Dear Family,
Today is Monday, April 27, 2020, Day 16 in our Counting toward Pentecost. This is the 2nd day of Week 3.
In Week 3 we find the children of Israel in a new location. They had traveled from Rameses on the 15th day of the first month, through the Red Sea, into the wilderness of Shur to Marah, and then on to Elim. They stayed in Elim for some time, and they found it very pleasant. They finally left Elim on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt (Exodus 16:1).
Once Israel left Elim and headed into the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, they were going to have additional hardships and complaints. Yet, for a time, the oasis at Elim provided a great time of refreshing. The oasis, only a few miles from Marah, was provided not just for good water. They had received sweet water by a miracle at Marah.
Elim means strength and can stand for things that are strong. While Israel was at Elim regaining physical strength, they could have been strengthened by God. After we have gone through trouble, testing, and suffering for a while, God certainly wants to strengthen us.
1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Notice why and how God strengthens us. It is by His might and His power, and it is UNTO all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.
Colossians 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
God wants us to be strengthened by His Word and by His presence in our lives. He wants us to recognize that He IS the strength of our lives.
Psalm 27:1The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
God wants us to recognize Who and What He is, in all His glorious splendor. He reveals Himself to us bit by bit. God’s process takes us from strength to strength. And, all along the journey, He wants us to love Him.
Psalm 18:1 I will love Thee, O LORD, my strength. Psalm 84:7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
May God bless you richly by revealing Himself to you in His strength in our time of peace and refreshing. I love you all!
Psalm 84:5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
Ben Faulkner
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