Carried to His Sanctuary

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

“Who is like you among the gods, O Lord—glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders?  You raised your right hand, and the earth swallowed our enemies.  “With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed.  In your might, you guide them to your sacred home.  The peoples hear and tremble; anguish grips those who live in Philistia.  The leaders of Edom are terrified; the nobles of Moab tremble.  All who live in Canaan melt away; terror and dread fall upon them.  The power of your arm makes them lifeless as stone until your people pass by, O Lord, until the people you purchased pass by.  You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain—the place, O Lord, reserved for your own dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established.  The Lord will reign forever and ever!”  Exodus 15:11-18

This text is part of the victory song Moses and the Israelites sang after God saved them from the pursuing Egyptian army.  Earlier, the former slaves, numbering perhaps six-hundred-thousand, had left Egypt and were contemplating updating their wills at the edge of the Red Sea.  There were impassable mountains to the left and right of them, death by drowning in front of them, and death by Egyptian swords behind.  They were (literally) between two rocks, a watery grave, and an angry army.  One raised staff later, they crossed that sea on dry land, saved by the breath of God.  Pharoah’s army…not so blessed.

This account of Israel’s rescue and open doorway to the Promised Land, is a foretaste of your journey.  As Moses and the children were carried by God’s loving hand to Canaan, so we are bound for the Promised Land of New Jerusalem.

The world’s libraries are full of stories of victory snatched from the jaws of evil and defeat.  Every one of them is a reminder of God’s strong right arm.  The bad guy is holding all the power, and the innocent ones are about to be toast.  At the last second the one wearing the white hat shows up to rescue the powerless.

Why, do you suppose, that plot is so familiar?  Why is every suspense movie built around the sinister plans of a despicably vicious madman?  I believe it is God’s way of keeping us connected to the world we cannot see.  There is, and always has been, a spiritual war raging for the souls of human beings.  Ever since the day Satan walked into God’s throne room and laid-down the challenge gauntlet over the soul of Job[1], Satan has craved control of every man, woman, and child.  God has offered his strong right hand of support to each of us to resist.  And God gives each of us the free will to choose to accept His help, or not.

For You Today 

Today, in some small (or large) way, a subtle (or fully-disclosed) way, you will face a temptation to step away from God, or God’s open invitation to His waiting arms.  Satan will pave a highway with gold and ease to an eternity of suffering and shame.  God will offer you the nail-scarred, rough hands of a carpenter/shepherd to lift you over the temptation and carry you all the way to His sanctuary.

The words echo eternally – choose carefully.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper explore some of these:   Yahweh  and  Fountain Joy  

Title Image:  via Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

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[1] Read the oldest Biblical account of Job as the center of the contest here:  Job 1:1-2:10