Dear Parents of little ones - No is a word little people learn so early on isn't it! This week's episode will help them use both Yes and No! Instruments at the ready....do keep sending me clips for the hello slot or the Blessings slot - as we have quite a few videos still to do....Blessings Claire xx children@htcd.church.
Thankful Thought – Thursday 26th Nov 2020 – Pharaoh says No! Exodus Chapters 5 to 12
This is quite an epic part of the Exodus story – Moses and Aaron repeatedly go the Pharaoh and each time he says No a different disaster comes on the Egyptian people. Each plague softens the Pharaoh’s heart but then once the disasters pass it says “The Kings heart became stubborn again and he would not let the people go.” This continues until the final the disaster – the death of the first born – this is where God protects his households with blood around the door posts and is celebrated as Passover still by the Jews. Then finally Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron and tells them to go with their people at once.
As I was reading this I related to God’s people in the story – repeatedly hoping to be allowed to go and worship their God and to be free from slavery and repeatedly being told NO! It felt to me a little bit like this current co-vid season. I keep hoping for things to improve, for this disaster to pass and for the government to give us permission to worship together again and repeatedly we are told NO! I quite like this parallel because in it we see that the virus is an evil King – and God is constantly fighting for the freedom of his people. I am sure that is true in our story too. Co-vid is an evil thing – not of God but God is with us – fighting for us.
In this story Pharaoh kept relenting a little and saying just the men could go, and then the people but not the animals. Each time Moses held firm that all the people and all the livestock had to be able to go – eventually that was what they were allowed to do – but quickly – they only had 1 day to pack and go. I feel like that about Christmas lockdown rules – we have been allowed a partial release to celebrate and be with a few carefully chosen people we love but not yet the whole release. This partial release is also time restricted.
The Israelites were faithful, listening to what God had to say at each step of the way by trusting Moses and when they were released, they were ready to move swiftly, pack and go. So how are we doing in our slavery? How are you hearing God speak at this time? Who is your Moses in this season? Have you found sources of uplifting and motivating truth to keep you going?
I would recommend both the “Pray as you Go” app and “Lectio 365” as short daily podcasts to connect you to God, joining with others for the 9am prayer meeting on zoom, if you can and of course online church and Thankful Thursday! Let’s keep prioritising listening to our God while waiting for this virus to release us. God can do amazing things for us – wherever we find ourselves. So keep praying and eventually these present trials will pass and when they do we will be able to say to others – gosh I have missed you all but this is what I have learned about our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ and the amazing power of the Holy Spirit. As Moses put it in Exodus 15 v2 “The Lord gives me strength and makes me sing. He has saved me. He is my God and I will praise him.” Blessings Claire xxx