DAILY DEVOTIONS: "Power-producing presence" -Bob Coy

DAILY DEVOTIONS
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"Honoring God in the Morning"





Power-producing presence
When Israel went out of Egypt… Psalms 114:1 (NKJV)


Psalm 114 recounts Israel's exodus from Egypt. It tells us that when this happened some extraordinary things took place. The sea fled, the Jordan River was driven back, the earth trembled, and a fountain of water flowed from the rock. But all these amazing things aren't the real focus of this Psalm.

Instead, the Psalmist points us to the power of the presence of God, which is the reason the sea fled, the earth trembled, and the fountain flowed. Israel's power came from God's presence, not from the miraculous events that it produced. It was Him in them that made all the difference:

Judah became His sanctuary, and Israel His dominion. (Psalms 114:2 NKJV)

Now, there's a direct parallel between Israel's exodus from Egypt and the Christian life. Israel represents us, and Egypt represents the old life of bondage in sin. The exodus represents our leaving that life and following the Lord's leading to a better land, a better life.

With that in mind, we need to remember that in the Christian life, our power comes from God's presence in us and not in any external miracles or signs. Those things may very well happen—life-long addictions may be overcome and giants may fall. But as Psalm 114 shows us, it's God's presence that produces the powerful results that surround us, not the other way around.

As we sojourn through this life, filled with obstacles and temptations, we can't be reminded enough that everything goes back to the presence of the Lord. Without it, we won't get any further in our journey than Israel would have. But as we also see from their example, when God is with us, nothing can stop us.

May Your presence, O Lord, be the one thing we desire more than anything else...and may Your presence empower our lives!
Think about it…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?

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