Our Exodus text this morning reminds us that our covenant God gave us commandments to define the life God calls us to live. In His first commandment God told us we were to fix our eyes on Him alone. He reminds us that He is the same powerful Almighty God who rescued His people from 400 years of slavery and living in the multi-god Egyptian culture. So, as God’s people were taking back possession of the land God had given them through His covenant with Abraham, they needed to come back to their first love with the Lord their God who was to be the only god they acknowledged, relied on, walked with, adored, and worshipped. We too live in a world filled with hundreds of gods all calling our names and tempting us to worship and pray to them for help. So, we too need to be reminded that same God who defeated pharaoh and the entire Egyptian army is the same God who conquers or enemies! He is the very God who sent His Son Jesus to hang on the cross and die for us so that we could be forgiven of our sins, have eternal life, and draw near to the heart of God who still longs to have a personal living relationship with us! Although God might not have pulled us out of bondage to a pharaoh or a king, He certainly pulled us out of the pit of sin we were in! He did it because we couldn’t. He saw our need, He heard our painful cries for mercy and He rescued us!

I know it is easy to fall into the trap of doubting God’s character and His ability to rescue us from the evils of this broken world we live in. It is vitally important that we keep our eyes focused on Jesus and not to look to the right or the left for answers to life’s trials. But even though God tells us our relationship with Him is supposed to be our main priority, our broken sinfulness pulls us away as Satan’s temptation draws our eyes upon our worldly pleasures. For we have a propensity to say, “Jesus, I want You more and more in my life!” but the reality is the world calls our names and temptation lures us away and we turn our eyes off Jesus as we seek other gods.

In our study today we learned how Jesus reached down into the stormy waters and lifted Peter up as he was drowning (Matthew 14:29-31) and that Jesus healed a man’s son who had been possessed with a demon when Jesus lifted the boy up. (Mark 9:27-28) Jesus also reaches down into the storms of our lives and lifts us up as well. My dear friends in Christ, what are you facing today? What fear, what anxiety, what disease, what trial, what sin; what separation from Jesus are you facing today? Whatever it is, don’t face it alone! Turn your eyes upon Jesus and confess to Him your doubts, your fears, anger, frustrations, pains, sorrows and distractions as the Holy Spirit brings us to the heart of Jesus who yearns to heal our hearts.