God Knows Us
How well do you believe God knows you?
Verse of the Day
God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”
Exodus 13:17b
Today’s Devotional
One of my least favorite things about myself is how I react in certain situations. I can’t always predict it or completely prepare for it. Sometimes I behave in ways I’m not proud of. Which means I need to apologize and fix whatever damage I may have caused.
When I recently read the story of the Israelites being rescued by God from slavery in Egypt, this verse caught my attention. God was prepared for their reaction in the face of fear. He did not expect perfection from them. He seemed fully aware of their humanness and their tendency to waver on their faith in Him.
Do you see the beauty in that? God factored their humanness into His plan. He knew them. Just like He knows you and me today. He is fully aware of and prepared for our reactions to every situation, even when we react in opposition to our faith.
It is so easy to be judgemental of the Israelites in the Exodus story. In today’s verse specifically, they have just survived the plague that killed all the firstborn sons of every family in Egypt. This plague even extended to the livestock. This was the tenth and final plague that the Israelites had witnessed. Add to that, they were fully funded for their escape by the Egyptian people. The Egyptians handed over their gold and silver and other precious items because the Lord made them inclined to do so. How could they possibly ever doubt God again?
Because they are human. And God is fully aware of that.
God chose the less efficient route out of Egypt because He knew the possibility of their fear and doubt flaring up. He knew that fear might cause them to run right back into the arms of their slave masters. Which leads me to believe that He knows what I might do out of fear. And He is prepared for that as well.
Those reactions that I am not proud of…God knows that I might act that way. He factors my humanness into His plan. There is something very comforting in this fact. He knows what fear might make me do or not do. He knows where doubt might keep me from taking a step forward with Him. He knows all of my tendencies and every single place where there are growth opportunities. And still…He loves me and uses me in His Kingdom. You too. If God never expects us to be perfect, why do we ever expect that of ourselves? God is fully aware of and prepared for our potential reactions to every situation. This makes me want to learn to be a better follower. It might save me some trouble along the way.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How have you seen God show up in spite of (or because of) your bad reaction to some circumstance?
Are your expectations of yourself in line the fact that you are human and flawed? How do you know?
Where are you currently feeling any fear or doubt? Ask God to show you what step(s) He wants you to take.
Write a prayer thanking God for His willingness to love you and use you despite your flaws, bad reactions, and imperfections.