He Rescues Us

Previous day's devotional, He Liberates Us

You split the sea

So I could walk right through it

My fears were drowned in perfect love

You rescued me

And I could stand and sing

The culmination of the previous verses leads us to the climax of the song, the story in Exodus 14. The Egyptians are pursuing the Israelites, they are hot on their heels and the Israelites are whining and asking Moses why he didn't just leave them in Egypt to serve the Egyptians. What? Serve the Egyptians?

The Egyptians "ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves." Exodus 1:13-14 They were so broken in spirit, they didn't even listen to Moses when he reported what the Lord had said, which included freeing them, redeeming them, adopting them, removing the yoke of the Egyptians, bringing them to the land He promised and giving it to them as a possession. Exodus 6:9 Can you imagine giving up your inheritance to go back to bondage? I can, I've done it.

Can you imagine giving up your inheritance to go back to bondage? I can, I've done it. I have been so afraid of what was ahead that I desperately wanted to go back to what the Lord had delivered me from. As crazy as it sounds, it happens! We whine, we complain and we ask God to change His mind. "Undo Your perfect plan and please let me go back to my painful past where I was comfortable," we mutter. What is wrong with us? FEAR, that's what!

Then Moses does something historical and prophetic, he says, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (Exodus 14:13-14) Then the Lord instructs Moses to tell the people of Israel to go forward. He hardened the Egyptians hearts, so they would pursue them and in a moment the Lord split the sea for the Israelites and swallowed up the Egyptians. He did this so that they would know He was Lord and He would get glory over Pharaoh. Their fear of an unknown future, being captured and being brought back into slavery was swallowed up in His perfect LOVE.

There came a mighty wind like a wedge and split that sea wide open, clear to its center. - B.H. Carroll

That was a long time ago, but it is not so different for us. Our Red Sea is ahead of us and if we give up prematurely we will miss it. The Lord knows who or what is pursuing us and He may choose to harden their hearts, for His glory not our misery.

God will deliver His children from every evil work, from every peril and problem, from tribulation, even from death itself. But there are no cookie cutters in heaven. Go doesn't have standardized, same-size-fits-all solutions to our various problems. He treats every situation as singular and special, and He designs a unique, tailor-made deliverance to every trail and trouble. Robert J. Morgan, The Red Sea Rules

Can we trust, wait and hope for His deliverance of perfect LOVE? What is pursuing you? Might you consider you are right where you are supposed to be? Can you, for a moment, think that the Lord is leading you through this wilderness to take you to your Red Sea of deliverance?

Father, Thank you for taking us through these wilderness times where you protect us, teach us, lead us and deliver us. Help us lean into the process and surrender to Your perfect will. May we have the endurance to make it to the shore where You will lead us on dry ground. Help us trust that the enemies who are pursuing us will ultimately come up against You. You are a faithful and rescuing God, give us patience in this process. Amen.

Thank you for reading the "No Longer Slaves" devotional series, you can find them all here.

Composition/Song Title: No Longer Slaves
Written by Jonathan David Hesler, Brian Johnson, Joel Case
© 2014 Bethel Music Publishing (ASCAP), All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. License #9303