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The Lord is my strength…. (devo reflection)

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Forgive us and strengthen us…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 14:28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

The first thought that comes to mind after reading today’s scripture is, once again, Isaiah 43:19  “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” In today’s scripture, God has literally made a way where there was no way, straight through the Red Sea. That gives me hope for those times when I cannot fathom how He will make a way through what feels impenetrable.

Exodus 14:29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

The second thought that comes to mind is how fickle are the Israelites. They see this miracle and then, suddenly, “the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.” Yet I know that in a few short chapters, their doubt and fear will come slinking back. And I know that I am just as guilty of sliding back into fear and doubt again and again, even though I have seen the Lord show up and make a way repeatedly. Jesus, Help me.

Exodus 14:30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the reminder that You are making a way in the wildernesses of our lives, even if we cannot fathom the way forward. Thank You also for the reminder that, just like the Israelites, we will most likely doubt and fear again, yet You will remain with us because You promised never to leave us nor forsake us. Forgive us and strengthen us. Amen.

Exodus 14:31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

Have a blessed day.

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Fighting for you…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 14:25a He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! 

Oh the surety of knowing that the Lord is fighting for you. Based on the dialog, the Egyptians know with certainty, without question, that the Lord is fighting for the Israelites. Interestingly, in several conversations about God, Jesus, and their commandments lately, the idea that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are 100% for preserving the sanctity of human dignity has come up.

Exodus 14:25b The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”

Think about the women at the well. She is so outcast that she comes alone in the middle of the day to get water from the well. Jesus knows that she has had five husbands and is living with a man who is not her husband, and yet, he breaks all kinds of social rules to treat her with dignity and respect, allowing her to know the deep, fierce, profound love He has for her, for all of us.

Exodus 14:26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 

Precious Savior, It is so easy to use You as an exclusive badge of honor, but that is not who You are. You love each and every one of Your children, regardless of their mistakes and missteps, regardless of whether they recognize Your sovereignty. You want a relationship with us all, simply because we are Your beloved children. Thank You. Help us to show that kind of all-encompassing love to ourselves and each other. Amen.

Exodus 14:27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea.

Have a blessed day.

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God’s mysterious ways…. (devo refletcion)

Exodus 14:21a Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. 

Once again, I am reminded of Isaiah 43:19 “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Interestingly, commentary references a 1992 LA Times article demonstrating that natural phenomena shows such a parting is possible. Commentary then seems to cast shade on those who need such a non-miraculous explanation.

Exodus 14:21b-22 The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

Like many stories in the Bible, I’m left wondering if it is literal or symbolic and whether it really matters. The parting of the Red Sea, to me, indicates once again the truth of Isaiah 43:19, that God can make/will make/is making a way in our wilderness, even if we cannot yet perceive it, and, like Isaiah 55:8, His ways are “far beyond anything [we] could imagine”.

Exodus 14:23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea.

Precious Savior, You know I love a good explanation. Thank You that I can also accept that Your ways are mysterious and that I don’t have to understand them or be able to explain them. Help me to trust You, especially when I cannot fathom a way in the wilderness that I face. Help me to trust that You ARE making a way, even if I cannot yet perceive it. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 14:24 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.far beyond anything you could imagine

Have a blessed day.

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He is making a way…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 14:17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 

Of verses 19-20, commentary says, “God protected Israel from the Egyptian attack until a way was made through the Red Sea.” That brings to mind for me Isaiah 43:19 “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Exodus 14:18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

Isaiah 43:10 is a verse I cling to often, especially when I cannot see a way in the wilderness I am facing. Even with my back against the proverbial wall, I know that God has got me, He’s with me, He will NEVER leave me nor forsake me, He IS making a way in my wilderness, even if I cannot yet perceive it, even if it looks like nothing I had hoped or imaged (Isaiah 55:8). 

Exodus 14:19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 

Precious Savior, It can feel terrifying to be caught between the Egyptians/Pharaoh and the Red Sea, between a rock and a hard place, between two incredibly difficult choices. Thank You that You are with us even then, that You are protecting us, that You ARE making a way, even if we cannot yet perceive it. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 14:20 …coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

Have a blessed day.

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On being still…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 14:13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 

Exodus 14:14 is a favorite of mine, and it always makes me think of Psalm 46:19 “Be still and know that I am God….” Both talk about the need to be still in the Lord, to know Him, to trust Him. For many, myself included, that being still part can be incredibly difficult.

Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

I’m a huge “God helps those who help themselves” person, which implies that I have to go, to do, to work. And if I’m honest, I know that underneath all that busy-ness is the hope that somehow it is enough, that somehow I’ve done enough, that, hopefully, I’ve done my part, which always makes me wonder if I’m not still missing the directive to “Be still…” in the Lord.

Exodus 14:15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 

Precious Savior, You call me to be Your hands and feet in this world. You also call me to “Be still” in You, in Your presence, in Your goodness, and to know that You are God and You are all I need. As You know, I struggle, mightily, with the balance between stillness in You and working for You. Know that my heart is Yours. Help me to find stillness in You. Amen.

Exodus 14:16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.

Have a blessed day.

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On fear and burdens…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 14:9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.

I’m not saying the Israelites responded appropriately toward Moses here; however, I get it. They are afraid, terrified. And I think we can all agree that anger is a much easier emotion to handle than fear. So if we can find the one responsible for our fear, we can focus all our anger on that person.

Exodus 14:10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 

The problem is that that never helps. Focusing anger to cover fear doesn’t make anything better. However, as my therapist says, “We have to feel our feelings.” So be angry. Be scared. But also, don’t forget verse 10 here. Don’t forget to cry out to the Lord–in your fear, your terror, your anger, your hopelessness. Whatever the emotions, cry out to the Lord.

Exodus 14:11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 

Precious Savior, Thank You that You are with us. Always. That You will never leave us nor forsake us. Thank You that You hear us when we cry out, whatever the emotion. Thank You that if we lay our burdens at Your feet, You will blanket us with Your peace, yet You are with us always, even if we can’t manage to lay those burdens down. Thank You. Amen.

Exodus 14:12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

Have a blessed day.

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On change…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 14:5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 

Change can be incredibly difficult. What jumps out at me about today’s scripture is in verse 5, the question, “What have we done?”  I know that feeling of doubt and regret, that feeling of “What was I thinking? Why did I change what I know?” In today’s scripture, Pharaoh is feeling it, but in tomorrow’s scripture, it’s the Israelites who are doubting.

Exodus 14:6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 

I also know that once you push through the new and uncomfortable and different, once you work out the kinks of the changed situation, the change can be beautiful, especially if you are where God has led you (though, trust me, I know enough by now to know that God can use us–and use us well and for our good and His glory–where ever we land if we let him!)

Exodus 14:7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 

Precious Savior, Change is hard. Thank You that You are with us even in the midst of it. Thank You that You are with us in the changes that You lead and inspire and in the changes that we boldly (or rashly) charge into on our own. Thank You that You can use us to shine Your light and be Your hands and feet always. Amen.

Exodus 14:8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.

Have a blessed day.

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Strengths and weaknesses…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 14:1-2 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. 

Part of becoming an adult, I think, is figuring out where your strengths lie and leaning into them. Today’s verses are about strategy as the Israelites leave Egypt, about leaving in a manner that looks confused because God knows that Pharaoh will come after them even now and He wants to glorify His name and defeat Pharaoh so that the Israelites do not have to worry about his pursuit again. 

Exodus 14:3 Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ 

Honestly, at this point, I do know many of my own strengths, and I’ve tried to lean into those areas as I go through life. I know for a fact that strategy is not one of those strengths. That’s another reason that I think God made us to live in community. I have strengths that complement weak areas in others. They have strengths that complement weak areas of mine.

Exodus 14:4a And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. 

Precious Savior, It is so easy to see our weaknesses as negative, but I am learning in life that our weaknesses allow us to partner with others–You, fellow travelers–as we walk each other through this life. Help me to be on the look out for folks who need my strengths and for folks whose strengths complement my weaknesses. Thank You that those people are everywhere. Amen.

Exodus 14:4b But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.

Have a blessed day. 

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Glimpses of God…. (devo reflection)