Time To Act

"Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act."

Exodus 2:23-25 (NLT)

Have you been at a place in your life where you wished God would act? Maybe you're there now. You have financial struggles and wonder how you will survive. Your family is a mess and you know the only way healing will take place is if God steps in and does the miraculous. Maybe you just feel beat up by circumstances and the pounding is relentless.

The Israelites felt much of this during the height of slavery in Egypt. They were God's chosen people and yet felt like God's cursed people. They may have been told God cared deeply for them, but circumstances told them God didn't care about them at all.

Notice a couple of things about these verses:

• Years passed, meaning Israel had to be patient. It wasn't that God didn't care. It just wasn't time to act.
• Israel may have pinned their hopes of survival on the king dying. Yet the slavery didn't stop when that happened. Proof that their hope of freedom wasn't in circumstances, but in God.
• Israel continued to cry out to God for help. Don't miss that. Even when God doesn't answer right away, our prayers are important and are heard by God.
• God didn't forget. This verse leads us to believe God heard their cries and thought, "Oh yeah! I forgot about Israel. I better do something." God is not aloof. God did not forget. He knew what His people were going through the entire time.
• Could there be 3 more exciting words when it comes to God and circumstances in our life? "...time to act." When God decides its time to act, our patience is rewarded and we see God do what we trusted He could do!

So do you find yourself like Israel, asking God to move and work but having to be patient and trust for the time to act? Don't lose heart! Continue to persevere and know that God is waiting for the right opportunity to move in. Continue to pray. Continue to trust. Continue to patiently wait for God to act. Because He will.

Maybe you're Moses in this passage. God's decision to act means an opportunity for leadership from you. When God decides to act, He uses others to bring about his plan. Moses had no clue that God taking action meant he was about to be leading the charge. Is God calling you to bring about his plan? Are you willing to listen and do what He's calling you to do?