Let My People Go!

Most Christians know the story of when Moses confronted Pharaoh. God told Moses to tell Pharaoh, "Let My people go that they may worship me" ( Exodus 5:1). Every time Pharaoh refused another plague was sent to Egypt. We may think of this as an Old Testament story with little application today, since we are not ruled by Pharaohs or kings, though it's getting increasingly that way. Yet all politics aside, we do have a task master--Satan.

He wants to keep us enslaved--too busy to spend time with the Lord, to go out from the everyday tasks and worship Him. He cracks the whip and like Pharaoh, calls us "lazy." He is the Father of lies, for most Christians are not lazy. We are busy serving the Lord, helping others, fighting for good causes and taking care of our family. As women, we are often too busy, but the task master in our head drives us further and further on. 

He takes away the straw as Pharaoh did, and demands that we make the same amount of bricks. We don't have the body and substance that holds everything together, the Holy Spirit, and we "fall apart," just like a mud brick with nothing to bind it together. I know I just went through a week like that. Sick with a cold that zapped me of all my strength, I still went to work because that was what is expected of me as a teacher. We only take off when we are really, really sick, well most of us.

Anyway, I was so grumpy the whole week-- complaining, getting easily angered, frustrated, impatient and exhausted! My words went right along with my rotten mood, until I confessed that I really needed the Lord's help. Even with that it was difficult to keep it together. I should have taken a day off, but instead I let the father of lies--Satan pressed me to keep on going. I finally got a four day break, a little mini vacation because of unused snow days. I so needed this!

I needed to stop, get off the merry-go-round of life and just breathe, which was my chief problem. I could hardly breathe all week through my stuffed nose. Yet I saw another principle art work. The work schedule I set for myself is sometimes just too much. A bit of a type A personality I usually enjoy my business with work, friends, family and hobbies. The problem was I resented having so little energy and let those expectations become my slave driver. Until I realized what I was letting the enemy of my soul do to me, I couldn't get off the tread mill.

We need breaks, time to put aside the everyday tasks and worship Him. If you're raising children (I raised three) it might be more difficult, but we can take life slower, not accomplish as much and just breathe. Breathe in His presence, His Spirit and life. Don't let Satan rob you of this as Pharaoh did to the Israelites. Eventually, he let them go when death came to his firstborn son. I pray we don't need a tragedy in our life or sickness to wake us up to this truth. Relax and bask in His presence even in the midst of the world racing by. You'll be glad you did!