Refusing to Listen

Exodus 6:9, "Moses told this to the Israelites, but they refused to listen to Moses because of their impatience and anguish of spirit and because of their cruel bondage."

In Exodus 6, God talked to Moses and said empowering statements, reminding him of the promises He made concerning the Israelites. He told Moses in verses 5-8, "I have also heard the groaning of the Israelites whom the Egyptians have enslaved; and I have [earnestly] remembered My covenant [with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob]. Accordingly, say to the Israelites, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will free you from their bondage, and I will rescue you with an outstretched arm [with special and vigorous action] and by mighty acts of judgment. And I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that it is I, the Lord your God, Who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land concerning which I lifted up My hand and swore that I would give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage. I am the Lord [you have the pledge of my changeless omnipotence and faithfulness]." See what I mean. These few verses are empowering! Here we see promise after promise of the good things God has in store for the Israelites. The Israelites' response to these promises is what I find interesting, though. Verse 9 tells us that, "...they refused to listen to Moses because of their impatience and anguish of spirit and because of their cruel bondage."

God just told them all of the good things that they had to look forward to, but they didn't listen.

 Why?

They couldn't see past their circumstances.

As I read this verse, God had it really stand out to me! He caused me to realize how often He will be talking to us and encouraging us in some way, but instead of us listening, we get too wrapped up in our circumstances to see the hope that He is so desperately longing to give us!

Have you ever felt hopeless? If so, you aren't the only one. I've found myself looking at life through hopeless glasses lately. I've seen the doom and gloom. I've seen the things that aren't working out in my life instead of focusing on all the things that have and are working out in my life. But I've refused to listen to the whispers of encouragement due to my impatience, my anguish of spirit, and the bondage I've allowed to keep me in chains.

You see, it wasn't that the Israelites couldn't listen. They refused to listen. They chose to focus on where they were at instead of focusing on where God wanted to take them.

I have a recent situation that I've allowed to leave me feeling hopeless, but I'd like to write about one that doesn't feel quite as close to home tonight.

As I was reading my Bible, God really spoke to me through what I was reading. He showed me how all of this pertained to what I'm going through right now, but right before I began writing this devotional, I looked in the mirror, and God reminded me of what I went through for a couple of months last year. He reminded me of when I had severe acne. As I looked in the mirror before picking up my laptop to write, God reminded me of how hopeless I felt last year when I looked in that mirror and saw acne all over my face. I remember going to my mom in tears because nothing was making it better. I remember doing everything possible to get it to go away, and nothing worked. I remember thinking, "I'll have acne for the rest of my life!" And I remembered how hopeless those moments felt when I didn't see light at the end of the tunnel. But tonight when I looked in that mirror, God reminded me of that season in my life, and He showed me my clear skin. He showed me the skin on my face that wasn't scarred. It is healed; completely and totally healed!

As God showed me that, He gave me hope in this new situation that I've been dealing with that has left me feeling so hopeless. He made me realize that although right now, this particular situation seems so out of reach, He already has my deliverance planned.

That's what the Israelites refused to listen to. They were so caught up in wanting deliverance now and wanting their problems to be solved immediately that they couldn't even see that deliverance was coming. Not only was it coming, but it had come. God was right there. He heard their groaning, and He had come to rescue them.

When I read through the Old Testament, I watch the Israelites' choices, and it's easy to judge them. But then I watch myself respond to situations in my own life exactly the same way as they did. That shouldn't be the case! Let's learn from the Israelites instead of following in their footsteps and wandering our own wilderness for 40 years.

If you are in a seemingly hopeless situation tonight, remember that deliverance has already come. Don't be blinded by your circumstances. Even if you can't see that God is working, know that He is! Maybe you won't see the results for a long time, but just as I now look in that mirror and barely even remember the season of severe acne, know that if you continue to look at God instead of at your circumstances, you will see deliverance. God doesn't want us to be in bondage. He wants us to be free. Break the chains of hopelessness tonight, and when God speaks words of hope to you, don't refuse to listen.

Dear Heavenly Father,

You really spoke to me tonight through Your Word. You showed me that I don't need to feel hopeless because my hope is found in You and my Deliverance has already come. Just because I can't see You working doesn't mean that You're not. I believe and trust that You are working in my situation right now, Lord. I believe that You see the bigger picture, and what You have in store for me is far better than what I had planned for myself. When You speak words of hope to me, help me not refuse to listen. In Jesus' Name.

Amen.