Burunche’s Blog

Exodus 8:25 – 32 “Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.” But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us? We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.” Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”

“As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will pray to the LORD, so that tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh and his officials and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceitfully again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the LORD.” Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD, and the LORD did as Moses requested. He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not one fly remained. But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time as well, and he would not let the people go.”

Despite the fact that God has already exposed several of the Egyptian gods as being worthless by graphically demonstrating that they have no power, Pharaoh still doesn’t really believe it. And Pharaoh still thinks he can negotiate with God. Pharaoh wants the Israelites to stay within Egypt; however, the animals the Israelites need to sacrifice would cause the Egyptians to riot.

Pharaoh’s next argument is that he will allow the Israelites to go into the wilderness to make sacrifices, but they must not go very far. Pharaoh still has the idea that he is in control; he hasn’t yet realized that things are rapidly deteriorating. Moses and Aaron fully realize that Pharaoh is not really serious and that he’s going to change his mind. But Moses is willing to act in good faith and to see what Pharaoh will do.

APPLICATION: Big men are everywhere – bosses, politicians, department chairmen or chairwomen, and leaders in various organizations, including churches. And many of us are more or less at the mercy of the “big people.” But what do you do when you know what God wants you to do but the “big man/big woman” is pushing you to compromise? How far are you willing to go to defend the truth?

During our missionary careers, we have seen several missionaries face this question. Sometimes the individuals sent to analyze a possible project do not have the necessary experience or knowledge for the task. Sometimes missionaries encounter unexpected problems that develop in the course of a project; meanwhile, their sending agencies refuse to believe their reports. Sometimes the problems stem from national church leaders who would rather have a succession of fledgling missionaries than to have more experienced missionaries who might detect fraud or mishandling of funds.

Things may be no better off the mission field. Recent political events have exposed corruption at a number of levels in both government and business. Many righteous workers have found themselves being persecuted for telling the truth. Currently some arbiters of social media are attempting to muzzle any opinions that do not agree with theirs. Some day we will have to stand before God. At that point, the question will be simple: did we take a stand for righteousness?

1 Corinthians 10:13 states “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.” The temptation to compromise is always there; however, God also will provide us means of escape from that temptation. Sometimes the only way we can escape is by telling the truth and trusting that God will protect us.

When the Declaration of Independence was being signed, those signing it mutually pledged “Our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” Those signing realized that they had made themselves targets by signing that document. Many of those signing eventually paid a high price, either with their lives, or with their fortunes. But despite all the odds, despite all adversity, they maintained their sacred honor to the end. Is your honor sacred to you, or can you be bought? Today in some parts of the world, Christians have had to pay the ultimate price when they refused to reject Christ. We must search our hearts and ask God to help us so that in the time of trial we will remain faithful.

PRAYER: Father God, raises up leaders who will swear to their own hurt and who will not change! Cause those of us entrusted with truth to refuse to compromise. Protect our families! Protect the innocent! And help us to be steadfast, even when circumstances become extremely difficult. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 8:16 – 19 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’” This they did, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, gnats came upon man and beast. All the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the land of Egypt. The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast. “This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.”

For sheer torment, few things are more disturbing than a swarm of gnats. Gnats are so small that they are difficult to see, but when they bite, it feels as if they have little chain saws and are attacking you. Animals attacked by swarms of gnats can literally go berserk, running helter skelter and trampling anything or anybody in their path. In some countries during gnat season, people take special precautions and even daub animals with some kind of protective salve that repels the gnats.

The third plague, gnats, was a judgment on Set, the god of the desert. Unlike the previous plagues, the magicians were unable to duplicate this one and declared to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” The Egyptian magicians weren’t stupid! They knew what their magic would do and gnats were not included in their powers. The magicians realized that they were in the presence of a superior Power and tried to advise Pharaoh, but Pharaoh wasn’t listening.

Exodus 8:20 – 24 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, and when Pharaoh goes out to the water, stand before him and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. But if you will not let My people go, I will send swarms of flies upon you and your officials and your people and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground where they stand will be full of flies.

But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land. I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’” And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials. Throughout Egypt the land was ruined by swarms of flies.”

The fourth plague, flies, was a judgment on Uatchit, the fly god. In this plague, God clearly distinguished between the Israelites and the Egyptians, as no swarms of flies bothered the areas where the Israelites lived. There are all kinds of flies in the world; it’s likely that these flies were large biting flies. When the flies died, a layer of dead flies several inches thick carpeted everything. The flies ruined anything into which they could enter and they entered everywhere! For anybody who had been mindlessly worshiping Uatchit, this should have been a wake – up call that their worship was worthless. What kind of a god is it that allows its representatives to die? (Is this where the expression “die like flies” got started?)

APPLICATION: The One True Living God will not be mocked, now will He give His glory to demons. Whatever is most important to you is the object of your worship. The Egyptians had become used to worshiping all kinds of reptiles, insects, the sun, the Nile River, etc. While we may feel superior because we wouldn’t do such a thing, consider that as this devotional is being written, there are those who are pushing for school children in one state to chant the names of ancient Aztec gods. Such a proposal denies the existence of the One True Living God and substitutes summoning demons instead.

How do these plagues demonstrate God’s mercy? God wants everyone to have the opportunity to accept Him. It is not God’s will that anyone should die outside the love of God. Even as God was sending the plagues, God was trying to demonstrate to the Egyptians to the Israelites that He was the sovereign God and worthy of worship.

Whom or what are you worshiping? If you aren’t sure whether or not God actually exists, pray and ask Him to show Himself to you.

PRAYER: Father God, please show Yourself to everyone who reads this. Let them know how much You love them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 7:14 – 25 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning as you see him walking out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness. But you have not listened until now. This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will turn to blood. The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water.’”

And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.” Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood. The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. And there was blood throughout the land of Egypt.

But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. Instead, Pharaoh turned around, went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink the water from the river. And seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.”

If there was one thing the Egyptians really relied on, it was the Nile River. The Nile provided drinking water, fish, transportation, commerce, and a host of other benefits. When the Nile flooded, it would bring fresh new dirt to help rejuvenate farm lands. The Egyptians had a whole series of irrigation canals to divert water from the Nile into their fields. Everybody in Egypt depended on the Nile, until the morning that Aaron stretched out his hand, struck the waters, and all the Nile water turned to blood. Not only did the water in the river turn to blood, but every bit of water that had been collected from the river, including all the water in every storage vessel. The water smelled like rotting blood, and all the fish died, making the stench far worse. The only means of getting drinking water was to dig shallow wells away from the river and hope the water would be fresh.

This miracle is the first plague to hit Egypt at the hands of Moses and Aaron. From now on, the plagues will escalate. What must Moses and Aaron have thought when they saw that water turn to blood? “WHOA!!! IT REALLY WORKS! GOD WASN’T KIDDING!” The poor Egyptian commoners probably were frightened and confused. The Israelite elders were probably amazed, although they too may have had to dig wells to get water. But the one man in the situation who had control refused to acknowledge that there was anything wrong.

APPLICATION: Sometimes you may find yourself caught in a dilemma: you know there’s something major wrong, but you cannot convince the people over you to re-examine the situation. James 1 tells us that God does not tempt us but that we are led away by our own desires; in other words, we choose to believe false concepts. During our missionary careers, we have witnessed several examples of wishful thinking. In one case, the mission group knew ahead of time that the businessman with whom they were working was not really a Christian; however, this group wanted so much to get that particular project going that they ignored all the warning signs, including warnings from knowledgeable people who visited the project. In another case, an outside NGO (Non – governmental organization) failed to thoroughly investigate before channeling money into a project.

Another problem is the “Big Man” syndrome, as in “The Big Man is always right!” There are many reasons that someone reaches a post of superiority and control over others. Sometimes these positions are earned honestly; however, in the case of the Egyptian Pharaoh, his post was a hereditary one. The Pharaoh with whom Moses and Aaron contended had been groomed from childhood to assume that position. At the same time, those teaching the young Pharaoh had also deferred to him and had made sure that he was aware that he would be an all – powerful ruler. When two scruffy old Hebrews showed up with their requests, Pharaoh was not impressed; besides, his magicians could duplicate the first two miracles that these men performed. No, these two were just trouble makers. Of course, the Egyptian commoners might have had a different view, but who cared about them? From the time of Joseph, the land of Egypt had become Pharaoh’s property, and he controlled all the people anyway. At this point, all Aaron and Moses could do was to hang on and see what God wanted to do next.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that YOU are the Lord of the Universe and not some man! Thank you that you care for us, that you are the very embodiment of light and truth. Cause your face to shine upon us and let your truth be known in our lives. And help us to continue to follow you, even when we meet stiff opposition. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

S

Exodus 8:1- 15 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. The Nile will teem with frogs, and they will come into your palace and up to your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and your people, and into your ovens and kneading bowls. The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’” And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds, and cause the frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.’”

So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt. Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.” Moses said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor over me. When shall I pray for you and your officials and your people that the frogs (except for those in the Nile) may be taken away from you and your houses?” “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh answered.

“May it be as you say,” Moses replied, “so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.” After Moses and Aaron had left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD for help with the frogs that He had brought against Pharaoh. And the LORD did as Moses requested, and the frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields died. The people piled them into countless heaps, and there was a terrible stench in the land. When Pharaoh saw there was relief, however, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.”

The ten disasters that God inflicted on Egypt constituted a systematic unmasking of the Egyptian gods as worthless and powerless. The first plague, turning the Nile to blood, was a judgment against Apis, the god of the Nile, Isis, goddess of the Nile, and Khnum, guardian of the Nile. The Nile was also believed to be the bloodstream of Osiris, who was reborn each year when the river flooded. (The turning of all Nile River water to blood proves that God has a sense of humor: “You think this is the bloodstream of Osiris? Fine! You’ve got blood!”) The river, which formed the basis of daily life and the national economy, was devastated, as millions of fish died in the river and the water was unusable. Pharaoh was told, “By this you will know that I am the LORD” (Exodus 7:17).

The second plague, bringing frogs from the Nile, was a judgment against Heqet, the frog-headed goddess of birth. Frogs were thought to be sacred and not to be killed. God had the frogs invade every part of the homes of the Egyptians, and when the frogs died, their stinking bodies were heaped up in offensive piles all through the land (Exodus 8:13–14). (Source: What was the meaning and purpose of the ten plagues of Egypt? | GotQuestions.org)

APPLICATION: Even in these plagues, God was still trying to have mercy on the Egyptians just as much as on the Israelites. The love of God always has been for all people, not for just a chosen few. Through these signs, God was reaching out to the Egyptians. It was as if God was crying out, “Here! Look to me, the One True Living God! Why are you worshiping worthless things when you can worship me? Why won’t you let me give you the eternal life you long for so much that you try to preserve your dead, thinking that is the way to life after death?”

Recently on one of the satellite TV channels there have been programs about the treasures of ancient Egypt. Splendid gold – covered items, plus food, water, etc., were buried with the pharaohs for their use in the afterlife. But the pharaohs died and their bodies decayed, their treasured items stolen by tomb robbers. None of those treasures did anything for them.

In what are you trusting? What is your source of security? Are you trusting in your job? your business? your family? Your life savings? If the COVID pandemic has not taught us anything else, it should have taught us that businesses and jobs can disappear overnight, leaving people unable to pay mortgages or rent. Several years ago, many who thought they had wisely invested in retirement savings plans found themselves greeting people at Walmart when those savings plans evaporated in Ponzi schemes. Americans who have trusted that Social Security would be there for them are finding it anything but secure.

There is an old hymn, the first stanza of which reads, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but only lean on Jesus’ Name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.” Now more than ever, that hymn is true. Only the love of God as expressed in Christ Jesus, His Son, will save us from our sins and from ourselves.

PRAYER: FATHER GOD, THANK YOU THAT YOU ARE THE ONE TRUE LIVING GOD! THANK YOU THAT YOU NEVER CHANGE OR FAIL! You are the One in whom we can hope. You are the One who can save us from our sins. You are the One who can deliver us in the midst of terrible circumstances. Lord, help us to love you and to praise you all of our days. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 7:1 – 13 “The LORD answered Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron must declare it to Pharaoh so that he will let the Israelites go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt, and by mighty acts of judgment I will bring the divisions of My people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.”

So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them. Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh. The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ you are to say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a serpent. ”

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent. But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts. Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs. Still, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.”

Moses and Aaron are back at Pharaoh’s court with a message from God. This time God has instructed them to perform a miracle, even though God is already warning them that Pharaoh is not going to listen. But God is promising to multiply sings and wonders in the land of Egypt. Why signs and wonders if Pharaoh isn’t going to listen?

There are actually three different audiences involved here: Pharaoh and the Egyptians, the Israelites, and Moses and Aaron themselves. These signs and wonders are important for each group. God wants to impress on everyone involved that He is the One True Living God. Unlike the multiple demons that the Egyptians are worshiping, God is the real Ruler of the universe.

1. The signs and wonders are going to come in an escalating fashion so that by the end of them, Pharaoh and the Egyptians will literally drive the Israelites out of Egypt.

2. At the beginning of this story, the Israelites have only a dim view of who God is, how big and how powerful He is, and how much He can do. They need to have their faith built up.

3. Moses and Aaron are going to have to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Just like the other Israelites, Moses and Aaron really need to learn about God.

Moses and Aaron deliver their message, and Pharaoh demands a miracle. Somehow the Egyptian magicians are able to turn their rods into snakes through their magic and the power of evil. But Aaron’s rod that has become a snake swallows up the other snakes, indicating that Aaron’s God is bigger than that of the magicians. Pharaoh is probably impressed, but he isn’t impressed enough to release the Israelites.

APPLICATION: Once more, we must realize that even fulfilling God’s perfect will for your life does not mean that others will be impressed or that they will pay attention to your message. It’s very interesting that God starts out with a very simple message and a very simple miracle. Could Pharaoh have listened and agreed? Of course! Pharaoh had free will and could make decisions. But God already knew that Pharaoh was going to harden his heart.

In spiritual growth and the walk of faith there are no shortcuts. We have to start by believing for very simple things before we can believe for something bigger. Today is St. Patrick’s Day. Patrick was a brave believer who challenged the forces of darkness and brought the light of the Gospel to Ireland. But in the beginning, Patrick had to move slowly and learn what God wanted him to do before he could go forward. Eventually, Patrick did many miracles; however, it took time to reach that point.

Do you feel that you have taken a stand for righteousness but nobody is listening? Go back and ask God. If you are saying what God wants you to say, sooner or later, God will open ears and hearts. But there is nothing instant in the life of faith.

PRAYER: ST. PATRICK’S BREASTPLATE

I arise today 
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God’s strength to pilot me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

[Note that people sometimes pray a shorter version of this prayer just with these 15 lines about Christ above. The conclusion follows below.]

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

Exodus 6:10 – 13 “So the LORD said to Moses, “Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his land.” But in the LORD’s presence Moses replied, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, then how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I am unskilled in speech?” Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge concerning both the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.”

At this point, Moses is caught between the proverbial rock and the hard place. The Israelite elders are furious because they feel that if Moses had just not come along and disturbed things, everything would still be fine, thank you. Of course the Israelites would still be slaves suffering under Egyptian oppression, but the elders aren’t thinking clearly. Moses tries the argument about being an unskilled speaker on God once more; however, God ignores his complaints. And at the end, God simply orders Moses and Aaron, charging them to speak to Pharaoh and to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. The pressure on Moses is enormous!

APPLICATION: Have you ever prayed earnestly about a situation, only for it to get worse? Just when you were looking for some relief, the pressures mounted and you found yourself stuck with only one option, to keep going.

There is a famous painting of General George Washington kneeling in the snow and praying at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. This incident really happened. Washington was in a desperate situation with few troops suffering from a bitterly cold winter and with all the forces of the British Army opposing him. Many of those living in the colonies at that point did not support Washington and hoped that if they just could placate the British that all would be forgotten and they would be welcomed back into the British Empire. The situation was desperate, and it was in that hour that General Washington turned to the only One who could help him, the One True Living God.

Washington prayed, and God answered. The success of the American Revolution stemmed partly from that snowy prayer session. In many ways, George Washington faced a number of the same problems that Moses did. Washington had a number of leaders who thought revolution was a great idea until they actually had to suffer. At that point, many leaders changed their minds and became some of Washington’s severest critics. Had Washington not prayed and had he listened to his critics, America might never have been born.

Following God’s will can lead us into all kinds of problems. Family and friends who fail to understand are likely to criticize and raise doubts. The farther along we go, the fewer people will continue to support us. At some points we may feel that we are totally alone.

In the middle 1990’s our small Ghanaian village was caught up in an ethnic conflict. We were the only source of medical care for nearly 100,000 people and my husband and I were the only ones who could safely travel out to buy supplies for the medical center. Communication was difficult if not impossible. There were no cell phones and routine phone calls could stall before they made it out of the country. Mail service was spotty at best and frequently quite slow. It was at this point that one supporting church chose to write to us, indicating that they had decided that we did not fit into their missions program, so they were stopping support. “Lonely” does not begin to describe the way we felt when we received that letter.

I tell this story to illustrate the fact that following God’s will can lead you into very tight places. But remember that if God has led you into a difficult place, He is the One responsible for helping you get out of it. God’s mercy is not limited and God is not Santa Claus. God wants to perfect each of us into His Image, and sometimes that process is painful and difficult. But remember that God cares for you so much that He does not want to leave you wallowing in the mud of your own shortcomings. There’s a country Gospel song that says “I’m just an old lump of coal, but I’m going to be a diamond some day!” Remember that it takes huge amounts of pressure to turn coal into diamonds. Are you under pressure? Hang in there! Some day you will be a diamond fit for a King.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that you are continuing to help us, to nurture us, to perfect us. Help us to wait patiently and not to give way under your pressure, knowing that you love us too much to leave us as lumps of coal. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 6:1 – 9 “But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for because of My mighty hand he will let them go; because of My strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” God also told Moses, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not make Myself known to them by My name, ‘the LORD.’ I also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as foreigners. Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant.

Therefore tell the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD!’” Moses relayed this message to the Israelites, but on account of their broken spirit and cruel bondage, they did not listen to him.”

Things are heating up in Egypt! Moses finds himself stuck between the Israelites, who are blaming him for their suffering and Pharaoh, who views him as a trouble maker. Things are getting even worse as Pharaoh’s task masters take this opportunity to abuse the Israelite workers.

The Israelites are thrilled when they first hear the message from Moses, but now they wish Moses had stuck with those sheep in the wilderness! God encourages Moses, who then relays His messages to the Israelites, but the Israelites aren’t interested. Frankly, the Israelite elders never thought following God was going to be this difficult! Evidently, the Israelites have selectively remembered the nice parts of the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, while forgetting the years of suffering. Jacob’s twenty years of service to Laban, Joseph’s career as a prisoner and slave for thirteen years before his promotion – nobody wants to remember that stuff!

You can almost hear the elders thinking, “If God is promising to remember His covenant and to take us as His own people, why doesn’t He just do it and get it over with??” The elders have no idea that years of slavery and security in Egypt have left their people unfit for the rigors of the desert, let alone returning to the Promised Land and conquering the tribes still living there. Frankly, at this point, the Israelites aren’t tough enough to make it outside Egypt, and God has a lot of work to do before they will even be able to leave.

APPLICATION: Several years ago, there was an excellent study of the Book of James by Paul E. Billheimer entitled “Don’t Waste Your Sorrows.” (It’s still available through Amazon.) The main message of the book was that God brings us suffering to refine us and to purify us. When we fight against the suffering, we frustrate God’s purposes. If we will look at our suffering and try to learn everything we can from it, we will redeem it and our troubles will not have been wasted.

One of the biggest lessons to come out of the COVID pandemic is the realization of how precious personal contact and touch can be. Many people realize that the family gatherings, the meals with friends, contribute to emotional and mental health and are to be treasured and not to be taken for granted.

What kind of problems are you facing now? Ask God to show you what He wants you to learn from those problems and try to squeeze every bit of goodness you can out of them.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that you use suffering to purify us and to cleanse us. Help us to be willing to accept your discipline and to hang on, knowing that you are working things out for our good. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 5: 15 – 23 “So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way? No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.” “You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.”

The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.” When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them. “May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”

So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.”

Poor Moses and Aaron! They have delivered the message that God has given them and they have proven themselves to the Israelite elders. They have fulfilled all of God’s orders so far. Why are things going so badly? The same elders who were so happy to receive Moses’s message are having second and third thoughts. What God knows and Moses does not is that the Israelites aren’t fully convinced of the need to leave Egypt. It’s going to take a whole lot more suffering before the Israelites will really be ready to leave Egypt. Until the Israelites are truly miserable, they will not be ready to completely leave Egypt.

APPLICATION: Doing the right thing does not always get you popularity or even approval by your superiors. If you have prayed and asked God to guide you, if you are convinced that you are doing the right thing, you must be ready to continue, even in the face of adversity.

When we first went to the small northern Ghanaian village in which we have spent most of our missionary careers, things were very difficult. In those days, there were no cell phones and the road system was so bad that a trip to our regional capital took 5 hours in dry season and more in rainy season. Many people in our situation were not aware of my qualifications and there were many people in our situation ready to carry wild stories about me to regional health authorities.

The change in public opinion came when our area was convulsed by an ethnic conflict. Suddenly our small clinic was the only source of medical care for nearly 100,000 people from one tribal group. Efforts by regional authorities to send health workers into the area failed. As we expanded our services to include operations and blood transfusions, we transformed a small health center building into a 37 bed bush hospital with a small laboratory, an operating theater, and a pharmacy. Ironically, it was that upheaval that led to the establishment of what is now a district hospital.

What problems are you facing? Are you having second thoughts after having made a good start? If you believe that God has led you to your current position, HOLD ON!!! God is still in the miracle business and He can use the most difficult of circumstances to work His Will.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for working everything out in our situations. Thank you that we can trust you even when we don’t understand what you are doing. Help us to hang on and trust you! In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 5:1 – 5 “After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.” “The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”

But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your work!” Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.”

At the time of Moses, Egypt was a world power and Pharaoh was one of the most important rulers in the world. Egypt was a center of learning, of culture, and of , education. Ever since the time of Joseph, the Israelites had occupied the land of Goshen, continuing to herd their animals. As far as the Egyptians were concerned, the Israelites were little better than their animals. And now that Pharaoh had enslaved the Israelites, the Egyptians had even less regard for them.

When Moses and Aaron turn up at the Egyptian royal court with their announcement, Pharaoh is not impressed. After all, the Egyptians have a whole host of gods and everybody knows how to propitiate them; why should the God of the Hebrews be any different? None of the Egyptian gods has ever threatened to strike the country with plagues or with the sword. The Egyptians have been living peacefully for a long time; the eventual overthrow of Egypt by Assyria is far in the future at this point. Pharaoh figures all he has to do is give these people more work and they will forget this ridiculous idea!

Exodus 5:6 – 14 “That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen: “You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw. But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies.”

So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am no longer giving you straw. Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it; but your workload will in no way be reduced.’” So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.” Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?”

Whew! Things are getting difficult! Just about now, those Israelite elders who were so excited to hear what Moses and Aaron had to say are beginning to question their own sanity. A perfectly reasonable request to carry out a small act of worship has resulted in major persecution. At this point, Moses and Aaron are probably wondering if they heard God rightly as well.

APPLICATION: Many times, doing the right and just thing can bring you nothing but trouble. During our first mission assignment, there came a point where someone who had supposedly donated land and a building for a new mission hospital suddenly was demanding a large amount of financial “appreciation.” While raising funding in America, I was confronted by a family friend knowledgeable in missions. This honest Midwestern farmer had asked me point blank if this project was going to benefit any private individual and I had told him “Absolutely not!” In addition, the mission in which we were serving belonged to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, ECFA. ECFA asserted that funds raised for one purpose could not be diverted to any other purpose without the express written consent of the donors. Failure to secure such consent would constitute a breach of contract between donors and the mission agency.

At one point I had to hand out ECFA brochures at a hospital board meeting and point out the clause in the ECFA statement covering this problem. Blessedly, the board agreed and we were able to keep faith with our donors and our mission, but it was a very difficult time.

Sometimes we must take a stand for righteousness and not back down. While we may suffer for such a position, it is far better to be able to stand before the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart than to have to admit that we have compromised. God will be merciful in encouraging and comforting us, but sometimes the only way out of a bad situation is to go through it.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us and caring for us so much that you arrange every bit of our lives, even the tough stuff. Thank you that when we encounter opposition, we only have to be sure that you are with us and then to hang on. And thank you that you do bring your children through, giving us the courage to suffer if necessary. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 4:27 – 31 “Meanwhile, the LORD had said to Aaron, “Go and meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. And Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and all the signs He had commanded him to perform. Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron relayed everything that the LORD had said to Moses. And Moses performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.”

Throughout the story of the Exodus, Aaron’s performance is very uneven. Sometimes Aaron does the right thing and does it better than anybody else. Other times, Aaron waffles and falls to public opinion. But here at the beginning, Aaron listens to God and obeys. Remember that Aaron hasn’t even seen Moses for forty years and isn’t certain that Moses is even alive. Now God is instructing Aaron to go out into the desert to an unknown place to meet Moses. How does God speak to Aaron? Does Aaron hear an audible voice, or does God just impress something on Aaron’s spirit? Eventually Aaron’s descendants will be the priests of Israel; perhaps God gives Aaron a special ability to hear His Voice.

Aaron manages to meet Moses. How do these two men find each other out there in the wilderness? Again, this meeting has God’s fingerprints all over it; thousands of miles of scrub trees, rocks, and very little else, and Aaron succeeds in finding Moses. Why talk about this meeting when it only gets two sentences in this chapter? The story of Moses and the Exodus is full of miracles of all sizes. Consider the fact that not only Moses but also Aaron survived the Pharaoh’s attempts to kill all the Hebrew boy babies. Now Aaron, who has been living in Egypt all this time and who has never traveled outside the land of Goshen, succeeds in traveling into the wilderness and meeting Moses. And Aaron believes Moses after not seeing him for forty years – yet another miracle! God must have really said some strong stuff to Aaron.

The next miracle is no less important: the elders of Israel choose to believe Aaron and Moses. Most of those men have probably written Moses off years ago; after all, once Moses disappeared into the wilderness, nobody heard anything from him at all. And here is where the suffering the Israelites have undergone begins to be important. If the Israelites had not become slaves and had not suffered, they would never have become discontented with living in Egypt. After all, Egypt had the Nile River to keep at least part of it green in the most severe drought. Generally, there was plenty of food. But the Israelites have been suffering and crying out to the God of their fathers, and now God is answering.

The elders of Israel must have been completely dazzled! After years of misery, years of crying out to a God who has remained silent, here are Moses and Aaron coming with a definite proclamation and with signs and wonders. It’s no surprise then that the elders of Israel listen and then bow down and worship. This message has the fingerprints of a Holy God all over it and no other response will do apart from worship.

APPLICATION: Do you have a special request for which you have been begging the Lord for years? Is there something that your heart longs for above all else? This story should encourage you to keep praying, but there are some things you need to realize:

1. The desire of the Israelites to be free and to worship their God was a right desire. God can’t bless something selfish or self – serving.

2. The desire of the Israelites lined up with the Word of God as He had given it to their fathers. No matter how desperately you might cling to a desire, if it does not line up with the Word of God, God is not going to grant it.

3. Petitions must be accompanied by worship. Worship indicates that we realize that we are totally insufficient in and of ourselves to accomplish anything, that only God can help us and only God can save us.

4. Worship also indicates gratitude. The elders of Israel worshiped because they were grateful that God had indeed heard their prayers and had sent Moses and Aaron.

“But,” you say, “I don’t know how to worship.” No problem. Simply go to a quiet place. Ask God to be with you and then begin to thank Him for every good thing in your life. If you feel lost for words, open a Bible to Psalms and find one that expresses what you want to say. You can sing to the Lord, but you don’t have to. And some of the deepest worship experiences involve lots of listening and very little speaking; after all, that’s how God got Aaron to go out into the wilderness to meet Moses.

PRAYER: Father God, you know the hearts’ desires of those reading this devotional. You also know that many people feel embarrassed or inadequate when it comes to worshiping You. Please open the eyes of our hearts so that we can begin to worship you, knowing that as we do so, you will continue to guide us. And thank you for granting us the mercy to listen to us. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.