Persistence

Exodus 6:10-13

“10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, 11 “Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his land.” 12 But Moses spoke to the Lord, “The Israelites have not listened to me; why should Pharaoh listen to me, poor speaker that I am?” 13 Thus the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them orders regarding the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, to free the Israelites from the land of Egypt.”

The Israelite slaves have not, to this point, listened to Moses.  Pharaoh certainly has not listened to Moses.  All of Moses’ fears about himself, and  his mission have come true.  He kept telling God that he would be no good at the work God wanted him to do.  And now everything that Moses told God had happened.

Yet, God persisted.  In God’s mind, Moses was the man, the only man, for the job. God could see into the very soul of Moses and he knew Moses’ abilities and limitations better than Moses himself.

So, God told Moses and Aaron to go back to Pharaoh and demand the release of the Israelites.

As Christians, we are familiar with the parable that Jesus told of the Sower.  The Sower, while sowing seed, encountered hard ground, rocky ground, weedy and thorny ground, dry ground.  Most of the seed that the Sower threw would land on this type of ground.  But, some of the seed would land on fertile ground.  

In our Christian lives, it is rare that we meet with instant success.  But we are to keep trying, putting our trust in God, in the power of the gospel message, and in the work of the Holy Spirit to eventually turn rocky, dry, weedy ground into rich and fertile soil.

God has called us to Himself.  He knows our very souls.

The work to which He has called us awaits.

And He knows that we are up to the task.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

“10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, 11 “Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his land.” 12 But Moses spoke to the Lord, “The Israelites have not listened to me; why should Pharaoh listen to me, poor speaker that I am?”

13 Thus the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them orders regarding the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, to free the Israelites from the land of Egypt.”

The Israelite slaves have not, to this point, listened to Moses.  Pharaoh certainly has not listened to Moses.  All of Moses’ fears about himself, and  his mission have come true.  He kept telling God that he would be no good at the work God wanted him to do.  And now everything that Moses told God had happened.

Yet, God persisted.  In God’s mind, Moses was the man, the only man, for the job. God could see into the very soul of Moses and he knew Moses’ abilities and limitations better than Moses himself.

So, God told Moses and Aaron to go back to Pharaoh and demand the release of the Israelites.

As Christians, we are familiar with the parable that Jesus told of the Sower.  The Sower, while sowing seed, encountered hard ground, rocky ground, weedy and thorny ground, dry ground.  Most of the seed that the Sower threw would land on this type of ground.  But, some of the seed would land on fertile ground.  

In our Christian lives, it is rare that we meet with instant success.  But we are to keep trying, putting our trust in God, in the power of the gospel message, and in the work of the Holy Spirit to eventually turn rocky, dry, weedy ground into rich and fertile soil.

God has called us to Himself.  He knows our very souls.

The work to which He has called us awaits.

And He knows that we are up to the task.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)