Today’s Devotion
Topic: Pharaoh Will Know That I Am God! (Part 1)
Text: Exodus 14: 4
“And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this. Amen
Beloved, today we begin a series titled ‘Pharaoh will know that I am God’. The series seeks to explain how God allows us to go through certain things so that He may, by His deliverance, prove to the wicked that He is God, and also bring glory to His own name. Let us begin with a conversation Moses had with Jehovah in Exodus chapter 14.
Israel had just left Egypt and were on their way to the promise land. They had not gone too far when the Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.’ So the Israelites did this. (Exodus 14: 1-4) Hallelujah!
This is interesting because Israel did not determine the road to Canaan when they left Egypt — they were led by God the whole time. So how come God would lead them in one direction, and ask them to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol (the desert) and the sea? Wow! What kind of God ever leads His people into the middle of nowhere and claims to be taking them to a promised destination? Except the One who can make a way where there seems to be no way!
Do you now understand why your life appears to be going in an uncertain direction? Do you see how come the Lord makes you turn back from a certain direction He was taking you, and sends you in another that seems to lack all forms of bearing and hope?
It is to confuse the enemy. So that the Lord can prove Himself as God in your life. Your story couldn’t be on a straight path — Jehovah must gain glory through the twists and turns. He must also confuse, ambush and completely destroy all the workers of evil who are monitoring your life to bring you back into slavery.
Meditate on this word and begin to pray right now. Thank God for all the mountains, valleys, storms and the complicated roads by which you have come this far. He is God and He knows what He is doing regarding you. Ask Him for the spirit of obedience so that, as in the case of the Israelites, whenever He commands that you change direction, you do. Even if you do not fully understand why, that will be the best option.
He is God! He must gain glory for Himself through Pharaoh and his army. And the Egyptians will know that He’s God!
Tomorrow we will discuss what happened when Isreal turned back at the command of Jehovah.
(www.yonghana.org; Like our Facebook page: Y OUTREACH NETWORK)
