EXODUS 13:9-16 – And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year. “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord‟s. Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And when in time to come your son asks you, „What does this mean?‟ you shall say to him, „By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.‟ It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”

THEME OF THE DAY: BY A STRONG HAND. The phrase appears three times in today’s scripture. It reveals how the Israelites were delivered from Egyptian bondage. They paint a wonderful picture of God’s love, care, and protective involvement in the lives of His children. It appears in the beginning of the text, in the middle and then at the end. The strategic location shows us from start to finish, it was the Lord and the Lord only who brought His children to safety. The words? By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.

When it comes to the Christian life, the same strong Lord that brought His people out of literal Egypt is the same strong Lord that leads us through the many trials, tribulations, and wilderness trips we encounter on our way to heaven. And how does the Lord manifest His strong hand in our lives? Consider with me two means the Lord uses to strengthen our faith and walk with Him.

First, the fellowship of Christ-centered believers. Simply put, we need one another. We need to pray with one another, be in the Word with one another, worship with one another, carry one another’s burdens, and when we isolate from one another, we remove ourselves from one of God’s choice means of protecting and strengthening His people. The wisest man ever to live, King Solomon, gave us this principle in the wisdom book of Ecclesiastes – Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). The strong hand of the Lord is manifest through the regular gathering of His people.

Another way the Lord will strengthen His people is through private fellowship with them through prayer and His Word. I know this is a “no brainer” when it comes to the Christian life. No one would dispute the need for a consistent devotional life, quiet time or whatever we call it. But be honest, don’t the demands of life pressure us either to miss it, neglect it, or rush it? We face tremendous pressures daily and the screams of the world are loud in their attempts to silence the still small voice of the Spirit wooing us to “come apart” and be with the Lord. Fight hard against this. We cannot know the strong hand of the Lord without knowing the Lord who has the strong hand!

The Lord delivered His people from Egypt with His strong hand and He promises to “hold out” His hand to us as well. Let’s strive to put ourselves in positions to “grab it” by fellowship with other believers and seeking Him privately.

PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for Your delivering power and strength You exhibit in my life.”
QUOTE: “We were created to be dependable on Him Who is constantly reliable.”

Because of Him,
Pastor Jim