Celebrating Salvation

Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast.” — Exodus 13:3

Today is Day 1 of the eight-day Passover celebration. The Torah reading for today is from Exodus 12:21–51 and Numbers 28:16–25, and the Haftorah is from Joshua 3:5–7; 5:2–6:1; 6:27. Because the first two days during Passover are non-working days, these devotions were prepared in advance for you.

Passover is a joyous holiday. We celebrate the fact that God hears our prayers and intervenes in history in order to bring salvation. However, as we take a good look at the Passover story, the details reveal that salvation comes in many different guises.

In Exodus 13:3 we are commanded: “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery . . . Eat nothing containing yeast.” We are given two distinct directives. One is to commemorate the day that God took Israel out of Egypt and the other is to refrain from eating anything with yeast. What is the connection between the observance of Passover and the dietary restrictions?

Let’s go back to Exodus 12. Late at night during the final plague, Pharaoh approached Moses and said: “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites!” (v.31). Pharaoh sent the Israelites packing so fast that the people didn’t have time to finish baking their bread: “So the people took their dough before the yeast was added . . .” (v.34). By refraining from foods with yeast on Passover, we remember not just that God redeemed Israel, but also how Israel was saved.

The Sages teach that on the eve of the Exodus, many of the Israelites were hesitant to leave Egypt. Pharaoh had to literally kick them out without giving them any time to think, plan, or retreat, in order to get them marching toward their freedom.

This reminds me of the following story: There was once a wealthy man who was known for throwing elaborate parties. At one such party, the man announced that he had placed alligators and sharks into one of his pools. Anyone who would swim from one end of the pool to the other would be granted any request. Suddenly, there was a splash and the guests watched in shock and admiration as a man swam deftly and quickly, narrowly escaping the deadly waters. When he emerged from the pool, the wealthy man commended him and asked what his wish was: “What I’d like most is to know the name of the man who pushed me in the water!”

Sometimes we are pushed into dangerous waters that we would never dare enter. Sometimes that’s what it takes to get us to do the things we never knew we were capable of achieving. On Passover, we remember not only that Israel was saved, but also that salvation can come from the most unlikely places. Often the things we thought were working against us are what will lead to victory. So this Passover, trust God and His plan. That push we thought might bring us down can be the push we need to soar!

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/celebrating-salvation

The Passover

A family waits in the dark.

Outside it is strangely quiet.

In the cool night air of Egypt, the whisper of a breeze rustles the leaves of a tree.

This is the night.

This is the night Moses told the children of Israel to be ready for. This is the night they are going to be set free from the pain and suffering of slavery in a foreign land. This is the night they are going to begin their journey to a land flowing with milk and honey.

This is the night the angel of death is coming.

Moses had told them to go out to their flocks four days before and choose a spotless lamb. It was to be a lamb without any defects, its wool without any bare spots, its eyes clear, its legs straight and strong.

They took the lamb into their house, and it lived with them like a family pet.

And then this day, at sunset, they killed the lamb and prepared the meat for a special meal – the Passover Meal. They roasted the meat on a fire with bitter herbs to remind them of the bitter taste of slavery. They made a flat, hard, bread without yeast because there wasn’t time to let dough rise. They ate with their walking sticks in their hands, and their sandals on their feet. They had to be ready to leave at any moment.

But, most importantly, they took a bowl, and with a hyssop branch they marked the crosspiece and sideposts of their front door with the blood of the lamb.

And now they waited.

At midnight they heard a cry way off in the distance. It was the cry of a mother who just discovered that her first born child was dead. And then they heard another cry, and then another, and then another. Until the night was filled with the awful cries of pain and loss.

The angel of death had come to Egypt.

But the angel of death didn’t come to this house.

The angel of death passed over every house that was marked with blood.

They were saved by the blood of the lamb.

That very night, Pharaoh commanded Moses, “Take your people and go!”

http://www.essex1.com/pages/paul/lent1.html

Down To Egypt

 

 

(Genesis 45.16-46.12) 

Joseph and his brothers were together again. Joseph could hardly believe it! I am sure his brothers couldn’t either. Who would have ever guessed how things were going to turn out that day they sold their brother to a traveling Egyptian? But now all was forgiven, and they were a family again. There was just one, tiny, little problem. Joseph lived in Egypt – and the rest of his family lived in Canaan. That wouldn’t work! Someone was going to have to move. Well, the problem was solved when Pharaoh heard the news that Joseph and his family were back together again. He was so happy for Joseph that he said to him, “Tell your brothers to load up all their stuff and go back to Canaan. Tell them to get your father and their families and come back here and live with us! I promise that they will have the best land in all of Egypt. “Tell them to take extra wagons with them, to carry their wives and their children when they come back. But tell them not to worry about taking all their stuff, they can have the best of everything we have here in Egypt!” Wow! Pharaoh was really being generous! It’s just that he was so grateful because Joseph had saved his country. Of course, it was really God who saved his country. But Joseph was God’s faithful servant. And so Joseph’s brothers did just as they were told. Who wouldn’t! Joseph gave them wagons and food for the trip, and he gave them new traveling clothes too. But he gave his favorite little brother Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and FIVE new sets of clothes! Joseph also sent his father ten donkeys piled high with the best stuff in Egypt, and ten donkeys loaded with bread and cheese and frozen pizzas for the trip back home (well, maybe not the frozen pizzas – where would they cook them?!). And as Joseph was waving goodbye to his brothers, he said, “Don’t argue with each other on the way!” Do you suppose he was thinking about what was going to happen when his older brothers found out that Benjamin got more than they did? The amazing thing is, the brothers didn’t argue once the whole way home – and it is a LONG way. They really HAD changed! The moment they were home, they rushed into their father’s tent, “Joseph is alive!” they all said at once, “He is the ruler of all of Egypt!” Poor old Jacob nearly fell over backwards. It couldn’t be! Joseph was dead! He was torn apart by lions – at least that’s what his brothers had told their father all those years ago. But then they took their old father by the arm and showed him the wagons, and the donkeys piled high with the finest goods from Egypt, and he knew it had to be true. “My son Joseph is alive!” Jacob said, “This is all I could ever ask for! I must go and see him before I die!” Jacob loved his children so much. Well, love is what the Bible is all about. “Okay, boys,” Jacob said after he had recovered from the shock, “Pack up your things, we’re moving to Egypt!” And so that’s just what they did. Of course, this wasn’t like mom and dad packing the family camel for a two week vacation. It was Jacob, and all his children, and all their wives, and all their children, picking up their tents and packing up everything they owned and moving to a new country. Imagine what that must have looked like! Jacob and his eleven sons, and all their wives, and all their children, with all their sheep and goats and cattle, traveling along the dusty road to Egypt. And it’s over 200 miles from Canaan to Egypt. That’s a long time to bounce up and down on a camel. They hadn’t traveled very far when Jacob had to make a stop. No, it wasn’t for coffee and donuts. It was to ask for directions… …from God, that is. This was a big deal – they were leaving the land that God had promised them. Was this what God wanted them to do? Jacob needed to ask God to lead him. And so Jacob made a stop at Beersheba. There was a well at Beersheba, and it was near the place where Jacob had that dream of angels going up and down a stairway to heaven. So Jacob stopped there and offered a sacrifice to God. That night God said to him, “Jacob, Jacob!” “Here I am!” Jacob said. “I am God, the God of your father Isaac. Do not be afraid to leave your home and go to Egypt. I will go with you, and my people will become a great nation there. But one day I will bring my people back to the land I have promised them.” Now Jacob knew it was okay to move his family to Egypt. It was all part of God’s plan. While Egypt was still a few days ahead, Jacob was so anxious to see his son Joseph again that he said to Judah, “Go on ahead and tell your brother we are coming. Tell him to meet us in the land of Goshen!” As soon as Joseph heard that his father was coming, he jumped on his chariot and raced off to meet him. When he saw his father off in the distance – remember he hadn’t seen his father in a long, long time – he drove his horses as fast as they could go. Before they had even come to a stop, Joseph jumped from his chariot and threw his arms around his father. He cried and cried for a very long time. “Now I can die in peace,” Jacob said, tears rolling down his face. “I have seen that my son is alive!” That’s just what God is all about. God wants to take things that have come apart and put them back together again. Pharaoh was true to his word. When Jacob and all his family arrived in Egypt, Pharaoh gave them the land of Goshen, the best land in all of Egypt. “My life of wandering has lasted one hundred and thirty years,” Jacob told the Pharaoh. Now at last his wandering was over. Jacob, and his sons, and their wives, and all their children, and all their sheep and cattle settled down in their new home. And that’s how God’s people came to live in the land of Egypt. And they all lived happily ever after. For a while. Like 400 years or so. And then the story REALLY gets interesting.

http://www.essex1.com/pages/paul/bible-stories-to-egypt.html

The Hidden Sacks of Silver

(Genesis 42.29-43.1-25)

The Sons of Jacob couldn’t help but wonder – and with good reason! After all this time, they couldn’t forget what they had done to their little brother all those years ago. Before they even stopped to unload all the food they had brought home from their hot, dusty journey to Egypt, they ran in to tell their father Jacob all that had happened. “The Governor of Egypt spoke harshly to us, and accused us of being spies!” they told him, ” And now Simeon is in prison until we bring back our brother Benjamin to prove we were not lying!” Nope. Their trip didn’t go very well. But at least they came back with food. So they went back to their donkeys and opened their packs – – and each one of them found a sack of silver sitting on top! “Oh, no!” they all cried. “What will become of us now! It was bad enough when we found just ONE of our sacks of silver. Now we have ALL our money back! The Governor of Egypt will accuse us of being spies AND thieves! He will come and put us to death for sure! “We have to go back with Benjamin right away and prove to him we are honest men!” (Which, of course, they weren’t exactly!) “What will happen next!” their father Jacob cried. “Joseph is dead, Simeon is gone, and now you want to take Benjamin away from me?!” Rueben said to his father, “I promise over the lives of my two children that if you send Benjamin back with us, I will bring both Simeon and Benjamin back to you.” But Jacob said, “No, I can’t let you take Benjamin from me! If anything were to happen to him, I would die!” And no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t convince Jacob to part with his youngest son. And so time went by. The famine got worse and worse, and finally they had eaten all the grain they had bought from Egypt. And they were hungry again. Finally Jacob said, “You must go back to Egypt and buy us more food.” “But Father!” Judah said, “We can’t go unless we bring Benjamin with us! If we don’t, when the Governor sees us, he will throw us into prison – or worse!” “Why did you even tell the Governor that you had a little brother?” Jacob moaned. “Father, if we don’t go, we will ALL starve to death. Send Benjamin with me, and I promise I will bring him back. If we had gone sooner, we could have been there and back two times by now!” Jacob sighed. There was nothing else he could do. “All right. But do this. We still have some spices, some nuts, and some oils left. Bring them as gifts for this Prince of Egypt. And bring him back twice the amount of silver. Maybe it was just a mistake that your silver was put back into your packs. “Take your brother and go, but my heart will be breaking.” And so the Brothers Israel packed up their things and hurried back down to Egypt. When they arrived, they took a deep breath, and entered the magnificent court of the Governor. When Joseph saw his little brother Benjamin with them, he said to his Chief Steward, “Take these men to my house and prepare a meal. They will be having lunch with me today.” And so the brothers were escorted to the Governor’s house. They were scared to death! “This is a trap!” they whispered to each other, “He thinks we stole his silver! His soldiers are going to jump on us and make us his slaves forever!” When they got to the door of Joseph’s house, they grabbed the Chief Steward by the arm and said, “Please sir! We didn’t take your master’s silver! We found it still in our packs! Honest! And look, we have brought it all back – and more! We don’t know who put our money back!” “Do not be afraid,” the Chief Steward said, “Your God, the God of your father Jacob, put treasure in your sacks. Don’t worry, I got your money!” And then he brought their brother Simeon out to them. Then the Chief Steward took them inside, gave them water to wash up with, and food for their donkeys. After they washed up, the brothers laid out the gifts they had brought… …and then they waited. The Governor was going to arrive at noon. “What in the world is going on?” they wondered. What was going to happen next? What was God up to? Sometimes we just have to wait and see.

http://www.essex1.com/pages/paul/bible56.html

Joseph Rules

(Genesis 41.39-49)

…clapped his hand on Joseph’s shoulder, “Where in all of Egypt could I find a wiser man than you! “Surely the Spirit of God is with you!” Pharaoh said, “I will put you in charge over my house and all the land of Egypt. “Whatever you command, it will be done!” Wouldn’t that be fun! Whatever you asked for, someone would do. That’s why only a very WISE person should have that kind of power. Otherwise you might be commanding things like, “Bring me three dancing bears!” or “Fill my pool with butterscotch pudding!” and goofy stuff like that. But Joseph WAS very wise. He listened to God, and only did what pleased him. And so Pharaoh took the ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s hand. It was the ring engraved with the royal seal, the ring of authority and power. Pharaoh said, “I set you to rule over all the land. From now on, in all of Egypt only I will be greater than you!” And then he had Joseph dressed in the finest royal robes, and he put a gold chain around his neck. And to think, just the day before Joseph was wearing a whole different kind of chain, sitting in the dust and dirt of a dark prison floor. How quickly things can change when God is at work! When things are bad, and it seems like nothing but troubles, you just never know what surprises God has waiting. “I am Pharaoh, ruler of all of Egypt,” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “and this day I declare that no one shall as much as lift a finger unless you say it is okay.” Pharaoh gave Joseph the chariot of his second in command, and wherever Joseph went, an honor guard went on before him, calling out, “All Hail! All Hail!” And so Pharaoh made it known throughout all of Egypt that Joseph was in charge. Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new name. People are all the time getting new names in the Bible. That’s because names are important. Your name says who you belong to. There is a BIG difference between calling someone by their name, and saying, “Hey, Dumbhead!“ And you only GIVE a name to someone who is very close and dear to you. So Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenathpaneah, which of course is much too long to keep having to say over and over in this story, so we’ll just keep calling him Joseph. But in the eyes of Pharaoh and all of Egypt, Joseph had been accepted as one of their own. Joseph was just 30 years old when he was made a prince of Egypt. After all that Joseph had been through, all the ups and downs, all the troubles, look where God had put him! Pharaoh also chose a wife for Joseph, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. And God blessed Joseph with two sons. The first Joseph named Manasseh, which means “You will forget” because Joseph said, “God has helped me forget all the troubles I have had.” His second son Joseph named Ephraim, which means “Be fruitful,” “For God has made me fruitful in the land that once brought me trouble.” …for the next seven years the rains came, just as God said they would. The crops of Egypt grew and grew, and when each harvest came, Joseph did just as God told him to. He went all around Egypt gathering up the overflowing food. In each city he gathered up the food from the fields around it and stored it up in barns for the years of famine that were coming. What a valuable lesson to learn! You can be as wise as Joseph. For most people, there will be good times – and there will be hard times too. When times are good, and God blesses you with more than you need, don’t go crazy and use it all up as fast as you can. Instead, save some of it. Set it aside, and then you will be ready when hard times come. That’s just what Joseph did. God blessed the land so richly, that soon there were mountains of grain. It was like the sand of the sea. There was so much, that Joseph finally gave up even trying to measure it all. It was truly beyond measure. And then one day the rains stopped.

http://www.essex1.com/pages/paul/bible52.html

Fear not to go down into Egypt. Genesis 46:3

Probably the old man, remembering the experiences of Abraham, was very fearful to adventure himself into Egypt. Besides, was it not as though, in going thither, he renounced the Land of Promise? Therefore this special bidding and assurance were the more necessary.

When our heart misgives us, let us look out for one of God’s fearnots. – His eye is ever upon the righteous, and His ear open to their cry. One upward glance or tremulous prayer will make Him ride on a cherub to our side, and whisper, “Be not afraid; fear not,! am with thee.”

God’s promises are fulfilled in most unexpected ways. – He had always foretold that the seed of Abraham should outnumber stars and sands; but who would have supposed that the promise would be realized amid the pressure and persecution of Egypt? Yet so it happened. “I will there make of thee a great nation.” We must not judge after the sight of our eyes, nor act on what is known as our common sense; faith is led by very uncommon paths. Trust and obey!

God’s presence in Egypt acted as an antidote to its evil, and delivered from its tyrant’s grasp. – Ah, my soul, thou mightest descend without fear into hell itself if God said, “I will go down with thee, and will surely bring thee up again.” The Divine Presence is strength to the fearful – security and consolation in life, peace in death. It was probably thus that the Father spoke to the Son by the lips of the Angel in Gethsemane: “Fear not to go down into the grave:! will surely bring thee up again.” Thus He speaks to us. He is with us, and will deliver.

http://devotionals.ochristian.com/f-b-meyer-devotional.shtml

Joseph

Genesis 43:8-12: 45:12-13

From bad to worse

When Jacob heard that Simeon was still in Egypt and that the governor in charge of selling food wanted to see Benjamin, his youngest son, he was very upset. He said to his other sons, “Joseph is dead, Simeon is in Egypt, and now you want to take Benjamin from me as well.”

As the famine continued, Jacob began to realize that the only way their family would survive would be to send his sons back to Egypt to buy food, this time with Benjamin.

All this time, Jacob and his sons did not know that Joseph was alive and well, and that he was the one in charge of the food supply in Egypt.

How can I help people in countries where there is a famine?

How would you feel if you were in charge of all the food in Egypt? Would you feel powerful and important, or would you feel happy to be serving others? Maybe you have seen pictures of starving children. How do those pictures make you feel? You may feel upset that children your age are suffering and no one seems to care.

You could do something to help needy people! Even though your part may seem small, God sees your heart and He can turn something small into something much bigger:

• Pray for God’s mercy on their country, and if they need rain for their crops, that God would send them rain.
• Try to find out more about poor countries. Start a scrapbook with pictures and information about countries in need.
• Ask God to show you how you can help and, if you are wondering whether your part will really make a difference, read Mark 12:41-44.

Verse for today

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me (Jesus)” Matthew 24:40.

http://www.truthforkids.com/february-12/

Joseph

Genesis 41:53-57, 42:1-4

Saving and spending

When the seven years of plenty had passed, the storehouses in Egypt were full. Then, just as God had said, seven years of famine followed. Joseph opened the storehouses and started selling grain to the Egyptian people. Things were getting so bad that even people from distant countries came to buy food.

Joseph’s father Jacob heard that there was food in Egypt and sent his sons to buy grain there. Only his youngest son Benjamin stayed behind because Jacob was afraid something bad might happen to him.

Should I spend my pocket money or save it?

Whether your parents give you pocket money, or whether you do chores to earn money, what you do with the money is up to you.

It is probably best to keep a balance between spending money and saving it. By keeping money for a while (saving), you can make sure you have money when you need it. If you spend all of it straight away on buying things you don’t really need, you may not have enough when you want to buy something special. By learning to save now, even if it is only a small amount, you will be starting a good habit.

Jesus tells us not to store up treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19). This means that we should be careful not to heap up treasure—whether money or things—that could become more important to us than having eternal life.

If you want to use money wisely, don’t rush into buying things. Rather wait and ask the Lord to help you make a good decision. But remember, money and things won’t last forever; what is far more important are the things we do to store up treasure in heaven.

Verse for today

“Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer” Proverbs 30:25.

http://www.truthforkids.com/february-10/

The Big Story that the Media Deliberately Missed

The media always misses the big stories of historic proportion. Only years later do they reluctantly admit it.

Here are some examples of globally-significant stories that the anti-Christian mainstream media deliberately lost in the shuffle. The stories have to do with events in Egypt during the last few years—events that I am very familiar with.

It is impossible to ascertain whether they refuse to report these stories because of their anti-Christian bias, or because the stories run contrary to the narrative propagated by the current White House. Either way, the omissions are no accident.

The Egyptian Revolution of January 2011 was fully covered—every media outlet had reporters on the ground in Tahrir Square. It was a story that executive producers in New York and London could embrace with gusto: Masses of people demonstrating against a secular dictator.

The White House believed that Mubarak should be replaced by an Islamist, and the media fell right in line. The State Department had long felt that an Islamist government was inevitable, so they might as well support it now by supporting the uprising. Even the European Union, to pacify its burgeoning Islamist population, got on the bandwagon.

But we all know the results now:

 

• The Obama Administration got its wish and Mubarak resigned.
• An Islamist, Mohamed Morsi, ran for president, even though he was in prison at the time of the revolution and illegally broke out.
• Through a series of campaign lies, Morsi was elected, despite only receiving 11 million votes out of a population of 90 million.
• The Muslim Brotherhood members who advised President Obama propagated a message of “democracy in our time” to the Western media.
• The media ran with the story: “The First Democratically Elected President in Egyptian History.” That sounded good to the uninformed.

 

Then soon after Morsi get into office, he declared himself a dictator and above the law. Did we hear even the softest grumble of opposition from the White House or other Western capitals? No, not a word.

Within twelve months of Morsi’s reign, Egypt was brought to its knees economically, socially, and politically. A result far more disastrous than anything its secular predecessor could have possibly accomplished.

But the media covered up that disaster. Why? It didn’t fit the narrative. The White House and its aligned media executives believed Islamists would be good for Egypt and good for the Middle East.

Then came June 30, 2013, when more than 30 million people, from all walks of life and religious persuasions, angrily demanded new elections. But dictators, especially Islamist dictators (as we have seen with Hamas), detest re-elections.

Thus when the army acted as steward of stability and stood by the protesters (the size of the mass protests were unprecedented in human history), the White House condemned the army’s action as a military coup. In order to punish Egypt, Obama took the law into his own hands and cut aid to Egypt—aid that was agreed to back at the 1978 Camp David Accords.

But there’s even another big story that the media missed.

During the twelve months of the Islamist dictatorship, the Christian minority, which numbers between 10 and 17 million, were openly persecuted. Throughout the Islamist reign, they went to their churches in enormous numbers, packing them for prayer meetings. Some of those prayer meetings witnessed thousands upon thousands of people praying 24/7—crying out to God to hear their pleas.

Even many non-Christians believe that the demise of the Muslim Brotherhood government came as a direct answer to the prayers of those believers. But try explaining that to the BBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, or CNN.

Of course, the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood punished the Christians by burning many of their churches, homes, and businesses. Yet the Christians saw that as a small price to pay for a better future for their country.

But here’s the biggest story that the media kept locked away:

During the recent Christmas and New Year celebrations in Egypt, the interim president, Adly Mansour, went to the Coptic Cathedral. There, he met and embraced the patriarch and expressed the good wishes of all Egyptians for Christmas and the New Year.

That had never happened before in the past 1,400 years of majority-Islamic rule.

That meeting was of great significance, not only for Egypt or the region, but for all Muslims who are truly moderates. It was a gesture that can help to ultimately fulfill the dreams of all peace-loving people.

But the media deliberately ignored that possible world-impacting and future-altering event.

Will those who control most of the dissemination of news in the West ever turn back to the honest and transparent reporting of such history-making events? Unfortunately, I doubt it.

http://www.michaelyoussef.com/

Don’t Quit

“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.”—Exodus 13:17–18

The Torah portion for this week is Beshalach, which means “when he sent them away,” from Exodus 13:17–17:16, and the Haftorah is from Judges 4:4–5:31.

The saying goes “winners never quit and quitters never win.” But that doesn’t mean that winners never thinkabout quitting. Everyone feels like throwing in the towel at times. Some people do, while others persevere — and that makes all the difference.

This week’s Torah portion begins with an explanation of God’s chosen route for the Exodus. Scripture tells us that while there was a quicker path to the Promised Land, God chose the longer road. Why? Because the shorter path would have led the Israelites directly into war with the Philistines. Yet, the second verse informs us that the Israelites went out of Egypt “ready for battle.” Why did God feel that it was necessary to steer them away?

God, who created us, knows what makes us tick — and He also knows what makes us stop in our tracks.

The Israelites had witnessed unbelievable miracles during the ten plagues. They had also experienced God’s deep love as He consistently spared them — and only them — from the harsh plagues. Now, they were excitedly on the long-awaited road to freedom. They were inspired and ready for anything — or at least, so they thought. But God knew better. God understood that it is human nature to get discouraged at the first sight of adversity. One attack from the Philistines and the newly freed slaves would have high-tailed it back to Egypt.

At that time in history, having the Israelites confront an extreme challenge was not in anyone’s best interest. So God had them avoid it, although later on when they were ready, God did have the Israelites deal with many challenges and battles.

Today, we all experience adversity in our lives. In letting us know the reason for His decision regarding the Israelites’ route out of Egypt, God’s message to us is that everyone feels like quitting sometimes. It’s in our nature. But if God designs an itinerary for our lives that brings us into battle or adversity, it’s because we are truly ready to fight it.

Every time we start something new — a weight-loss program, a new career, or pursuing any dream at all — we begin with confidence and inspiration. However, at some point, we are bound to come up against a wall. We will feel like turning back and quitting – it is written in Scripture. But we don’t have to.

The urge to quit is a universal test, and if we are brought to that trial, it’s because God knows that we can pass it. So fight through those walls and battles. If God brought you there, He will certainly see you through it.

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/dont-quit