The Gain of Pain

01.21.15

Exodus 2.13-14 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves. (ESV)

Talk about winning friends and influencing people. I thought about this as I read today and mused: why did they treat them so badly – didn’t the Egyptians know that the worse they treated those Hebrews the more they’d want to escape?

When we consider God, Whom many consider a meanie, why is there is so much conversation about His love? I mean, God is love; but why do so many consider Him to be mean and spiteful and harsh? Why do so many think He’s going to take from them something they don’t want to give or to make them do something they don’t want to do? People are afraid of God’s love – they consider it to be some kind of bait and switch.

The plight of the Hebrews in Exodus is multi-faceted, and part of the reason for the rough treatment they endured might just be that God never intended for them to become blended into Egyptian society and culture. God desired something better for them – something they would never attain as pseudo-Egyptians. God desired them for Himself.

Ruthless treatment never seems to work – that is, unless God is trying to get someone to turn to Him rather than to what is abusing them so badly. One of the attributes of pain is it causes someone to change their mind and will. Pain is a change-agent. Pain makes us think differently. Pain makes us pay attention to more important things – like the relief of pain and/or what might be causing it. Pain gets our attention.

In pain we cry out to God; works every time. In good times we forget God; in good times we tend to think we’re in charge and we’ve got it all under control. Pain helps us remember our humiliation and brings about contrition and a change of heart. In such change God smiles at our decision-making to see things differently. Our plight and need comes to our rescue: not to rescue us from pain, but from a life which loves Him little.

Today, my pain drives me to God for answers, solutions, courage, and the decision: to do something.

Lord, as I think about the Egyptians and how they treated my ancient brothers and sisters, I think they were wrong in their approach; beating up on the ones we need is just wrong. Help me today to act – to allow the pain to be my gain and to act wisely – starting with trusting in You. Thank You for the day and for the things in this day. Help me to walk humbly and learn and to take the action that I need to take because You desire that I do. I trust You Father, amen.