Monday
Then Moses turned again to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you mistreated this people? Why did you ever send me? Since I first came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has mistreated this people, and you have done nothing at all to deliver your people.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh: Indeed, by a mighty hand he will let them go; by a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land.” God also spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name ‘The Lord’ I did not make myself known to them. "
Moses’ obedience to God did not immediately result in redemption for the people. In fact, it made their plight even worse. How often we respond to God in obedience and find that it doesn’t reap the relief or reward that we desire.
- Can you think of a time when you have been faithful to God and it ended poorly?
- When have you turned again to the Lord in disappointment? What did you hear God say?
- Is there a place in your life right now where you need God’s deliverance?
Gracious God, we commit to you our lives even as we admit that there are times when we don’t experience the reward or relief we hoped our faithfulness would produce. Help us in those moments to take our questions to you and await your deliverance.
Tuesday
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my might,
and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a warrior;
the Lord is his name."
On the other side of the Red Sea, opened for God’s people to walk safely through, Moses led the people in worship. For who God is and for what He has done. When we come to worship, it is an opportunity for us as well to remember who God is and what he has done for us.
- What has God done for you recently?
- What characteristics of God cause you to worship Him?
- Write a prayer of worship to God for who He is and what He has done.
Gracious God, for who you are and for what you have done and continue to do, we worship you. We see your works all around us, and are the beneficiaries of your character. Sensitize us to who you are what you are doing in, through and around us that our lives might be an expression of worship. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Wednesday
Give ear to my words, O Lord;
give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
You can hear David’s discouragement in his prayer to God, as he asks for God to notice his distress. His final words in this passage are that he will plead his case, and watch. There is an expectancy in the word “watch,” trusting that God will hear us and deliver us from our discouragement and difficult circumstances.
- In what ways are you discouraged today?
- What thoughts or feelings does the word “watch” stir up for you?
- What would it look like to plead your case before the Lord today?
Gracious God, we echo David’s words, asking you to hear us in our places of discouragement and to respond. Give us faith to lift our cares us to you and watch for you to meet us where we are at and provide what we need. We thank you in anticipation for your loving deliverance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thursday
Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.
These verses incorporate our senses into our experience of God – Look to him! Be heard by him! Taste and see that the Lord is good! We are invited to engage all of our being in our relationship with Christ. As we look to him and experience God as the one who is all in all, our lives can shine with the radiance that comes from trusting Him.
- What promise in this passage do you find most hopeful?
- What invitation do you want to accept more fully?
- What do you hear God saying to you in these verses?
Gracious God, You are the source of our lives, our deliverance, and our refuge. Help us to loosen our grip on the things and/or people that distract us from wholeheartedly looking to you. May your face shine on us that we may reflect your radiance to those around us. In Jesus name, Amen.
Friday
I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.
David attests to God’s response to our need for him. The psalmist knew that to pursue other, worldly ways of rescue would only lead to emptiness and heartache, but waiting for the Lord, he would find deliverance, relief, joy, and a story of God’s faithfulness to share with others.
- Where are you waiting for the Lord right now? How does it feel?
- When have you experienced God setting your feet on a rock?
- What story of God’s deliverance do you have to share with others?
Gracious God, it is difficult to be patient at times, waiting for you to incline your ear and rescue me. Give me the trust I need to wait for you, knowing that you will lift me up and secure my feet on solid ground. Remind me of your past faithfulness and give me the courage to share my story with others in ways that bring you glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.