Based on “Freed to Follow” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 8/9-10/08,
Message # 2456; Daily Devotional #6 - “Remember - to Move On”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ (Exodus 13:8) I believe God commands us to speak of His great works and speak of them often. He does this because He knows His people are grateful in the moment, but often stray from the wonder and joy of their redemption. What comes along and removes gratitude from our hearts, and why must God need to remind us of where we were and what He has taken us out of? Our Egypt was a life of captivity to our sin nature and our redemption came in the blood of Jesus. How often we forget to remember the faithfulness of our Father. “In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ Say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.’ (Exodus 13:14)
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): For several years I visited a young man in prison. He was saved as a child, but was pulled into the world by his own pain and frustration with his life. He was in a medium to maximum security prison where personal safety was tenuous at best. However, the Lord had not left him but placed him in a cell with a man who had himself recently recommitted his life to the Lord. The older man had been there longer and took the younger man under his “wing”. When I visited this young man, we prayed. I saw hope and Godly strength begin to fill his soul. He became a model prisoner and was released years ahead of schedule. When he was released, he did not forget what God had done for him. He attended church, completed his education, and married a beautiful woman who also loved the Lord. Time went by and trials came in many forms. He stopped attending church, and now he finds that the peace he once knew with God has become elusive. There is no peace for the Christ follower who has stepped away from the altar and found another love. The Israelites knew God’s greatness when He delivered them from captivity, but they soon had to be reminded. We all need to remember our captivity, whether physical, spiritual, or both. Satan’s goal is always to separate us from God, but our Lord will not leave us forsaken or alone. We will be tested, but we will be delivered when we return to Him and remain righteous before Him. “if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue Godly men from trials….” (2 Peter 2:9).
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): God, in His wisdom, took the Israelites on the long route out of Egypt, not the shorter route. He knew they would be tempted to turn back if they faced the hardships of war with the Philistine people (Exodus 13:17-18). God gives us time to grow in our faith, and fits our trials to our spiritual maturity. “Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of His praise be heard; He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.” (Psalm 66:8-12) Remember this week what the Lord has already brought you through, and that these present trials, when committed to God, will (amazingly) lead you to a life of abundance in Him (John 10:10).
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Psalm 68
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Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.