"During the night Pharaoh summoned
Moses and Aaron and said,
'Up! Leave my people,
you and the Israelites!
Go, worship the LORD as you have requested.
Take your flocks and herds,
as you have said,
and go.
And also bless me.'"
Exodus 12:31-32
The minute hand on the clock seemed to be moving much slower than it should, as if the batteries were running out of power. "Is it time yet?"
"No, girls, we need to wait for the man to make the announcement that its time to board the plane. Right now, we just have to wait."
My family and I were catching a ride with a military flight heading back to the west coast of the U.S. from Germany so we could visit my grandmother during what came to be the final few weeks of her life. I took on a better understanding of the oft-quoted Army adage,"Hurry up and wait," as we sat for hours waiting for our flight after rushing to the airport hours earlier in order to make the report time. It seemed our plane would never leave.
Finally, after 4 hours, an attendant rushed into the waiting room and announced the departure of our flight. He hurriedly gave instructions to gather our baggage and load up on a bus that would take us to the C-5 cargo aircraft where we would climb a set of mobile stairs to the upper deck seating area located above the payload. We rushed to gather our things and follow the directions given to us, thankful to finally be on our way.
Many times God offers sudden, unexpected relief after a long time of oppression, suffering or waiting. While it is certainly welcomed, in the same way that our family was relieved to finally be on our way to the U.S., things can seem to move overwhelmingly fast after such a long time of delay. I can always trust God, however, that it is all a part of His master plan.
Preparation
Put no yeast in the dough.
Leave no meat until morning; burn all leftovers.
Eat quickly, with your staff in your hand, your sandals on your feet and your cloak tucked into your belt.
Be ready to go.
After years of suffering under the hand of Pharaoh, the Israelites had finally reached the time of deliverance. (Exodus 12:9-11) As much as they had wanted to leave Egypt, when the time finally came it was a quick exit. Thankfully, God prepared them. He gave them specific instructions of what to eat and how to consume it. The Lord even thought of the importance of leaving out the yeast so they would be able to take the unleavened dough with them and bake it for consumption on their journey. (Exodus 12:37-39) Who has time to let dough rise when traveling?
God is equally as concerned about preparing me for my time to move. While it may seem I'm in a time of no action, little activity, or minor movement; God is still at work, getting things into place in preparation for the time when He says, "Go!"
Therefore, I need not worry that my life is a waste of time, or that my suffering will never end. Instead, I can trust that the God who never changes is getting me ready for what is to come. So, I'd better be prepared, because when He says to move I may not have time to get my shoes on or to gather my belongings. When it's time to go, I need to go.
In the same way that God prepared the Israelites for a fast departure, he is preparing me in ways I cannot detect for what is to come.
Favor
"Sure, we will issue the permit."
"Oh, let me tear up that parking ticket. Don't worry about it."
"It's okay, let me get you registered. Even though you're past the deadline, I can still sign you up."
These are the kinds of things my husband hears on a regular basis. I could never understand why people seemed to fall all over themselves to help him, even if he missed a deadline, broke a rule, or didn't have all the needed information. People simply seemed predisposed to giving him assistance.
This is called the favor of God. Others will find themselves wanting to help without even knowing why, simply because God moved their hearts to do so. If I trust God to fight my battles for me like my husband does, I will also find barriers lifted, rules excepted, and assistance offered, all because God's favor is upon me.
This is the phenomenon the people of Israel discovered when they were rushing to leave Egypt. The slaves asked their neighbors for valuables and clothing that they could take with them on their adventure. Even though these families were grieving the loss of their firstborn children and were eager to be ride of the troublemakers, the Egyptians were surprisingly willing to hand over gold, silver and garments for them to wear. (Exodus 12:35-36) God's favor was upon His people.
I can trust God in a similar way to move obstacles out of my way when I'm walking down the path on which He is leading me. This is not because I am more important than anyone else, or special in some way, but in order for His will to come to pass. If God is for me, who can be against me? (Romans 8:31) I can trust Him to take care of the details as He makes sure His name is glorified in my life.
In the same way that God's favor was upon His people as they exited Egypt, so God will grant me favor in order for His plan to come to pass.
Vigil
"I was awake last night for several hours and I felt the need to pray for you."
How strange, I thought. That was the very time I was struggling the most.
In the same way that my friend kept a kind of vigil for me that night, so God is always on guard duty, keeping watch over the details of my life. While the horrible final plague before the Israelites' exit was being played out, the Lord stood watch. (Exodus 12:42)
He never sleeps or slumbers, but keeps track of all the major and minor details, knowing when each of His own rests and when we worry. He never takes His eyes off those who belong to Him through faith in Jesus Christ. Furthermore, He is more attentive than the mother of a newborn, hearing every cry of despair or whimper of discouragement. He is always aware, ready to comfort, encourage and soothe my fears. (Psalm 34:15)
While I may feel all alone in my suffering, I am never truly by myself. God is always with me, even in my darkest hour. He is keeping watch until the appointed time of the dawn.
In the same way that God stood vigil over His people during the night of the worst plague, so God watches over me in my time of greatest need.
I may feel like this period of suffering, waiting or inactivity will never end. Even though it seems nothing is happening, God is busy preparing me, granting His favor upon me, and watching over me. While it may seem like it will never come, my day of deliverance will soon be here!
As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to realize He is preparing for what is to come.
When do I trust in my feelings more than I put my faith in God's promises?
How do I forget about God's constant presence and instead feel utterly alone?
