在困难中学习信靠
出埃及记五章1至12节
1后来摩西、亚伦去对法老说：耶和华─以色列的神这样说：容我的百姓去，在旷野向我守节。
2法老说：耶和华是谁，使我听他的话，容以色列人去呢？我不认识耶和华，也不容以色列人去！
3他们说：希伯来人的神遇见了我们。求你容我们往旷野去，走三天的路程，祭祀耶和华─我们的神，免得他用瘟疫、刀兵攻击我们。
4埃及王对他们说：摩西、亚伦！你们为甚么叫百姓旷工呢？你们去担你们的担子罢！
5又说：看哪，这地的以色列人如今众多，你们竟叫他们歇下担子！
6当天，法老吩咐督工的和官长说：
7你们不可照常把草给百姓做砖，叫他们自己去捡草。
8他们素常做砖的数目，你们仍旧向他们要，一点不可减少；因为他们是懒惰的，所以呼求说：容我们去祭祀我们的神。
9你们要把更重的工夫加在这些人身上，叫他们劳碌，不听虚谎的言语。
10督工的和官长出来对百姓说：法老这样说：我不给你们草。
11你们自己在那里能找草，就往那里去找罢！但你们的工一点不可减少。
12于是百姓散在埃及遍地，捡碎秸当作草。
信息分享
摩西此刻所经历的便正是如此。当他听从神的吩咐回到埃及，晋见法老，请求法老容让以色列民离开；可是法老不单一口拒绝，而且，还下令加重以色列人的苦工。以色列民当时正为法老兴建两座积货城，原本是把草供应给他们作砖的；但如今，法老下令要他们自行捡草造砖，且造砖的数目不可减少──以色列民这回真是百上加斤了！
百姓有甚么反应呢？他们首先是哀求法老，然后，便埋怨摩西和亚伦。你猜摩西和亚伦有甚么感受呢？本章22至23节记述了摩西的祷告，当中便流露出他的感受。
今天的情况也是一样。当你立志为神工作的时候，撒但就会想尽办法来攻击你，使你感到灰心气馁。
然而，我们切莫灰心，反要记着撒但至终是必然失败的。神永远站在我们身边；对于撒但的阻挠，祂是不会坐视不理的。
神也许会容让撒但来考验你，可是，祂却永远在你的身旁扶持你。祂希望你能在困难的考验中，学会更紧地倚靠祂。
在一切的艰难困境中，神仍然掌管着一切；祂容让百姓吃苦，为的是使他们愿意跟从祂的带领离开埃及。
每当神容让我们经历试炼，背后都总有祂的心意和目的。在那一刻，我们究竟会努力明白神的心意，抑或只是自嗟自叹和埋怨神？
祷告：
主啊，当我遇到试炼的时候，或许我未能立即明白你的心意，但求你帮助我懂得信靠你。
HARDER INSTEAD OF BETTER
Exodus 5: 1 - 12
1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”
2 And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.”
3 So they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.”
4 Then the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.”
5 And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!”
6 So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying,
7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’
9 Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.”
10 And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I will not give you straw.
11 Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.’”
12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
Message
That is what happened in Egypt. Moses asked Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go free. Pharaoh not only refused, he made their burdens heavier. Instead of giving them straw to put into the mud bricks they were making to build his cities, he made them get the straw themselves.
What did the people do? First they complained to Pharaoh and then they blamed Moses and Aaron. How do you think Moses and Aaron felt? Read the prayer of Moses in verses 22 and 23 of this chapter.
It is still the same. You will find that when you decide to move ahead with God, Satan will oppose you and use everything he possible can to discourage you.
Don't be discouraged however. Remember Satan need not be victorious. God is on your side. He only allows Satan to go a certain distance and no further.
While God is allowing Satan to test you, he is still right there with you. He wants those circumstances to strengthen, not weaken your faith in him.
God is still sovereign and he allowed this testing of the Children of Israel to bring them close to the place of being willing to leave Egypt.
God has his purpose in allowing testing to come into your life. Are you looking for his purpose or are you only looking at yourself and complaining about what he has allowed?
A PRAYER:
Lord help me trust you today even if I cannot see the reason behind the testing.