Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
and lean not on your own understanding;
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on
horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength
of their horseman, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from
the Lord. (Isaiah 31:1) These are words penned by the prophet Isaiah describing
Israel’s reliance on Egypt, which represented wealth, false security,
prosperity, and human wisdom. It is interesting to me that in former years, the
Israelites had served as slaves to the Egyptians who were hard taskmasters. Yet
they quickly wanted to go back to Egypt when the going got rough: But the
people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They
said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to make us and our children die of
thirst? (Exodus 17:3) How quickly the Israelites forgot their life of slavery
as they remembered the “benefits” of Egypt.
We can easily become enslaved by forgetting the Lord and
relying on “things” or “human wisdom” to bring us peace and
understanding. Our only true peace comes through trusting in the Lord. God, in
His infinite mercy and love, sent us Jesus Christ to be a precious Cornerstone
for a sure foundation.
(Isaiah 28:16) We are promised that when we put our trust in
Him, Egypt cannot have a hold on us.
What have you put your trust in? What things represent the
“chariots and horses” of Egypt? Egypt’s wealth lured the people into thinking
that freedom comes from wealth, when in fact they were enslaved in the midst of
an affluent society. Their security was in the things that Egypt represented,
but they had forgotten their God. The Lord is calling you to trust in Him
alone; only in Him is there true freedom.
Thought for today:
Do I look to things for strength to the exclusion of God?
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