Title: God Who Leads
Contents
Text: Exodus 13:17-22
Our Republic of Korea has waited patiently for many years.
In the midst of liberation from Japanese colonial rule, the pain of the Korean War, and the remarkable economic growth of the military regime that came to power in the midst of national chaos, he longed for a more free country and waited for many years whenever a new government was born. Last year, a new government came into power with great expectations. When there was a change of government, there was a big whirlwind in politics and the economy in general with reform, but as the results show, most of them were their own battles, and it was difficult to find any real reform situation.
Right now, Jungkook is confused about political funds.
The reality is that the new government is giving the people a failing point in politics by creating a sense of incongruity among the people, inducing regional emotions, and conducting gang politics rather than chasing people's hearts with a faint sense of security.
It's a really difficult time.
The situation of a lack of security, which praises and supports the Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il regimes for the unification of South Korea and the Kim Jong-il regime, and is campaigning for the release of a key figure of the North Korean Workers' Party, Song Doo-yul, who performed spying with a huge amount of money, tells us that it is a time of crisis. What will this country be like in the future? Is there no great leader who will lead this country right in this difficult time?
In today's text, we realize that we desperately need God's pillar of fire and cloud to guide the people of Israel. I hope that this will be a precious time for us to gain the wisdom of life to overcome the difficulties we are facing by looking at how God guides, takes care of, and protects the people of Israel.
1. God has led you to the path set by you.
The closest road from Egypt to Canaan is through the Philistines and going south. This road takes about 10 days, and there are elderly and weak people, so even if you take it comfortably, you can go there in 15 days. But God leads them to a place that is not even the way. It is the western road where you have to cross the Red Sea, go through the Sinai Wilderness, and the dry desert, and cross the Jordan River. This road is a dangerous and painful road. It is the path of pain.
Why did God lead them in this way?
① The Philistines are to prevent them from encountering great enemies.
In order to take them to the land of Canaan that God had promised, instead of going back for a few days because they were afraid, God made them go back a long way even though they had a bit of trouble.
②It is to refine the nation of Israel.
Deuteronomy 8:15-16 says, “He brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and brought you through a dangerous wilderness, a dry land where there are fiery serpents and scorpions, and where there is no water, so that he might humble you and test you, to finally bless you It was,” he said. God had a plan to make a strong nation through a tough and difficult life and a nation that depended only on God.
③ According to Deuteronomy 8:2-3
“The LORD your God made you walk in the wilderness for forty years… He gave you manna from hunger so that you might know that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
There are problems in our lives today that we don't understand, and we want to be successful, happy and healthy quickly and easily, but things don't go our way and many difficulties drive us into the wilderness. Like the people in the wilderness, there will be times when you will blame God and regret that you have believed in God. However, the saints must realize and know the providence of God who leads the way in the wilderness.
Look at Moses.
He didn't just become a great leader. Life is threatened at birth, and after 40 years of living in the palace, he becomes a homeless murderer and spends 40 years of his wandering life in the wilderness of Midian. At the very bottom, God called him, exalted him, and made him great.
2. God led us through the ‘pillar of fire’ and the ‘pillar of cloud’.
Verse 21 says, “God did it before them.” God Himself became our guide. In this way, God is not the one who sends us and watches from behind in this world like the wilderness, but He is a very good person who leads us before us.
Proverbs 3:6 “Acknowledge him in everything, and he will make your ways.” Hallelujah.
Dear Shepherd Church members,
God wants us to protect ourselves, our families, and this nation with God's pillar of fire and cloud. In that sense, we are now praying for the revival meeting in three weeks.