#DailyDevotion What Do You Have To Do To Be Recognize As God Around Here?
Ex. 16:9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10 And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”
What does one have to do to get noticed around here. At least that’s what goes through my head when the Lord interacts with his people. The last part of verse twelve just jars me. Think about it. The Lord had already delivered the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians with twelve plagues: water to blood, plagues of frogs, flies, boils, fiery hailstone, locust, darkness and the death of the firstborn to name a few. Somehow that didn’t leave a lasting impression on them that the Lord is their God and is God.
Then the Lord led them through on dry ground between walls of water to escape the Egyptian armies and the Lord has the waters fall upon the Egyptians to wipe them out and keep the Israelites safe and sound. Yet the people do not trust the Lord or recognize him as their God. This will happen time after time for like the next thousand years. The Lord truly is patient.
Nevetheless the Lord’s glory appeared in the cloud with all Israel witnessing it. The Lord promises he is going to take care of these grumbling, unbelieving people. They will eat meat in the evening and bread in the morning and so they shall. And this will go on for years. And during those years, many Israelites will apparently forget who is supplying everything. They will sin again and grumble against Moses and Aaron, and because they are the Lord’s representatives, the Lord himself.
Now do we recognize Jesus as the Lord our God? Indeed, Jesus is the very same Lord who spoke to Moses and Aaron and provided for the Israelites in the wilderness. Does Jesus have to perform some sign for us so that we may know he is the Lord our God? What conditions are you placing on Jesus or the Father before you repent and turn in faith towards them? Jesus has already performed all the signs necessary as witnessed in the Scriptures especially having been raised from the dead on the third day. If his word and the witness of the apostles is not enough for you there is nothing the Lord could do to change your mind to worship him as the Lord your God.
As Peter says, we have something more certain than seeing the miracles. We have the enduring, living Word of God. If the promises of God’s Word are not enough for you, even seeing a dead person raised from the dead will not make you repent and believe in Jesus the Lord. Trust in Jesus as your Lord and God and eternal life is yours today. Turn from the sins of your past and turn to Jesus who has won forgiveness on the cross for you and gives you everlasting life for free and he will.
Almighty God and Father, may the word of your testimony in the holy scriptures be what convicts our hearts that we may confess our sins, turn from them and believe Jesus Christ is the Lord our God that we may freely receive the gift of everlasting life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.