Thursday, July 2, 2009

God of the difficulties.

Bad Road Network

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.

Exodus 11:9

God’s encouragement to Moses was that He was going to use even the rejection of His will by Pharaoh for His glory. The king might defy the Lord God of Israel, but Egypt would see God’s wonders multiplied among them. They already had. The tenth plague, though horrific, would make a deeply personal and spiritual impact.

This passage also makes it clear that Moses had gained respect with the Egyptians. He had not yet convinced Pharaoh, but the people of the land respected Moses and were in favor of the Israelites (Exodus 11:3). This resulted in Israel leaving Egypt with many of the treasures of the people. So even defiance of God has a purpose by God in His plan. That is an overwhelming sovereignty, but it makes sense. For God to be Who He is, He HAS to be able use even the worst of human choices for His glory. When we see bad road ahead, we should go forward knowing God will take us through it, in ways that His power will be known!

I find this to be a motivating encouragement given my days. This current economic depression has hit home in many personal ways. I know good people who are out of work. I know others who have seen their incomes drop dramatically. I have friends who are trying to sell homes in a depressed housing market because they cannot afford to pay a mortgage, and I have seen ministries (including my own) take substantial set-backs. I have had to make adjustments as well. And it is not easy to experience. But I know this: the banking crash, the housing crash, the construction crash, the governmental takeover of big business… all these did not take God by surprise. Perhaps he wants to get the attention of a pampered and self-driven people. When He does, His wonders are multiplied among those who know Him. That is what I know will happen and it makes no difference whether trillions in tax dollars stimulate our economy or not!

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