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Tag: 3-7

  • He Knows Your Sorrows

    Exodus 3:7 “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 tells of the call of Moses by God to go back to Egypt to deliver His people from slavery. In the beginning verses, we find Moses before a burning bush. He has taken his sandals off his feet as instructed by God. Having the full attention of Moses, God explains the current situation, telling Moses that He has surely seen the oppression of His people who are in Egypt and has heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for He knows their sorrows.

    I have tried to imagine what it was like for Moses to hear these words.  He knew the awful suffering the Israelites were enduring as slaves.  He knew of the groaning they were making and that they were calling on God to help them.  Exodus 2:23 says, “Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.” 

    Moses is now hearing from God that God has seen the oppression and He has heard the cries of agony because of their taskmasters, and He knows their sorrows. Imagine what the words “seen,” “heard”, and “knows” did for the heart of Moses.  It had to be so encouraging to know directly from God that God knew, that He knew their sorrows.

    Do you know that God knows about you and cares about you?  At this very moment, He cares enough about you to know the very number of hairs you have.  As He has His eyes on the little sparrow He has His eye on you.  Psalms 34:18 says that He draws near the brokenhearted.  He comes up close to bring the comfort only He can provide!

    May Exodus 3:7 encourage your heart.  The same God who saw and heard and knew the pain and sorrow of the children of Israel knows your heartaches and sorrows.  He KNOWS your SORROWS!

    Continue Strong knowing God knows,
    And remember to DATE the Word   

  • Man-centered or God-centered?

    Proverbs 3:7 “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.”

    Having just told us in Proverbs 3:5-6 to “Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding but acknowledge Him in all our ways and He will direct your paths, Proverbs 3:7 follows up with a timely admonition to not be wise in our own eyes.  Rather than having I can do it myself mindset, we are told to fear the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, and depart from evil.”  

    We do have to choose between being man-centered or God-centered. Being wise in your own eyes is not wise at all. That mindset drips with pride and arrogance, of being a know-it-all. Being full of yourself makes one a fool. Instead of being in love with yourself and thinking you are it, you should humble yourself and acknowledge there is God, and you are not Him. The Fear of the Lord comes from a person’s heart where there is the recognition of God followed by reverence and respect for God. He is the creator, and we are His creation. Having this fear of the Lord causes one to see that His ways are right and out of that comes a heart of obedience. It is a heart that rejects what God rejects and embraces what pleases Him.

    Are you full of yourself? Self-centered? Or are you full of the fear of the Lord? God-centered?

    A March to Remember

    For March 7, let us consider Ephesians 1:7. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

    In considering why Christ is dying on the cross we must remember we are bondslaves to sin and Satan in need of deliverance from sin and the consequences of sin.  This deliverance comes as a result of Jesus paying with His blood the purchase price and thus we are redeemed.  We are now set free from the bondage and the guilt of sin. As you see Christ upon the cross see Him taking your sins upon Him and see Him taking all of God’s wrath, the wrath that you deserved, and see Him paying the penalty for your sins.   On March 7 you should be singing Redeemed, Redeemed, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! His child, and forever, I am.

    On March 7 we encourage you to read Matthew 7 to recall our Lord’s teaching.  You can find the Bible reading plan on the Date the Word app.

    Continue Strong this March Remembering our Savior,
    And remember to DATE the Word