Hangin' in there

Passage: Exodus 5:15-23

Moses’ life with God is basically a non-stop nail-biter - waiting on a razor's edge for God to act.  Recall that Moses got the job of God’s ambassador to Egypt entirely against his will.  That Moses has only with great reluctance gone to Pharaoh and said, “Let my people go.”  That every time God tells Moses to do something it involves Moses taking his life into his hands.  The payoff of course has been that God has promised to rescue the Israelites from slavery.

Except that God hasn’t delivered.  And instead, Moses’ visits have antagonized Pharaoh, so that Pharaoh has redoubled his efforts to make life miserable for the Israelites.  The Israelites have come back to Moses and said, “Thanks for nothing.  In fact, thanks for making things worse than they were before.”  Moses says, “Wait a minute, none of this was my idea!”  Moses prays,
“O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”

God hasn’t come through.  Yet.  Moses and his people are so impatient that they accuse God of evil.

How long are we willing to wait for God to act?  We say a prayer.  We wait.  A day.  Maybe a week.  Sometimes a year.  It’s always too long.  When God doesn’t act quickly enough, we assume he’s not going to.  We accuse God of evil.  Life with God is about hangin’ in there.  Waiting and trusting.  Taking God at his word:

For I know the plans I have for you – plans to prosper you and not harm you; plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

God always has our best interests at heart – even when circumstances don’t seem to be going our way.  The Belgic Confession puts it like this:

         “…God is not the author of,
        nor can he be charged with,
        the sin that occurs.
        For his power and goodness
        are so great and incomprehensible
        that he arranges and does his work very well and justly…” 
        (Article 13, excerpt)

Hang in there, and wait for God to complete his good work in his good time.