan to get to that result. The LORD is working on His plan, to get His result, not mine.

So, with this in mind, I go back to verse 21 as above. Moses was to do the work of the LORD and tell Pharaoh to let the people go, and on the LORD’s design, it would not happen. It could have happened, if it were of God’s design, but it was not and did not. The LORD had something greater in mind and this was only part of the design.

Notice how this all plays out. The LORD has a task for us, we take care of that task and yet the result is not there that we expected. We are to continue on with the tasks that God has for us, and know that He will get the result He is working toward, and that result may not come for some time, or be different than we expected.

It is not that the LORD is making things difficult, He is having them play out just as He designed. I have to look to the LORD and know that His wisdom will produce the result He wants and my role is to do the work He has for me. The work He has for me is the work He has for me. The result of that work is not for me, just the work itself. It may be difficult and the result may not be felt by me, but it is the work the LORD has for me and that is where I have to be focused.

I look at my bible study and writing each morning. Where is the result? How many have I reached? Is it touching people the way the LORD intended? Is there more that I should be doing? How do I get more responses, and know that I am reaching the people to make a difference in their lives? Why is it that I don’t see more results? Is there an easier way to get things done? Why, Why, Why? Well, this is the work the LORD has for me and I have to know that it is the work, not the result that is my responsibility. He will get the result that He has planned. He is not making it difficult, He is simply leading me to follow Him.

What is your thoughts on the tasks that God has for you? Are you looking at them to get a specific result and thinking why so difficult to get that result? What if you saw them as part of God’s plan and those tasks are not difficult, but just designed to get a result that is just part of that plan?

Question God? Go Ahead

I have studied and written in the past of whether or not we should be questioning God and what He is asking of us. And each time, the prevailing answer is sure, go ahead and question God. The thing is, questioning Him is okay, but it does not absolve us from doing His work.

Moses was not confident in himself and subsequently questioned whether or not he was qualified to speak with the Israelite people or Pharaoh about their release and migration to the promised land.

“¹Then Moses answered, ‘But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, “The Lord did not appear to you.”’” “¹⁰But Moses said to the Lord, ‘Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.’” “¹³But he said, ‘Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.’” – Exodus 4:1, 10, & 13 (ESV)

Over the span of one conversation with the LORD, Moses questioned Him three times. Moses was not ready to be the workman of the LORD. As I noted earlier, he was not confident in himself and was quick to make note to the LORD the he was just a regular guy and not qualified for such important tasks and work.

The LORD listened, provided answers and solutions to the questions, even was angered, but He did not relent or take away the task. The LORD had a task for Moses and Moses was going to do the work.

“⁸’If they will not believe you,’ God said, ‘or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.’” “¹¹Then the Lord said to him, ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?’” “¹⁴Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, ‘Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. ¹⁵You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do.’” – Exodus 4:8, 11, & 14-15 (ESV)

The LORD was okay with the questions and that should be an example for us to follow (but that is a discussion for another time). The thing is that the LORD did not relent on the responsibility He placed on Moses. He had work for Moses and by golly Moses was going to do the work. The questions were valid in the beginning and the LORD provided ways to overcome. Then, as Moses allowed his fear and apprehension well up in him, he was trying to get out of the work. The LORD did not relent.

It is okay for us to question the LORD. He wants us to come to Him with our open heart, and that cannot happen if we are afraid to question. The LORD will provide all the answers we need. But, He has work for us to do and that work, even when we do not see how we can do it, needs to be done so the LORD will provide the way. We have to understand that our questions will lead to answers that we will need to accept.

What is your approach to the LORD? Are you willing to question Him? What if you did question to get answers, but remembered that you are still responsible for the work?

The LORD Uses All for His Work

Moses was a relatively unknown individual at the time that God chose him. Yes, he had lived in the house of Pharaoh and knew all the comforts of that lifestyle and was known in Egypt. But he had fled that life and was known only as the Egyptian that had saved the flock and delivered the daughters of the Midian priest, so, a relatively unknown.

Isn’t it that way with us. Aren’t we all relatively unknowns in the world. Sure, there are those that are doing the work of the LORD in grand fashion and are known to all. But even they were unknown at the time the LORD called them to do His work.

Other than knowing he was of Jewish lineage, there is no real mention of Moses being a man of God. He was a shepherd in Midian and was called by God through the burning bush.

“²And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. ³And Moses said, ‘I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.’ ⁴When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ ⁵Then he said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ ⁶And he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” – Exodus 3:2-6 (ESV)

Here is the beginnings of the call of Moses. He was out keeping the flock of sheep and saw a burning bush and went to see what was going on with it. The LORD came to him and introduced himself to Moses.

What an example of God working in ways that can only be described as mysterious. The LORD came to a regular man and commissioned him to do extraordinary work. Moses was asked to take on the leading of Israel out of the bondage of slavery. And, as just a regular guy, look at his response to this commission.

“¹¹But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’” – Exodus 3:11 (ESV)

I believe that I would say something very similar if God were to ask me to take on such a notable task for Him. But, isn’t that how it is all the time? The LORD asks us to act and we do not really know the full impact of what He is asking. All of the actions He commissions us to undertake are notable to Him. My job is simply to take them on and know that I may see myself as a simple, unknown, regular guy, but God sees me as His child and chosen for a reason. God uses us all for His work.

What is your view of your station? Do you see yourself as a simple, unknown, regular person? What if you saw yourself as God does, His child and know that He chooses you for a reason, for His work?

Follow the LORD, He Knows

“¹⁷When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸And Joseph said to his father, ‘Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.’ ¹⁹But his father refused and said, ‘I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.’” – Genesis 48:17-19 (ESV)

Jacob was an old man and was barely able to see anything at all. Here we find him just meeting his grandsons and blessing them. Now, Jacob was in close concert with God and His plans. He was always following the LORD. In the above passage, Jacob was blessing the sons of Joseph, and appeared to make a mistake in blessing younger of them as would traditionally be done of the first born, and rightfully so, Joseph moves to correct him. Jacob then lets it known that he is indeed correct in his blessing.

Here we find Jacob following the will of God in the lives of those in his lineage. He was blessing the one who would be greater to acknowledge that he would be greater. Where it would not manifest until later, it is important to note that the will of God was being followed here.

Jacob, for all of his shortcomings, followed the LORD and did not apologize for it. He was bold and deliberate. In this passage, we find that Joseph moved his sons to the hands of Jacob for the blessing and Jacob crossed his hands when laying hands on them for the blessing. Jacob knew, thanks to God which was which and took action to follow.

I have to remember that for all of my knowledge, intelligence, understanding, and learning, I still have to follow the LORD, because He knows.

What do you know? Are you of the opinion that you know it all? What if you were to surrender to the LORD and follow Him as He is the one who truly knows?

Love Will Overcome Anger

I continue this morning in Genesis and am staying with Joseph. I am in the passage of his testing of his brothers and revealing himself to them.

Joseph had every right to be angry with his brothers, as they sold him into slavery. Over time Joseph had grown in position and stature and was certainly in the right as with the world view to seek and get back at them for their actions toward him. In verses 1-34 of Genesis 44 we see that he is indeed working to get back at them through his testing of them. But, he only works toward getting back at them and stops short of completion. Joseph recognizes that his brothers love their father and are truly sorrowful for what they had done.

Joseph had every right to be angry with his brothers, yet when he saw that they were sorrowful, his anger turned to sorrow and then to love as he revealed himself to them and demonstrated the forgiveness that only the LORD could provide for him to demonstrate.

“⁴So Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come near to me, please.’ And they came near. And he said, ‘I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. ⁷And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.’” – Genesis 45:4-7 (ESV)

Joseph was justified to be filled with anger in the moment. He had done nothing to deserve the treatment from his brothers as they sold him. Yet, he did not allow that to control him and was able to see that God was controlling the entire scenario from the beginning. The LORD had allowed him to be sold by his brothers. The LORD had brought him to Pharaoh. The LORD had given him position. The LORD had brought his brothers and family back to him.

I see this morning that love should be allowed to overcome anger. And not just that is should overcome, but ultimately it will overcome. I have to allow love to come through in all situations. I may have anger and it could be justified based on the situation, but I have to allow the love of God to come through and overcome the anger as only it can. I have to embrace that the LORD is love and that He controls all, right from the beginning.

What is your approach to anger? Are you allowing it to be that which overcomes? What if you recognize that the LORD is indeed in control from the beginning and allow His love to overcome your anger as it should?