Eyes Up - part 8 - Faithfulness

“...where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord....

Psalm 121:1-2 NIV

God’s faithfulness.

Do you see it in your life? Do you see where God is right there with you and has never left your side?

Sometimes, I will admit, I lose sight of it and wonder where God is and why He left me hanging. Why He’s not there when I need him the most? I sometimes get like Israel. When Israel got in trouble they often whined and blamed God for their misfortune. But if could be honest they sometimes put themselves in the predicaments they were often in. But right from the start - right after He took them out of Egypt - God showed His faithfulness to them. When I need to remember that God is faithful, I am reminded of this part of their journey.

After being freed from slavery and Egypt, on the other said of the Red Sea, the people of Israel began to complain about their situation.

“In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.’” Exodus 16:2-3 NIV

So that didn’t take long. They were slaves just days prior and now they wanted to go back to Egypt just because they were a little hungry – never mind slaves! If I was God, I would have just let them starve to death and try again with a new group of people. But that is not who God is. God instead showed His over the top faithfulness!

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.’ The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.” Exodus 16:4 + 35 NIV

God gave them manna go eat for 40 years! Every day (except the Sabbath) the manna was there for them to collect and eat. 40 years! This continued until they had entered the Promised Land and that was another sign of God’s faithfulness to them - entering the Promised Land. God stuck by Israel through all of their ups and downs.

God is still faithful to His overall plan as well - His plan for rescue. A rescue that we couldn’t do ourselves. A rescue that led Him to give His one and only Son as a way to show just how faithful He is. God knew what we needed and He provided a way for that need to be met. God was faithful and He still is.

Don’t get lost in the moments where it seems like God isn’t there. Lift your EYES UP in those times and see God’s faithfulness.

“Be strong and courageous....because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Deuteronomy 31:6 + Hebrews 13:5 NIV

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