Trust

Not a Hoof!

The temptation to compromise can be a strong one. We feel that God has called us to do something and we push toward that goal, ultimately settling for most of it. That’s pretty good, right? Close enough.

Growing up, my mother often said (and I often quote her), “‘Good enough’ never is.”

We see that in the… negotiation between Moses and Pharaoh. Moses wants all everyone to go. Pharaoh says “No.” Moses pushes as the Lord instructs him to and Pharaoh says, “Ok, but just the men”. Moses pushes as the Lord instructs him to and Pharaoh says, “Ok, but no livestock!”. Finally, GOD pushes and Pharaoh (and the Egyptians) say(s), “Go! Oh, and also take our silver and gold!”

The first Passover didn’t involved Moses or Aaron waving their staffs or smacking the water, this one was all God. Moses, empowered and emboldened by the call of God took the ball to the 10 yard line (to use a football analogy), but it was God Himself who carried it in for a touchdown.

We often feel like we need to do it. We can accept that God tells us where He wants us to be, but we need to get there under our own power and strength. And when we feel like it’s on us, that’s when the temptation to compromise seeps in. We got so close, let’s just leave the livestock behind! Take the exit presented to us!

But Moses staunchly refuses. He knows God is going to see this thing through and fulfill His promise 100%. We need to have the same trust. God wouldn’t call you to go 100 miles if He really wanted you to go 93 miles. When you come to the end of yourself, that’s when the power, and strength, and glory of the Lord shines through. That’s when He carries us. So the next time you feel tempted to throw in the towel and settle for less than God has called you into… don’t deprive yourself of the fullness of His blessing, instead resolutely stand up and say, “Not a hoof can be left behind!”

Exodus 10-12 | 35/365

What Was God Waiting For?

Exodus opens with the Israelites growing into a mighty sub-nation within Egypt. And so the Egyptians seek to subjugate them with slavery. They do so successfully. But God does nothing. Pharaoh orders all the newborn male children drown, and God does nothing.

Eventually one little boy is hidden in the reeds down the river by his mother. Her hopes and motivations are not stated in the text, but by having her daughter — Miriam — keep watch, it’s clear that she hopes someone will come rescue the child and his sister can report back what has happened.

Moses is taken in by the daughter of Pharaoh. He is raised by Egyptian royalty in the lap of luxury while his people are beaten and enslaved. One day Moses sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew man and killed him. The next day Moses saw two Hebrews fighting each other and asked why they would be attacking their friend!

Shortly after this, Moses fled for his life after Pharaoh put out a decree to have him killed for the murder of the Egyptian man. While in Exile Moses got married and had a son. All the while the Israelites are still enslaved and God still hasn’t done anything. But now, now God begins to move.

What took God so long? Why didn’t he step in right away? Because He was waiting for Moses. Moses demonstrated a zealous (maybe a little OVERzealous) love for his fellow Israelites. And this was the man God wanted to task with bringing the law to His people. This man would be the one who would FIRST write down the words and instructions and history of God and His people.

We need to remember when things are going sideways that God has a plan, a purpose, and a person in mind to do address what’s happened. We have a hard time seeing beyond where we are at in any particular moment, but while we only see what’s on the road in front of us, God can see every road. And he knows when our course will change even if we can’t see it yet.

We need to trust enough to wait on God. He is coming. When the time is right.

Exodus 1:1-4:17, 1 Chronicles 6:1-3a | 032/365

At His Feet

When Jacob finally begins the journey home with his household (which included all his servants, animals, and belongings) he is concerned that his previous actions toward his brother Esau will come home to roost.

He assumes that his father Isaac has likely passed at this point, and with Jacob nowhere to be found, Esau would have inherited everything. Enough to destroy his scheming homecoming brother.

Jacob devises a plan to try and save as many members of his household as possible should Esau and his 400 men have vengeance on their minds. But then he prays to God to save him. To keep him. To protect him.

It is unclear from the text whether Esau’s intentions changed between when he left and when he arrived, or whether Jacob’s newfound faith let him see how badly he treated Esau and so expected a strong retribution.

Either way, when Esau finally arrived, he greeted his brother with a smile and a warm embrace. Jacob’s fear were allayed. God had protected him just as He promised He would… just as Jacob had prayed.

When we have things before us that make us nervous, don’t just make a plan and do it under your own power. Invite God into every step. Let Him form your plans and let Him guide your work. His desire is to take care of his children.

Lay every plan at His feet and ask Him how He would like you to proceed. You won’t be disappointed with the outcome.

Genesis 32-35 | 012/365

Hard Things are Harder, but They’re Better

This is a little piece of wisdom from my wife. She always laughs at it, but I’ve always thought it was profound in it’s obvious simplicity. I think this is what we see in God’s method of bringing his covenant with Abraham to fulfillment. Sarah had trouble conceiving, but Hagar had no such issues. Even elderly Abraham had 6 children with the woman he married after Sarah’s death.

In the same way, Isaac marries Rebekah, who also has fertility issues, they pray to God and she does eventually have twins. Jacob and Esau. But Ishmael, Abraham’s eldest son had no issues producing heirs. 12 boys, not to mention however many girls may also have been born to him.

And then Jacob, the one who would become the namesake for the entire nation of Israel, was called “deceiver” at his birth (and engaged in plenty of shenanigans throughout his life). God seems to enjoy subverting expectations, taking the hard road, and achieving the improbable.

When God says, “Trust me”, He really means it. I’ve witnessed it personally in my life. Several times. There is nothing He cannot do, yield yourself to Him and watch His plan work itself out.

Genesis 25:1-11; 1 Chronicles 1:28-31, 34 | 008/365

Don’t Do God’s Job

God made two promises to Abraham. The first, that his descendants would out number the stars in the sky. The second, that he would be given the land of the Canaanites to possess. Abraham and Sarah wanted a son so badly they could almost taste it. So when God promised them that they would get a son, they took things into their own hands to see how they could “help“ God achieve this goal. Their attempt to aid God led to problems in their marriage, problems in their household, and strife between the descendants of Ishmael and the descendants of Isaac. No such attempt was made to prematurely take the land of Canaan by Abraham and Sarah.

If we believe God is leading us into something that we already want, the temptation is significant to try and “make it happen”, but this is more likely to mess things up than bring them into fruition. If we want to see God work, we should let God work. We don’t step in and say “thanks God, I’ll take it from here”. In 1 Corinthians 4:7 Paul says, “What do you have that you did not receive?”, he recognizes that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father (James 1:7, paraphrased).

Don’t do God’s job. You’ll be bad at it.

Genesis 15-17 | 005/365

I Don’t Deserve This

Some will read this and assume unmerited blessing, some will read this and assume unmerited cursing. Solomon tells us that both come from the Lord (Ecc 7:14), so we should seek to learn in every circumstance.

In the case of Abram and Sarai the Lord has chosen out two to bless and make a covenant with despite any qualifications of which to speak. If fact when Abram is called the only things we know about him are that he is married to a barren woman and that he is the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandson of Noah (Note: Noah only missed Abram’s birth by 2 years… people lived a LONG time back then). Given that God’s call on Noah was to be a “great nation” it would seem that the only qualification Abram and Sarai had was their LACK of qualification. In fact, shortly after God’ promise to Abram he tries to sell his wife into the Egyptian Pharoah’s haram to save his own skin!

In the same way, God has a call on YOUR life. Not because of WHO you are, but because of WHOSE you are. Trust Him and follow him whether you are in a time of prosperity or a time of refining. Both are a blessing and both are shaping you into who God wants you to be so you can fulfil the call He has placed on your life.

But remember! Pride comes before the fall. God pulled no punches in frustrating the plans of the people of Babel who thought more highly of themselves than they ought.

Go with God, learning in all humbleness and submission.

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