God is With Us in 2026!

 

God is With Us!

 In the Old Testament  it’s recorded The Hebrews were slaves for 430 years.  Enforcing slavery over the descendants of Jacob was  the fulfillment  of a prophecy given to Abraham not some random act. Pharaoh and his advisors may have thought that this was their brilliant plan to subjugate the Hebrews. The Bible  records God told Abraham  hundreds of years before the beginning of the Hebrews being enslaved this would take place. 

Genesis 15: 12-16

12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

 Pharaoh was never in charge!

Please allow me to use my sanctified imagination to describe the lead up to the Hebrews being forced into total slavery 

Hebrews would have seen their freedoms stripped away,

Maybe there were signs saying no Hebrews  allowed

Hebrew schools were shuttered

Hebrews could only shop on Wednesdays

Hebrews were  not allowed on the job sites.

Hebrews must stay in Goshen.

Hebrews food was rationed.

Hebrews had their movements restricted.

Hebrews  were starved into submission.

Hebrews watched themselves become  enslaved in real time.

Resistance was futile.

The powerful Egyptian army supported by most of Egypts’ populace supported the Pharaoh’s plan to enslave them. Pharaoh accused the Hebrews  in his propaganda campaign that they were not loyal to Egypt.  “These Hebrews are not like us, declared the Pharaoh.” 

It didn't matter that these Hebrews  were born in Egypt. 

Their birthright citizenship was stripped away. It didn’t matter that for hundreds of years the Hebrews lived and worked peaceably with the Egyptians. It didn’t matter that  under God’s guidance one of the Hebrew ancestors, Prince Joseph, had saved the entire  Egyptian nation from ruin.  It didn’t matter that The Hebrews had never rebelled against Pharaoh’s government. Pharaoh accused the Hebrews as potentially being disloyal. Therefore they must be segregated and made slaves. 

I am sure many Hebrews prayed for freedom during their  four hundred years of enslavement  Surely some wondered why God did not answer their prayer.  ( They may have forgotten God told Abraham that his people would be held in bondage for four hundred years) God had a design to show the world His power and glory.

Therefore the Hebrews show us the way God has worked down through history. Even though they were praying:

God did not take the Hebrews  out of slavery.

God took them through slavery.

God did not keep  Shadrach Meshach and Abednego from the fire.

God delivered them from the fire.

God did not keep Daniel from the lion’s den.

God delivered him from the lion’s den.

God did not keep the storm from the disciples

God delivered and saved them through the storm.

God didn’t keep Lazarus from dying

God delivered him from death.

God did not save Jesus from the cross.

God resurrected  Jesus from the grave.

I am saying all this to say, in 2026 God may take us right into the trouble.

Don’t despair , get depressed or be defeated. God allowed us to get into this boat and sent us into year 2026 Now the storm is raging and the billows are tossing high It may look like a ghost but God is walking towards us.  Sometimes  it looks like  we are going down  for the last time and we are leaning over the railing throwing up and can hardly stand. We  look to our right and see that Jesus is not worried.  

You may be saying how can Jesus sleep through this storm.

In 2026  Jesus may be asking  us where is our faith?

In 2026 we may be praying to get out of this mess.

However if I am reading my Bible right,

God  is saying to us I will bring you through this Mess.

Take courage my friend. Trouble don’t last always! 

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Deuteronomy 33:27a