(Give thanks) To Him Who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for His steadfast loves endures forever; and brought Israel out from among them, for His steadfast love endures forever; with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for His steadfast love endures forever; to Him Who divided the Red Sea in two, for His steadfast love endures forever; and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for His steadfast love endures forever; but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for His steadfast love endures forever; to Him Who led His people through the wilderness, for His steadfast love endures forever. (Verses 10-16)
First the miracles and then the wilderness. Of course, the miraculous rescue of Israel from its slavery in Egypt was out of the box! Signs and wonders now epic. The stuff of movie after movie. God gave Moses a stick, ordinary except for its use as a sort of wand that changed things when anointed by God to do so. Put it into the Nile and blood runs there instead of water. Place it at the edge of the Red Sea and water parts, walled up on either side of a nation which then passes through on dry land to the other side. Over a million people hurried across with livestock and possessions before the Egyptian army caught up. They had second thoughts about letting Israel leave after all. The army plunged into the miracle sea only to have it swallow them up, chariots and all. God will do whatever it takes to get His children out of bondage. Even now.
However, there is still the job of getting bondage out of us. And so God led His people into and out of the wilderness. What was there? Not leeks and onions. They were fed, all right, but with this white stuff that fell from the sky that Israel called manna - what is it? Every day "what is it" covered the ground. "Don't take more than you need for this day." They learned quickly that if they stored up God's provision for another day, it rotted. No shopping malls. They lived in the shoes they left with for forty years. No meat. Complain and grumble against God. Sick of manna. Where's the beef? Angry, God pours birds from the sky...too many, and some get sick from gorging. Thirst was there, too. We have to look at our need in the wilderness. To understand our inability to provide for ourselves. Moses raised the stick and out of a rock gushed enough water for a nation where there was not oasis. Most importantly, though, God was there. At night His Presence was a pillar of fire. By day God led His children by a cloud. When God moved, the people moved. When He was still, they must be still. His provision didn't even make sense sometimes. Out of nothing God gave them all they needed...just not all they wanted. The promise of a land flowing with milk and honey was ahead. But they couldn't take Egypt with them in their hearts.
In the wilderness? I've been there more than once. I needed my hard drive erased. Brought down to the simplicity of following God when He takes away the thing that medicates--whatever we go to instead of cloud and fire--and makes us look at our need. Wildernesses show us we are hungry and thirsty and we've been trusting in something else to nourish our needs. In the arid atmosphere, there is only us and God. If He doesn't provide, we will die there. And we can't usually see how in the world He can get us through. Manna isn't steak, and we want Him to give us filet mignon. But our stomachs are greedy and we've forgotten how to let God take care of us. Out of nothing, He does. He will. Because the point of the wilderness is to reconnect to God, to yearn for only Him. To obey again. If you have been delivered from bondage, it was a miracle! And you know it! The therapy of the desert is necessary because God wants you to go into the new season of joy and power without the trappings of your former idol. Drink from the Rock and munch on the manna. Our God is all we need.
First the miracles and then the wilderness. Of course, the miraculous rescue of Israel from its slavery in Egypt was out of the box! Signs and wonders now epic. The stuff of movie after movie. God gave Moses a stick, ordinary except for its use as a sort of wand that changed things when anointed by God to do so. Put it into the Nile and blood runs there instead of water. Place it at the edge of the Red Sea and water parts, walled up on either side of a nation which then passes through on dry land to the other side. Over a million people hurried across with livestock and possessions before the Egyptian army caught up. They had second thoughts about letting Israel leave after all. The army plunged into the miracle sea only to have it swallow them up, chariots and all. God will do whatever it takes to get His children out of bondage. Even now.
However, there is still the job of getting bondage out of us. And so God led His people into and out of the wilderness. What was there? Not leeks and onions. They were fed, all right, but with this white stuff that fell from the sky that Israel called manna - what is it? Every day "what is it" covered the ground. "Don't take more than you need for this day." They learned quickly that if they stored up God's provision for another day, it rotted. No shopping malls. They lived in the shoes they left with for forty years. No meat. Complain and grumble against God. Sick of manna. Where's the beef? Angry, God pours birds from the sky...too many, and some get sick from gorging. Thirst was there, too. We have to look at our need in the wilderness. To understand our inability to provide for ourselves. Moses raised the stick and out of a rock gushed enough water for a nation where there was not oasis. Most importantly, though, God was there. At night His Presence was a pillar of fire. By day God led His children by a cloud. When God moved, the people moved. When He was still, they must be still. His provision didn't even make sense sometimes. Out of nothing God gave them all they needed...just not all they wanted. The promise of a land flowing with milk and honey was ahead. But they couldn't take Egypt with them in their hearts.
In the wilderness? I've been there more than once. I needed my hard drive erased. Brought down to the simplicity of following God when He takes away the thing that medicates--whatever we go to instead of cloud and fire--and makes us look at our need. Wildernesses show us we are hungry and thirsty and we've been trusting in something else to nourish our needs. In the arid atmosphere, there is only us and God. If He doesn't provide, we will die there. And we can't usually see how in the world He can get us through. Manna isn't steak, and we want Him to give us filet mignon. But our stomachs are greedy and we've forgotten how to let God take care of us. Out of nothing, He does. He will. Because the point of the wilderness is to reconnect to God, to yearn for only Him. To obey again. If you have been delivered from bondage, it was a miracle! And you know it! The therapy of the desert is necessary because God wants you to go into the new season of joy and power without the trappings of your former idol. Drink from the Rock and munch on the manna. Our God is all we need.
No comments:
Post a Comment