FRIDAY, JANUARY 18
Exodus 5:1-19
Ecclesiastes 5:8

“Turn your eyes
upon Jesus.”

TROUBLES - WHY SO MANY?

The request that God gave to Moses and Aaron to present to Pharaoh was a common one for slaves to make, one that the Egyptians would generally accede to. But Pharaoh refused to let the Hebrews worship their God even for three short days. In fact, he accused them of wanting to skive. He told the taskmasters that since these Hebrews could cry for a trip to the wilderness for a feast to their God, they must be idling. So, he instructed that the Hebrew slaves were to find their own straw to make bricks and still produce their usual daily output. And when they could not, the Hebrew supervisors were beaten by the Egyptians. When asked, the Egyptian taskmasters told them they deserved the beating for they were idle and wanted to go on a religious trip. Why did they have even more trouble when they were just obeying God?

God was revealing how unreasonable Pharaoh was. If he would not even allow them to go to the wilderness to worship Him, why would he let them leave Egypt? And by the increased torture just for a basic request to worship God, the children of Israel would have known that Pharaoh was a wicked master that he did not let them worship and serve their Lord. It is a spiritual battle we face whenever we seek to obey God, to worship Him, and to serve Him. When you wish to do something for God (eg. be regular at worship, take leave to attend church camp, go for prayer meeting, attend fellowship, attend FEBC classes, or serve on a committee), suddenly your company, your boss, or teacher gives you extra work, or family crises arise, or some problem or other makes it almost too challenging to do what God desires you to do. God allows these things to show us our heart as well. How do you view all these setbacks? We must expect that difficulties will not let up in life. But will you give in and give up? View the increased burdens and difficulties with spiritual eyes. It will help you to persevere.

THOUGHT: When troubles in life increase as I seek to turn to God and obey Him, how do I view them?
PRAYER: LORD, help me to view such troubles with spiritual eyes.