God Is My Strength
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Exodus 9, 10 & Psalm 59 (NIV)
(James Tan, CIC Chairperson)
READ:
Exodus 9 and 10: Moses asked Pharaoh to “Let my people go’ five more times. Pharaoh refused and each time God sent a plague over Egypt.
Psalm 59 is regarding the time King Saul sent his soldiers to watch David’s house with the intention to kill him. In verses 16 & 17 the psalmist writes:
16 But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. 17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.
OBSERVE:
Moses made an outrageous demand of Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt. By all accounts, this Pharaoh was a hard-hearted and cruel man. He seemed adamant to make the Israelites suffer and had no qualms using violence to drive the Israelites deeper into slavery. And here we have Moses, an eighty-year old ex-wanted man with a speech impediment giving ultimatums to this evil king.
I wonder where Moses got this confidence from. I looked back a few chapters and realised that God had promised Moses that he, God, would be with him (Exodus 3:12). Moses must have relied on God’s strength despite his initial apprehension to embark on this dangerous mission. Moses faced Pharaoh with meekness and a quiet confidence that could only come from God.
In Psalm 59, I see David facing another evil king who was bent on killing him. Surrounded by his enemies, David called out to God for help, in verses 16 and 17. I see that indeed like Moses, David also relied on God’s strength and love to get over his crisis. God was David’s strength, fortress and refuge.
APPLY:
Looking back on my life, I realise that I have also faced many little Pharaohs, such as relationship issues, medical crises, setbacks and failures. Sometimes these stubborn problems seemed insurmountable, and it was daunting to face them.
Before I became a Christian, I relied mainly on my own will and strength to confront these trials. This often left me feeling empty and exhausted. As I get to know Jesus and slowly let Him search my heart, somehow, I get to know myself better. I recognise the spiritual brokenness in me. The more I recognise this brokenness in myself, the more I realise that I can only rely on Him alone. And God in his love, grace and mercy, has guided me through and strengthened me in times of trouble.
I am learning to listen to God more closely through silence, solitude, and prayer. And like Moses and David, I face up to my daily challenges with His strength.
DO:
Knowing that God is always with me, I will go on in life with confidence. There’s nothing to be fearful or anxious about. I will rely on His strength as I go about living.
I will seek God earnestly, trusting him and doing his will. I will continue the practice of Examen and be faithful in my prayers.
PRAY:
Dear God,
Thank you for loving me and for getting me out of crises even when I did not know you. I know it was you, Lord. I could not have done it by myself. Thank you also for pursuing me and leading me to you. Now that I have found you, I ask that you continue to teach me your ways. Give me your strength and make me the person you want me to be. Amen.
