Seeds of Restoration

In Exodus 6:6-8 Moses is instructed to share the good news with the children of Israel. The time had come…their redemption was finally at hand! Sadly however, this good news was unable to be received. “So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage”. Exodus 6:9
It would seem the children of Israel were unable to believe the words of Moses after so many years of suffering and heartbreak. After all, they had buried whole generations of those who had spoken of this great redemption…this “exodus” from Egypt… yet the children of Israel remained as slaves under the burdens of Pharaoh. After so many years of affliction, Egypt had taken its toll on the faith of Israel.
As I write this…there are many of us as God’s children today, who are struggling to hear and receive God’s promises. Because of our own “anguish of spirit” we are unable to really believe that “Salvation” has come and is coming…that our redemption from this totally messed up “Egypt” is certain and true. Sure, we have read what is written concerning our final deliverance from “Egypt” when God pours out His judgments on this earth. We have heard the prophecies…we know the teachings of Messiah and can quote Peter and Paul as they encourage us to stand strong to the end looking forward to God’s great restoration. Yet often, the words can seem very distant and elusive to us as we toil and struggle with the realities of “life outside the garden” as a good friend of mine might say.
Once again…Egypt is taking its toll. The Pharaoh of this world is pulling out all the stops to break our spirit and to crush the great hope we have been given by faith in God thru Messiah. Distractions…deception… persecution…wars and natural disasters are becoming and will become the normative for all who live in these last days. It will become increasingly difficult for those who are grounded in the Word of God to stand firm in their faith…to hold onto the promises of God…to actually believe while witnessing the world fall apart around them and their families. But for those who have only heaped up for themselves teachers who tickle their ears…for those who do not learn from the examples God gave us in His Word (1Cor 10:11) it will prove almost impossible.
Our Master tells us in Matthew 24:12 that “because lawlessness or “Torah-less ness” will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved”. As we walk out these final days in Egypt, may we remember what our forefathers learned concerning the Lord. May we dig into His Word and learn that our God is a faithful God…He always keeps His promises and He always remembers His covenants with His people. We who have trusted in Him will see the dawning of the day when Messiah reigns on earth and all tears are wiped away. We will enter into the Promised Land and live forever with Him. No matter what happens in the days ahead…no matter how bad things appear…keep looking up. Yeshua…whose very name means salvation… is coming.
“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption  draws near”. Luke 21:28