Read
The Lord's Promise
22Moses left them and prayed, “Our Lord, why have you brought so much trouble on your people? Is that why you sent me here? 23Ever since you told me to speak to the king, he has caused nothing but trouble for these people. And you haven't done a thing to help.”
1The Lord God told Moses:
Soon you will see what I will do to the king. Because of my mighty power, he will let my people go, and he will even chase them out of his country.
2 My name is the Lord. 3But when I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I came as God All-Powerful and did not use my name. 4I made an agreement and promised them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners. 5Now I have seen how the people of Israel are suffering because of the Egyptians, and I will keep my promise.
6Here is my message for Israel: “I am the Lord! And with my mighty power I will punish the Egyptians and free you from slavery. 7I will accept you as my people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I was the one who rescued you from the Egyptians. 8I will bring you into the land that I solemnly promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and it will be yours. I am the Lord!”
9When Moses told this to the Israelites, they were too discouraged and mistreated to believe him.
10Then the Lord told Moses 11to demand that the king of Egypt let the Israelites leave. 12But Moses replied, “I'm not a powerful speaker. If the Israelites won't listen to me, why should the king of Egypt?” 13But the Lord sent Aaron and Moses with a message for the Israelites and for the king. He also ordered Aaron and Moses to free the people from Egypt.
26The Lord had commanded Aaron and Moses to lead every family and tribe of Israel out of Egypt, 27and so they told the king of Egypt to set the people of Israel free.
Reflect
“I promise . . . ” “Take my word for it . . . ” Famous last words from people who make promises only to break them. We take someone at their word to discover their word didn’t amount to much. Marriage vows are no longer taken seriously. Relationships are full of heartache and disappointment, misuse and abuse. Trust is nowhere to be found.
Such was the case with the children of Israel. They had faced an abundance of all of the above in their lives at the hand of fellow human beings. “But,” you say, “these were God’s so-called ‘chosen people.’” It is no wonder they were “too discouraged to believe him.” Their cries for help seemed to fall on deaf ears. Thus, they felt abandoned and hung out to dry by a God who didn’t seem to care. Not to mention being represented by a guy who didn’t have the confidence to speak on their behalf. Ever been there?
So why do you think that God sometimes holds back on fulfilling his promises? Could it be that God is more interested in our character than in our comfort? Or that he is more interested in our holiness than our happiness? Perhaps it’s that he wants us to put our trust and confidence in the Promise Keeper more than in the promise he gives?
Just like Moses, we must learn to go straight to the Source of our disappointment and discouragement; none other than the Almighty, All-powerful, All-knowing, Sovereign Lord. He has promised to lead us to a greater Promised Land where there will be no more tears or sadness, nor sickness nor pain, nor abuse, nor heartache. He has promised to go before us; and in fact, already has. Trust that he who promised is faithful. You can take him at his word!
Respond
Almighty God, you are the Great I Am. You alone are my Lord and my Deliverer. You are faithful and true to your word. You are, indeed, the Promise Keeper. Help me to put my trust in you today so that others will know that you are the One who rescued me. Amen.
Lisa Elliott
Lisa Elliott is a popular inspirational speaker and award-winning author of The Ben Ripple; Choosing to Live through Loss with Purpose and Dancing in the Rain. Born and raised in Toronto, ON, Lisa is a graduate of Ontario Bible College (Tyndale). She is a pastor’s wife of over 25 years and mother of four children (3 on earth, 1 in heaven). She has written for Just Between Us Magazine and writes a column for Word Alive Press’s website entitled, Straight from the Heart. Lisa’s passion is to share the life changing truths and principles from God’s Word straight from the heart. She and her husband, David are presently serving the Lord in London, Ontario.