slaves – Praying Pint

41.n. “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.”

Exodus 6:1 But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the people 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 slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.’” Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.

Carrying the story from the previous chapter, Moses was discouraged by what he thought was God’s lack of action and help. God’s reply to Moses showed that He wanted him to know that the Lord was in control of it all. Moses was discouraged because he was too impressed by Pharaoh and not impressed enough by God. God reminded Moses of the great name of God (Yahweh), He confirmed that he remained the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God, who would absolutely fulfill His promise to Moses. (Guzik)

“When all human help has failed, and the soul, exhausted and despairing, has given up hope from man, God draws near, and says, I AM.” (Meyer)

Though the patriarchs knew God Almighty, they did not know Him as extensively and intimately as He would reveal Himself to Moses and his generation. They knew the power of God but didn’t have the same personal relationship and revelation Moses would come to know. For us, God wants to be more than God Almighty – He wants us also to know Him as a personal, promise making and promise keeping God, whom we can trust in everything. Believers should ask themselves if they really know God. Moses was called to remember his God.

In even separate I will promises, God said, “I’m going to do it. You can count on me.”

· I will bring you out.

· I will rescue you from their bondage.

· I will redeem you.

· I will take you as My people.

· I will be your God.

· I will bring you into the land.

· I will give it to you as a heritage.

“Each of these verbs are in the Hebrew past (i.e., perfect) tense instead of the future tense, for so certain was God of their accomplishment that they were viewed as having been completed.” (Kaiser) As is all of God’s promises!

After Moses spoke what God told him the children of Israel were still stuck in miserable unbelief. They probably would have said that they did not doubt God, but they doubted the messenger – Moses. Because of their anguish, this is why Israel doubted both God and His messenger. Their centuries of slavery made them think like slaves instead of people of the covenant. Pharaoh was bigger in their eyes than God was. Ezekiel 20:5-9 shows why God was so small and Pharaoh was so big in Israel’s heart during this time. Ezekiel explained that they trusted the gods of their oppressors, worshipping the gods of the Egyptians. This is why they didn’t trust God, and His messenger Moses. The reason why God did not judge Israel at the time was because He didn’t want His name profaned among the Gentiles.

Many Christians find themselves in the same place. They find it hard to trust God and believe that He is for them. This is why Paul says we must not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:1-2). The children of Israel needed their minds renewed, and we do also. (Guzik)

40.j. “But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied”

Exodus 1:8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

This was God’s purpose for Israel’s time in Egypt. Egypt served as a mother’s womb for Israel, a place where they rapidly grew from a large clan to a mighty nation. The nation could not grow this way in Canaan, because it was practically impossible to avoid intermarriage with the pagan and wicked inhabitants of Canaan. Egypt was so racially biased and had such an entrenched system of racial separation that Israel could grow there over several centuries without being assimilated. This growth in the face of affliction has consistently been the story of God’s people, throughout all ages – the more they are afflicted, the more they grow. As the ancient Christian writer Tertullian said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Because God’s purpose was to bless Israel and fulfill His role for them in His eternal plan, no amount of affliction could defeat His purpose. The Egyptians tried their best through cruel slavery; but it did not work. The principle of Isaiah 54:17 proved true: No weapon formed against you shall prosper. The wickedness of the Egyptians could hurt the children of Israel but could never defeat God’s plan for them. Pharaoh thought it best to not kill them; but he did want them to be slaves. In the midst of their cruel and harsh service, life must have seemed hopeless to the children of Israel, and the idea that God was working out His plan must have seemed very far away – yet it was true nonetheless. (Guzik)

27.u. “Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life”

Ephesians 4:20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Romans 6:6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

You have been outside in the hot sun working all day, sweating, and getting dirty. You have been invited to a friend’s house for a bbq with others. After working all day you need a shower and good washing. When you dry off you put on the same old sweaty, stinky, dirty clothes you have been in all day and head out the door to meet up with your friends. This makes no sense, does it? It would be foolish to think that just because you have had a shower your clothes would be clean and appropriate to wear.

Numerous scriptures tell us; “Put off your old self”, “Our old self was crucified”, “Put on the new self”. Why would we put on the same dirty, foul, disobedient, passions, and pleasures after we have been washed clean from all of these? Why would we think these are ok to “wear”? Jesus Christ died to cleanse us from all of this. Paul is saying, “why would you take the cleansing and go back to doing the very things that needed cleansing?” This makes no sense.

Once we are cleansed we do well to honor and glorify our “Cleanser” Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit has been given to every believer so that they can continue to grow in understanding and knowledge of the grace, mercy, and love that Jesus Christ poured out on us. When we desire this growth and seek it, we will not become complacent and neglectful in His Word, nor will we keep trying to put on our “Old Self”

22.n. Continuation of Saturday’s devotion – I His Word only

1 corinthians 12:15 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

20.u. “In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.”

Romans 11:30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11  Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,  nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Ephesians 2:1-2   And you were dead in the trespasses and sins  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

Colossians 3:7    In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.

Titus 3:3-7   For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.  But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,  he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

For just as you were at one time disobedient to God”, “And such were some of you”, “ And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked”, “In these, you too once walked when you were living in them.”, “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures”. Sometimes we forget where we came from. We were once lost and following and chasing after the pleasures of this world and then we were changed, made new, and old things passed away. After a time, it is easy to think of ourselves as never being like this. We have a tendency to think we have reason to criticize others harshly for their actions. Paul knew this better than anyone. He knew that he arrested Christians, through them in prison, separated families, and gave support to their floggings or death. He knew what he was like before becoming a believer. He knew it was the work of God in him. He knew what his heart was like before and after. He knew it was only because of what God had done that He was a changed person. He saw those who were like him before as lost and in need of a savior. He did not think he was better but that what he had in Christ was. He knew how easy it was to be conformed to this world and not see things of God or the need for salvation.

We all were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, and slaves to various passions and pleasures. We do well to keep this in mind as we see others around us who are still lost and pray for God to open their heart to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Remembering this work of God builds four things in us. First, gratitude for how God changed us. Second, humility as we see that it was His work that changed us. Third, kindness to others in the same place. Finally, faith that God can change those who are still in that place.

15.y. “No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

John 6:65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

John 10:16    And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

Ephesians 2:8-9    For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Titus 3:3-7     For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.  But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,  he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

James 1:16-18    Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Raising children we often encourage them to try something on their own. We teach them to walk without us holding onto their hand, we teach them to ride a bike without training wheels, we teach them how to drive so they can drive on their own, we teach them how to eat, use the bathroom, read, work, help others, etc…… While raising them up we encourage their independence from things that hinder their full development or function. We take them from new-born to adulthood and hopefully, we have helped them become a person who knows their limits, knows when to ask for help, and when not to be afraid to take on something new. I am afraid that when we teach this independence without God’s Word they will grow in self-reliance and independence and will harden their hearts, close their eyes, and become deaf to the calling of God. When He calls upon them, will they see the need for salvation and forgiveness of sin? Will they see Jesus Christ as redeemer savior? Will they hear God’s calling, repent, turn away from their sinful nature, and believe? It is so hard for us to understand how God is able to give us free will to choose and, at the same time, draw us to Himself. But draw us He does. He knocks at the door to our heart and soul. He makes Jesus known to us. He reveals His holiness and majesty. He makes us aware of His love. And in all of this, some are drawn to Him and some turn away. There are consequences. There is eternal life for those who are drawn to Him and eternal damnation to those who reject His calling. Independence and free will result in a choice for one or the other.

3.z. “The thing that you are doing is not good”

Nehemiah 5:1Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”

I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised. I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

Nehemiah called out the nobles and officials who were, in essence, keeping their brothers in slavery. They were making a profit off of their Jewish brothers and sisters hardship. He called out their sin in a public setting and told them to stop this oppression. What they were doing was right and ok to do in other cultures but in the eyes of God, this was a sinful way to treat their fellow Israelites. When times were hard those who had plenty used it to acquire more from those who had little. I am sure in the minds of those nobles and officials they were following what was culturally acceptable in the business world. After Nehemiah called them out on their sin they agreed and promised, in front of this great gathering of people, to give back the interest, fields, and vineyards they had been taking and to stop this practice. Nehemiah did not stop there. He then called out the priests and made them swear covenant promised before God and everyone. He even called on God to curse them if they did not hold true to their commitment.

We are challenged every day. As followers of Jesus Christ must make decisions that choose between the culturally acceptable practices of this world and what is commanded and expected in God’s word. When we are complacent and neglectful in our devotion and study of His word the clarity between these culturally accepted practices and commands/expectations in God’s word becomes blurred. They become blurred because the word of God is not in us. The desire of His word is not in us. The want to grow, mature, and live to honor God more is not in us. We have been given free will to choose to how we live in honor of the great price Jesus Christ paid for our sin. Does your life honor Him? Are you seeking to know Him more and more? Are you desiring to be changed deep within your heart, mind, and soul in such a way that brings you closer, builds your faith and trust deeper, and honors Jesus Christ more fully each day?

Now is the time to begin living anew for Jesus Christ.

179. Love, Forgiveness, and Unity – and the Lord will reward you

2 Kings 6:18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria.

As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel.

2 Chronicles 28:8-13     The men of Israel took captive 200,000 of their relatives, women, sons, and daughters. They also took much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria.  But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded, and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them, “Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand, but you have killed them in a rage that has reached up to heaven.  And now you intend to subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, as your slaves. Have you not sins of your own against the LORD your God?  Now hear me, and send back the captives from your relatives whom you have taken, for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you.”  Certain chiefs also of the men of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who were coming from the war  and said to them, “You shall not bring the captives in here, for you propose to bring upon us guilt against the LORD in addition to our present sins and guilt. For our guilt is already great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.”

Proverbs 25:21-22     If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,  for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.

Romans 12:21    Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Think of a time when you were wronged or you thought something should have been handled differently. What is the natural reaction to being wronged? What thoughts go through our mind? The world would tell us that we have every right to seek what is right in our eyes, seek retribution, or seek what is approved by society?

No one likes to be wronged. No one likes it when issues are handled in a way that they do not approve of. What is it that seems to get us on a one-way thought process? Is it pride? “I am right”. Is it thinking they are wrong? Is it thinking I am justified in my response and if it is, what are we basing this response on?

Love, forgiveness, and unity are actions we should give thought too. Is what I am thinking of showing love? Am I willing to forgive being wronged? Am I seeking unity or just adding fuel to the fire? If we seek to be led by the Holy Spirit we will be shown how to love in ways that are not natural. If we seek to be led by the Holy Spirit we will forgive where we thought it impossible. If we seek to be led by Holy Spirit we will have a spirit of unity that allows us to let go in the spirit of unity.

We need to be aware of our natural thoughts in matters that cause us to get sideways and take those thoughts captive. Bundle them up in the word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us towards paths of Love, forgiveness, and unity.

174. “What shall I do for you?”

2 Kings 4:1 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.

Ecclesiastes 8:12    Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him.

Psalms 91:2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

Malachi 4:2    But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

Acts 13:26    “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation.

Ecclesiastes 12:13    The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

There are times when all seems too much to bear when trouble and trials seem to stack one on top of another, and we are close to having no hope for tomorrow. When we look at our situation and we compare it with everyone else who does not have the burdens, trials, and troubles it leaves us with questions. In times like this it is natural to question our walk with Jesus and think “did I bring this upon myself,” “is this punishment at the hand of God”, or thought “what have I done to deserve this”. It may be due to one of these or not. It can be a life’s cycle of stuff that happens. We certainly know that stuff happens in this life but we hope it does not happen to us. What are we to do when it does?

Stay in God’s word. Believe in Jesus Christ who is able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine. Keep our eyes, heart, mind, trust, hope, faith, and reliance on Jesus Christ. Scripture is full of examples of God working in the lives of those who have put their hope in Him. Scripture is full of His promises of refuge, courage, peace, rest, joy, and strength. Scripture is full of God intervening in the lives of those who fear Him and are at, what appears to be, no hope. In all of this, we are to have steadfast hope in Him and leave room for and trust in His perfect will. This is where we find the peace that passes all understanding, hope that never fails, and strength and courage to face whatever comes our way.

The old hymn says “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full into His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

21. Broken Spirit

Exodus 5:22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.” But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the people 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 slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’” Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.

We can easily see why the people would not listen to Moses. He, through Aaron, had gone before the people and proclaimed what God had told him. He had done signs in sight of the people and they believed, bowed their heads and worshiped. Then after Moses spoke to Pharaoh their slavery became immediately worse. They thought they were being delivered from their bondage but ended up worse.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen. What is it that diminishes your hope and faith? We have all been there, where we have are close to God, He speaks to our heart through promises in His word, and we find hope, peace and rest in what He revealed to us. Then what happens? Time happens. Our anticipation, hope, peace, and rest in the promises of God got tested by time. Our expectation left no room for time to happen. Our expectation of God’s promises left no room for His purpose and plans.

Our dependence and reliance on God’s promises are not dependent of our expectation of the time when we expect our situation to change. The moment God speaks promises into our heart and soul nothing changes from the aspect of what God will do. Nothing.

Now add time to our situation and soon we think God has changed. Our faith was wasted. Our hope was wrong. Our thought of what He can and will do was abandoned. Yet, God never changed, He will never leave us or forsake us, He will guide us, He will strengthen us, He will bless us, He will lead us, and He will give us courage for each new day.

The next time doubt enters your mind say this “forgive my doubt, I TRUST YOU. If you have to say this a thousand times do it and you will find the doubts soon turn into praises of faith and hope.