Discouraged?

Ever felt so discouraged that you could not even listen to words of hope?  The people of Israel felt this way in Exodus 6.   God told Moses:

 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.  I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.  I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’” 

What great promises right?  He had an answer for them!  He was offering (with all the power and ability to provide) hope and a future to these people.  So Moses tells them everything that God said.  And look at what happened:

They did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.

Their spirits were so broken that they could not even listen to words of hope.

If you find yourself in that dark place today, consider giving hope a chance.  Remind yourself of God’s faithfulness.  Find words in Scripture about hope and God’s provision and allow yourself to believe …. Even just a little bit …. That there is hope.

Because there is.

It’s Throwback Thursday so here’s a classic for you.