The attention in our story shift today - from the Hebrew slaves suffering, to Moses' life as an alien, to God.
The historian says God, instead of watching from afar, heard their cries for help, and became "moved" by what he heard. And then God decides to "move" and do something because God had made a covenant - a promise to these Hebrews' ancestor.
Back in Genesis 15, God came to a nomadic herdsman named Abram (Jacob's grandfather) and offered his friendship. Subsequently, the two parties made an agreement to be faithful to each other - that in exchange for Abram's allegiance, God will make his descendents into a nation of blessing to other peoples.
We see now that the horrible centuries in Egypt was in some part used by God as the "farm" in which to multiply Abram's descendents. That over the years, he had kept his eyes on these people whom he has promised to oversee. And now, the time has come to take his people out of Egypt.
The world is able to be a different place. And the both the Egyptians and the Hebrews are about to experience God in a way that would challenge everything they thought they knew.
Write
Think about your faith story: how have you experienced crying out to God for help? How has he heard you? How has he come to your rescue?
Where in your life, relationship or circumstances, are you crying out to God for help?
Who do you know is crying to God for help?
Pray
What
is God saying to you today? What's Good News to you?
Talk to God about your experience with crying out to God for help. Thank God for the way he hears you, he is moved by your pain, and the ways he has come to your rescue.
Pray about your present difficulties. Ask God for the help you need, the reassureance of his presence, and the courage to trust his reasons for allowing the hard times.
Pray for your friend who needs help. Ask God how you can help.
Pray for an experience of God's love, grace and mercy in the way he hears you and attends to you in your difficulties, and in the ways he empowers you to listen and attend to others in their difficulties.