A Closer Walk
After the Israelites had been living in Egypt as slaves for 430 years, the Lord raised up a prophet named Moses to lead them out. “Now the time that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And it came about at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt,” Exodus 12:40-41 NASB. This culminated with God parting the Red Sea for the Israelites to walk across and continue their journey to the promised land. Pharaoh, King of Egypt, had declared that they leave his kingdom after being sorely tested by the Lord God Almighty. This declaration was prompted by all the plagues the Egyptians had suffered at the hand of Moses and the Lord, including the death of all that were firstborn in the land; both people and livestock.
After the Israelites had departed Pharaoh changed his mind. So he took his army and chased after them, catching up at the Red Sea. It would seem that the Egyptians arrived soon enough to witness the miracle of the parting of the sea. "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided," Exodus 14:21 NASB. After crossing on dry ground the Israelites turned around to see the Egyptians follow them into the sea. When the entire army including Pharaoh himself was on the dry seabed, the Lord unparted the waters, trapping the Egyptians and drowning them.
The danger having been removed, Moses and all the sons of Israel sang a song to the Lord. It runs eighteen verses. This is one of them. "Who is like Thee among the gods, O Lord? Who is like Thee, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?" Exodus 15:11 NASB. What an elegant description of our God. Indeed, who is like our God?
No god with a small g created by the hand of man can compare to the Lord God Almighty. The nation of India, by itself, has over three thousand different pagan gods. This fact from a missionary who was living and spreading the gospel in India. These small g pagan gods neither see nor hear; yet people pray to them and worship them. Who is like Thee among the gods, O Lord? Our God, the only true and living God, both sees and hears. Consequently, we have confidence that when we pray to our God He hears us. We have confidence that He sees our needs, sometimes even before we ourselves recognize that we have that particular need.
“I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God...that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord , and there is no other,” Isaiah 45:5 and 6 NASB. As the people of God's creation each of us may worship whoever or whatever we wish. But, the Lord God Almighty makes it very clear that He alone is God. And there is no other. None. And He desires that all the people of His creation know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no true God besides Him. He, and He only, is God with a big G. The Lord God Almighty.
Who is like Thee among the gods O Lord? Who is like Thee?
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Thanksgiving is a day our country sets aside each year for us to be thankful for our many and various blessings. My beloved and I hope you were blessed during your Thanksgiving. As a nation and a people we have received abundant blessings, not the least of which is living in and being citizens of the United States of America. But we sometimes may need reminding Who it is that we are to be thankful to. And thanksgiving shouldn't be confined to one day a year. For the children of God especially, it should be a daily outpouring of gratitude to our Lord for the grace, and mercy, and blessings that He heaps on us daily.
AN AFTER THANKSGIVING EXPRESSION
Thou that hast given so much to me, give me one thing more - a grateful heart; Not thankful when it pleases me, as if Thy blessings had spare days; but such a heart, whose pulse may be Thy praise.
George Herbert
English poet (1593-1633)