Title: Don't Be Afraid of Suffering
Exodus (26) Do not be afraid of suffering (Exodus 11:1-10)
< 10th plague >
Pharaoh and Moses could no longer compromise. After the 9th plague, God prepared the 10th plague and told the people to each seek silver and gold from their neighbors (verse 2). At that time, God allowed the Israelites to receive the favor of the Egyptians, and Moses was seen as a very great being in the eyes of Pharaoh's servants and the people (verse 3). At one time, the Israelites were slaves as Gentiles in Egypt, but with the advent of an outstanding leader named Moses, the Egyptians' bad prejudice against the Israelites drastically decreased and their favorability increased significantly.
At that time, Moses' charisma was great. How many times did Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who had absolute power, beg forgiveness before Moses and beg for release from disaster? Exodus 7:1, which says that Moses would be regarded as a god by Pharaoh, was fulfilled. See Moses, who turned 80 and made a dramatic turnaround in his life. If God is with us, anyone can become the protagonist of a reversed life like that.
Until then, God had spread the 9 plagues through Moses and Aaron, but God said that only the 10th plague would go directly into Egypt and unfold (verse 4). At that time, He said that every firstborn in the land of Egypt would die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of lowly servants and the firstborn of all livestock, and there would eventually be mourning throughout Egypt (verses 5-6). Not long ago, the Israelites were weeping because of their hard labor, but now the situation has been reversed and there is more weeping for the Egyptians.
In the midst of such calamities, there was no harm to man or animal in the area where the Israelites lived, and even a dog did not move its tongue, so that there was a distinct difference between Egypt and Israel (verse 7). Not even a dog moving its tongue indicates that peace and quiet will continue without any disaster. Even in the midst of such turmoil in the world, God will show His existence by giving His people a way of salvation and peace.
<Don't be afraid of hardships>
Why did God not subdue Pharaoh with a single sword with a terrible calamity from the beginning, but let the tenth plague continue? It is God's will to increase the ability and authority to endure and persevere so that we can overcome the numerous problems that continue in our lives. In fact, the ability to persevere is the best ability. Why didn't God heal the sick Apostle Paul? The most important reason was to let them know that when you are weak you become stronger.
At first glance, it seems that people will be more grateful to God if there are no problems. But in fact, such a person is no more grateful. When people have more to be grateful for, they don't know more about gratitude. Usually, people who are in trouble are thankful. Even the rich don't do well in giving. The service is also often served by busy people, not by those who have a lot of time. In the life of faith, people with hardships and problems believe well and do great things in the end.
Sometimes you have to go through hardships to know gratitude for your health, for blessings, and for your parents, church, and neighbors. Christianity is a history of suffering. Even saints must overcome the training of patience and perseverance in the midst of hardship to become truly great saints. Suffering has meaning. If you make good use of that hardship, good things remain, but when money, fame, and popularity come, you usually lose faith and more good things.
People think that wearing well, eating well, and having a lot of money is the only way to be happy, but in fact, the more money you have, the more worries and troubles you have, the more harm you do, and the more bad things you do. Therefore, be grateful for hardships and problems and be patient. It seems that children can do great things when they grow up without suffering, but in fact, the opposite is true. So, don't be too pitiful when your loved ones or children are suffering. Because of that, you become a person, a character, and a good church member.
When nurturing saints, God keeps going through difficult difficulties in order to raise them strong. Don't be too afraid of hardship now. Don't be too upset with the person who gives you trouble. In a way, it is rather an angel who causes suffering. God sent him to make me a good person. See the person who troubles you like that as an angel, not the devil, and get along well with that angel. True ability is not to live well, to be strong, to learn a lot, to have a lot, but to be patient in any circumstance.