Slideshow image
Scripture for the day: Exodus 5:6-9 So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.”
Thought for the day: Well, surgery went well and, so far at least, recovery has been nearly pain free. Bless God! I’ll start physical therapy right after Thanksgiving and hope to be well on the mend by the New Year. The doctor has cleared me to type as long as I don’t try to lift the lap-top or move my shoulder in any way, shape or form. I can deal with that.
Now, on to today’s scripture. By way of background, the people of Israel had come to Egypt as honored guests when Joseph was second only to Pharaoh in power and influence. They enjoyed years of peaceful co-existence with the Egyptians but, slowly perhaps, their status deteriorated until they one day woke to the realization that they’d been enslaved and all those freedoms they’d once enjoyed were now a thing of the past. Enter Moses.
From out of the desert came the one God had sent to deliver His people and Moses, along with Aaron, his brother, set about making demands on the one who dared keep God’s people in chains. They confronted Pharaoh and politely asked that he allow the children of Israel to go into the desert so they could worship freely. Pharoah, being the gentleman he was, replied, “Why certainly, my friend, feel free to come and go as you please.” No, no! Of course not. He said, “Are you kidding? That’s never going to happen; not as long as I have you here as free labor. Now, get back to work!” Then Pharaoh took the one thing the children of Israel had left; the straw that was a primary ingredient for the bricks they made.
Moses cried out to the Lord when things went from bad to worse and, essentially, the Lord ignored him. He just kept on telling Moses to take the next step and to trust Him. In effect, the Lord was saying to the children of Israel, and to us, “Your personal possessions are indifferent to Me. What is important is you, and your continued trust in My provision.” Enter Jesus.
Standing on the hillside, facing several thousand people who had come to see a miracle or receive some word of hope, He said, “Blessed are you when people hate you and persecute you for My name’s sake.” Jesus went on to remind His listeners that, if we are going to follow Him, there is no time to worry about or protect what is ours. We have not time to look for justice in our lives. We must understand that to follow Him is to open ourselves to injustice from a world that hates Him. But to demand justice for ourselves detracts from our devotion to Him. Jesus always provided justice for others but never expected it from them.
The message we have from Exodus and from the Sermon on the Mount is just this: when Jesus calls, we are to simply follow on with what He has directed us to do and trust Him to guard our lives. When we try to take care of these things ourselves, we remove ourselves from His promise of protection. As Oswald Chambers said, “The most devout among us become atheistic in this connection; we do not believe God, we enthrone common sense and tack the name of God on it. We lean on our own understanding instead of trusting God with all our hearts.”
Move on. Follow the Lord wherever He leads you and “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Now go take on your world. - Bill