Daily Devotions
“What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?” Exodus 14:11
Have you ever felt that you were going nowhere? You started out with enthusiasm but soon encountered discouragement, danger, and dull routine. For every step forward, you seemed to take four steps backward. The Lewis and Clark expedition experienced “going nowhere” when they tried to row their huge flatboat “Discovery” up the Missouri River against the current. A few yards of hard-won progress up the river quickly disappeared as the boat hit a sandbar or plunged into rapids. The tired men had to start all over again.
In our text Israel felt they were going nowhere. Excited to leave Egypt, they now found themselves boxed in by the Red Sea and the desert, with Pharaoh’s army converging. They railed against Moses, “What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?” Seemingly trapped, the people quickly forgot about God. On their own, they were going nowhere. How familiar the problem!
Bur God was clearly leading His people somewhere, to the Promised Land. He took the initiative. He instructed Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea, and the Israelites walked through on dry land while Pharaoh’s army perished. God’s grace makes the difference. When bogged down and discouraged, we look to God for strength and direction. He sent His Son Jesus as “The Way” (John 14:6). He leads us. Ultimately He brings us to eternal life in heaven. Going somewhere indeed!
PRAYER: Lead me, O Lord, to eternal life in heaven with You. Amen.
(Devotions from “My Daily Devotion” by Dr. Stephen J. Carter, copyright 1988 CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time emailing of this link to a friend. For ordering information, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit www.cph.org.)