So close, yet so far — Scripture Reflection #066
Exodus 9:27-28 (New Living Translation)
27 Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he confessed. “The LORD is the Righteous One, and my people and I are wrong. 28 Please beg the LORD to end this terrifying thunder and hail. We’ve had enough. I will let you go; you don’t need to stay any longer.”
Here, on the surface, it appears the king of Egypt is making a heartfelt, devoted decision to repent of his sins and turn to God. However, when we take a step back, we can see that he is actually just trying to use God to get out of a difficult, uncomfortable situation. Not days after making this confession, Pharaoh returns to his old, stubborn ways and continues to disobey God. He was so close, yet so far.
How many of us can admit to the same behavior as Pharaoh here? When we fall on hard times, we come to God asking that He deliver us, only to turn from Him and go back to our ways of living. Be honest with yourself. I know that I struggle with this. I sometimes see God only as a quick fix to my struggles, and then I forget Him when things are riding smooth. But how do we fix this?
It starts with that heartfelt confession of our wrongdoing, and is immediately followed by us turning to God and seeking His help and strength as we persevere through the hard times. That difficult circumstance is actually an opportunity for us to lean on God and get closer to Him. He says in Isaiah 43, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.” The hard times will always come. That is simply part of our human existence here on earth. However, that is not the end of the story, for God says He will be with us, and he will not let us drown in the rivers of difficulty.
The Calling: God has called you His. You are very precious to Him. Read Isaiah 43:1–4. Now read it again and make it personal to you. Know that you can rely on Him in any difficult situation that you are up against. And more, you can enjoy all of life with Him–both the comfortable and the uncomfortable. God is not a quick fix to a problem you have; He is your source and strength.
