It does not get easier

 

 

READ Exodus 5-8

A novel tells of a policeman who expressed interest in being a Christian but the next day he was shot and crippled. He assumed God could have stopped that and in anger, Christianity no longer appealed to him.

It happens sometimes. People want to be forgiven and set free from sin, but harsh circumstances can turn them away from the Lord. It happened to God’s people enslaved in Egypt. Pharaoh added a greater burden just after Moses told them about deliverance. God told Moses:

“I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’ ” Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. (Exodus 6:2–9)

Setting them free was not an easy task but God had reasons for the challenges. One was to ensure that everyone knew that He was the Savior; no one else could have rescued them:

But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” (Exodus 7:3–5)

The plagues began. At first, everyone suffered, but soon the disasters affected only the Egyptians and God’s people were spared. In that sense, they were already delivered from the wrath of God. Soon they would leave the kingdom where they were slaves and begin their journey to a new kingdom — the land of promise.

This runs parallel to salvation described in the NT. Jesus said it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Part of that difficulty is leaving what is known (as hard as life might be at times), and entering a new life without a clue what will happen next. As a child of God, we may make our plans but God directs our steps. Rarely do we see very far into the future. For many, this seems too challenging.

Not only that, no Christian can truly say that they struggled their way out of slavery to sin by their own doing. We know who saved us, who is saving us, and who will save us. The more I walk with Jesus, the more I realize my own helplessness. While being saved is indeed a wonder, it is humbling. My pride is shaken, even put to death, and worse yet, those still outside the kingdom (like the Egyptians) can see that I am weak. They may assume that I and other Christians are crazy, foolish, weak people. Some of them even sense that faith in God makes us that way. I realize that unless the Lord fills me with His Spirit, my weakness could easily give others another excuse to say NO to His offer of salvation.

LESSON: Continually seek to be filled with the Spirit, walking in obedience, doing everything by faith and in the wonder of God’s grace. I don’t like feeling weak but have learned that God’s strength given to me, not so I feel strong and confident, but so others see Him at work. I might not even notice what He is doing.

No, being a Christian does not get easier as I get older. More amazing, more glorifying to God, more mysterious even, but not easier.