Egypt Archives – Sonshine's Journal

Deut. 1-2 Looking back over the years is something I have been doing lately. As I wandered through my journals and my thoughts, I am overwhelmed by how God has provided through the many moves. Each time, He has provided a new home, a new church, and new friends. That being said, is why I know so many all over the east coast and here in TX! Just as I have recalled the memories, Moses does as well for the new generation. They may or may not have grown up in Egypt, but they have seen all God has done in the last 40 years. Moses begins by saying to the Israelites; when you trusted God, He provided and protected, and when you chose not to trust Him, you failed-BIG TIME; Kadesh Barnea in particular. 🙁 Do you have a Kadesh Barnea in your past? Thankfully, God’s mercy has wiped our slate clean of all our past sins and failures. As Paul reminded the Ephesians, you heard and believed, and you were saved by His grace through faith. 🙂

Moses reminded them of the grace of God to those who seem the most unlikely: Esau and Lot. Like them, we have had failures on top of failures, along with blessings upon blessings. God’s mercy and grace abounded! Do we stop and wonder why God’s grace has overflowed on us? Isaiah has the answer: “Indeed, my plans are not like your plans, and my deeds are not like your deeds,” says the Lord,” [Is. 55:8[. Today, as you read these chapters in Deuteronomy, stop and thank God, who is “compassionate and gracious…slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness” [Ex. 34:6]

As Moses reminded them, so this is our reminder: “all the years God has been with us, we have lacked nothing.” [Deut 2:7]

Gen 16b to 19 god seeas

Genesis 16 to 19 I love the story of little Cinderella. By no fault of her own, she was treated unrighteously by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. Her life was one of drudgery day in and day out. Her fairy godmother came and gave her a reprieve for one night and in the end, she was loved by the prince who searched for her when she fled the ball at midnight. In our reading today, we find a true Cinderella named Hagar.

It all began when Abraham didn’t trust God; went to Egypt, and bought a slave girl for Sarah. Sarah, in many ways, resembles Cinderella’s wicked stepmother in attitude and character. Impatient Sarah decided it was too hard to wait for God to give her a child and convinced Abraham to impregnate Hagar according to the custom of the culture. We wonder how long Sarah had to nag before Abraham fulfilled that order.

When Hagar obeyed and then conceived, guess what? Sarah became disenchanted and despised her and began to treat her harshly. There was no fairy godmother, no pumpkin carriage, no glass slipper, no Prince Charming, and no ball to attend. Instead, day after day Hagar worked with no relief and so she ran away. This is where God steps in and the gospel is presented.

Hagar is a picture of us before salvation. God saw her condition, heard her plea and promised that He would multiply her descendants. She responded, “The God who sees–SEES me.” Yes, like Cinderella, she returned to the dust and ashes but now she knew that God cared for her and her unborn child.

At one time we were slaves of the unrighteous wicked Satan. We may have run away from the “wicked stepmother” but God sees beyond our circumstances to what will be. He sent His beloved Son to walk with us through those circumstances. Even though we might not be able to change those, we can trust that Jesus died that we might be saved from our sins and live a life that is full and rewarding.

Are you Cinderella? Trust God to be with you. Hagar’s story is the gospel message in a nutshell.

Tag: Egypt

God of Provision

Cinderella & the Gospel