What The Lord Allows

I suspect that you would be hard pressed to find someone who has been exposed to scripture to any degree but have not heard the phrase “Let my people go.” This story of Moses’ assignment to execute the release of the Israelites out of the bondage at the hand of Pharoah and the Egyptians is a very familiar story. The story has been preached, exegeted, sang and taught in every religious circle, denomination and tongue.

But as many times as I have read the story, I must admit that I am still quite intrigued at how these events unfolded and how they correlate with events that often occur in the life of the believer today.

The Lord sent Moses on an assignment because He was the one chosen to be the channel by which the Lord would answer the prayers and the cries of the Israelites. He would be the conduit through which God would honor a promise He had made years before. Yes, Moses is sent on an assignment by God to perform a task that aligns with the divine plan of God and then God stacks the deck against him, (figuratively speaking).

When Moses came back with the report of Pharoah’s resistance, the Lord indicated that it was He who had hardened Pharoah’s heart.

What? Do you mean that God will assign us to do something, then He will cause someone along the journey to reject us?

Well, that’s exactly what happened to Moses and the reality is that it sometimes happens to us.

Why did the Lord harden Pharoah’s heart? Why does He orchestrate events in our life, send us out on assignment, then allow rejection or denial along the way?

Occasionally, the Lord chooses to show up just to reveal to us what He has so intricately placed within us, and sometimes this occurs before we’ve realized it ourselves.

If we never have to push against a wall, we might never come to know our strength. If we never have to keep going back to take the same test, we might never understand the power of persistence. If we are never rejected, we may never realize the depth of God’s love regardless of the lack of acceptance by others. If we never encounter a hard heart toward us, we may never fully appreciate God’s grace.

If we never hit a brick wall, never hear “No, you’re not the right fit”, never been turned down, then we would never know what it means to PUSH beyond our human strength, to PRESS beyond our pain, to PERSEVERE beyond our perceived ability, or to PERSIST beyond our limit to endure….

But God allows it. He allows it for His glory, for His purpose, for our growth and because we would have never known who we are, what we were created to be or what we’re capable of accomplishing through Him. If He had not allowed it, our destiny and His plan might never become our reality.

Therefore, God allows it!

Exodus 9:12 “But the Lord hardened Pharoah’s heart and he would not listen to them.”