Misplaced hope?

I sometimes think that life would be easier 'if only...' -
I had more money,
I lived in Colorado,
I could be 30 again, or
the food I like wasn't fattening. (The last one is just for laughs!)

We look for hope in so many places, don't we? For the Believer, there is only one true Hope: the Lord Himself. In the story of Exodus, Moses is sent by God to Egypt. He is charged with leading the Israelites out of slavery and to the Promised Land. In chapter 5, we learn that his first encounter with Pharaoh is a disaster! Not only does the king mock him and the Lord, he doubles the work load of the Israelite slaves, who turn on Moses in anger.

So, what does he do?
Go out and party heartily?
Find a new job?
Move to a new city and take a new identity?
Sorry, none of the above.
The Bible says, "Moses returned to the LORD." (Exodus 5:22, NIV)

Admittedly, the prayer he prayed was a nothing more than complaint, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me?" (Exodus 5:22, NIV) But, God listened and answered. It is the Lord's answer that I want you to focus on with me, Believer. It is a wonderful three part reply, in which God calls us to renewed hope in Himself.

First, God says, "Trust in my Providence!" "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." (Exodus 6:1, NIV) If Moses and Aaron had met success on their first visit to the king, they would most likely have congratulated themselves! The Israelites would have tried to turn them into gods. God wanted the Israelites and the Egyptians to know, beyond question, Who was the mover and shaker in this great deliverance. The difficulties were a means of creating utter dependence on Him.

Second, God says, "Know me Personally!" "I am the LORD (Yahweh). I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty (El Shaddai), but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them." (Exodus 6:2-3, NIV) God told Moses that the trials would lead him to a deeper intimacy with Himself. Moses was given the Name of God, the holy Name that was so revered by the Hebrews they would not speak it. So in the Scripture text, we read the word they substituted - Lord. Where you see that in all capital letters, that is a clue that the personal Name of God, Yahweh (some say, Jehovah) appears. His Name means, "the I Am," "the Self-Existent One," or "the One who is Present."

Third, God says, "Renew your hope in my Promises!" "Say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and 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 to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.’" (Exodus 6:6-8, NIV) Seven "I wills" are God's declaration. And the promises are bracketed by the statement, "I am the LORD." He secures the promise with the honor of His Name!

Believer, He is our Hope! Money might temporarily make life simpler, but you can't buy peace with God, nor exempt yourself from life's trials with wealth. Pleasure may divert your attention away from suffering, in your own life or in the world around you, but when the music stops playing and the dance is over, reality returns. God does not fail. Return to Him. Renew your worship, deepen your devotion, lay aside your complaints.

Trust His Providence!
Know Him Personally!
Rehearse His Promises!
_________________________

My faith has found a resting place,
not in device, nor creed.
I trust the Ever-living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea.
It is enough that Jesus died,
and that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
this ends my fear and doubt.
A sinful soul, I come to Him,
He'll never cast me out.
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea.
It is enough that Jesus died,
and that He died for me.

- Eliza HewittPublic Domain