“Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.”
“And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.” Exodus 6:6; 13:14
“The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it… He put up with them in the wilderness [a]nd after destroying seven nations in Canaan, gave them their land as an inheritance. All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul… And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified, ‘I have found in David a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised…
“And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead.” Acts 13:17-23,28-30
The arms of God have worked throughout history to perform His will. They are immeasurably wide with mercy and mighty to save and deliver, redeem and judge. His arms raise up kings and bring low, settle nations in place and make them great. After His Savior Son died with outstretched arms at calvary, God raised Him to bring believers into His embrace. (Daniel 2:21)
When we trace His hand through our years, we recognize where He has led, guarded, and upheld. When we see the Son of God on the cross and contemplate the nail scars in His hands, we can trust He bore the weight of all our sin. How are these realities making a difference in our sense of value and security? Do we trust His working for our good and His glory? Do we believe and enjoy all He’s won for us? (John 20:24-28; Romans 8:28)
Will we trust Him to protect us from enemy onslaught in the keeping of His Spirit, and deliver us from all that burdens mind and soul? Do we draw near to worship under the shadow of His resurrected arms that were lifted high in benediction at His ascension? Will we feed daily on the sustenance He serves? (Luke 24:49-52; John 21:9-14; Acts 1:7-9)
Where am I faint or failing? What burden is untenable and impossible to bear? The arms of the eternal God stand ready to deliver, envelop, and sustain. The Savior who was pierced is He who heals. God who delivers is He who settles. He who lifts up is He who holds close. (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 3:3; 91:4; Isaiah 53:3)
Lord, keep me firmly in Your grip and straight in Your way to perform Your bidding. Thank You for all You have worked and will complete to promote Your purposes and glorify Your name.
As the rain and snow 