Exodus 6 — Thoughts

Where Is Your Focus?

The way we respond to God says a lot about where we have our focus.

God says some beautiful things to Moses in this chapter:

• “I will free you from being slaves.

• “I will redeem you.”

• “I will take you as my people.”

• “I will be your God.”

• “I will bring you to the land I swore.”

And what is Moses’ response?

“If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?”

To say that Moses is missing the point would be an understatement. But can we really blame him? Don’t we all make the same mistake on a regular basis?

The mistake Moses makes is that he’s got his eyes on the wrong person. God is declaring who He is to Moses — His power, His love, His faithfulness. But all Moses can think about is himself — his fear, his weakness, his failure.

I don’t know about you, but Moses’ mistake is pretty much my default setting. Unless I make a special effort to keep my focus on God, my attention lands on myself every time. And like Moses, of course I get depressed — there is no hope to be found in myself.

But God — God is the source of all hope. When we keep our eyes on Him, we see reality for what it is. We remember the truth of who God is. We remember His promises. And we remember to place our faith in Him instead of ourselves.

This is what Jesus was talking about in Luke 11:33-35, when He reminded us to keep our eyes on Him because when we do, we will be filled with His light — and Jesus is the light (John 8:12).

Where is your focus today?

(Originally written October 19, 2020)