“Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so (Exod 14:4).
When you are in a difficult situation, it is hard not to focus on your problems. And when you do that, you worry, and you get upset. Why? It may be because you have the idea that it is utterly unacceptable that you should be suffering. You might believe that the world must be fair to you—and more than fair, i.e., you should get your way. And because of those beliefs, going through your troubles makes you miserable.
When the Jews were stuck between the Egyptian army on the one hand and the open sea on the other, with no hope of earthly rescue, they turned on Moses and sarcastically asked, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?” (v 11 NIV). What would become of them? They were afraid, and their main concern was survival. Their entire focus was on themselves, and that meant they lost sight of God. But look at what God says in v 4. What is God’s purpose in leading Israel “between Migdol and the sea”?
“…and I will gain honor…”
That was God’s goal—not Israel’s comfort, but gaining honor for Himself. So here is another principle about worrying:
Principle 2: Be more concerned with God’s glory than with your relief.
Part of why you worry about your situation is that you are focused on yourself. I completely understand why! But have you considered that God may be more concerned with bringing glory to Himself through you, than by making things easy for you? After all, as a disciple of Christ, have you ever asked Him to use you for His glory? Don’t be surprised, then, if God answers your prayer! James tells you to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (Jas 1:2), not because trials are fun, but because God, like a goldsmith, is refining you in the fire to produce someone who will bring Him greater glory for all eternity. You may not understand how that process works, but you can learn to trust the One Who works the process.
