Exodus 1:11-13 - Therefore
they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they
built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they
afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of
the children of Israel. So the Egyptians
made the children of Israel serve with rigor.
The Israelites prospered in Egypt…even after Joseph’s death.
The 70 original Hebrews that traveled there to survive the famine had all
passed away…but God had blessed their children so that they grew to an enormous
number. It made the new Pharaoh nervous…to
have such a great nation beside him. In
his evil heart…he decided to enslave them and make them work for him.
His plan backfired…no matter how hard he made them work...they
still prospered. Even his plan to kill
all the male babies was delayed….because the midwives feared God more than the
evil Pharaoh. God’s people….toughed out
the harsh conditions and hit their knees…instead of giving up to their harsh
living conditions…they somehow used the strength God had instilled in them to
persevere.
It is a reminder to me that all of life… the good times and
especially the hard times are allowed in our lives to help us grow. We coast by
on the good times…sometimes forgetting how God blessed us to be there. But in the tough times….God needs to be our
strength… depending on him is how to get through it. The early church grew more
in persecution than it did any other time in history. People rally together to help each other in
times of tragedy.
Father….thank you for the reminder that hard times can help
us grow in our faith. Forgive me for the
times that I have failed to hit my knees and ask for your help. Show me how to use
the hard times of life to draw even closer to you. Amen.
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