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He'll Do It Again Devotional

Exodus 14:14“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (ESV) Every once in a while, I come across a verse in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, where I stop and wonder how I've managed to glaze over some incredible truth way too many times. Exodus 14:14 is a great example of this for me. The Israelites have just left Egypt. Finally set free! Under the leadership of Moses,they leave their slavery and start heading for the Promised Land. We're all, familiar with the story - Pharaoh changes his mind (again) and goes out to recapture his slave workforce. The Israelites start to, uh, …panic. And I can't say that I blame them. Looking ahead at a large impassible body of water and behind at the “whole Egyptian army” (vs 9) that was about to overtake them would cause fear in the most reasonable of people. The Israelites were no exception. The Lord, however, had a different plan. One that His people couldn't see. After some complaining to the Lord (vs 10-12), Moses finally answers with this great (albeit difficult-in-the-moment) truth. 13 And Moses said to the people, “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. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Another translation says it this way: 14 “You will not have to do anything but stay calm. The Lord will do the fighting for you.” (ERV) Eugene Peterson paraphrases it a little more straightforward in The Message: 14 “God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!”We of course know the rest of the story and thousands of years later we're still talking about the power of God parting the Red Sea. A few things stick out to me about this verse: 1) God had led them to that exact place. It wasn't an accident that they were in a bit of a bind.2) God was very aware of the situation at hand.3) God had a plan for His people, His beloved. Even if it wasn't a miraculous parting of the water, God was, and is, sovereign over every situation.4) God was going to do the work. The people were instructed to “keep their mouths shut.” We find ourselves regularly in situations that are difficult. Sometimes it's of our own doing. Sometimes it's just part of life. Paul says in II Cor 4 that, among other things, we are “hard pressed on every side” (vs 8 NIV) and yet not crushed. Life is full of challenges that allow us to grow in our trust and dependence on a holy, loving God that is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than all we could ask or imagine. We aren't promised that the sea will part before us or that our suffering will suddenly and miraculously end. Heb 11 reminds us that heaven is full of saints that “didn't receive the promise” yet still held on to their faith (vs 39-40). But we are promised that we serve and know a God that loves us and has everything under His control. Maybe our challenge today is to wait for God to fight for us and “be silent” or “stay calm” or as Eugene says, “…keep your mouths shut.” That's challenging for all of us.

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The Songs Of Christmas - Silent Night

He was a carpenter. She was an ordinary girl. Confused and weary, they journeyed to Bethlehem. Silent night, holy night He was an inn keeper doing his job. There was no room, only a dirty stable. All is calm, all is bright Mary gave birth that night to a baby boy. Joseph held her hand. They wrapped him in cloth and placed him in a manger. Round yon virgin mother and child Holy infant so tender and mild Shepherds watched over their flocks by night. Angels appeared to them, secrets untold. Shepherds quake at the sight Glories stream from heaven afar Three wise men brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Son of God, love's pure light It's a story we know all too well. And, frankly, if we had written it, it would have had a much different preface. Everyone was looking for a king, and they found a baby. He wasn't at all who they expected. The Savior of the world, born in a manger, in a stable in Bethlehem? Turned away from the inn and attended by lowly shepherds? Unexpected, indeed. But that's the beauty of the Gospel. God rescued all of mankind on His own terms, in His own time. He continues His reconciliation on earth in much the same way. Subtly, surprisingly, on His own terms, in His own time. The prophet Isaiah reminds us God doesn't operate like we do. Isaiah 55:9 says, “'My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,' says the Lord. 'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts'” (NLT). Two thousand years ago He came without much fanfare. And He still comes today in the still, silent night. Slowly. Quietly. Sometimes the best gifts come in the most unexpected ways. God desires to give His children good gifts. His ways are higher, His plans infinitely better. When life gets confusing, remember that the greatest story of all time began in a manger. Actually, that's where our story began, too. God gave us His greatest gift that first Christmas. With one baby's cry, the ordinary became extraordinary. History changed forever. A silent night, quite simply, became a holy night. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16, KJV) Inspired by the song Silent Night by Sanctus Real. Original post featured on YouVersion.

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