Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 135:8-14
Ps 135:8-14
8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of men and animals. 9 He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants. 10 He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings--11 Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan and all the kings of Canaan--12 and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel. 13 Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, through all generations. 14 For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.
When we study the ten plagues that God brought on Egypt, we often cover all of them in one short lesson – maybe two or three at the most. We then move on to the exodus, the travels and wanderings and then to their conquest of Canaan. It is easy for us to forget that this took over forty years to accomplish.
The adults who came out of Egypt died in the wilderness. Many of the ones who entered the new land were not even born when God delivered the Hebrews from bondage and only knew the nomadic life as they moved toward the land God had promised to give them. They were told how their parents and grandparents had been slaves but they did not know the reality of it themselves. They saw some of the miracles God performed as he gave them water and fed them daily but they did not see the destruction of Egypt or the waters part at the Red Sea.
Yet, these events that had taken place were not forgotten; not even by the people who inhabited the land of Canaan. When Rahab hid the spies who had come to Jericho, she said they had heard how God had brought them out of Egypt and defeated the enemy kings along the way. Not only had they heard of it but they were so afraid of God that their hearts melted. It was real enough for her that she turned against her people as she confessed her belief in God.
God is still in the delivering business. He will deliver from Satan and sin anyone who is willing to believe in Him as God and by faith accept his deliverance. She was told to stay in her house and anyone who did not would die. Jesus tells us to believe in him and confess him as the Son of God, to turn away from our sin and then be baptized into his name. He then says if we don’t do this, we will die.
O God, my heavenly Father, I thank you for your love for your people. I also thank you that you have made it possible for all mankind to become yours through Jesus Christ. Help me remember that I have been made a new person by your grace so that I can be zealous for good deeds; that I have been created in Jesus to do good works. Use me in your service and keep me from making excuses for not doing your will. Give me courage to speak your name and wisdom to know how to reach others with your gospel. I pray in the name of Jesus, my savior and Lord.
Robert
