Exodus 6:9 is indeed a low spot in the hearts of the Israelites. This is emphatically stressed by the complete rejection of all that precedes 6:9. According to the NASB, there are 15 confirmation, assurance, hope, promise and character citations of God. That's in excess of one per verse.This includes 5 references to Who God is, 2 cites of God admitting He has heard the pleas of the oppressed people, and 7 poignant statements of what God will do for them. And all this is met with this sad rejection: "but they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and cruel bondage.(NLT: "So Moses told the people of Israel what the LORD had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.")
Sometimes it seems things have to get worse before they get better.
As the story proceeds, it is evident that God worked on behalf of His people in spite of His people's continued broken spirit. This gives strong support to the eradication of faith being a necessity for God's intervention to happen. These people had no faith. Moses' faith is on shifting sand. At times great faith moves the heart of God, and at times it seems God simply helps us when we have not even the grunt to pray.
The issue is focus.Situations do not have the power to make me despondent. I make myself despondent. And this happens when the cross-hairs hope are lined up with something of this world. I desire to be were Habakkuk was at the end of the book. Every earthly hope was shattered! Yet his hope in Yahweh was firm. God would eventually intercede. The last verse in Habakkuk makes me chuckle. "He has made my feet like hinds' feet." Deer are seemingly always alert, jumping and bounding about.
The last few days have had many prayer partners inform me they are especially burdened to pray more for us. Thank-you so much. This has made the days easier. At times i border close to despondency. On occasions I can feel a broken spirit. We hope, and hope, and nothing seems to work to beat down the cancer. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Proverbs 13:12). But the Holy Spirit has kept me hopeful. Your prayers keep me going. Thanks so much. I know God will come through in a marvelous way in the end. I believe that with all my heart. We continue to aim at the hope laid before us which is the anchor of our soul (Hebrews 6:18f).
Man today I am having one of those days where everything seems meaningless and hopeless. O well its only my fault for allowing the devil to rule me this way. Need to pull my head out of my rear end and get on with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIf our head is your rear end you ought to be comforted that you are at least still looking forward, albeit it probably is so dark that all you can see is the crap that is still coming. Ya, the devil will use whatever method works for the day to get us looking up our rear. Better to fall in line and look at the Savior in front of us. He will get us out of our rear and put us in gear. God bless you, buddy. We are still praying for you guys!
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