September 7 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

The book of Exodus is the story of the liberation of God's people. God delivered them when he decided that the time had come.

"I have seen the misery of my people." How could God see it with his holy eyes and yet wait so long? "I have heard them crying out." Why, if God heard those piercing cries, didn't he come sooner?

The waiting of God is the greatest trial of God's people. It is worse than oppression by the enemy. Our greatest fear is not being killed by our enemies but being forgotten by our God.

"Will the Lord reject forever? . . . Has his unfailing love vanished forever? . . . Has God forgotten to be merciful?" (Ps. 77:7-9). God's people have not only thought it, they have said it and shouted it. These cries of near despair are printed in their Bibles.

We are not permitted to know God's schedule. That is none of our business, according to God's express declaration. So writers and preachers should quit their sensational guessing games.

"I have come down to rescue them." God came down when it was his time. God sent his Son "when the set time had fully come" (Gal. 4:4). During his life in the flesh, Jesus often spoke of "his hour." Impatient people heard him say frequently that "his time" had not yet come.

Today we are living by the promise that Jesus will return to rescue us. He will not come too soon, and he will not come too late. He will come at his sovereignly appointed hour.

The only really important question is whether we are ready to meet him. Maybe we should cry louder and pray more. "Come now, long-expected Jesus!"

We don't know when Jesus is coming. But we certainly know that he is coming.

REFLECTIONS

What does it mean to you to "live by the promise that Jesus will return to rescue us"?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.