Worthy Devotions – Daily Christian Devotion » Deliverance

Exodus 5:18-23 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks. And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task. And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

The story of the Exodus is a story of miracles – yet in the beginning when Moses first appeared before Pharaoh to deliver the children of Israel from 400 years of slavery, the Israelites were severely tempted and became angry because of the initial hardships that were laid upon them.

They leveled their anger at Moses because suddenly they were told that they would have to gather their own straw for making bricks. They were concerned about offending their slave-masters, fearing that they would slay them.

The Israelites were so accustomed to their slavery that they didn’t want their lives disrupted despite the fact that freedom was at hand. Resigned to this miserable life, they utterly failed to apprehend or appreciate the freedom that was soon approaching. Yes, there was a temporary price: increased hardship and great pressure would set the stage for their final deliverance.

The same can happen to us. It has often been said “The darkest night is just before the dawn”…

Perhaps the enemy senses his impending defeat and pulls out all the stops to prevent it. Perhaps the Lord loves a good story with a really dramatic and climactic ending and great glory for His Name…in any case –

Don’t let yourself remain accustomed to any form of bondage – seek and believe for the freedom that God has given us through His Son. Expect a life of great victory over sin and demonic oppression – Why? Because that is His promise to us!

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

My wife Rivka is getting ready to take a little trip to the States for a conference in Colorado this weekend – so she’s been taking extra care of herself so that she won’t get sick during her travels.

This got me thinking about God’s design of the human immune system. It’s designed to be proactive and not passive. Whenever germs, viruses, or bacteria invade our bodies, the immune system seeks to destroy these invaders before they become a problem.

Let’s learn a little something from our immune system. Whenever that invading temptation enters your mind – attack it immediately! Become proactive to destroy sin before it establishes a foothold. If you don’t allow a foothold, then you’ll never have to tear down a stronghold!

Be sure to boost your spiritual immune system today, by spending time in fellowship with the Lord, in His Word and in Prayer. When those “invaders” try to enter in, you’ll be armed and ready to vanquish them before they have a chance to hinder your walk!

Psalms 97:10-12 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Driving through Jerusalem two days ago on our way to Ariel, we saw the most incredible sight – a double rainbow over Jerusalem! It was interesting that we saw the rainbows on our way to see the Ortiz family. For those of you who are not familiar with the Ortiz family, earlier this year this family was the victim of a horrific bombing. Their 15 year old son Ami opened a Purim basket rigged with such explosive power that it totally destroyed their apartment– and nearly killed the boy!

Looking at the close-up photos of that day, I realized that it’s not just amazing – it is absolutely miraculous that Ami survived an explosion which occurred in his own hands, at point-blank range, and devastated the apartment in which he stood! We had never actually seen Ami in person. So after he came into the room and sat down next to me, my wife, Rivka, was still waiting for him to arrive – not realizing that it was Ami that was sitting next to me! She couldn’t believe this was the young man that survived the bombing! That’s how astounding his recovery has been thus far. Although he still lives with continual pain, his family is believing for a complete recovery – and we believe right along with them! At one point I turned to ask him, “Do you feel any bitterness from what happened?” His response showed no trace of the anger or bitterness that one would expect. So Ami is also a living portrait of the miraculous power of the grace and forgiveness of our Lord!

Death was seeking this family in Israel – yet God completely protected them. They have become a sign of His powerful deliverance! The rainbows we saw on the way were a picture of God’s covenant faithfulness, which has been bountifully poured out on this faithful family in Ariel.

We have a choice each and every day how we will live! It’s been said of our life that its significance is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to those events. Our attitude is the one thing we can have full control over – whatever situations are thrown our way! It may not be a bombing, as happened to Ami, but perhaps we can learn a lesson from this young man – there is NO trial or temptation that necessarily forces us into a sinful attitude of bitterness and hatred; with Yeshua as our perfect example and His Spirit as our power source we can always overcome.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

As Scotland was declaring its independence from England in the 1300’s, the English were hunting for Robert Bruce of Scotland in an attempt to prevent his accession to the Scottish throne. In the search, the English put Bruce’s own bloodhounds on his trail. As they grew closer to apprehending him, Robert the Bruce found a small river, and he said to his foster-brother who was with him, “Let us wade down this stream for a great way, instead of going straight across, and so these unhappy hounds will lose the scent; for if we were once clear of them, I should not be afraid of getting away from the pursuers.”

Robert the Bruce escaped his pursuers by entering a river, and not long afterward, the crown of Scotland rested on his head.

The devil uses our own “sin-hounds” to hunt us relentlessly — past and present sins, he uses, to keep us from our crown, our position with Christ, and the rewards which will follow a life of abiding in Him. But we also have a way of escape! Entering into the river of God which flows with the blood of Jesus, being totally cleansed, the “hounds of sin” cannot touch us, and we too, can come out on the other side, free, and ready to reign with Him!

Allow your sins to be washed away — swept into eternity by the cleansing flow of the blood of Christ, and walk in the freedom that Jesus provided 2000 years ago. Let your past with all its sins be washed downstream, realizing that a crown of righteousness awaits you, and every other saint who loves His appearing!

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

It’s good to bring those things in our lives, which are hidden in the darkness, to the light. Many times we are slaves to them and we don’t even realize it! We will go through a few devotions on this topic this week. God wants us to be free, so that we can be available for Him!

Pride, rebellion, and fear — these are three things we have all struggled with — no matter how mature we are in age or faith. Why is that?

Rejection. Our friends have experienced it. Our families have experienced it. We, and all mankind have experienced it. It makes us feel hopeless and worthless — And our tendency as humans is to overcompensate for these feelings by behaving in one or all of the three ways above.

The first step in getting free is to realize that God is our defense in everything we have endured and will endure. He has always been our defense. And it is our decision whether or not to call upon His Name in our time of need and allow Him to arise and demonstrate His great power.

Let’s pray and ask the Lord to reveal any old wounds of rejection that have been covered over by years of pride or fear or rebellion and let’s ask Him to forgive us for not allowing Him to defend us in those areas. May we begin to experience God’s wonderful freedom even as we pray.

Matthew 8:26-27 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

Whew! What must the disciples have felt back then as they saw the waves crashing against their boat? They we’re being swayed from side to side in the deep dark sea. They were afraid for their lives! But our Lord was there all along. He just wanted them to trust.

So often we find ourselves in that same boat, don’t we? “Lord, are you there?! Don’t you see these waves about to consume me?!

But He does! He sees all, hears all, knows all. He is the same Lord that calmed that storm two thousand years ago and He can cause the winds and the seas, and the trials of our lives to become calm in an instant! Ahh, but it’s usually in the storms that He will display His awesome power!

Let’s renew our trust in the Lord today. God has great plans for those who will put their trust in Him.

Psalms 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

One of my favorite heroes of the faith is Hudson Taylor. For those who are unfamiliar with Hudson Taylor, he led a great awakening in China which continues on till this day.

At one point during his ministry, Hudson Taylor was deeply distressed by many burdens. As he prayed for strength to carry on, he came across Psalm 55:22 — “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain thee.”

Suddenly this truth entered into his heart and he sprung to his feet and cried, “This fear-allaying truth has evaded me too long! I see it all now. If we are obeying the Lord and still run into difficulty, the heavy responsibility rests with HIM, not with us!” Then he prayed, “Lord, you shall all the burden! At your bidding I will go forward, leaving the results with You!”

With the burden lifted off his shoulder, Hudson Taylor went on to establish a great work in China.

Are you burdened today? Whatever your burden — cast it upon the Lord — and allow His peace to overflow your life! There is so much work to be done!

Deut. 3:22 Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.

Today is a big day for the Negev. There will be a huge celebration marking the 90th anniversary of a great victory in Beersheva. On October 31st, 1917, six hundred soldiers of the Australian 4th and 12th Light Horse Brigade, under the command of Brigadier General William Grant led a daring attack against the Ottoman army in Beersheva.

Armed with only horses and bayonets — they charged the deeply entrenched Ottoman army. As machine guns fired, and men and horses were dying, the Lighthorsemen dug in their spurs and continued to press forward for victory. The bewildered enemy failed to adjust their sights and soon their gunfire was passing harmlessly overhead. Quickly, the lighthorsemen overran the Ottoman army and the battle was won in less than an hour. This is often described by historians as the last successful cavalry charge in history.

Sometimes the battle around us seems overwhelming. We feel inadequately armed and too weak to attack. But with the Lord, we have the weapons we need and there will be victory!!! Not only that, the battle can be won quicker that we think! We need only press forward and put our trust in Him! A man with God at his side is an army undefeatable!

Let’s be courageous as we press forward for the Kingdom today! There’s so much work to be done!

Col 3:13-14 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity (agape), which is the bond of perfectness.

After the Civil War, Robert E. Lee visited a Kentucky lady who took him to the remains of a once beautiful old tree in front of her house. There she bitterly cried that its limbs and trunk had been destroyed by Federal artillery fire. She looked to Lee for a word condemning the North or at least sympathizing with her loss. After a brief silence, Lee said, “Cut it down, my dear Madam, and forget it.”

The enemy is constantly attacking the body of Messiah. Some of his most effective tactics are anger, bitterness and unforgiveness. Paul wrote that we should never be ignorant of the enemy’s schemes (2 Cor. 2:11), and our lives should be marked with love one for another….and above all things, to put on charity. The word charity in Greek is the word agape!

Jesus has come and has forgiven us. We simply need to forgive others. We must base our relationships with others on the same criteria that God bases His relationship with us: love, acceptance and forgiveness. Our acts of forgiveness will set the captives free … and at the end of it all, we may realize that we were the captives!

Let’s cut down the battered trees in our lives! Let’s seek to be forgivers and to put on agape love.