The Sword of the LORD

"So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah [bitterness]. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them." (Exodus 15:22-25) God sent His servant Moses to lead Israel out of the bondage that they found in Egypt, and to bring them into the land that He had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God worked a great miracle of deliverance when He divided the Red Sea, and caused Israel to pass over in safety while Pharoah and all his host were drowned as they pursued after the Israelites to destroy them. What

I was recently given some very bad news. It was the type of news that was life altering, but not life threatening. It affected only my job, not my health. I must admit, though, that I was shaken by the news, and by what it would mean for myself and my family. I thank God for fellow Christians - for family and for friends - who brought comforting and faith- inspiring words to me. Most of all, I thank God for speaking to me. In my initial shock, He led me to two verses in the 16th chapter of Acts. "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed." Acts 16:25, 26 I have read these verses many times before, and even expounded on them frequently. I know the importance of prayer and of praise in my life when things are difficult. I know the importance of