Moments With God

Exodus 15:26-17; Psalm 34:1-6

If we are true children of God we will show it in our lives. The Holy Spirit works in our lives to slowly conform us to become more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ. May we be submissive to that process, and may we daily be striving to reflect the Lord Jesus in our lives.

True children of God will increasingly be showing contentment and joy in their lives. True children of God will not be grumbling, complaining, and questioning God’s workings in their lives; as did God’s people of old, the Israelites. (Exodus 15-17) True children of God will seek to praise and honor the Lord at all times. Praise for God will always be on their lips. (Psalm 34:1b) Praise for the Lord will be evident in the lives of true children of God both in pleasant and difficult situations in their lives.

True children of God will seek to always obey God’s clear commands in His Holy Word, the Bible. They will trust the Lord enough to know that His way is always best. True children of God will reverence the Lord enough to "listen carefully to the voice of the Lord" and to "do what is right in His eyes." (Exodus 15:26a) True children of God will not deliberately disobey the Lord God, as God’s Old Testament people did in Exodus 16 in regards to the gathering of the manna that the Lord God had provided for them.

True children of God will increasingly trust in the Lord even in times of trial and testing in their lives. They will seek to not "put the Lord to the test" (Exodus 17:2b) by their lack of trust in the Lord and by their complaining attitudes. True children of God will strive to never question the Lord’s presence in their lives. God’s Old Testament people, the Israelites, questioned the Lord’s presence in their lives when facing a crisis of lack of water. They said, "Is the Lord among us or not?" (Exodus 17:7b) The Israelites questioned God’s presence among them in spite of the fact that the Lord God had repeatedly shown His faithfulness to them in the past. True children of God can rest in the knowledge that the Lord is always with them. They know that the Lord will give them the grace and the mercy that they need to face each new challenge that life brings them. True children of God know Jesus Christ is their Rock and solid foundation. Moses struck the rock at the Lord’s command in Exodus 17:6, and water came out for the people to drink. So the Lord is our Rock who always provides for all of our needs.

True children of God also depend on prayer. In Exodus 17:8-16 we read about the Amalekites attacking God’s Old Testament people, the Israelites. While the Amalekites were attacking the Israelites Moses rose his hands in prayer. When Moses continued to keep his hands up in prayer the Israelites were winning in the battle against the Amalekites. Whenever Moses lowered his hands the Amalekities began to prevail in the battle. This illustrates the power and necessity of prayer in the lives of true children of God. Prayer relieves our fears as true children of God. (Psalm 34:4) Prayer adds joy to our lives. (Psalm 34:5) Further prayer is the answer to our deliverance from the challenges we face in this life. (Psalm 34:6) May we never neglect prayer in our lives. When the Israelites won a great victory in their battle against the Amalekites, "Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner." (Exodus 17:15) This was a testimony to the Lord God’s power and protection of His people. May we never lose sight of the fact that the Lord is our source of protection as His people today also. May we not forget that the Lord God always hears and welcomes our prayers. Praise His name!