Page 24 - Living Light Autumn 23

PRAYER FOR TODAY
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Monday September 25 - Is ‘shorter’ always better? So God led the people around by the desert road... Exodus 13:18
One of the puzzles in praying to God is why he doesn’t answer the way we think he should, or the way that seems obvious to us. This passage helps with such dilemmas. There was a straightforward route, basically along the Mediterranean coast, which would take the Israelites to Canaan. This was the direct and shorter way. But this route would also soon bring them into conflict with the Philistines – who were a well organised military nation. Israel would face them much later, but God knew they weren’t yet prepared for such encounters. They might decide to return to Egypt rather than press on. The Israelites would be puzzled as to why Moses, under God’s leading, took them on a significant detour, which in the end would take them several decades to arrive!
Often things don’t happen as we think is best, even though we have prayed earnestly. For instance, when we ask God for a specific job, or decide we want to move to another home, things sometimes don’t work out as we hoped. It is easy to think, ‘God doesn’t care about me or listen to me...’ Whereas the truth is that God is protecting us from a danger we either can’t see or aren’t yet ready to deal with.
Living God, help us to trust you when the ‘answers’ to our prayers upset or puzzle us. Amen.
Tuesday September 26 - Armed for battle
The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle. Exodus 13:18
It’s good to expect the unexpected! Jesus often warned his disciples to be on their guard, and Paul frequently tells us to ‘be alert’ and not ‘fall asleep’. So, the Israelites were probably wise to leave Egypt ‘armed for battle’. Soon Pharaoh’s army would pursue them.
Of course, our enemy is not another physical army or indeed a vindictive individual. Our fight is with the forces of evil and ultimately with Satan himself (see Ephesians 6:10-18). Therefore, we do well to be ‘armed’ so we can cope with this opposition. But our ‘armour’ involves holding fast to the truth, leading godly lives with integrity, making sure we remain fully grounded in the power of the gospel, and so on.
It can still be tempting, when we are under pressure from an aggressive neighbour, a careless driver, an overbearing boss at work, or even a partner or children who take us for granted, to go back to our old armour – our selfish human nature.
It can be momentarily satisfying to shout back, to give a loud blast on the car horn, plot in our own minds how we can retaliate, or even think, “that’s it, I’ve had enough of being taken for granted.” But our Christian armour is different and in the end better.
Living God, please help me to wear your wonderful armour and so show your love to others, even when they hurt or distress me. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY