Category: Exodus

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Exodus 11 before reading the devotional below.

Moses has shifted from the reluctant messenger with a stutter to a bold and fierce leader for the people of God. These plagues have served a purpose besides teaching Pharaoh who’s boss. Walking through this process has changed Moses, too. He has seen God do what he said he would do, and he has been a vessel of God’s power multiple times now. He’s not messing around anymore. And even though Pharaoh has been unrelenting, the Egyptian people and even Pharaoh’s own officials have a great respect for Moses as they have endured these plagues. There is no doubt in their minds that Moses has a significant, God-given power.

The death of a firstborn son changes everything. Here we see the connection between Pharaoh and God. What is about to be forced on Pharaoh and his people is what God will later voluntarily take on in order to rescue the world. The oldest son of a king is a loss beyond ordinary losses. It is a disruption in world history. God is about to demonstrate his kingship over the whole world as he shows Pharaoh just how little power he actually has over his own life and future.

Here’s your freedom for today: we are changed in the process of walking by faith. If God had given Moses victory immediately with Pharaoh, how might this story have been different? Would Moses have been ready to lead the people through the desert? The trials are only going to get harder from here. Moses needed the plagues as much as Pharaoh did to see the truth. He was a leader, born for a purpose and equipped with the power of God. No one needed to be convinced of that more than Moses himself. What is God showing you about yourself through your trials right now?

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Exodus 12 before reading the devotional below.

It’s just like God to pause for symbolism. Pharaoh just got served his notice that all the firstborn sons in Egypt will die. In the midst of such a serious battle, God does not neglect to take a moment with his own people. They are, after all, his children. He wants to use this momentous time to teach them something about who he is and what he is doing. God does not kill for killing’s sake. He does not delight in any death. Pharaoh still has time to turn his heart around.

In reading this story of the first Passover, you may wonder why God uses so much animal killing to interact with his people. In large part, this is because the very first act that had to be done after Adam and Eve sinned was to kill an animal. In order to protect their dignity (now that they had a knowledge of evil), God had to sacrifice one of his precious animals. The very ones that Adam was tasked with naming had to die to protect humanity. Of course all of that could only provide an earthly kind of covering, so Jesus had to protect humanity by shedding his own blood as a perfect man. In this story, the Egyptian blood that was shed also provided salvation for God’s people as they were finally freed from slavery.

Here’s your freedom for today: God will always cover you. He will never shame you. When Satan shames you, God will cover you. He never intended for death in his Garden, yet he was willing to make a sacrifice of an animal to cover and clothe Adam and Eve. Central to the entire message of salvation is God’s willingness to sacrifice his own Son to create an eternal, spiritual covering that is immutable. Any moment that you feel shame, run to God instead of away from him. He knows how to make it all right again.

 

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Exodus 13 before reading the devotional below.

Freedom is worth celebrating. A lot of places in the Bible contain instructions for celebrations, usually focused on remembering a time of significant victory. God wants the Israelites to pause in this moment and connect with their freedom. He knows that if they encounter too much hardship immediately they will give up and head right back into oppression. (We will see this in coming chapters.)

At the end of this chapter God sets up a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud. These pillars are a continual reminder of God’s presence with them and of his nurturing character. He leaves a nightlight on for his children in a time when they are fearful and confused about what will happen next. He guides them with the cloud every day to take the guesswork out of their journey. It’s a long, hard road ahead and even God’s provisions won’t fully calm their hearts.

Here’s your freedom for today: you don’t have to know where you are going. God is leading you if you have turned your life and will over to him. He will tell you what you need to know at certain key moments, but a lot of the journey is also about trust. Do you need to know what is coming up ahead? Maybe. But maybe not. Can you trust that God will tell you what you need to know? Can you leave the rest of the questions there for him to handle?

 

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Exodus 14 before reading the devotional below.

The Israelites look confused, and that’s God’s plan right now. Once again, his plans are not a straight line to the next destination. Rather, to further his story of victory, he sets a trap for the Egyptians. They felt pretty burned by the Israelites’ defiant raised fists on the way out of town, and Pharaoh is second-guessing his decision to let them go. The Israelites understandably freak out when they see the Egyptians in hot pursuit.

Moses, the model of tranquility for the people, freaks out to God. He cries out for answers after assuring the people that God will come through. Perhaps this reflects an inner conflict and identity crisis for Moses — he has gained a confidence through this process but he is also very aware of his need for God’s leadership. It’s not a bad place to be spiritually. God tells Moses that he needs to focus on leading and let God show up when he needs to show up. “Get moving!” is God’s reply. And of course, the sea is parted and the rest is history.

Here’s your freedom for today: you don’t have to wonder if God will show up. You just have to keep moving. Do the thing he told you to do. Until you get another direction, keep using the last one he gave you. If it seems like time is of the essence, trust that God will show up in the right moment. Most of the time, we feel like God needs to show up a lot sooner than he actually needs to show up. His timing is not our timing. Trust that he is deeply involved in every moment of your life and will come through with the most amazing victory story you’ve ever seen.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Exodus 15 before reading the devotional below.

Have you ever experienced a victory so sweet that you just burst out into song? The Israelites are singing and dancing, praising God on the other side of the Red Sea. God knocked out the bad guys at the last possible second and it was a sight to remember and celebrate. (And for such an occasion, if you are ever wandering in the desert and you can only bring a limited number of objects with you, be sure “tamborine” makes it onto your list…)

If only the song had been on repeat on their iPods during their desert stay, because it doesn’t take long for the Israelites to emotionally crash once again. When you are taking in the sweet smell of victory, it’s an exhilarating high that can’t be sustained. The adrenaline rush will fade and when you are hungry or thirsty you are likely to become irritable. Even though God keeps coming through for them, the Israelites panic at every negative turn.

Here’s your freedom for today: God will never leave you thirsty.  I don’t know how strong my faith would seem if I were walking through a desert (with children, by the way…) for three days with no water. You just can’t mentally keep it together after a certain point. But God had not left the Israelites in that moment of thirst, and he has not left you. When Jesus came, he talked about thirst. He talked about the spiritual and physical value of sharing a cup of cold water. He also described a different kind of living water that will eliminate the entire concept of thirst. God will not leave you to wither and dry up. Come, drink his water today as you take hold of the truth that he loves you and is working all things out for your good.