In Him …

Our only deliverance from uncertainty and fear is in Christ.

 During my study time​​ a few days ago, I​​ began​​ reading​​ in Exodus chapter fifteen. ​​ As usual, I did not get very far as my heart was led to​​ contemplate​​ Exodus​​ 15:2, "The​​ LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him; my father's God, and I will extol Him.

 This verse comes after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea in victory over their enemies and deliverance from Egypt and the hands of Pharaoh. ​​ It is a song of praise to God for His Divine​​ power and goodness. ​​ Moses led​​ the Israelites in worship to God as their strength and confidence. ​​ God is​​ the​​ avenger of all difficulties, seen and unseen. ​​ He is sovereign in power.

 The Israelites professed​​ their dependence on God. ​​ Their past experience led them to confirm their present confidence. ​​ They recognized​​ that​​ God led them through their most troubling difficulties and His power​​ in their time of need​​ became​​ the​​ catalyst​​ of​​ their praise.​​ 

 ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Read the words of Isaiah​​ chapter twelve,​​ “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. ​​ Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation. ​​ And in that day you will say, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name, make known His deeds among the peoples; make [them] remember that His name is exalted. ​​ Praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things; let this be known throughout the earth. Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel”. 

Our only deliverance from uncertainty and fear is in Christ. ​​ We just celebrated​​ Easter,​​ His glorious resurrection proclaiming His power over all. ​​ Even during this unprecedented time of unknowns,​​ isolation,​​ sorrow,​​ and struggle, I pray we are praising God for His victory over all that would thwart our trust in Him. ​​ 

We can celebrate the confidence we have in Christ as our strength. ​​​​ Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary​​ says,​​ “Happy the people whose God is the Lord. ​​ They have work to do, temptations to grapple with, and afflictions to bear, and are weak in themselves;​​ but​​ His grace is their strength. ​​ They are often in sorrow, but​​ in Him they have comfort; He is their song. ​​​​ Sin, and death, and hell threaten them, but He is, and will be their salvation”.​​ 

In Exodus 15:2, Moses proclaims God’s honor in His sovereign power, the Savior of His people, and the avenger of His enemies. ​​ I pray we are able to profess our complete dependence on God. ​​ Look to the protection God has shown you in the past and let that confirm your​​ present confidence in His plan for your life.

My study time ended in Psalm 42, written by David as he cried for God’s peace in his soul.

 As the deer pants for the water brooks,​​ so​​ my soul pants for Thee, O God.​​ ​​ My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?​​ ​​ My tears have been my food day and night, while [they] say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" ​​​​ These things I remember, and I pour out my soul within me. ​​ For I used to go along with the throng [and] lead them in procession to the house of God, With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.​​ ​​ Why are you in despair, O my soul? ​​ And [why] have you become disturbed within me? ​​ Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him [For] the help of His presence.​​ ​​ O my God, my soul is in despair within me; therefore I remember Thee from the land of the Jordan, and the peaks of Hermon, from​​ Mount Mizar.​​ ​​ Deep calls to deep at​​ the sound of Thy waterfalls; ​​ All Thy breakers and Thy waves have rolled over me.​​ ​​ The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; and His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life. ​​​​ I will​​ say to God my rock, "Why hast Thou forgotten me? ​​ Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"​​ ​​ As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, while they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"​​ ​​ Why are you in despair, O my soul? ​​ And why have you become disturbed within​​ me? ​​ Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance, and my God.

The ‘song of Moses’​​ in Exodus 15​​ gave Divine praise and glory to God when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea to safety and looked behind them and saw their enemies destroyed. ​​ This song of triumph is repeated​​ by the saints in the book of Revelation in celebration of their​​ final​​ deliverance from persecution​​ as the enemy is destroyed. ​​ All honor is given to the one true God, our King, in this final glorious victory.​​ 

Revelation 15:3 And they *sang the song of Moses the bond-servant of God and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the nations.

  • Are you able to say ‘The Lord is my Strength and my Song’?

  • Is God your salvation?

  • Do you praise Him for your deliverance from sin’s power?

  • Will you be counted with the saints in Christ’s final triumph?

 

 We have much to be thankful for even in the midst of trouble. ​​ We have much to be joyful for as we look to our God. ​​​​ We have much to praise Him for,​​ now and in the future to come!

Author: Sharyn Balogh

You know it's difficult to write about yourself. The most important fact I can disclose is that I'm saved by God's grace through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. My desire is to live a life honoring to God in response for the gift of salvation I've been given. This is so much easier said than done! I struggle daily with right choices, right words, right thoughts, and right actions. My best and only defense against sin is the power of God in me and for that I am inexpressibly thankful. I have three amazing grown-up children who have responded to God's call in their lives along with their spouses. One of the great joys of my life is knowing my children and their families strive to serve and follow God. My grandchildren are another wonderful joy in my life! My husband and I are blessed with four beautiful grandchildren to date with another expected very soon on September 12th. We also are thankful for the comforting knowledge that an additional three of our grandchildren, a set of twins at three months gestation and a little boy, Isaac, at four and a half months gestation, are in our Savior's presence. I have attended the same church since the day my eyes were opened to Truth over thirty years ago. How fortunate it is to have been led by God’s hand immediately to a church body that follows the Bible, no man-made doctrines, just the Word clear and strong. My husband is my best friend, my confidant, my encourager, and I still can't believe how blessed I am by his example of love and generosity towards everyone around him. He is God-fearing, compassionate, and kind and I have learned so much from him. I am a daughter to my almost 92 year-old mother, sister to three brothers, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, aunt, great-aunt, neighbor and friend. That means, whomever is reading this, we probably have something in common! I love every unique role I have been placed in. I'm frequently stretched and sometimes feel like silly putty that wants to bounce right back into my comfort zone. My greatest ambition is to be a follower of Jesus; a light that shines for Him at all times, in all circumstances. So, there it is, a bit about me. I guess I was able to write about myself after all! However, my existence cannot be defined without Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior. His love has permeated my life to His glory and my eternal thankfulness.