Day 9 - Our Deliverance for His Glory

SCRIPTURE
Exodus 14
10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord,
13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. 14 The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
15Then the Lord said to Moses… “18 When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!”
21 Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. 22 So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!
30 That is how the Lord rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore. 31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

DEVOTION
For over 400 hundred years, the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Finally, after generations of hoping and praying, the Israelites were about to see their deliverance. But after 400 years, most of them had given up hope.
 
As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord (Exodus 14:10, NLT).

Maybe there is something in your life that seems hopeless and keeps you in bondage (debt, a job, or even a relationship). You’ve prayed for years and it seems God hasn’t heard. Like a hamster in a cage spinning its wheel, you feel trapped with no way out and no hope of things getting better. Just as when Peter walked on the water to Jesus (Matthew 14:28-31), if we look at our circumstances instead of at the Lord, we sink.

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (Exodus 14:13-14, NLT). God’s answer for the Israelites and for us is “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm…” (Exodus 14:13, CSB). We see the same word for fight used in Exodus 1 where Pharaoh feared that the Israelites would grow powerful and fight against Egypt and overtake them, so he made their work harder and finally tried to kill off the baby boys. Yet we see in Exodus 14:14 that the Israelites didn’t have to fight, because the Lord promised to fight their battle for them. He wants to do the same for us. Like the Egyptians, our enemy has powerful weapons. Pharaoh took 600 of his best chariots and more to fight Israel (Exodus 14:6-7). Even that was not enough to defeat the Lord.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!” (Exodus 14:15a, 18, NLT) When Moses first went to Pharaoh to tell him to let God’s people go, Pharaoh denied that he knew this God. In fact, he denied God so vehemently, he actually said that he denied God’s authority over him (Exodus 5:1-2). We see that God answered this arrogance by miraculously defeating Pharaoh’s great army and all his chariots. God’s glory in this verse indicates God’s sovereignty or His rule and control over history as well as the future. God was glorified in Pharaoh’s defeat. God wants to be glorified by defeating the enemies that come against us. And He is able. No matter how bleak your circumstances may appear, God is greater!

Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! That is how the Lord rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. (Exodus 14:21-22, 30, NLT). Can you imagine all your worries disappearing so there is no longer any evidence they ever existed? God didn’t make the Israelites walk through on mud, though they probably would’ve been glad to in order to escape. He made a perfect path for them. The Lord “saved” (ESV) or “rescued” (NLT) Israel that day from their enemies, and all they had to do was be “silent” (ESV) or “still” (NIV). Isaiah shares this same thought: This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength” (Isaiah 30:15a, NLT). God has a victorious plan for our deliverance and for His glory. We have to let Him fight our battles as we stay calm and trust in Him.

ACTION STEP
What is your Egypt? What holds you so that you don’t see a way out? What seems impossible right now? Take a few minutes and write down 3 to 5 things you would like to see God accomplish in your life that seem too big to happen. How can God be glorified in these areas? Make the decision today to trust the Lord in each of these situations.

Take time to read through all of Exodus 14, the story of God’s deliverance of Israel from bondage to Egypt. Think and reflect how this story relates to your life.

PRAYER TIME
Lord, just as You did great things for the Israelites after years of waiting, help me to see You working in my life. I know You are greater than anything that I struggle with. Help me to trust You in the waiting and rest in You.

For a great song to go along with your devotion this morning please click here.