Have you ever wondered why following God sometimes feels harder after you begin to obey?
Key Verse:
“I will bring you out… I will deliver you… I will redeem you… I will take you for My people…” —Exodus 6:6–7 NASB
Background Context:
In Exodus 4–6, we see a powerful sequence unfold in the life of Moses and the people of Israel. God calls Moses, overcomes his objections, and sends him to deliver His people. What follows is not immediate success, but a series of challenges that reveal how God works through His people.
This section of Exodus provides more than historical events—it gives us a pattern for understanding our own walk with God.
(Continued and expanded after scripture.)
Reflection on Exodus 4–6:
When God calls Moses, his first response is hesitation. He questions his ability, his worthiness, and even asks God to send someone else. This is where many of us begin. When God calls us, we often focus on our limitations rather than His power.
Yet God does not withdraw the calling. He patiently answers Moses’ objections and reminds him that His presence will be enough.
Eventually, Moses chooses to obey.
This step is critical. Obedience does not require perfect confidence—it requires willingness.
But what happens next is often unexpected.
Instead of things improving, they become more difficult. Pharaoh rejects God’s command, and the burden on the Israelites increases. What seemed like the beginning of deliverance now feels like the beginning of greater suffering.
This is where many people become discouraged.
We expect obedience to lead to immediate results. When it does not, we begin to question whether we heard God correctly, or whether we made a mistake.
The people turn against Moses. Moses himself questions God.
Yet in this moment, God responds—not by immediately changing the situation, but by reaffirming His promise.
“I am the LORD.”
God reminds Moses of who He is and what He has already said He will do. His promises have not changed, even though circumstances have.
This reveals a pattern we must understand:
God calls → we struggle → we obey → resistance comes → discouragement follows → God reassures.
This is not failure.
This is the process of learning to trust God.
Obedience is not a straight path of immediate success. It is a journey that stretches our faith, challenges our expectations, and teaches us to rely not on outcomes, but on God Himself.
Many people stop in the middle of this process. They obey, encounter resistance, and assume something has gone wrong.
But Scripture shows us the opposite.
Resistance does not mean you are outside of God’s will.
Discouragement does not mean God has abandoned you.
Often, these are the very places where God is preparing to demonstrate His power.
The question is not whether we will face these moments—but whether we will continue to trust Him through them.
God’s promises remain true, even when we cannot yet see how they will be fulfilled.
Application:
- Recognize this pattern in your own walk with God.
- Do not be discouraged when obedience leads to difficulty.
- Continue trusting God even when results are delayed.
- Return to God’s promises when your circumstances feel overwhelming.
- Choose to remain faithful through every stage of the process.
Closing Prayer:
Father, thank You for showing me that the journey of obedience is not always easy, but that You are present in every step of it. Help me to trust You when I face resistance or discouragement. Remind me that Your promises do not change, even when my circumstances do. Strengthen my faith to continue walking with You, trusting in Your plan and Your timing. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.
May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.
John Golda
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