DAILY GUIDE DEVOTIONAL: God's Saving Acts

Text:

Psalms 105: 24-36

The psalm continues today with an enumeration of the series of Acts performed by God in his historic deliverance of Israel from their land of slavery; Egypt.

The lord works in ways we can never understand. One might begin to wonder, why was it necessary for God to allow the children of Israel to go into the land of Egypt in the first place without giving them the land of promise immediately? If we read Genesis  15:10-16 we may have a glimpse into God's heart as to the "why". He says in Genesis 15:13 "know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs and will serve them and they will afflict them four hundred years". (14) "and also the nation whom they serve, I will judge; afterward thy shall come out with great possessions".(16) "But in the fourth generation, they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete".

When God made this promise to Abraham he did not mention the name of the nation they were going to become slaves to. When Joseph went down there bound as a slave, it was only symbolic of what they were going to become. But God who has the timetable for every event played things out the way he would so that the Israelites wouldn't hesitate to go there willingly. He didn't want them to be a part of Amorites sin. He kept them separate and safe even though in a  land of servitude until the appointed time. When God is dealing with us using unpalatable ways, let us learn to accept it without complaining because He knows  what he is doing. His thoughts towards us are only thoughts of good. The road may be tough but the end leads to joy and Thanksgiving.

When the time came he performed unprecedented wonders to set up a monument for his name for all ages. Yet what he did in the deliverance of Israel was still a symbol of what is yet to come. The greatest deliverance ever is the one he has worked through JESUS his first born; deliverance from sin and satanic bondage.  He has set him forth as the Redeemer and opened up a lifeline for humanity that all who may come into his ship will be saved from the certain judgement  that awaits the whole world just like the Israelites were saved. Today is still an acceptable time. Today is still the day of grace. What happened in Egypt has been determined upon the earth. The only escape route is the blood of the lamb. Come under the cover of this blood and be free from the destruction that is imminent upon mankind.