Daily Verse: Exodus 18:11

Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”

 

In the text above, Moses just finished telling his father-in-law Jethro about the incredible journey he took when leading the Israelites out of from under Pharaoh’s boot in Egypt. He revealed all the hardships, dangers, and stress that the Israelites had encountered in order to get to the place of safety that the Lord had provided. He revealed that it was the Lord that delivered them from danger and provided the rescue from the Egyptians that they had so earnestly requested. After hearing of the Lord’s great work, Jethro spoke the words above. All the difficulty, pain, and adversity that the Israelites had endured had become proof to Jethro that God was above all other gods…that there was only one Lord and that he is capable of performing mighty acts for his people. Many of the Israelites might have questioned whether or not all the hardships were necessary…Did they really have to endure such incredible trials and challenges to find freedom? Surely God could have come up with a less arduous way of delivering his people…after all, he’s God and can do absolutely anything. So why did this journey have to be so painful? When God does something, it is done in perfection and it is done with his great plan in mind. Maybe God had Jethro’s faith in mind when he was delivering the Israelites from Egypt. Maybe God knew that it would require an incredible account like this to make Jethro a true believer in Him. There are times in our lives when we can’t explain why something is happening. We can’t see the merit in the specific situation and we don’t understand why it is happening. Maybe it’s a loved one seemingly wasting away amidst a long battle with disease…maybe it’s the loss of a child at far too young of an age…or maybe its crippling financial situation that seems to rip everything from our hands. Whatever is happening in our lives, we can rest assured that God is not only aware of it, but he is in the middle of it, fighting for our good…fighting for the good of all his people…to carry out his perfect plan of bringing all to the knowledge of his Son Jesus Christ. May we trust the Lord today…especially when something in our life just doesn’t make any sense…may we trust that he is working to do great things through our simple little lives. To God be the glory!