From Bad to Worse: How to still trust God when things aren't getting better

The current devotion is written by Dianna Hobbs, founder of EEW Magazine, as part of her 28 Days of Gratitude blog series. Get more inspiration on her Daily Cup of Inspiration blog.

Scripture of the Day: “Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, ‘Lord, why have you brought this trouble on your people? Is this why you sent me here? I went to the king and said what you told me to say, but ever since that time he has made the people suffer. And you have done nothing to save them.’” (Exodus 5:22-23 NCV)

Have you ever done the right thing but got the wrong result? Have you ever obeyed God, and it seemed like things weren’t getting better? Did they get worse?

If so, then you can understand Moses’ head space when he made this complaint in today’s featured verses.

He basically said, God, this is all your fault. You caused this trouble, and I don’t see the point of you sending me here to Egypt!

Here’s what was going on. During this time in history, Israel was in bondage to the Egyptians, and God commanded Moses to order Pharaoh to let His people go. In exchange for Moses’ obedience, God promised to deliver Israel from slavery. When Moses did what God said and delivered that divinely-sent message to the king, things got worse for the children of Israel. Pharaoh made their workload heavier.

According to Exodus 6:9, when Moses tried to encourage the Israelites with the good news of their inevitable deliverance, they didn’t want to hear what he had to say. They were too discouraged, and their work conditions were horrible. Things were way better for them before Moses showed up. Since their so-called deliverer stirred up trouble, the king was very harsh to them, and they found no comfort in God’s promises.

God had placed Moses in a tough position. All he could do was tell them what God told him, and nothing seemed to be working out the way it was supposed to.

Can you relate to Moses here? Have you experienced a season when what you were believing for and what you were living through didn’t match? How did you handle it? Did you get sad and sulk? Did you complain about it? Did you doubt God’s word? Did you blame God for causing trouble? Or did you thank Him for His faithfulness and keep believing His promises?

DIG DEEP

When I was sick in 2016, God promised to heal me. For months, my condition worsened, and doctors totally gave up on me by early 2017. It looked like I would die. I cried many nights. The pain was overwhelming. Death seemed like a better option than life at that point. At least I would be with Jesus and pain-free. But here I am today, alive and well. God healed me as He promised.

In the thick of it, all my circumstances contradicted God’s word. Yet, I found a reason to be thankful. I worshiped through tears. I praised God for my healing despite the negative reports. I had to dig deep, especially on days when my strength was totally depleted.

At some point in your life, you will have to dig deep too in order to access your praise.

Are you willing to dig deep? Will you look past contradictory evidence and focus on God’s word, and believe His promises? That’s what it takes to remain grateful and avoid complaining in the storm.

GIVE THANKS

When we read the story of Moses, Israel, and the Egyptians, we enjoy a luxury they did not have: we know how the story ends. We are already aware that God delivered them from Pharaoh and allowed them to walk across the Red Sea on dry land in Exodus 14.

When you’re going through personally, you should go back to Bible stories like this. Draw strength and hope from the testimonies recorded in Scripture, and give thanks for your own deliverance. When you are in the wait, the word of God reminds you of His faithfulness.

Psalm 136:1 says, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

Beyond verse 1, this entire psalm is an incredible song of praise that recounts Israel’s history of blessings because of God’s mercy. The story of the Red Sea crossing is included among its 26 verses. Though you did not live through any of these events, you do know that the Lord is good, and His mercy endures forever.

And that is more than enough reason to give God praise.

JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT

Write down 5 reasons why God is good.

Now, let’s pray.

God, thank You for being good all the time, even in bad times. Please help me always identify reasons to give You thanks despite the storms of life. In uncertain times, bring Your word back to my remembrance, and I will forever declare, You are good, and Your mercy endures forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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