God Lifted Me!

November 15, 2021 Monday Message

Exodus 6:7a ESV, God speaking: “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God.”

Yesterday we looked at the 2-way commitment herein described. God is agreeing to look after his people, and the people need to understand that YHWH is their God. God already knew his position before he made this statement, and he wasn’t about to change his mind – “My God is like a rock!” The people were a little slower to catch on...

Today I want to look at God’s timing. When God made this pronouncement, the Israelites were in a lot of trouble, so there was no perceived benefit for God. He wasn’t going to improve his position by associating with the Israelites.

At the time, the Israelites were Pharaoh’s slaves. He worked them mercilessly and beat them into submission. God’s priority had slipped on the Hebrew agenda, and that’s a 2-way street. If the people no longer care about God, He won’t prioritize their protection. There’s no point in God speaking if his people aren’t listening!

But when the people remembered God and cried out for help, God was there for them. When the situation appeared darkest, they found hope! God re-stated his love for the Hebrews while they were still slaves, before the 10 plagues hit Egypt, and before the waters split, and before the Israelites were on their way to the promised land. At their lowest moment, God lifted them up!

God should be our first call, not our last resort. But unfortunately, sometimes mankind has to hit bottom before they’ll call out to God. When they do, God can radically transform lives, from the very worst to the very best, but only if we call on Him!

"He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.” (Ps. 18:16)

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406