“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19 ESV
When God began delivering the Israelites from the oppression of Egypt, things actually got worse. Pharaoh increased their workload and punished them when they could not complete it. From their perspective, Moses had not brought freedom—he had made their suffering worse.
We erroneously think God’s deliverance will bring us immediate relief. When obedience, prayer, and good choices lead to increased resistance, we might assume we misunderstood Him or are doing things wrong. However, the resistance, is an exercise in freedom. We may think the grip holding is too strong for us, but the act of having to use our faith to push through even when things appear to be getting worse prepares us for our freedom walk.
As my daughter once said, “It may get worse before it gets better. But it WILL get better.” Debby Ryan
Worthwhile change often meets resistance—from giving birth to breaking bad habits or becoming stronger.
Questioning and Anger
God told Moses that Pharaoh would have to be forced to release the Israelites. Pharaoh would have to suffer before he became willing to let them go. After generations of disappointment, unanswered prayers, and slavery, the Israelites had to stretch their faith and believe that God was doing something new.
Their doubt and anger are evident in Exodus 5. We have all experienced moments like these. Maybe you are standing in a painful place where everything appears to be getting worse. When we have been oppressed for a long time, believing for something better can feel like a pipe dream. Our flesh tells us, It has always been this way. Nothing will change. God has abandoned us. Yet if we have invited God into our circumstances, we can choose to believe that He is working behind the scenes.
“The foremen said to them, ‘May the Lord look upon you and judge you, because you have made us odious in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and you have put a sword in their hand to kill us.’” Exodus 5:21 AMP
“Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, why have You brought harm and oppression to this people? Why did You ever send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has harmed and oppressed this people, and You have done nothing at all to rescue Your people.’” Exodus 5:22–23 AMP
The Pain of Birth
Pharaoh had an entire nation providing free labor to build his kingdom. He would not willingly surrender that power without extreme pressure. As God confronted Pharaoh, the Israelites suffered under Pharaoh’s increasing wrath. Their workloads became impossible, and the answer to their prayers initially looked like greater hardship.
These were the labor pains pushing them toward a new life. Their increased suffering did not mean God had abandoned His plan; it meant their oppressor’s grip was being challenged. The process also prepared them for freedom. Just because we have prayed does not mean everything will immediately improve. Sometimes deliverance looks impossible before the way forward becomes clear.
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1–2 KJV
The Faith Response
The Israelites could have strengthened their faith by remembering everything God had already done. He had carried Moses from slavery to Pharaoh’s palace and then called him as a prophet. God warned Pharaoh, promised wonders, and fulfilled those promises. When later plagues did not touch Goshen, where the Israelites lived, God showed that He was separating and protecting His people.
Still, some were afraid to hope. I do not want that to be me. I want to notice the hidden treasures within difficult times—the small signs that God is answering my prayers. Even when I cannot see them, I want to remain confident that I will see His goodness.
“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13 NIV
Prayer
Lord, I trust Your promise that You will make a way out of the Egypt I am in. I become discouraged when the path to freedom feels harder instead of easier. Help me remember that resistance does not mean You have abandoned me or that Your plan has failed. I choose to look for You and trust that You are moving in my life.
Teach me to recognize the difference between the pain of remaining in bondage and the temporary pain of moving toward freedom. Give me wisdom so I do not fight against the people or process You are using to deliver me. Unite my heart and mind to trust You, follow Your ways, and desire Your will. In Jesus’ name, amen.
