Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of our ever-faithful God. He is steadfastly working on our behalf, even when we are unaware.
Moses brought exceedingly good news to the enslaved nation of Israel. He delivered God's message: "I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments” (Exodus 6:6).
This was not the first time Moses had given this message of hope. At the end of chapter 4, he had met with the elders and delivered the same message. At that time, he had performed several signs in the sight of all the people to validate his message and to assure them that God had sent him.
In chapter 6, however, when Moses spoke the words of hope and deliverance, the people refused to hear him. “They hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage” (6:9). This was not the first instance of a harsh response. Earlier, the people had ambushed Moses and delivered accusatory words: “The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us” (5:21).
After God encouraged and reassured Moses, Moses went back to the people with the renewed promises of 6:6-8. The message was rejected. The Israelites had formed a conclusion. Not only did they fail to believe that God was rescuing them, but they believed themselves further from deliverance than ever. It was obvious to them that God was not working on their behalf. Things were only getting worse.
God was not working?!?! Oh, my. God was more actively at work than He had been for 400 years. God had heard the cries of His oppressed people. God had taken note of their suffering and their groaning. God had chosen a pharaoh on whom to demonstrate His power, and whom He would bring into submission and ruin. God had chosen a prophet to deliver them, had protected this man from death as an infant, had provided him with amazing training, had preserved him from his own impulsive actions, and had called him to return for the express purpose of leading their release. God had devised a plan of plagues through which He would bring Egypt to its knees and through which He would send His people out with unimagined riches. God had already thrown the challenge down in front of the pharoah. God was certainly at work!
It has often been stated, and there is even a hymn about it, that it is always darkest just before the dawn. I assume that statement is true meteorologically. I don’t know whether it is always true in our struggles of life, but it probably at least seems true. When we have long endured, we feel the weight and discouragement of the long trial. We have never carried that weight for as long as we have carried it at the moment just before deliverance. So in that sense, it would often appear to be the case that it is indeed darkest just before the dawn.
So the question is, Does it seem really dark right now? Does it seem like God is not working? Like deliverance is further away than ever? Are things only getting worse?
Take hope! Even if all those things seem true from a human standpoint, that does not mean that God is not at work. He always has a perfect plan, and you might be just on the cusp of seeing that plan displayed. In fact, it is very likely that some steps have already been taken and that the wheels are already turning.
Even the process of deliverance may be difficult, as it was for Israel. Sometimes the victory cannot be achieved without some anguish and struggle, but those difficulties are working to accomplish God’s good plan. We can rest assured that God will work out His plan.
“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD” (Psalm 27:13-14). Believe. Wait. Hope. Even if things are darker now than ever, God will do all that He has promised. His answer might be right around the corner, or it might still be distant, but it will come.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
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