Exodus – Chapter 15

Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water. Exodus 15:27 – Moses and the Israelites had just experienced the miracle of a lifetime, the escape from the Egyptians by the parting of the Red Sea. Their captures were gone and they were truly free now. After beginning their journey with three long days of walking in the heat, they finally find water, but its undrinkable. Already forgetting what God had done for them, the people complain, yet God provided a path forward once again by making the water drinkable. Our chapter ends with our verse above. God leads His people to a desert oasis that is flowing with springs of water and is well shaded. From our perspective, we can see the overwhelming provision the Lord had blessed the people with. Within around a week’s time they went from brutal slavery to freedom in a desert oasis. When reading through these chapters and seeing how God provided for them so greatly, we can also be shocked when we see phrases like “they grumbled” or like we’ll see in tomorrow’s reading them wishing they were back in Egypt. Let’s though not go too far in our judging the Israelites without remembering how we too often are exactly in the same spot. Overwhelmingly blessed by the Lord yet still grumbling. Saved from our sin but grumbling about another person. Promised salvation and eternal life in Heaven as joint heirs with Christ, yet complaining that Sunday mornings are just too early to wake up for to go to church. How silly are our complaints in this life. We are so blessed and our God is constantly blessing us with our own versions of a desert oasis in this life. When the bitterness of your spot in life begins to well up within you, pause to see how God has removed the bitterness of death from your life and has led you out of your enslavement to sin. Let such truths be the log in your story making your heart posture go from bitterness to sweet. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3159

Exodus 15 Daily DEVO The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’ You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. Exodus 15:9-10 – We need to read verses like this because they are reminders of our enemy’s true intentions. It’s far too easy to be deceived into thinking that sin and the enemy wants to treat us and pleasure us. Here though we see the truth that’s covered up by all the enemy’s lies. He wants to steal, kill, and destroy. Thankfully though we see right after the enemy makes his plans known a demonstration of how powerful our God is and how easy it is for Him to thwart any plans our enemy has. Be wise and remind yourself what the enemy really wants with you. Sin of any type only hurts you and others. If you are being told otherwise, that’s not God speaking, that’s your enemy trying to deceive you. I’m tired of seeing people fall prey to the enemy’s tricks, hopefully passages like this being shared can help it happening less. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 809

You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. Exodus 15:13 – We’d all agree God led His people. In His love for the people He led them eventually to the land He promised them. Yet do you remember what was all still on this path laid out for them by God’s steadfast love? An army pursing them, walking across a sea, going days without water then the water you do finally find is bad, and oh yeah, decades lost in a wilderness. Even a path led by God’s love will have difficulties. God is leading us to Himself and His holy abode where we can dwell with Him. This is our promise land. On that journey though don’t be shocked when you find opposition, find the path is different than expected, and when there are seasons of without. While it may seem odd a path directed by God’s love would still hold those things, know the presence of them isn’t a sign God’s stopped leading you. If Jesus’ own journey here while on earth was filled with all those things and more, we can see there must be a reason for them bigger than we can see. Trust God knows the best path for you, even when that path leads straight into difficulty. Often the most difficult of journeys lead to the most beautiful of destinations. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1898