Week 1. Leap Past Limitations: Fear To Faith
The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” -- Exodus 5:19-21
By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. -- Hebrews 11:27-29
The dictionary definition for fear is: a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; an unpleasant and often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger. In contrast faith as described in Hebrews 11:1 is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
The Israelites had been oppressed for 400 years and they felt like God had abandoned them. During this time Moses came to them with a message of hope and deliverance and they believed him (Exodus 4:31). The next chapter of Exodus 5 details the height Pharaoh's oppression of the Israelites that stemmed from his anger towards them. Pharaoh anger was a result of Moses' request that the Israelites be allowed to take a three-day journey to offer sacrifices. The Israelites went from believing to being overwhelmed by fear from Pharaoh's threats. Exodus 5 is proof that God's plan doesn't always go how we expect it. This is how their journey of fear to faith began. Exodus 5 described their reality and Hebrews 11 recounts God's victory.
God will always walk us through our disappointments, but we need to trust Him.
Often our disappointments can teach us where our hearts truly are. It can show us if our hearts are trusting God, or if we are relying on our own abilities and strength.
If we focus on the end, we can see the big picture and the struggles are just part of the journey. Shaping us into people who rely completely on God.
Your Call to Leap:
What are areas in your life that you are disappointed with? Ask God to help us trust him and teach us to see His vision for our life. Read Exodus 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment