God Knows Our Suffering

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Scripture: Exodus 2:23-25 (ESV)

23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

Devotion:

                This scripture passage is the beginning of the story of the Hebrew slave's liberation from their Egyptian masters. They had been in bondage in Egypt for about 400 years. Their suffering finally reached a fever pitch as they lamented their servitude. God heard their cries for help and responded to them. God, unlike us mere mortals, remembers all His promises. God remembered the promises He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because He had promised them a homeland where they would be free forever.

            What can 21st-century people learn from these Hebrew slaves so long ago and far away? The answer is simply that God sees and hears our cries for help, and it causes Him to act in the “real” world. Immediately following this brief section of scripture is the story of the burning bush and Moses' call to lead the people (with God’s help) out of the land where they had been suffering. I am sure the Hebrews had been crying out for most, if not all, of their 400 years of suffering. Why did it take so long for God to respond? That is a question we cannot answer with any certainty.

            Despite our inability to answer every question, we can rely on God to both hear and see our pain and agony over an unjust situation and act to remedy it. However, waiting patiently will more often than not be required of us. In our modern society, waiting and patience are in short supply. We, as Christians, need to be reminded that patience is part of the fruit of the Spirit. We should always rely on God to supply what is lacking in us.

            As the prophet Isaiah declared long ago, Immanuel God is with us. Although God may seem absent from our trials and suffering, He is present in ways we cannot now see or feel. Our God is so big that there is nowhere where He is not. God is a sovereign God. He dwells in unimaginable power and majesty. We cannot understand Him fully. Therefore, we know that God is with us in every situation we face today, tomorrow, and throughout eternity. Let us praise Him for His unfathomable love for us.

Prayer:

            Lord God Almighty, we bow before you today. With your mighty hand, you have led your people throughout the Bible and are still leading us today. You know your people's trials and tribulations. You care deeply and respond to our needs in ways that always lead to better lives for us. May we learn to wait patiently for you to act. Help us to trust in you and your steadfast love for the human race, which you created in your image. May we always live securely knowing that you have loved us with an unbreakable affection. Amen

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