Last week, we
learned some of the enemy’s tactics to keep us from trusting God more. We saw
how he tries to tell us it’s okay to go to church, even to worship, just so we
don’t go all in for God, just so we don’t cut our ties with the world. To
Moses, said, “Sure, go ahead and worship, just don’t leave Egypt, don’t go too
far, keep on living your worldly life, you can do both – worship God and remain
in the world.” Of course, the enemy doesn’t stop there, he uses the same
tactics on us today as he used, through Pharoah, on Moses and the Hebrews back
them.
If we go back to the time of the exodus, in Exodus 10:8-11, we see Pharoah again telling Moses the people can go worship the Lord, but then slyly ask, “So who is going?” Moses promptly tells him everyone, to which Pharoah replies, “Go and worship but don’t take your family.” Pharoah, representing the enemy and the world’s machinations, says, “It’s okay to go and worship and even trust God but don’t take your spouse or your children, don’t even tell them about it.”
Sound familiar? The enemy often uses this one today, though it may sound like “You go and worship, but let the family sleep in” or “Go ahead and worship, but don’t bother your family with it.” Why? The enemy knows full well that a house divided against itself cannot stand, and he certainly is the enemy of your family, your future, and your legacy. When we do include our family, as we see in the conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10 and the Philippian jailer in Acts 16, the family believes and trusts God. Real success in the Kingdom of God comes not from where we live or what we have, but from our trust in God! It is just like Moses told Pharoah, “We all have to go, we all have to trust God.”
In Exodus 10:24-36, Pharoah offers Moses one more compromise, “Go, worship the Lord. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.” Moses says, “No.” Pharoah, representing the enemy and world system, basically says, “Okay go and worship, but don’t give anything to God. Keep your money (the flocks and herds were their currency). Don’t trust God with that.” Jesus says in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We’ve all heard it before, and we know the implication – we spend our money on what we love and trust. This week, may we resist the enemy’s tactics and trust God more – with everything, with our family, and with our finances.
If we go back to the time of the exodus, in Exodus 10:8-11, we see Pharoah again telling Moses the people can go worship the Lord, but then slyly ask, “So who is going?” Moses promptly tells him everyone, to which Pharoah replies, “Go and worship but don’t take your family.” Pharoah, representing the enemy and the world’s machinations, says, “It’s okay to go and worship and even trust God but don’t take your spouse or your children, don’t even tell them about it.”
Sound familiar? The enemy often uses this one today, though it may sound like “You go and worship, but let the family sleep in” or “Go ahead and worship, but don’t bother your family with it.” Why? The enemy knows full well that a house divided against itself cannot stand, and he certainly is the enemy of your family, your future, and your legacy. When we do include our family, as we see in the conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10 and the Philippian jailer in Acts 16, the family believes and trusts God. Real success in the Kingdom of God comes not from where we live or what we have, but from our trust in God! It is just like Moses told Pharoah, “We all have to go, we all have to trust God.”
In Exodus 10:24-36, Pharoah offers Moses one more compromise, “Go, worship the Lord. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.” Moses says, “No.” Pharoah, representing the enemy and world system, basically says, “Okay go and worship, but don’t give anything to God. Keep your money (the flocks and herds were their currency). Don’t trust God with that.” Jesus says in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We’ve all heard it before, and we know the implication – we spend our money on what we love and trust. This week, may we resist the enemy’s tactics and trust God more – with everything, with our family, and with our finances.