God’s Mighty Power

Welcome to today's encouragement from the Our Daily Bread devotional. Our reading, titled God's Mighty Power, was written by Lisa M. Samra. The seemingly impossible happened when hurricane force winds changed the flow of the mighty Mississippi River. In August 2021, Hurricane Ida came ashore on the coast of Louisiana, and the astonishing result was a negative flow, meaning water actually flowed upriver for several hours.

Experts estimate that over its life cycle, a hurricane can expend energy equivalent to 10,000 nuclear bombs. Such incredible power to change the course of flowing water helps me understand the Israelites' response to a far more significant negative flow recorded in Exodus. While fleeing the Egyptians, who'd enslaved them for centuries, the Israelites came to the edge of the Red Sea.

In front of them was a wide body of water, and behind them was the heavily armored Egyptian army. In that seemingly impossible situation, Exodus 14 tells us, the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land, and the Israelites went through the sea. Rescued in that incredible display of power, the people feared the Lord. Responding with awe is natural after experiencing the immensity of God's power, but it didn't end there. The Israelites also put their trust in Him.

As we experience God's power in creation, we too can stand in awe of His might and place our trust in Him. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Exodus chapter 14, verses 21 through 23 and 26 through 31. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea.

And now, picking up at verse 26. Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hands over the sea, so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.

Not one of them survived. But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians laying dead on the shore.

And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant. Let's pray. Creator God, when we see amazing displays of power around us, remind us of the one who is behind that power. Help us then to trust that you have the power to overcome any challenge we may be facing in life if we just release it into your care. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Alisha Reisinger, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.