Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 105:30-36
Ps 105:30-36
30 Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers. 31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. 32 He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land; 33 he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country. 34 He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number; 35 they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil. 36 Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood.
Acts 7:35-37
36 He led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert. 37 "This is that Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.'
While on trial Stephen was preaching his final sermon and used the working of God with his nation of Israel to show that Jesus really is the promised Messiah, the Christ. God had foretold on many occasions that one would rise up in Israel and would be the Savior of his people. He had also promised that this King would bring in those from other nations to be a part of his kingdom. God had used the wicked Pharaoh to show his power and deliver his people. In the same way he had used the wicked Jewish leaders along with the Romans to show his power in allowing Jesus to be crucified but then raising him from the dead.
Stephen later concludes by saying that this same Jesus whom you have crucified, God has raised from the grave and made him both Lord and Christ. Satan thought he had won the victory over Jesus when he was killed and buried in the tomb. The Jewish leaders thought they had defeated this Jesus who had caused such a stir in their nation. But God had promised and true to his word, Jesus came out of the tomb to live forever. God’s plan was working and man could not stop it.
We can choose to yield our lives to God and trust his word or we can do as Egypt, Israel and the Romans and reject him. Either way, God will work out his plan for all of mankind as we all will die and face him in judgment where every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus as Lord to the glory of God the father.
O Lord God you have delivered Israel from their slavery in Egypt and made a great nation out of them. Even greater is that you have delivered me from slavery to the god of this world and put me in the kingdom of your Son. Help me grow daily in my trust and faith in you. Help me have the kind of faith that will cause me to want to do your will in all things. Fill me with your love so I will love everyone with whom I come in contact and share the good news of Jesus with them. Give me wisdom to show Jesus in my life every day. I pray in his wonderful name.
Robert
