- araratchurch
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
40 “Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.””
Exodus 14:11-14 NKJV
In the big boxing match in one of the “Rocky” movies, Rocky had taken some bad hits and his eyes were nearly swollen shut. The bell rings and he goes back to his corner. It seems he can’t go on. But his trainer is there encouraging him that he can do it; and sure enough, he continues and wins!
Now let’s be real, that Rocky scenario makes a good story line, and it is true that having someone to encourage you when you think you can’t go on, can make all the difference. But what if you go back to your corner and all you’re facing are people telling you that you’re done for?
The fact is that there are times you must encourage yourself! Now I’m not talking some “positive vibes” mumbo jumbo; I’m talking about turning to the Lord by seizing upon His word and letting it be your life raft in a troubled sea, against a contrary wind.
At one point in time David and his men returned to their homes to find everything they had was taken by the Amalekites; that included their own families. The men were so distraught that they actually were going to stone David!
“Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.””
I Samuel 30:6-8 NKJV
Rather than joining in the hysteria, David turned to the Lord and the encouragement that only comes from His very presence.
Please note, part of David’s process was seeking the Lord as to what he should do. The Lord instructed him and he did what the Lord said, with great success.
Today we find Moses already in a scary predicament as the armies of Pharaoh are pursuing them, only to be made worse by the fact that the people were panicking and taking their angst out on him.
Instead of trying to argue with the people or joining in their panic, we find that Moses speaks to the people with confidence concerning the fact that the Lord was going to bring them victory. And, this victory would come without them having to fight!
Now, just imagine if Moses had joined in the hysteria, or gotten caught up in a senseless argument, don’t you think the story might have gone very differently?
Yes, it’s good to have cheerleaders around us. Indeed, the word of God tells us that we need to be encouraging to one another; it is an essential part of our functioning as the body of Christ. However, there still may be times when it seems that you are the only one in the room who sees hope, the only one who remembers the word of the Lord.
Always remember, you are not left without encouragement. We can always encourage ourselves in the Lord. His Word brings light in the darkest night. His Holy Spirit speaks hope even in the midst of struggle, even at the brink of despair.
For today let us discover what Moses discovered:
Encouragement can always be found in the Lord.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.”
Exodus 13:21-22 NKJV
In the first few years of elementary school we engaged in “show and tell” once a week. As the name implies, we brought something interesting from home and talked about it. I had a few precious dolls—but like so many in my generation—I didn’t have a lot of other “stuff.”
Well, at one point I got a pencil holder (red) on which a ruler slid and—wait for it—it also had a pencil sharpener at the end of the ruler! Now I thought that this was the neatest thing I had ever seen. You see, I have always been intrigued by multi-function gadgets. So, I commenced to take it for show and tell for the next two or three weeks. The last time I took it I was informed by self-appointed critics in my class that they had already seen that. Needless to say, I was devastated.
When I was a little older I was introduced to a Swiss Army Knife; now that wrecked my world. And don’t get me started on some of the survival gadgets out there. And, even though I now know that something being multifunction may simply mean that it does a lot of things, but none of them very well, things such as Murphy beds (and yes, they also have Murphy book shelving units that are actually doors to hidden rooms!), still grab my imagination.
Now, when it comes to multi-function operation, you can’t find something that more exemplifies that than the Presence of the Lord.
Indeed, throughout scripture we find the Lord promising to be what we need, wherever we may find ourselves.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”
Isaiah 43:2 NKJV
“Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the desert— His name is the Lord—be in good spirits before Him. ¶A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads the prisoners into prosperity, Only the stubborn and rebellious dwell in a parched land.”
Psalms 68:4-6 AMP
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
Isaiah 9:6-7 NKJV
The above scriptures are but a few of the many scriptures extolling the fact that God is our all in all.
Today we find Moses being introduced to the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that would guide and protect the children of Israel on their journey to the Promised Land. This was no ordinary cloud, but contained the Presence of the Lord.
As a matter of fact, even before they got very far on their exit from Egypt, the cloud served as a defense for them when they came up against the Red Sea.
“And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.”
Exodus 14:19-20 NKJV
After having protected the Israelites from the pursuing army of Pharaoh all night, the Lord then commenced—from the cloud—to bring trouble on the Egyptians by removing the wheels from their chariots. All of this was clearly seen and noted by the Egyptians to the point that this phenomenon provoked great fear in them.
“Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.””
Exodus 14:24-25 NKJV
We find throughout scripture the repeated promises of God’s ever present help.
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV
Additionally, we find God’s people expressing their confidence in the same:
“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah”
Psalms 46:1-3 NKJV
The Lord doesn’t just bring whatever you need, whenever you need it; He is whatever you need, whenever you need it. His power, His grace, His mercy, all that He is, is never limited, restricted, or useless. You don’t get more multi-function than that! No wonder the Psalmist declared:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”
Psalms 23:1-6 NKJV
For today let us discover what Moses discovered:
The Presence of the Lord brings what you need, when you need it.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Mar 29
- 4 min read
“Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 13:17-18 NKJV
The Battle of Milvian Bridge took place between Roman Co-Emperors Constantine and Maxentius (October 28, 312). Constantine’s victory in this battle ultimately led him to total victory over the other co-emperors of Rome, putting an end to the Tetrarchy (Rome with four emperors). The extremely important point about this victory is that it came after Constantine and his men saw the sign of the cross in the sky, accompanied with a message to Constantine indicating that he should fight under this sign.
Constantine took this message to heart and had the first two Greek letters of Christ’s name put on all the battle gear. This incident also marks the beginning of Constantine’s conversion to Christianity and his making Christianity the favored religion of Rome.
King David learned early in his life that odds don’t matter. Indeed, preparation, or even plans, are not the ultimate determining factor of victory. He found that what really determines the outcome, is whether the Lord is with you or not.
When volunteering to fight Goliath, faced with Saul’s doubt of his ability to prevail, David responds with this:
“But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!”
1 Samuel 17:34-37 NLT
Then, when standing before a mocking Goliath, David boldly proclaims:
David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!”
1 Samuel 17:45-46 NLT
Yes, as he declares elsewhere, David had learned to trust in the name of the Lord!
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.”
Psalms 20:7-8 NIV
An examination of the Bible’s doers of great exploits, will reveal that they were able to do great things, even endure great pressures, because they learned to trust in the Lord.
The Apostle Paul said something very interesting in regards to the great persecution and resistance he had been facing in Asia:
“For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,”
II Corinthians 1:8-9 NKJV
Indeed, Paul is saying that these things came to pass so that they could learn to fully trust in the Lord to bring them through whatever they faced. After all, isn’t the “God who raises the dead,” well able to help in the time of our need?
Today we find Moses taking a circuitous route out of Egypt to keep the multitude from facing a battle too soon in their journey.
You see, the Lord instructed him to do so, knowing that the people had not yet learned to put their trust fully in Him. As such, they might panic when facing the Philistines. But as we will find out, some of them eventually did learn to trust the Lord for the victory, making all the difference for them, making them doers of great things.
Just before Moses’ death he would reflect back on this period of time with these words:
“When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.””
Deuteronomy 20:1-4 NIV
For today let us discover what Moses discovered:
We must learn to trust the Lord to bring us the victory.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!