When hope is hard

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Exodus 5, 6, 7

Exodus 6:9 (NIV)

9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.

Matthew 8:5-10 (NIV)

5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, asking for help. 6”Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.” 7 Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.” 8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, He was astonished and said to those following Him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”

Good morning!

It is difficult to hear a message of hope when life is hard. We focus on our problems, our needs, our worries, and neglect the One who gives us the gift of life. Sometimes we blame Him for our misery. Have you ever cried out in anger and grief to God? Have you ever held Him responsible for your pain?

Moses returned to Egypt. Aaron went with him, and together they did their best to convince the Pharaoh to let God’s people go. It is hard to imagine what this kind of slavery must have been like. The Israelites toiled long hours, under extreme physical duress. Many died each day in their labors to build an even bigger fortress for the evil Pharaoh. They were tortured and tested. They had lost hope in offering their children and grandchildren a life of freedom and prosperity. We may not be able to fully understand just how difficult this life must have been, and yet, we experience different elements of slavery in our own lives today. We are tied to our work, sometimes for long, hard hours each day. We miss family meals and time spent together because our work takes precedence and we feel unable to say no. We are compelled to make money, spend money and save money. Money can become our God if we are not careful.

Our compulsions enslave us. Maybe you like to keep a spotless, dust-free home, and spend every waking minute scrubbing the floors, wiping down the walls, and vacuuming the carpets. This does not happen at my house; yet, there was a time when I was more concerned about the appearance of the interior of my home than I was about spending time playing with my children. That is a big mistake. Let the dust settle and take time to play with your kids. They grow up way too fast. Maybe you find yourself overwhelmed by the needs of your family. Are you a caregiver? Do you have people depending on you for help around the clock? When can you make time to sit in His holy presence to worship and pray? Are there enough hours in your day for all that needs to be accomplished?

Moses was discouraged. He told the Lord that the Israelites would not listen to him. They were far too troubled to hear the message of hope that God sent. And Pharaoh won’t listen because Moses had faltering speech. Do you ever make excuses for not having enough faith to move forward with God?

We can learn a lot from the faith of the Roman Centurion. He served the Roman guard faithfully, overseeing the lives of his soldiers. Romans were hated for their oppression and disregard for their Jewish brothers. The Centurion’s faith in Christ was the result of God’s revealing spirit in this man’s heart. The Centurion understood the principles of faith and obedience. He demonstrated it daily before his troops. When he came to the master healer for help on behalf of his servant who was extremely ill, it was the Centurion’s faith that astounded Jesus. He knew the Lord could speak the word, and it would be done. Do you trust Jesus enough to speak the word and know in your heart that it is already accomplished?

It is difficult to hope when life is hard. When we forget to praise God, trusting Him to lead us through every facet of our life, our faith will falter. We may find ourselves separated and enslaved; lost and seemingly alone. Trust Him and obey, even when you may not understand it fully. Ask God to give you the eyes, ears, and heart of the Centurion. If you are willing, the Lord will help you learn to trust Him more.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: faith. God will give it to you when you fix your eyes on Him. No matter where you find yourself, He will help you when you cry out to Him. Are you willing to trust Him completely today?

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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

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