Look for His Power

By: Jenifer Metzger

That day Pharaoh commanded the overseers of the people

as well as their foremen, “Don’t continue to supply the people

with straw for making bricks, as before. They must go and

gather straw for themselves. But require the same quota of

bricks from them as they were making before; do not reduce it.

For they are slackers—that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us

go and sacrifice to our God.’ Impose heavier work on the men.

Then they will be occupied with it and not pay attention to

deceptive words.” Exodus 5:6-9

Today in our Bible reading plan, we are in Exodus 5. God had called on Moses and Aaron to free the Israelites from Pharaoh. However, Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not free the Israelites. Instead, he made life harder for them.

We see in chapter 5 that Pharaoh ordered the Israelites to not be given the supplies they needed to do the job he required of them. My first thought is what a jerk Pharaoh was! While that may be true, we have to remember a couple of things.

First, we have to remember that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Why did He do this? To accomplish His perfect plan. Had Pharaoh just agreed to let the Israelites go in the beginning, the Israelites and Egyptians wouldn't have seen God's power. When we pray, God often answers with wait. In the waiting, we can see His power at work.

Second, the Israelites had to learn to surrender their own plans, thoughts, and desires to the will of God. Then they had to obey. God doesn't promise that everything in life will be easy and simple. Sometimes we will walk through hardship. We have to surrender our own plans, thoughts, and desires to the will of God and we have to obey.

The Israelites didn't see it yet, but their Promised Land was coming and it was going to be glorious. But they had to be patient. They had to obey. They had to go through this hardship.

What hardship are you facing? I want to encourage you to seek God. Put aside your own thoughts and agenda and seek His plan and His will. Remember that God will never harm you, His plans are for good, for His glory. So seek His face and obey His commands.

It's time for Share A Link Wednesday! Each Wednesday we invite you to leave a link to your latest blog post in the comments. We still desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories.