I will give you all the strength and courage you need to face whatever challenges come your way. I will turn your worries and your fears into confidence and trust.
No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
—Joshua 1:5
I love teaching botany and being able to use scientific names for living organisms! The picture above might look like a COVID-19 virus but is a plant called Cephalanthus occidentalis or commonly known as Fiber Optics Buttonbush. I ordered one from an online nursery so that I will have a visual reminder of this time in history – Pandemic 2020.
My reason for choosing this bush is that I want to be able to look back and remember how God brings us through this time of great distress and tribulations. I will see this beautiful bloom and praise Jesus that He is the Great I Am now, just as He was to His servant, Moses all those years ago.
Moses wanted to know who he was going to represent when he demanded Pharaoh to let the children of Israel leave the land of slavery and hardship. God answered with His name, “I Am that I Am,” the Hebrew grammatical form is in the future tense. Therefore, God’s name is more accurately translated as “I Will Be What I Will Be.”
We might suffer under some sort of bondage or pain for what seems like a very long time, but we can rest assured that God hears our cries. He remembers the covenant we have with Him through our Messiah Jesus, which provides a way out of our spiritual bondage and into our salvation—if only we accept it.
Though God is true to His promises, we still need to keep crying out to Him for deliverance and waiting in faith and hopeful expectation to move on our behalf in our spiritual and our earthly afflictions. God is not deaf, nor aloof to our suffering. His arm is not too short to save:
” The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17)
The message to Moses is perhaps that God can look after the details of the future. He will be to us whoever and whatever He chooses to be—Father, Friend, Comforter, Counselor, or even disciplinarian. We can trust in God’s infinite wisdom to be who we need in our lives at each moment in time.
Oppressive circumstances cannot prevent God from carrying out His purposes and fulfilling His promises. We are crying out for deliverance. We battle with doubt and fear. BUT God promised to fight our battles for us. God NEVER loses a battle! “Do not be afraid. Stand Still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today…. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14: 13-14.
Imagine, you have a God, the All-Mighty, All-Powerful, Supreme Ruler of the entire Universe as your personal protector.
Dear Lord,
Keep me steady during this time of tribulation. Give me the courage to STAND and let You fight for me. Help me listen for Your voice, be strong in Your Word and not waver with fear for the future. Forgive me where I have failed You and continue to teach me Your ways. Thank you for all the blessings You gift me with daily. Keep me focused on eternity with You and not on the battle raging around this world. Thank You for giving me salvation by Your redemption on the cross and resurrection on that first glorious Sunday morning. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Pray for “The Church!”
Rebekah Marsh
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#rebekahmarshblogs