Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor. – Exodus 6:9

Today's Scripture Reading (September 23, 2021): Exodus 6

It is not a lack of hope that brings discouragement. It is also not a lack of courage. Discouragement is the result of the interaction that occurs when we lose both hope and courage. Hope is the candle that keeps courage alive, but even if hope dies, courage has the power to relight hope's candle. But if we lose both, then all that is left is an emptiness that we call discouragement, and when discouragement enters our lives, it reigns over all aspects of life.

From the beginning of the story, Moses was afraid that no one would listen, and at this moment, his worst fear seems to have come true. The plan of the Egyptians appeared to be working. If there was any hope in the Israelites when Moses appeared on the scene, the harsh conditions had extinguished that hope. Possibly, more importantly, it had also removed any courage that had existed within the people to stand against the Egyptians. All that was left to reign in the lives of the Israelites was discouragement.

As a result of that discouragement, the Israelites could not hear the message that Moses was bringing to them. Discouragement had blocked up their ears and left them deaf to any of the chords of hope that Moses might try to strike. All that they could see was a life of harsh labor followed by death. They were living tragic existences from which, they believed, no one could save them. What the people believed was a lie, but that is often the result of discouragement. Discouragement usually leaves us living on fertile ground for the lies that anyone might want to sew in us.  Once sewn, the lie threatens to overwhelm our lives.

We often think that God used the signs and plagues of Moses to convince the Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. And they were, but there was also a secondary purpose. The miracles that Moses was about to perform were directed, not just at Egypt but also at Israel. It was God's way of restoring courage and hope into his people, of lighting the candle one more time. For Israel to escape their lives of slavery, Pharaoh had to let them go, but Israel also needed to possess the courage to get up and leave. And at this point, even if Pharaoh had been willing to free his slaves, the discouraged Israelites would not have had the courage and hope that was required to move beyond the Red Sea and Pharaoh's control. Discouragement was robbing Israel of everything that it needed. And somehow, hope and courage needed to be restored to the descendants of Jacob.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Exodus 7