Anglican Daily Fountain Devotional 4 June 2022
TOPIC: All To God’s Glory
Read: Exodus 14:1-9(NKJV)
1. Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
2. “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.
3. “For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They [are] bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’
4. “Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I [am] the LORD.” And they did so.
5. Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”
6. So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him.
7. Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them.
8. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness.
9. So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses [and] chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.
Anglican Daily Fountain Devotional 4 June 2022
STUDY: Sometimes after mountain experiences, we may experience what may seem as a reversal, an apparent rage or victory of the enemy. This scenario occurred when Pharaoh, with his military might, turned again to pursue and eventually overtook Israel (vv. 8-9) after Israel’s overwhelming joy of deliverance from slavery of over 400 years, through the mighty hands of the living God.
However, the Lord said that He allowed Pharaoh’s heart to be hardened so as to gain glory for Himself – that the Egyptians might know that He is the Lord (v.4). This could have generated a lot of questions, worries and doubts in the minds of the Israelites, like any of us. The victories, breakthroughs and landmarks that God gives us should be sources of encouragement to us in future challenges. Also, challenges or oppositions that sometimes come our way should not shake off our faith in the ability of God.
They are all for God’s glory. Elijah, that great man of God, experienced similar situations (1Kg. 18 & 19:1-5). Other notable men of God like Jeremiah, Elisha, Paul, etc., also experienced challenging situations. Let us not allow discouragement to overwhelm us in difficult situations, to the point of abandoning our faith to turn back to captivity or degenerate to making negative utterances. God is working out His purposes and victory is assured.
PRAYER: Lord keep me faithful even in times of stiff opposition by the enemy.
