With us on the Journey

At Passover I was rereading the account in Exodus 12 of how God miraculously rescued His people from slavery in Egypt. Even after the many plagues that God had brought on the Egyptians, Pharaoh had still refused to let the Israelites go, until God brought about the final plague, which was the death of all the firstborn in the land. This was the last straw that caused Pharoah to relent, and the people of Israel were able to leave. In order to save them as death passed through the land, God had instructed them to apply to their door frames the blood of an unblemished male lamb, which would enable the destruction to pass over their households.

The commemoration of this was to be a festival to the Lord for the generations to come - a lasting ordinance (Exodus 12:14). For believers in Jesus, it is not only the rescue of God’s people from slavery in Egypt that we remember, but also the fact that Jesus became our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), sacrificing His life, so that His blood could redeem us from slavery to sin and death.

However, what struck me this year as I considered all this, was the fact that, for the people of Israel, this rescue was only the beginning of what proved to be a long journey to the Promised Land. They still had to face attacks from enemies, testings and trials, during which they often grumbled and disobeyed instructions.

Similarly, for us, the moment we believe in Jesus as our Saviour, we are rescued from sin and death, and we become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). However, this is just the start of an exciting journey with Him, during which we will face many trials, temptations and attacks by our enemies. God will be using these situations to refine and change us, so that we become more like Him. We are all on a journey into wholeness and holiness.

Throughout their journey from Egypt, God’s presence was with His people in a very visible way, in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He also provided food and drink for them in a supernatural way. We may not have the same visible manifestation of the presence of the Lord with us on our journey, but we have the promise that He will be with us always, and that He will also live in us by His Spirit, as our Comforter, Helper and Guide. He will provide for us in every way and help us to defeat our enemies along the way, as we press on into the wholeness that He desires for us all.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for sending Jesus to be the Passover Lamb for me, to rescue me from slavery to sin and death. Thank You that You are bringing me into the Promised Land of my inheritance in You. Thank You for being with me on this journey. Please help me to stay close to You always and to face any trials and temptations in Your strength. Amen.