By: Jessika Sanders
How do we persevere with hope when we are faced with no forward progress?
In this week’s reading of Exodus 6-10, we read of the repetitive hardening of Pharaoh's heart despite the signs and wonders performed through Moses and despite the numerous plagues unleashed upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
You might be wondering, in the face of persistent hardening and no forward progress, how was Moses able to preserve with hope?
The answer: The covenant.
Moses was able to persevere with hope despite no forward progress because God remembered (and therefore honored) His covenant.
A covenant is an agreement between God and his people in which God makes a promise to them. In Biblical times, covenants were binding agreements that resulted in death if they were not upheld.
The first example we see of such a covenant is the Abrahamic Covenant found in Genesis 15. In verses 5 and 7 the Lord promises Abram a large number of descendants, the land of Canaan, and a blessing upon all the nations. And when Abram asks how he can be sure he will actually possess the land, we see the Lord enact a covenant ceremony. This symbolic covenant ceremony included the presentation of halved, sacrificed animals (verses 9-10) and the passing through the halves of the carcasses (verse 17). It’s important to note that typically both parties walked through the carcasses, symbolizing that if either did not uphold their part of the process it would result in their demise. But in this special covenant, the presence of the Lord passed through on behalf of Abram. Verse 18 tells us that as a result of these actions, “So the Lord made a covenant with Abram.”
Despite the lack of progress with Pharaoh letting the Israelites go, Moses could persevere with hope because he found himself mid-covenant (see Genesis 15:13-14) with a covenant-keeping God. While scripture writes that God remembered His covenant, we also see that Moses chose to remember the character of his God!
Maybe like Moses, you find yourself making little to no forward progress.
Whether you’re enduring your child’s extended hospital stay,
walking out the highs and lows of a medical diagnosis,
navigating the grief of child loss or infertility,
we understand how hard it can be to persevere with hope when your hopes feel dashed by each setback.
We pray the reminder in this week’s reading, “God remembered his covenant” will encourage your heart to persevere with hope. Just as Jeremiah 29: 11 states, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” God’s ultimate purpose and plan for you is good. While that doesn’t guarantee the road will be without suffering and hardship, it does mean that the final outcome will be good. This promise, from a promise-keeping God, can help us to keep pressing on in hope.
Lord, this life is hard. I confess I find myself losing sight of you and focusing solely on my circumstances which can quickly change from minute to minute, day to day. I confess I don’t always suffer well. And to be honest, I don’t always know how to navigate my circumstances with hope. I thank you that you are a covenant-keeping God and that under the New Covenant of Jesus, I can stand on the promises of the Bible. Help me to remember your plans for me are good, even when things don’t feel good. And help me remember that you are with me because you’ve promised to never leave me or forsake me. Jesus, you are my living hope, help me to preserve with you. Amen.
Dig Deeper
Reflection Questions:
What promises in the Bible do you cling to?
Has the Lord spoken or shown you a promise?
Put Your Faith Into Action:
Surely the specifics of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 15:13-14) helped Moses to see how God went before him and also encouraged him that God would come through for him, even as he was experiencing no progress with Pharoah.
This week, we challenge you to select a promise of God that you can stand on. This may be something He has personally revealed to you or it may be a promise from scripture. Spent time meditating on this promise as you create a beautiful, artistic representation of it that you can place in a location you’ll see regularly.
ex: Your plans for our family are good. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Further Reading:
Romans 8:18-30
Verses to Meditate On:
Romans 8:28
Jessika Sanders is a published writer who has been featured in Proverbs 31 Ministries’ Hope When Your Heart is Heavy devotional (2021), Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse Jr. magazine (2023), and Tyndale’s So God Made a Mother (2023). She is also the co-author of The Good Book Company's, In His Hands: Prayers for Your Child or Baby in a Medical Crisis ( July 2024). Jessika is also the founder and president of Praying Through ministries.
Comentarios