TO CHEW ON: "And the Lord said, 'I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.'" Exodus 3:7
How the Israelites back in Egypt must have wept with relief and celebrated with joy when Moses came with these words straight from the Almighty:
"I have seen
I have heard
I know"
We too may feel despairing if God has been silent and seemingly indifferent to whatever hard circumstance we're in. But His knowledge of our hard time and His action behind the scenes again and again in the Bible demonstrates the kind of aware and compassionate God He is.
- He saw and came to the outcast slave/concubine Hagar - Genesis 16:7-13.
- In today's reading He saw the enslaved and beleaguered Israelites.
- He heard the cry of the Israelites oppressed by the Philistines and sent Samuel to anoint King Saul to be their leader and conqueror of their enemy - 1 Samuel 9:16.
- He showed Himself patient and compassionate when He sent prophet after prophet to warn the sinning Israelites - 2 Chronicles 36:15-16.
- Psalm writers Asaph (Psalm 78:38; 79:11) and David (Psalm 86:15) declared and praised His patience toward wrongdoers and His graciousness toward all humans.
- Jesus' description of the Father in the Prodigal Son story pictures our heavenly Father, waiting and watching for us if we have 'left home' - Luke 15:20.
So whatever oppression we're under (physical illness, suffering at the hands of individuals, groups of people, the society we live in, or our government), let's take with us the assurance that God sees, God hears, God knows.
PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to trust You even when You are silent. Help me too, to be patient as You untangle my circumstances in Your time. Amen.
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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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