Deliverance From Pain and Sorrow

 

Deliverance From Pain and Sorrow

Exodus 3: ⁷ And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. ⁸ So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. ⁹ Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. ¹⁰ Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

 

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Speaking in unison, GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON and GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT told Moses that HE has heard the cries of HIS people who are in Egypt. HE then said “I have come down to deliver them.”

 

My Observations:

• All the Hebrews could do is cry out to GOD.
• GOD knew who was doing the oppression, how long they were doing it and when.
• GOD made a promise to Moses that HE would deliver HIS children out of Egypt.

 

Telling Moses that HE heard the cry of the people is one thing, but to tell him, “Okay, here is what I am going to have you do something about it” is another. Moses was not crying out. In fact, he was getting older and was content to spend the rest of his life with his wife Zipporah tending Jethro’s flock.

 

I believe GOD has a time limit on oppression. After the cure HE put on creation and after the flood, GOD allowed free will to take its course. Unfortunately, humans usually do not turn to GOD, rather they seek other humans for wisdom. The Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites, to me, represent various human beliefs that people easily fall into without consulting GOD.

 

Egyptians were oppressing the children of Israel the most. GOD also saw that they would run to other humans that did not have their best interest in mind. Only GOD knew how much HE cared for them and HE decided to send Moses.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about HIS promise HE told him when speaking from the burning bush?
• Are you seeking contentment away from the troubles that other people are facing?
• Are you available to join up with GOD as HE executes HIS plan of bringing HIS people back to HIM?

Oppressors Fall

Oppressors Fall

Acts 12: ²⁰ Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country.

²¹ So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. ²² And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” ²³ Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

²⁴ But the word of God grew and multiplied.

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It seemed impossible to get anything done with this person as the boss. Besides the paranoia, the sheer arrogance and belligerence towards others placed shame on anyone who said they worked for him. I did not know what to do. One of the senior leaders said. “Don’t worry about it.” About a month later, we had a new boss.

• Some oppressive people lasted a long time in my life.
• Some oppressive people lasted only a short time in my life.
• Some oppressive people lasted long enough to do some damage, but was handled in the right way, at the right time.

Herod’s killing spree of people who followed GOD was over. The kingdoms he was angry with united in peace and in one accord. An angel of the LORD struck down Herod for not giving  GOD glory. His oppressive reign was now over.

• GOD wants me to know HE is in control.
• GOD wants me to know HE raises people up and makes them fall.
• GOD wants me to know HE enjoys when I work with others to have peace.

Uniting because of peace pleases GOD. HE sees those who have oppression in their hearts and will not stand for it. Unfortunately, the oppressors will do some damage before getting removed. BUT GOD can use that damage to grow HIS kingdom.

GOD uses broken people for HIS plans. HE heals people to fight another day. GOD enjoys hearts that desire peace but won’t stand for injustice. I am grateful GOD protects me and guides me.

• Are you being oppressed?
• Does it seem like no matter how good you are, bad people seem to “win?”
• Will you keep your faith, knowing GOD sees everything and has “that” person under control?

No Coincidence

Luke 4: ¹⁶ So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
¹⁹ To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

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 “How in the world am I going to get out of this mess?” I said to myself. This time when the car stopped working, it felt final. I was stuck on the side of the road, in the dark in a place that I suspected was not friendly. After a long time of sitting on my trunk, a couple stopped to give me a ride. I was nervous about them because they did not look or sound like me. “Do you know the LORD?’ was one of their questions. I was relieved.

• I used to think things just happened by chance.
• I used to think things happened randomly.
• I used to think I could make things happen.

JESUS went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and was handed the scroll written by the prophet Isaiah. The timing could not have been more perfect because the verses HE read was about HIM and they described HIS purpose undeniably. Was this a coincidence? No!

• GOD says to me “MY encounters with you are no coincidence.”
• GOD says to me “I knew you before I laid the foundations of the world.”
• GOD says to me “I chose you because of MY SON.”

I may think there are coincidences, but there really are not. Even a dust speck flying in my eye distracting me for a moment is part of GOD’s incredible plan. HE knows my sin and HE knows when I serve HIM with a filled heart.

HE sends people to me to speak about HIM and sometimes HE sends me to people so I can be filled up by them. Dry seasons and seasons of plenty are not flukes but are carefully placed in my life to enable me to be a better ambassador for GOD.

• Do you wish things happened differently in your life?
• Do you think situations happen by chance?
• Will you stop trying to control your life and believe that GOD’s plan for you is a solid well thought out plan?