Next week we enter the “Ber months”. How fast time flies! Many of us are already exhausted for various
reasons. Some feel like we’re stuck in this life with no choice but to continue living and doing what we
can in our current condition. It’s a great a suffering to think that no one seems to notice our demise.
Some feel trapped in their responsibilities, wanting to give up, throw their work out the window, leave,
and never return. But you can’t, and you shouldn’t, because picking up the pieces later will only add
more work. Truly, with great responsibility comes great crying.
Then, you might think that you don’t want to be where you are—whether at school or with other
people—and feel like there’s nothing you can do about it but endure, hoping life will get better soon.
But the greatest struggle that everyone faces is to give in to wrong practices that go against God’s
highest standards. Why? Because we long for something easy and comforting in this difficult life. When
applying for a license or renewal in some establishments, fixers are everywhere. It’s tempting to give in
because it will save you time. But the question is, is it right?
We need to be freed from this sinful tendency because, though it feels good, it corrupts our spirit. It
affects our entire life—our perspective on the things we do and our relationships with people. Even the
zealous and prolific Apostle Paul, who wrote many epistles in the Bible, struggled to win the battle
within himself. Often, no matter how hard we try to live a good life, no matter how much we follow the
Lord, it still feels suffocating—not because God’s commands are burdensome, but because the world we
live in, the world where we try to show kindness and love, is full of sin.
In Exodus 2, the Israelites shared a similar fate, though in a different form—suffering immensely
because a new Pharaoh of Egypt made them realize they had been slaves for far too long in a land that
was not theirs. They began to see that they were stuck in this kind of life.
Exodus 2:23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of
their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.
They cried for help. The Israelites had nowhere to go, just like us who are stuck in this world and made
to suffer in the meaningless run of this world’s system, operated by sin. We cry for rescue! We cry for
redemption! However, we should not fear. Why? Because in times of trouble and deep anguish, God’s
children can be confident that their cry for rescue is heard by Him, who will surely keep His promise.
This is the message that I want to leave for now for all of us: THE COVENANT-KEEPING GOD WILL
REDEEM HIS PEOPLE FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN AND SUFFERING, WHICH IS WHY WE CAN
CONFIDENTLY CRY OUT TO HIM.
What was His promise, and how will He rescue His people? We’ll continue next week.
