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Moses faced complicated challenges and circumstances.
Born in a time when he, as a Hebrew baby, was supposed to have been killed, Moses was saved by God’s sovereign grace when Pharaoh’s daughter pulled him from the Nile and kept him as her own.
A Hebrew among Egyptians, Moses was raised in a land and culture that was far removed from his heritage and from the One true God of Israel. You know this story! We saw it on the flannel graph boards in Sunday school as little girls. We watched Charlton Heston act it out in the movie The Ten Commandments. Moses had it all in the palace, lost it all when he murdered an Egyptian soldier, then eventually, risked it all for the holy God who called out to him and commissioned him from a flame.
Moses set out to free his people through the power of God.
Though the Pharaoh doubted God’s strength, the Lord displayed His might, plague after plague, until finally it looked like Pharaoh got the memo. At last he let God’s people go. Moses and the Israelites left Egypt promptly and high-tailed it down the road of divine deliverance. But when Pharaoh changed his mind and gathered his army to chase them, the Israelites ran smack dab up against the Red Sea.
Major problem.
Not one to be hindered by impossibility, the Lord took care of business in a huge and powerful way. He parted and held back the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites so they could escape destruction and experience deliverance. After His people crossed over safely, God again demonstrated His strength by sweeping the Pharaoh and his army into the sea, killing every last one of them (Exodus 13 and 14).
My goodness. What a story! What. A. God!
If this doesn’t get you excited about the strength of God, I’m not quite sure what will!
“Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses” (Exodus 14:31).
Then a big ol’ party went down as Moses and the Israelites sang to the Lord a song that’s commonly referred to as the Song of Moses.
“The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” (Exodus 15:2)
In Exodus 15, Moses calls God his Strength and celebrates the power that brought salvation to his people.
The Bible reveals many names that highlight the power of our God; El Sali is a Hebrew name meaning “God of my Strength; God my Rock.”[i] King David also calls God his Strength, El Sali, in Psalm 59:9: “O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress.” Then again in verse 17, “O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.”
Elohei Ma’uzzi is another Hebrew name meaning “the God of my Strength.” As David sang, “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect” (2 Samuel 22:33).[ii]
Got any complicated challenges and circumstances right now?
Perhaps you find yourself lamenting to the God of Strength, El Sali, wondering why you’ve been forgotten and why you feel weak.
Maybe things are good for you right now, but you know of others who have encountered shadows along their roads of deliverance.
Each of us is guaranteed life challenges, but God promises to be our strength when we call on Him.
He is not puffed up and powerless.
He is El Sali, the God of Strength who loves you and longs to move in and through your life.
Will you trust Him more deeply and allow Him to be your strength today?
Dear Lord, my Strength, El Sali,
You are powerful and loving. Thank you for allowing me—this average, ordinary girl with complicated relationships and difficult circumstances—to have access to Your perfect Strength when I am weak. Help me to trust You when all my heart sees is fear.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
FOR YOUR REFLECTION and RESPONSE
Read the first half of Psalm 84:5: Blessed are those whose strength is in you. To whom is this comment directed? In what ways has this been true in your life?
Where do you find yourself with this topic? Let’s have a community discussion on the wall of my blog and encourage one another today.
Have I told you lately that I love you!? I do. I really do. 🙂
Blessings and peace in Christ,
GWEN
TWO DAY GIVEAWAY: Get a FREE Uncluttered CD when you purchase the Girlfriends in God book, Knowing God by Name. ONLY from the store at GwenSmith.net.
Today’s post is adapted from Knowing God by Name by Sharon Jaynes, Gwen Smith, & Mary Southerland by permission of Multnomah, division of Random House, Inc.
Comments 9
This was meant for me to read today. I’m struggling with health issues, financial issues and family problems. I have felt so alone. You reminded me God is always with me and because of this I’m never alone. Thank you and God bless??❤️❤️
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Cathy, I am so glad this was timely for you! Praying!
I have fibromyalgia and sometimes feel like I have zero strength and stamina. God, is truly my strength…because I have none. When I have had to give up things (like leading worship), He has always given me a new song and He gives me the strength to sing it. I live a life where the Lord is my strength and my song!
This was beautiful! Exactly what I needed when I lost all hope this afternoon.
I know that GOD has been with me during these last few very difficult years … But God is here with in the desert times of my life and yet he picks me up when I feel that I do not have the strength to carry on ..God has given us a promise never to leave us or forsake us .. The Lord is here giving GRACE ..PEACE .. And ENDURANCE for the race set before us .. God is my healer ..my all and all ..
I Thank God For This Beautiful Word..Allowing Me To Trust God and Realize Though The Struggle Seems Great Right Now..I Too Can Have The Red Sea Opened For Me, And Allow All Of Them To Drown…Thanks Once Again For All That You Do..Continue To Be Blessed By The Best ?
Going through a very difficult time in my life last year, but through all of this ‘God Never Left me Wondering??” like– Should I stay with Ev…or should I just say her trouble is not important enough for me?”— My God has always been with and beside me through many trials in life ~!!! No matter what I may think, do or say…(as sometimes my humanist comes out my mouth) God forgives and remains to hug me with His Strength and power to go before me like Moses and ‘handle each and every obstacle’ that I would never know how to problem solve~~! When I let myself be swayed at times to try things on my own,,,I would always fail, but when my ‘thick headed’ self finally would submit to ‘Let Go and Let God” the peace that comes over one from the Lord Himself, is such a joy to me~~!! He IS my strength—El Sali ~~!!
I am dealing with a very difficult situation right now. One particularly where I am having to deal on a consistent basis with a person that I do not trust. I have reason not to trust this person, but they are tied at this time to what God has called me to do. I want to walk a way and try again later, I know that giving up is not an option. I will just allow God to be my strength and tunnel through. The scripture reminds me not to be weary when doing good and that I shall reap if I don’t give up. So I will stand on that word and the one that you spoke, believing that God is my strength.
Thank you for sharing!
I am extremely weak right now. In all areas of my life. I have to be honest relying on God to be my strength seems what I do when I hit the bottom not often enough to hold me up. I really am starting to believe that most of my health struggles and aches and pains are anxiety. That is not where a child of the God who has the power to free and lead his children of Israel like that should end up. The Lord is my strength and my song. He has become my victory. He has given me everything I have for life and godliness. And promised me that I will be struck down but not destroyed. Persecuted not abandoned. He will not give me more than I can bear. But will enable me to stand up under it. If only I will trust him for strength and have faith that will step out and do what he wants he will be my strength. Father God you are my strength and my song. Engrave your precious promises in my mind and help me believe . I trust you for strength when I am weak. Healing in body soul and mind and spirit.
Give me joy and peace that only comes from you.