Maybe it is my failing cognition. Maybe it is my innate lack of directional skills. Or maybe it is simply that I’m always afraid my wife is trying to squeeze as many extra kilometers out of me as possible – Because by her own admission, she has often done this in the past — But when we were in Hawaii in the winter of 2023, I often found myself asking my wife where our car/hotel was (in relation to where I was!), and how much farther until we arrived. She was happy to answer these questions, don’t get me wrong. The problem was, I didn’t believe her! 

Take, for example, the time we had walked down to a museum near the beach. It was very, very hot, and with the humidity in Hawaii, I was soon drenched to the skin. I asked my wife several times how much farther and if we were going in the right direction, and each time I didn’t believe her answers. And, consequently, each time I became more and more worried that I wouldn’t have the physical strength to get there! I was so upset that when I asked that last time and she pointed to the building a block away, I still didn’t believe her, and I turned around and walked all the way back to the hotel! 

I look back on this now and I wonder if I was crazy or what… How could it be that even with the end in sight, I failed to see it, forcing myself to have to walk all those kilometers back to the hotel in the burning temperatures! 

It kind of reminds me of the Children of Israel… They had been slaves in Egypt for many, many years. They had been crying out to God to save them, and He was in the process of doing just that. In fact, He had just given Moses a very encouraging message: “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the  Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’” (Exodus 6:6-9 NIV). 

And Moses, who had already learned the importance of obedience to God, did what he was told. He reported this to the Israelites. Unfortunately, they were made of the same “humanity” that I am, because just like I didn’t believe my wife when she told me the museum was right in front of us, the Israelites didn’t believe Moses: “…But they did not listen to him…” (Exodus 6:10a NIV)

We are our own worst enemies! 

To bring this a little more in focus, what have you been petitioning the heavens for? Has God sent you a message? Either directly or through His word or through other means (like maybe even this devotional???)? Yet despite all of that, you find yourself not really believing what you are hearing…

I had an excuse for not believing my wife. I was actually in a tiny bit of heat stroke, and the farther we walked, the more discouraged I became. 

Israel was no different. The Bible says they wouldn’t listen to Moses, “…because of their discouragement and harsh labor.” (Exodus 6:10b NIV)

Could discouragement be at the root of your own doubt as well? When God sends you a message of hope, are you simply too discouraged by the problem at hand to even … believe? 

If you are, then you are in good company. My company, yes; but also that of the Children of Israel…

So what is the solution? 

Let’s remember that our hope is in the Lord. When He gives us a message, He means it, for He makes everything beautiful, in His time (See Eccl. 3:11). 

Perhaps what I needed to do was to look beyond my discouragement and discomfort and remember all the times my wife had steered me right. 

Perhaps the Children of Israel also needed to look beyond their discouragement and harsh labor and remember all the times God had kept His promises to their forefathers. 

And perhaps you, also, need to look beyond your discouragement and focus on all the times God has come through for you and in the lives of those around you. 

The Bible tells us, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Phil. 4:8 NIV). In other words, let’s not focus on the problems at hand. Let’s focus on God’s goodness instead, for when we do, our problems will be a lot easier to navigate!

In His love,
Rob Chaffart
Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries

(To access the entire “Hawaii, Here We Come!” devotional series, please click here!)