Tag: brought you out

78. I have broken the bars of your yoke

Joshua 23:14   “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. But just as all the good things the Lord your God has promised you have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things he has threatened, until the Lord your God has destroyed you from this good land he has given you.

Exodus 23:27-30     I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.  And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you.  I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you.  Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land.

Leviticus 26:3-13    “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them,  then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.  Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely.  I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land.  You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.  Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.  I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you.  You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new.  I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you.  And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.  I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

There is peace when our heart, mind, and soul, cling to, rely on, and trust in Jesus Christ.  There is strength for today and hope tomorrow.  There is courage to face each and every trial.  Our heart, mind, and soul expect to see the work of Jesus Christ in our lives and through the trials and troubles common to all.  There is fruit in our lives because of Jesus.  There is discernment in our thoughts.  Our eyes and ears are opened to see truth and as well that which is false.  There is purpose and meaning to our life.

Stay in His word each day.  Fight against neglect, busyness, and complacency.  Be intentional with your walk with Jesus.

How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?

Exodus 7:7 Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Exodus 7:10   So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded.

Exodus 7:20  Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded.

Exodus 8:17 And they did so.

Exodus 9:14  so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

Exodus 9:27  Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, “This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.

Exodus 10:3  So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?

Exodus 10:16  Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and plead with the Lord your God only to remove this death from me.”

Exodus 12:28  Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

Exodus 12:50  All the people of Israel did just as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. And on that very day the Lord brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt

Exodus 13:3 Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place.

Exodus 13:17  When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea.

Can you see the committed following of Moses and Aaron, and as well the hardening of the hearts of the Egyptians.  Though they saw first hand the might wonders, signs and works of God they denied them and the power of God.

Before doing what the Lord God asks of us we need to be willing to hear and willing to act.  There will be those who oppose God.  There will be those who will join God.  There will be those who will follow God.

It is apparent who is opposing.  They will say and do things that expose their heart of stone.  They will try to explain away God.   God is not hindered or blocked.  His plans and purposes will come to pass.

Joining and following God is more than words.  It is a change of heart, mind, and soul.  It is permanent. It is life changing. It is life long. True commitment will be seen by their actions “so they did as God spoke“.  They want to hear God’s whispers and will hear them speak into their heart.  They will act on His leading.  They will trust in His promises. They will grow in their humbleness toward Him.  They will cling to Him, rely on Him, and trust in Him.  They seek and desire to honor and glorify Him.

However, it does not take much hardening to deafen our ears to be able to hear God speak to our heart.  The quickest way to hardening our heart is through busyness. We seem to find this excuse permissible and justified in our commitment and walk with Him.   We need to be intentional in our walk with Him and be able to discern when busyness over takes us.  We need to know what is non-value added into our lives and say “no more”.  We may need to say no to some good things to be in control of our intentional walk with Him.

I don’t know how many lives of people I have seen where God intervened in their busyness by some trial or troubling event.  God did not take them through and easy path – He led them straight to the Red Sea where there was no way back and no way forward but by the Hand of God.  These people were changed because there was a new “God induced”, “God priority” set in their lives.  If this is what it takes to renew, refresh, recommit, and establish a new level of commitment to humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow, and obey, I wish it on all people, rather than watch them spend another day without God being their joy, peace, love, hope, courage, strength, power, refuge, and guiding light.

Give Thanks for He is good

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

“I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

Psalms 107:1  Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

 1 Chronicles 16:34    Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

 Psalms 119:68   You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.

Psalms 136:1-9    Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His loving-kindness lasts forever.  Give thanks to Him Who alone does great works, for His loving-kindness lasts forever.  Give thanks to Him Who by wisdom made the heavens, for His loving-kindness lasts forever.  Give thanks to Him Who spread out the earth upon the waters, for His loving-kindness lasts forever.  Give thanks to Him Who made the great lights, for His loving-kindness lasts forever.  He made the sun to rule during the day, for His loving-kindness lasts forever.  He made the moon and stars to rule during the night, for His loving-kindness lasts forever.

 Psalms 103:17    But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,

 Deuteronomy 7:8    but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

 Jeremiah 15:21    I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”

 Isaiah 43:5-6   Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.

God does not change and His love is steadfast even though we walk paths apart and away from Him.  This call to give thanks includes creation, mighty awesome deeds of protection, and redemption.  We deserve none of it.  We all like sheep have gone astray seeking satisfaction and purpose apart from God.  Giving thanks should call to remembrance all that we know about God and what He has done, is doing, and will do.  Give thanks at all times and in all situations for He is worthy.