The Taskmasters 2019… Let My People Go!

Exodus 3:7 The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.”

The Taskmasters of 2019?

STUFF and SUCH!

In this gorgeous and bountiful land, who or what is your taskmaster? Maybe you have more than one, maybe you have two or three, like work, or popularity. or just plain STUFF.

We all have them!  Unfortunately, we also are the one’s who give them the power and authority to rule – so in a sense we are as much the slaves as the Israelites and also the Pharaoh who refuses to let us go.

Matthew 6:21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Israel was a the treasure of all treasure’s to Pharaoh because Israel provided the work required to gain the treasured lifestyle only enjoyed by the richest and most famous. Why would Pharaoh let them go when he so enjoyed the fruits of their labors, “No, no! Let’s make them work harder with less!” Pharaoh had a heart filled with the desire (and the slaves to produce it) for more and  more and more… STUFF whether he needed it or not!

But, Mary, “What does this have to do with us today? We’re not the slaves!”

Wanna bet?

I have been on a journey this last month that started on the anniversary of the 46th year of my wedding day and the 67th year of my birth. A lot of time and opportunity to be blessed and God HAS INDEED blessed our socks off! Now, it seems, it is “burning bush” time to have a little talk with Jesus on His “holy ground” about… STUFF!

Exodus 3:2-5 The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, “ I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

The results?

“Here I am.” DOWNSIZING! Which is somewhat like Israel tying to get their minds around leaving the place, people and things that, yes, have made them miserable at times, but have also supplied a faux comfort (roof over our head) and job security (plenty to do in taking care of the faux comfort).

We bought our house with the idea (dream) we would fill it with family, like we did in our younger days. We could/would/should possibly have grandchildren so we needed ROOMS.

Well, we filled it alright… with STUFF.

And now there is no REAL need for our ROOMS or STUFF!

They have become our co-taskmasters who keep too busy to SEE our slavery to the Pharaoh of the heart. “But what if I NEED it?!” (Thank you Ben and Matt for my favorite saying from your early years, “BUT I NEED…!!!!!”)

We (mostly me) have been blinded by our busyness of searching for the straw – to make the bricks – to build more room – to buy more stuff.

However, there is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— (Ecclesiastes 3:1) and the time has come (before we have no choice in the matter) to PURGE the taskmasters of our life, ASSESS the value and necessity of tasks we will be obligated to do in keeping the rest, and LOVE GOD more than any pharaoh/idol we have allowed to usurp His throne in our life.

He has blessed us, has given us everything we have needed to build this temple (1 Corinthians 3:16 you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you) just as He prepared the people leaving Egypt with everything they needed (which by the way they asked and received from their Egyptian neighbors 🙂 Exodus 12:33 – 36, 36:7) to build Him a temple in the wilderness.

Bur, just like the Israelites, when Moses was away talking with God for TOO LONG, I too have gotten scared and made myself some golden calfs – just in case God was not going to keep on taking care of me in the style I have grown accustomed to. (Note to Self – golden calfs are STUFF that requires a lot of polishing and such)

Exodus 20:1-2 Then God spoke all these words, saying, “ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Exodus 20:3 “ You shall have no other gods before Me.

Exodus 20:4 “ You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.

Exodus 20:5-6 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

And thus, I have come full circle with my own journey of leaving Egypt and slavery behind.

“I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.”

God SAW the affliction I was creating, even though I didn’t.

God GAVE HEED to the silent cry of my soul with the help of the Holy Spirit, when I could not or did not want to hear, because of the taskmasters I have given myself over to.

God is AWARE of my need and prepared my journey.

In my case, He called my exodus from Egypt, “Downsizing” – or as my husband says, “Getting rid of the clutter!”.

I never intended for this mission to become a spiritual journey, but God does! I didn’t have a really valid reason (which makes it VERY EASY to procrastinate) until I heard the shout of God, over the illegitimate pharaoh  trying to take over the throne of my life. “LET MY PEOPLE GO!”

I also have to confess, I have a very hard time letting go of ANYTHING… but… it is God who is at work in me – both to will and to work for His GOOD pleasure… and He has begun a work in me through this journey (hopefully it isn’t 40 years in the wilderness) that has opened my eyes to the taskmasters called STUFF.

God is not asking me to get rid of His blessings nor is He taking them away! My escape from Egypt hinges on what I have used God’s blessings for in my life and what I will use them for in the rest of my life.

I am PURGING (Trash, Give, Keep, Organize) my house, but I am also experiencing an “intentional” FREEDOM to pursue the “intentional” PLAN of God for my life.

That is… the plan that trains me up in the way I should go… as a child of the Lord my God, who says to me…

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)

My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to downsize… MYSELF!

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

I just have one thing too say, “Bye, bye Taskmasters of 2019! I am on the road to the promised land.”

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.