That Long Period

Exodus 2:23-25

During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.  So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.

I love this passage.

This group of people were slaves and in pain, and they cried.  They cried out to God, and he heard their groaning. He not only heard them crying, but he remembered his promises he had made with them. And the last verse says he was concerned about them.

If we had good parents, they took care of us when we hurt, they tended to our cries, and they alleviated our pain the best they knew how.  However, even the best of parents can’t heal every pain, or rescue their children from every hurt in the world.  We try, but our best attempts pale in comparison to the concern God has for us, his children.

God not only wants us to hear his voice, but he hears our voices too, when we cry to him.  In fact, he sees our tears, as well.  And our pain moves his hand, because of his son Jesus, and the covenant he made with us when he saved us and redeemed us to be his children.

God’s concern isn’t like that of earthly parents.  Earthly parents can only see with finite eyes and fix the hurt at the moment, by placing ointment and a bandage over the wound, to wait for healing.

God’s concern sets people free, and brings them into a land flowing with milk and honey, a place where they can flourish and thrive.

Are you crying and in pain, today?  Cry out to your heavenly Father.  He will hear your cries and his concern will cause even the worst of the slavemasters to let you go, as he leads you across the treacherous sea to dry land.