A Devotional by Pastor Cesar Castellanos

Today’s Bible Verse

“So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites out of Egypt.”

Exodus 3:10

Leaning on God

There once was a man who had such a speech impediment that his brother had to accompany him everywhere to be his spokesman. However, this man understood how to move the hand of God. He was able to confront the most powerful ruler in the world at the time. As a result, the most extraordinary acts of judgment came upon that ruler and his nation, wreaking complete devastation on the land and its people. This same man, his only weapon a seemingly useless staff, faced the most powerful army on the earth. With the might of the military bearing down upon him, he took action, and with a single gesture the whole force was destroyed. This story is of course about Moses and how God called him to stand before Pharaoh. Moses was sent to command Pharaoh to let God’s people go, in order for them to enter the desert and worship God there for three days. However, God warned Moses that Pharaoh’s heart would become hardened and that he would not allow the people to leave. God also told Moses not to be worried because He was going to perform amazing miracles in the land of Egypt, after which the Hebrews would be free to go.

Moses didn’t for one minute consider trying to form an army himself to fight Pharaoh with physical force. He simply waited on God and did everything exactly as he was commanded to do. When the final act of judgment came upon the nation of Egypt, God spoke to Moses and gave him specific instructions as to what the Israelites must do in order to avoid the coming destruction. The Lord equipped His people with the most powerful spiritual weapon that the Israelites have ever known. These instructions concerned the sacrifice of a lamb, which has now come to be known as the celebration of the Passover feast. The blood of the lamb that was applied on the lintel and the two doorposts of every house was the only weapon that could overcome the Angel of Death. These events were symbolic, pointing to the future sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

Something to Think About

“Fabio, a young Brazilian man, was constantly in a battle against being shy and afraid of others. This became like a great giant in his life. Because of his fears, he would always shut himself off, isolating himself from others. When he did show up to church, he would always sit as near to the back as possible. In every social setting it was extremely difficult for him to relate to others, even with his classmates in school. His parents didn’t know how to handle or help him. People in church kept asking questions about his behavior and why he didn’t interact with others. Eight years ago, his parents persuaded him to go to one of our conventions. He reluctantly gave in and decided to go. In one of the sessions, he was sitting in the stands, listening to the teaching. During this session, the Word of God began to minister to the depths of his heart. When he tried to come to the front to be prayed for, he couldn’t even get up because he fell under the power of God. When he finally managed to get up, he felt completely different. He realized that something had happened in that moment and he was now completely changed. He knew that this transformation had done a deep work in his life, and that he had recovered his sense of worth and self-identity. When he went back to his country, everyone was so surprised at the changes in his life and wanted to know where he had been. He spoke to his parents and told them that he wanted to take on the responsibility of leading the youth in church. His parents agreed to let him, giving him their full support. In a short period of time, despite having only a few young people, he was able to develop and grow a ministry of hundreds of youth who became faithfully involved in the purposes of God.

Prayer

“Dear God, thank You for showing me that You are always present in my life. I know that in any difficult situation where I might find myself, if I declare Your name, You will fight for me. Thank You for teaching me the power of visualization. Thank You for the power of Your word, which when spoken, overcomes every work of the enemy. Thank You for defending us and keeping us protected through the powerful blood of Jesus. Amen.”

Declaration

“Because I am able to see the defeat of the enemy in the spiritual realm, I declare that I am more than a conqueror in the name of Jesus.”

Today’s Bible Reading

• Old Testament: Joshua 1-2; Psalm 72
• New Testament: Mark 1:1-8; 1 Corinthians 1:1-17