The hand of the Lord falls. Exodus 9:3. The power of God is alive in piercing judgment, pestilence, plagues. The word "Lord" in the Hebrew means powerful; the word "God" in the Hebrew refers to Defender. Powerful Defender over every element in existence. For what Kingdom will I allow my God to powerfully defend me? My own kingdom---that's all the power I can muster up? God's Kingdom---it is no small thing that He musters up on our behalf, a powerful defense.
COME BOLDLY: Timeless Prayers
Father, when Your Hand falls this day on my life, may I see your powerful tenderness in gentle swift strokes of Sovereign Love.
PHOTO: A foreboding florida sky demonstrating His Power. Gaze into God, your Supporter, your Defender. No quick glances but a gaze on a power source other than our own.
I have a friend who says that IF he had lived during this time, the plagues would have convinced him that God was who He said He was. And IF he had walked through the Red Sea on dry land, he would have worshiped God and never fallen away. I and others have told him, you do not know what you would have done and human nature being what it is, no matter what we see with our eyes at times, we still do NOT believe. We hardened our hearts as it were. On this side of the Red Sea experience we can say that we would NOT have been like the Hebrews.....yet we are just like them. God showed Himself all powerful over and over and still they were held in captivity. God shows Himself to us over and over and yet at times we are still held captive in our thinking and in our sin.
ReplyDeleteI have had several Red Sea experiences and He has come through every single time, of course. I have written them down so that when I come to the next one I can/will remember that He has been faithful in the past and He will be faithful in the future no matter how things look to my physical eyes at that moment. Everything He allows into our lives is truly filtered with fingers of love and mercy. The God Almighty of the universe is our Supporter, our Defender, our Shield. He is our great Reward.
How true! I love that you write them down, Mary Lou. I've tried to do the same. It's hard to recreate the mountaintop experiences, but having faith because of them doesn't seem too much to expect. I know a friend who has seen miracle after miracle--any one would seem almost too much to ask. Yet, she lives in the mode of today's crisis, rarely recounting her Ebenezer stones. Even as I say this, I know I am guilty of the same. I so want to give God the glory and have faith that moves mountains. But I'm just like the t-shirt saying which I just saw (on Bourbon Street) that said "Sin, Repent, Repeat." God knows we are a pathetic bunch, and yet He loves us so! So thankful for second chances after wilderness walkings!
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