WEDNESDAY - November 18

Read. Exodus 2:23-3:12

23 A long time passed, and the Egyptian king died. The Israelites were still groaning because of their hard work. They cried out, and their cry to be rescued from the hard work rose up to God. 24 God heard their cry of grief, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 God looked at the Israelites, and God understood.

3 Moses was taking care of the flock for his father-in-law Jethro,[a] Midian’s priest. He led his flock out to the edge of the desert, and he came to God’s mountain called Horeb. 2 The Lord’s messenger appeared to him in a flame of fire in the middle of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was in flames, but it didn’t burn up. 3 Then Moses said to himself, Let me check out this amazing sight and find out why the bush isn’t burning up.

4 When the Lord saw that he was coming to look, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!”
Moses said, “I’m here.”

5 Then the Lord said, “Don’t come any closer! Take off your sandals, because you are standing on holy ground.” 6 He continued, “I am the God of your father, Abraham’s God, Isaac’s God, and Jacob’s God.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the Lord said, “I’ve clearly seen my people oppressed in Egypt. I’ve heard their cry of injustice because of their slave masters. I know about their pain. 8 I’ve come down to rescue them from the Egyptians in order to take them out of that land and bring them to a good and broad land, a land that’s full of milk and honey, a place where the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites all live. 9 Now the Israelites’ cries of injustice have reached me. I’ve seen just how much the Egyptians have oppressed them. 10 So get going. I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I to go to Pharaoh and to bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 God said, “I’ll be with you. And this will show you that I’m the one who sent you. After you bring the people out of Egypt, you will come back here and worship God on this mountain.”

Reflect. The people were oppressed, and they cried out to God in their pain. They cried out to be rescued from their pain. In the midst of these cries, we learn that God was listening. God was listening for their cry, because when they utter the cry God hears. Not only did God hear the cry, but in 2:25, we see that “God understood.” In 3:7, this knowing of their pain is again mentioned when God says, “I know about their pain” (In the original Hebrew, the word for know and understood are the same). 

• What do you think it means that God understood their pain? Have you experienced this? Have you cried out to God in the midst of pain and been understood by God? 
• In Psalm 34:18 we read that “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” This is an affirmation of God understanding the pain of the oppressed and the hurting. Reflect on how God has been close to you in your seasons of being brokenhearted. 

 Pray. Take a few moments to give thanks to God for hearing the cry of those in pain, especially for hearing your cry. 

COMMUNITY PRAYER LIST

Doug Lawson. Collier. Adam Funderburk.  Mary Reber.  Linda Harmon. Betty Carolyn Ward. Albert Rasanke. Lois Robinson. Ross Henley. Tiny & Donald Creasman. Bonnie Brenner. Baker Family. Robert McKenzie Family. Kibler family. Carolyn Harlow. Jeff Green. Earl Graves. Mickey Huff. Huff & Welch families. Helen Leigh. Paul Huffman. Schools, Teachers, Staff, Parents, Students. Church regathering plans. Layman family. Charlene Withrow. Brandon Casteel. Dirk Orr family. Smith family. Crowder family. Lillard family. Family of Floyd Eaton. Family of Eddie Rynes. Robertson Family. Harmon Family. Nancy Ryan & family. Bobby Roberts. Elizabeth May & family. Melvin Rinehart. Susan Rogers. Brandon Haugh. Barbara Buchanan & family. Harold Cordell. Debbie Arrowwood. Maggie Morgan family. Kay Ledford. Lacey Hitchcock and baby River. Leita. Rose Blyler. Tina Sage. Dave McKale. Chris Denton. Drew Ellison. Family of Glenn Ethridge.