The Big Ol’ Push
Well, friend, come right on over here and be settlin’ yourself on in like a tired lil’ ol’ squirrel findin’ the softest patch o’ moss on a shady ol’ log. We’re ‘bout to be meanderin’ into holy truth so doggone rich it could butter your biscuit without even tryin’ hard. The Lord tucked a mighty message into Exodus 1:7-12, and it hums the same tune as 1 Peter 5:10, which tells us, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” That there verse slips right into your heart like a lil’ ol’ raccoon slippin’ into a corncrib at midnight. Now, if that don’t perk your spirit up like a lil’ ol’ Banty rooster thinkin’ he’s hearin’ the first hint of dawn, I sho’ nuff’ don’t know what will.
The Israelites had been livin’ high and purty comfortable in Egypt. They was feelin’ as settled as a plump lil’ barn hen sittin’ on a warm nest. Joseph’s people were treated like honored guests, and they got so relaxed you could almost hear ‘em sigh like an ol’ hound dog stretched out on a porch step. But then along came a new Pharaoh who looked at ‘em the way a nervous farmer looks at a field full of groundhogs diggin’ holes faster than he can fill ‘em. He didn’t know Joseph, didn’t care ‘bout their history, and he sho’ nuff’ didn’t like how fast they was multiplyin’.
This new Pharaoh got himself real scared, and panicky folks can act stranger than a goat tryin’ to ride around on roller skates. He turned the Israelites from well‑treated guests into overworked slaves, thinkin’ he could stomp out their strength. But Exodus 1:12 says, “The meaner the things he done to them, the more they multiplied and grew.” Friend, that’s what happens when God’s hand is on a bunch o’ people. You can press ‘em down and squeeze ‘em like grapes, but what comes out is somethin’ stronger than what you started with.
The Israelites forgot they was travelers. They got so cozy in Egypt that they nearly unpacked their destiny. So, God allowed a new king to rattle their cage. That discomfort pushed ‘em toward the land He had promised. Sometimes the very thing we call an enemy is the tool God uses to shove us out of a place we was never meant to settle in.
So, friend, that there painful new season you’re facin’ might just be the big ol’ holy nudge that moves you from bein’ stuck in the mud to soarin’ with the eagles. Your God ain’t left you. He’s guidin’ you, shapin’ you, and preparin’ you for the land He’s already got marked with your name all over it.
Father, thank You for usin’ every season, even the uncomfortable ones, to move us toward Your purpose. Help me trust Your plan when life feels tight. Remind me that I am a person of prophecy and promise. Lead me from glory to glory. In Jesus name. Amen.
Well, I reckon, friend, we’ve done chased this here truth ‘round the barn long enough, and it’s ready to settle in your spirit. So, as you step off this porch and back into the wild trail of your day, remember that what looks like a mean ol’ king might just be that divine cattle prod God’s usin’ to be nudgin’ you toward your promised pasture. You ain’t just wanderin’ ‘round like a lost lil’ possum in the moonlight. You’re bein’ guided, strengthened, and positioned. An’ when the dust settles, you’ll see that God was steerin’ your steps the whole time, even through all them prickly sticker‑burr patches o’ life.
With joy,
Gwen
