Think your job is tough? You should have walked in Moses' sandals. His job was to lead God's people, the Israelites, from Egypt to the Promised Land. Working in a nitroglycerin factory would have been less stressful!
The people rejoiced when God miraculously delivered them from slavery. They sang with Moses when God destroyed Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea. They praised God when He promised to establish a covenant which would make them a people to be envied by all other tribes and nations.
But the Israelites could also be, as God described them, "a stiff-necked people." You've heard the phrase, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going?" When things got a little difficult for God's people, they would moan and complain, with Moses being their whipping boy. They accused their leader of having brought them out to the desert so they could die of thirst. They whined of having no food to eat; then when God provided them with good food, they complained that they were tired of the same old menu. How was it that Moses could put up with these people?
Moses got frustrated, even exasperated from time to time. But he would soon calm down and get back to his job, leading God's people to the land the Lord had given them. Moses was able to do so because He had a personal relationship with God. He communed with the Lord. He spent time in God's presence. Moses once even reflected God's radiance to the Israelites. When the going got tough, Moses got back to His ever-present God. He trusted the Lord. The Lord was with him.
You are just as blessed as Moses. Remember this great hymn of the church? Jesus, priceless treasure, source of purest pleasure, truest friend to me.
Our greatest treasure in this life is the Lord Himself. No matter how tough life becomes for us, we, too, have a personal relationship with Jesus. He is with us always. He has sent the Spirit to guide us. He is preparing a place for us in heaven and will come again to take us to be with Him forever. Don't despair, my friends, in these tough times. Just as Moses communed with God, so you have fellowship with God, now and forever!
From May 16, 2012
