God's Plan > Our Despair

Encouragement is an important part of walking in faith. I believe God knows we need it, yet I don't find myself praying for encouragement from God when Im walking through a valley, instead I ask for Him to remove the challenge all together that He's trying to use to grow my faith. When we're sitting in despair, we can ask for the encouragement that we need instead of saying "He knows I'm down" or "He knows how I feel". Part of that relationship is bringing our feelings to Him and asking for help. While we wait for Him to provide that encouragement we can draw strength from choosing to focus on what He's already done. Also, be sure to look out for others struggling that we can be a voice of encouragement to. Everybody is struggling with something, and I know I could do a better job at speaking positivity into someone's life without waiting for a prompt.

In exodus 14 Moses is leading the people out of Egypt and God once again hardens Pharaoh's heart and he pursues the people. Despite all the plagues they saw, showing them God was clearly on their side, they chose to fall into despair. And if I’m honest, I'm prone to doing the same thing every time I face a new hardship. v10-12 "and when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, " because there were no graves in Egypt have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt saying, "Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better fore us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness." This passage reminds me of how I look when I see the Egyptians overtake me in my life. Just like the Israelites, my situation looks bad. But also like them, God has a plan to deliver me that I have no way of being able to see yet. We have the benefit of knowing how their story ends. So it's easy to point out how little faith they had when sinking into despair and wishing they were back in captivity. All along God had a plan He would walk them through to something so much better. Sometimes we just need some encouragement when we can't see how the Egyptians in our life won't squash us. In the next two verses we see Moses encourage his people. v13-14 "and Moses said to the people, " do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." Do not be afraid. Stand still. Watch what the Lord will do for you.

Too many times I get caught up in despair and say there's nothing I can do, or on the flip side, I run headfirst into trying to change things on my own. Don't be afraid, stand still. God has a plan that will work out. He is fighting for you and for me. I can't see the end of our stories but I can see the end of every story in the Bible where God worked it out for His children, even when it looked hopeless. I can't find a single story in my Bible where God failed to work it all out for His children. Why is despair our default when we have a book that shows He is faithful Every. Single. Time? Whatever your Egyptians surrounding you in your life are, God already has a plan for your victory . Don't get caught in the trap of looking at the Egyptians in despair and expecting God to remove them so you can comfortably walk to the other side. He may turn the heat up and expect you to run to the other side in faith, so He can get them right where He wants them to take them out for you. Don't be afraid, watch the Lord fight for us. We can't see how He will work it out, but He spells it out perfectly for us in His word. The God of Moses and the Israelites is the same God we serve today. Are we going to take shortcuts through the pain? Do we learn from their mistakes or repeat them ourselves? Whatever path you find yourself on, just remember to keep your head up, God has a plan.