Mr. Reliable

Yo. Check out Exodus 2: 23-25. For a long time the Israelites slaved away under the control of Pharaoh and, in addition, they worked under horrible conditions. The aforementioned verses say the following:

"The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them."

These verses are ridiculously comforting. Some may argue that God is far from our dark world and indifferent to our suffering. Many believe He is cold-hearted as He appears to fail to interfere when we need Him most. However, these verses say so much about who our God really is. God is not indifferent. He does not fail us. No, in fact, He hears our cries and not only does he hear us, but he understands our circumstances as He is actively involved in our lives. God wasn't curious as to why the Israelites were groaning. He knew it. He knew their situation and was deeply concerned for them.

Additionally, take comfort in the fact that God is reliable. He made a promise, years and years before to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (the Israelite's ancestors), that He would be their Lord and He intended to keep it. Never did He turn His back from their pain and suffering, but He called forth a leader. Cue Moses.

In fact, the Israelites never faced slavery alone. God was with them in their suffering and provided deliverance. Praise the Lord that this is true for us today, too. Thank God, He is the same today as He was thousands of years ago. God is never-changing. If He was reliable then, He is reliable now and we can trust that He hears our cries. He is concerned for us and will deliver us. However, be aware that our idea of what deliverance should look like is not always accurate according to God's good plan. Our problems may not always instantly disappear and our suffering may not become easier, but trust that God does, indeed, deliver us. Psalm 28 says, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped." God does not fail us.

In my life, I have experienced unpleasant hardships, too. Everyone experiences hardship and it comes in its various forms. Perhaps you have lost a loved one or struggle with depression. Perhaps you can't watch the news because you don't know how to process it while having hope at the same time. Maybe your family situation is not exactly ideal. At times like these, it is truly difficult to accept life's realities because, well, life can be really hard. Yet, in the face of harsh realities we need to hold fast to one, unchanging, reliable truth. God hears us, God cares for us, and God will deliver us in his time. I can imagine that Moses said something similar to the Israelites as is found in Psalm 31: "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord."

Remember, God is our refuge, our strength and our ever-present help in trouble. So take heart, friends, and trust in our Deliverer.

Bold Obedience

Wow. It is amazing what you notice in the Bible when you take the time to read slowly, and with a purpose. So here I am, Exodus 1. I am absolutely blown away by the boldness of the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah. The women are ordered by the ruler of Egypt to kill all boys born to any Hebrew woman. Instead, they do the opposite, saving countless lives (such as Moses, and the book of Exodus would not be the same without him).

Not only do the midwives disobey their orders, but they make up a very convincing argument: "Mr. Pharaoh, we are so sorry, but Hebrew women are just too vigorous for us. They give birth before we can even arrive!" Brilliant. I love what comes next. God is so pleased by their performance that He blesses the women, giving them families of their own and honoring them.

Shiphrah and Puah inspire me. They are devoted to righteousness in the face of evil. They risk their jobs, their safety, their reputations and, more importantly, their lives in defying Pharaoh's orders. Yet, I can almost see them smirking as they explain the situation to Pharaoh, full of confidence in the faithfulness of God as they stand face to face with the outraged king. It seems that their trust in God's provision empowered them to follow the Lord alone, despite the risk. Because of these women, Moses was born. And because of Moses, a whole new Bible story unfolds. Clearly, their devotion to God made all the difference in the lives of generations to come.

I hope that I can be like Shiphrah and Puah, courageous and willing to sacrifice anything in order to remain on the path of righteousness.
Let us strive to make stories of bold obedience to the Most High King.