How to face setbacks in life.

After a lot of arguing with God, Moses chooses to go before Pharaoh with Aaron. He boldly goes before Pharaoh and gets quickly rejected. Pharaoh then chooses to make the people have to work a lot harder than before.

Most people feel that when God calls them to do something it will be an easy road, since God called them to it. They expect that God will already have cleared all the obstacles in the way. Yet, God does not normally work that way. We all experience days that start well and turn bad and then just seem to go from bad to worse. That was the experience of Moses when he initiated God’s plan to rescue the Israelites from Egypt.

1. It starts with the “Why” questions.The first question invariably is “why?” – Why me? Why now?

God often reveals his will through early opposition. It’s like the redness around an injection site. The redness means the body is reacting to the shot. In the same way, early opposition signals that God’s work has started.

But the good news of this passage is that our God is big enough to let us ask these questions and give us clarity. The doubts and fears of his people don’t stop his work and before this story is done, we’ll see the answers. Painful though it is, making bricks without straw was a part of God’s saving work.

2. The Israelites responded with discouragement and the blame game.Pharaoh blames Moses and Aaron for threatening a work stoppage. He retaliates "that same day" (5:6) by requiring the Israelites to work even harder and as a result, they accused Moses. (5:20-21) Pharaoh is at fault, not Moses, but Moses takes the heat.

A wrong response to setbacks is being discouraged and blaming somebody else for it.

3. Moses responded by turning to God and seeing things from His perspective.Moses does not understand whythe Lord is working out His plan in this way. Emotions kick in and he forgets the promises already made. So he starts out with the why questions. But God did not leave Moses with unanswered questions. He consoles and counsels Moses. God reminds him of his nature and power. Five times God said to Moses, “’I am the LORD [YHWH]’” (Exodus 6:2, 6, 7, 8, 29). By repeating this statement, the Lord emphasizes to Moses to focus not on his circumstances but on Him. What was true then is true now. We will only be able to endure the pressure of opposition and setbacks if we too fix our eyes on the Lord. This is the right response to setbacks.

Remember that life is a journey with many twists and turns. But as Job says in Job 23:10, “He knows the way that I take. When he has tried me, I will come forth as gold.”

When nothing in your life makes sense and you feel like giving up, remember the two words “He knows.” As long as he knows, you don’t have to know. Trust Him for the future.

Application Questions:

1.What is your response when you are trying to do God’s will in God’s way, and you obey Him, and everything goes wrong?

2. Is there an area of your life where you’re deeply disappointed, suffering or feeling like you just can’t win? What’s one area of your life where you just want to ask, “Why?”

Quote:

There are those who insist that it is a very bad thing to question God. To them, “why?” is a rude question. That depends, I believe, on whether it is an honest search, in faith, for His meaning, or whether it is the challenge of unbelief and rebellion. - Elisabeth Elliot

Prayer:

Lord, I pray that when I experience disappointments and setbacks in life, help me not to get discouraged but to continue to trust you.Amen