Exodus – Chapter 1

And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Exodus 1:21 – While their start in Egypt was a blessing, it didn’t take long for change to come. The generation of Israel that came to Egypt had passed away and the kind leaders of Egypt were no more. Now instead of finding provision in Egypt, Israel was finding persecution. One such layer of persecution was the Pharoah commanding the midwives of the Hebrews that all baby boys of the Hebrew people we to be killed so the Hebrew nation couldn’t grow any further. As we read through the chapter, we see these midwives choosing to be faithful to the Lord, rejecting this evil command of Pharaoh against God’s chosen people. What was the blessing of their faithfulness? Families of their own. History tells us that in this culture and time often those in the midwife role were ladies who struggled or couldn’t have children of their own. Yet as a result of their trust in the Lord, God provided what likely they had prayed for. While this shouldn’t be our reasoning for trusting God, nor even an expectation that we place on of the Lord, we should be aware that faithfulness is rewarded. Maybe it is with the things we’ve been praying specifically for, maybe it’s the blessing of the Lord’s peace and rest that we need, or maybe the blessing is something we won’t see until we reach Heaven. As followers of Jesus our heart shouldn’t be only about what we can get out of this pursuit of Jesus, but followers of Jesus must also be aware that a true pursuit of Jesus does come with rich blessings attached to it. And the richest blessing of them all…Jesus Himself. Seek and you will find. When then the world’s persecutions come your way, threatening your pursuit of Jesus, find yourself continuing the pursuit of Jesus. You won’t regret the choice. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3145

Exodus 1 Daily DEVO But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. Exodus 1:12 – Oppression doesn’t have to mean the stopping of our growth. Far to often when the pressure gets placed on us we feel as if our forward motion and steady growth have to stop until the pressure is relieved. Yet we see the people of God here not only still moving forward but growing and spreading their reach even under the pressure. Church, the enemy doesn’t have any plans of relieving the pressure. We then need to make a choice, do we crumble or do we grow? Do we trust God enough to take a step, even in the midst of the pressure, and know He’ll provide what we need? God never let them down when they trusted in Him nor will He let you down as you trust in Him. You just have to ask yourself will the pressure of our enemy be strong enough to remove your trust from God? I love you, by Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 795

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. Exodus 1:8 – Change is inevitable. Sometimes that change is one that will benefit you and help you move forward. Sometimes that change becomes the catalyst to your efforts growing to move you forward. Either way, change doesn’t have to stop you. Here things were good for the people of Israel under the reign of the old king who knew Joesph and all he had done for Egypt. Yet this new king, unfamiliar with Joseph’s story and the good he brought his country, only saw the Israelites as a threat and choose to deal with them as such. What we might expect to see happen then is the people of Israel to diminish and cease to move. That wasn’t the case though, they grew and flourished even under the pressure that came from the change in leadership. Change doesn’t have to stop you, but it sure can if you choose to let it. Change, however it comes and in whatever shape it takes in your story, offers you a choice. Do you let it become your reason for staying where you are or do you let it be your new reason for taking a step forward? Change is inevitable but moving forward isn’t. You can’t control change but you can control your reaction to it. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1884