Plans

DEVOTION

EXODUS

PLANS

Ex 5:15-23

15 Then the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: "Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, 'Make bricks!' Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people." 17 Pharaoh said, "Lazy, that's what you are — lazy! That is why you keep saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.' 18 Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks." 19 The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, "You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day." 20 When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, 21 and they said, "May the LORD look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." 22 Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all."

NIV

There may be times when we think how God should do something and then God does something else. For the moment it certainly appears the people of Israel are being treated even worse because of their desire to go worship God. Of course that is not exactly the truth either. When Moses met with the elders he had to have told them God had appeared to him and told him the reason he was to return to Egypt was to lead the children of Israel to the land flowing with mild and honey. They were not just going to take a three days journey into the wilderness make a sacrifice to God then return back to work. Although that is what God told Moses to tell Pharaoh, which was not exactly the plan God had. Did God tell Moses to lie about the reason the Israelites needed to leave? Surely they did worship God after three days into their journey. But they were never intended to return to work, although as we know as they experienced some difficult times they felt like it would have been better to stay in Egypt. But back to this point about what we expect God to do and his plan how he will do it. They were upset their workload was increased, having to collect their own straw without lowering the quota of daily bricks being made. They thought Moses said God was going to rescue them and here things got worse instead. They had to be privy to the plan of God. He told Moses that Pharaohs heart would be harden against them and that was so he could show his mighty hand. Yet they seemed to not be so concerned about the plan of God unless it was how they thought it should be. When the complained to Moses about it, he complains to God. This goes directly to the scripture about we making our plans, but the Lord orders our footsteps. Sometimes we may think our life is not a wonderful as we think it should be. Sometimes we might have to endure a hardship of sorts. We might think God is not concerned about us, or think why God is allowing this to happen. He has a plan for our lives. How that plays out is entirely up to him. Moses had to know this was going to happen, but he still goes to God and asks why. We know the Lord answers and tells him that now he will see what God is going to do. But the point is they were not pleased with his actions, they wanted it done their way instead of his. This is our life as well. So often we have a plan and think God should do something according to our plan instead of his. Not so fast there fella, God has a plan. It is always about him, not us. Although what he does is for us, but it is to show his mighty power in our lives. We are his vessels and he makes us and fills us and uses us in accordance to his desires. If we need to have a little hardship in order for him to show the world his mighty hand, then that is the way it will be. But he will also rescue us as he did the children of Israel. Just not their way, but his. Instead of always looking at our plans we should be keeping an eye on his plans.