January 26 - God’s Got Your Back

 Read today’s texts first: Exodus 14-16; Acts 2

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

God not only leads the way, He’s also got our backs! 

As someone who has followed God for over half a century, I get the concept that He is always blazing the trail ahead.  I really don’t fear the future because He’s already there ahead of me, well in control of anything I’m going to face.  But in combat, a soldier is most vulnerable from behind.  No wonder Satan’s favourite attack is from the rear, reminding us of the traumas or failures from our past.

While rereading the story of the exodus, I noticed that God had their back covered.  When they arrived at the Red Sea, the angel and the cloud of God’s presence dropped from their lead position to rear guard.  Remarkably, the cloud provided light to the Israelites in front and darkness to the approaching Egyptians behind (14:19-20).  This bought time for the Israelites to cross through to the other side.  It also provided some space between them and Pharoah’s army, isolating them in the sea when the waters rolled back.

The symbolism of the exodus is powerful: God delivers us from the bondage of our sin (Egypt), through water baptism (the Red Sea), sanctification (the wilderness), baptism of the Spirit (the Jordan), into a life of overcoming (the Promised Land).  Israel’s biggest problem on this journey is the same one we face: the temptation to return to our past and our sin.  It is reassuring to know that God not only delivers us from bondage, He watches our back to keep the past from overtaking us.  We see this illustrated in the Acts reading as it describes an anointed Peter boldly standing up on the day of Pentecost, radically different from the man who a few days earlier had denied even meeting Jesus.

“Lord, I’m thankful that You not only lead the way, You’ve also got my back, where I’m most vulnerable.  I often allow my mind to get mired down in past failures but Your deliverance is complete.  The enemies from my past have been swallowed up in Your victory.  I will sing unto the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and rider fell into the sea! (15:1).