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...And God knew.

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"God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel-- and God knew."  (Exodus 2:24+25)

 The Bible is filled with the works of God. In the New Testament, Jesus performed countless miracles: healing thousands of the sick, restoring sight and sound to the blind and deaf, casting out demons, even raising the dead. During His time on earth, His presence changed the lives of everyone He came in contact with, and it continues to do so.

 Not as commonly known, God Almighty was very active in the Old Testament. When I recently read Exodus, I tried to take note of all the references to something God had done or promised to do. And there were a lot. So many that I was astonished.

 Fact is, God's providence surrounds us every step of our journey. He is orchestrating everything that happens, even if we don't know it or acknowledge it. (See one of our previous posts: Providence)

 Take the ocean for example. Although it's beauty gets lost to us in our busy lives, God created it. He covered our world with water for our benefit and His glory. He set it's boundaries and He knows what is in the unexplored deep.

 Or the sun. He placed it just where we need it, to perfectly perform the task He created it to do.

 Today, we are a living example of God's actions. You are reading this now because He woke you up this morning. You are alive and breathing because He gave you the breath of life. You safely commuted from work or school because He protected you.            

 Are you seeing a trend?

 The book of Exodus is bursting with examples and history is thriving with the things that God has done, is doing, and will work in the future.

 Glance at Exodus 6:2-7 with me: 
"I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, the LORD, I did not make Myself known to them. I also established My covenant with them... Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel... and I have remembered My covenant. Say therefore to the people of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgement. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"

 Alright, we've got that God was not stationary or dormant in the past. But how about today? Has anything changed?

 Nothing has changed. Our God is immutable-- He does not change. "He is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)

 But how come we don't notice Him as much as the Bible mentions?

 We aren't looking. It's so easy to get caught up in the world and jobs and careers and our futures, retirements, and plans, that we completely lose sight of all the gifts that He has bestowed on us. Because really, everything is a gift. 

 The blood coursing in your veins, the oxygen pumping through your lungs, every step you've taken today. Your best friend, your spouse, your children, your parents are all gifts God has given you. One of my favorite gifts is my closet. Before you judge, it's not because of what it holds, but because it is my quiet place where I'm rescued from the chaos of day to day life. It is my resting place to be with the LORD.

 The place where you linger with your Savior is a gift. Devotions are gifts. Church is a gift.  All that God has given to us... is a gift!

 But perhaps one of the best gifts of all was His promise in Exodus 14:13+14: 
"Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will work for you today... The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."

 Another passage that is oozing with demonstrations of God's active orchestration of history is Psalm 105. I'd encourage you, before you head back to your busy day, to take the time to read through it with a pen and a ruler, underlining all the references of something God has done. You will be amazed. 

 But never forget the greatest gift ever given, that can never be taken away or diminish: 
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

 Never cease to be amazed at the goodness of our God.

 Count your blessings; take time daily to thank the One who gave them to you.

 Rejoice in the Lord. 

 <3 Berea
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