You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment. Psalms 66:12
From the beginning of time, God has made it clear that He desires to have fellowship with the crowning glory of His creation — mankind. Yet, early on it was also clear that man had a tendency to stray away and even disobey the Lord. It started with Adam and Eve but certainly didn’t end there. By the time Noah came along, the earth was literally filled with evil. After the flood, the Lord started over with Noah and his family but once again it did not take long for man’s heart to turn away from God. This time, they decided they would build a tower up to heaven and as a result the Lord scattered the people over the face of the earth.
Then, in the next chapter, Genesis chapter twelve, God calls Abram (who will be renamed Abraham) and declares that He will set apart a people for Himself, His own special people. What a wonderful blessing to be a part of the “people of God”, to have great and precious promises from the Lord. Yet, even with such a wonderful heritage given to them just because of God’s graciousness, still we see the children of Israel provoking the Lord time and again through their disobedience and rebellion.
If you were to start the narrative of God’s people with the book of Exodus, you would find their life bitter with hard bondage under the hand of Pharaoh. Just looking at that point in time, one could easily wonder why God doesn’t do something; why are His children allowed to go through such suffering? But, as the name Exodus implies, there is about to be a great deliverance. The way things are is not the way they will always be. Pharaoh thought he was secure in his place as ruler over Egypt and that these Hebrews were his property. He would soon learn that they were not his property but rather God’s people!
As time went by, there would be plenty of other examples of God’s people finding themselves in bondage and on occasion carried away into captivity. But, through it all, the Lord was always there to deliver them when they called out to Him. After all, He has a plan for His children and it is a plan for good and not for evil.
Even today, there are times when it seems like evil people are running roughshod over those who are just seeking to live their life for the Lord. It might appear, at that moment in time, that the enemy is victorious. But, remember, the Lord will always have the last word!
You might find yourself almost overwhelmed at times with the challenges of this life, the part about going through the fire sounding very familiar. Or maybe being so deep in the waters of life you feel as if you might drown. During times like this, call to mind that the Lord never leaves you in the fire or the water; He always brings you through to the other side. You cannot determine the goodness or faithfulness of God by fixating on Pharaoh or the fire or the flood, only through faith in the Lord God Almighty.
No matter what it takes to get to where you are going, no matter how rough the road, you can be sure that God will be faithful to fulfill His plan for you — rich fulfillment!
Need a gift that keeps on giving? Order some extra copies of the book to give to others Here
Don’t forget to join our Email list and become a Fellow Traveler! Just Click HERE
And, please help us spread the word by sharing this post with others!