WAIT ON THE LORD

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me." The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. "For otherwise," they said, "we will all die!" So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians. The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. Many other people went up with them, as well as large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. With the dough they had brought from Egypt, they baked cakes of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves. Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt. Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come…And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions." Exodus 12:31-42, 51

430 years. This is how long the people of Israel lived in Egypt before they were allowed to finally leave. The latter part of this time was spent under extremely cruel oppression under Pharoah’s rule. You’ll recall that Pharoah feared the number of Israelites in Egypt and sought to prevent them gaining any power base. Indeed, our scripture tells us that over 600,000 men, women and children departed Egypt after Pharoah and his people finally permitted them to leave. To put this into perspective, the Israelite population was equivalent to that of Alaska or North Dakota!

Now picture this many people departing Egypt on foot as they "journeyed from Rameses to Succoth" with their livestock, heading toward the Promised Land. The start of the great exodus had to be quite a sight.

We read as well that Israel didn’t depart Egypt empty handed. We’re told they "plundered the Egyptians" after "the Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people." The Egyptians gave the Israelites "what they asked for" which included "articles of silver and gold and…clothing." Indeed, the people of Israel had persevered long suffering but they now received blessings from the Lord as they were set free.

Question: Have you ever endured long suffering? Maybe as you read this, you’re in the midst of it right now. I know I have gone through periods in my own life where things haven’t been the greatest. But yet, the hard times didn’t last forever although during my time of hardship it seemed that it might. I’m pretty sure the people of Israel felt that way too as they waited and waited for God to deliver them from their torment. As we wait, here are words of encouragement from God’s word that we should remember:

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8

"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:13-14

"Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." Psalm 5:2-3

"We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name." Psalm 33:20-21

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." Psalm 40:1-3

"Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness." Isaiah 26:8-9

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:22-26

"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." James 5:7-11

"…we…rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5:3-4

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:2-12

When we wait on the Lord…when we do so faithfully…when we allow Him to refine us from the inside out so we can learn to persevere, see our character enhanced and ultimately find hope…we come to truly appreciate His greatness, His goodness and His never ending love for us…and we come to appreciate how absolutely helpless we are without Him. Friends…whatever your circumstance, wait on the Lord…and wait in faith and trust. Just like Israel, He will deliver you.
Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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