Once a month I get to lead worship at a small church event called Celebrate Recovery. Here's the mini devotional I gave last weekend before our singing time.
I've come around again to the book of Exodus in my Bible reading and wanted to tell you a few things that encouraged me this week. The context is right after God miraculously rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. They are transitioning from captivity to freedom, travelling out in the desert and heading toward the Red Sea. They are quick to be suspicious of God and His motives, even though He has just done many wonders on their behalf. Here are three verses that tell us and the Israelites why God can be trusted.
The first verse is Exodus 13:17 which says God led Israel on an intentional detour out of His mercy. The shortest, most direct path would have overwhelmed Israel with enemies and fighting they weren't ready for.
The second verse is 13:2. It says that the Lord led them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night so they could travel by day and night. I'd never noticed before that the pillar of fire was so they could keep going at night, not just for warmth, light or reassurance. God's guiding and help in moving forward is there 24 hours a day, not just at certain times.
And finally Exodus 14:19, "The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them...and stood between them (Israel and the pursuing Egyptians)." When our enemies get the most aggressive God moves in a more obvious way to stand between us and our attackers.
I hope you are encouraged today that God is for us and can be trusted where we are on our life path.
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