He also brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes. Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them had fallen upon them. (Psalm 105:37-38)

In the previous devotion we highlighted the fact that, in advance, God provided everything His people would need as they began their long trek through the wilderness. The Scripture says that, by the time they left, the Egyptians both esteemed and feared the Hebrews because of their God. Consequently, when asked for gold and silver, they willingly surrendered it and thus, Israel “plundered the Egyptians” (Exodus 12:36). In short, God provided them with honor and wealth. Furthermore, as we see in the verses above, He also blessed them with health — as it is written: “there was none feeble among His tribes.”

God’s provision was total — when hungry, He provided the manna for bread; when thirsty, He caused water to gush out from a rock. Even after forty years of trudging through a vast wilderness, their shoes and clothes had not worn out. So then, should we not conclude that the health with which they were blessed at the beginning provided the strength they needed to endure until the end? One would think — but there is another matter to consider: as they left Egypt, the Amalekites attacked “all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary” (Deuteronomy 25:18).

My point is this: even though God provides for our needs, it is incumbent upon us to keep up and not fall behind. We mustn’t allow the cares of life to choke out the Word — i.e. the provision — God has bestowed upon us. If we give into the weariness of life’s challenges to the point that we allow ourselves to fall behind, we make ourselves vulnerable to the attack of the enemy. A lioness on the hunt doesn’t typically attack the entire flock; she usually focuses on the stragglers and mavericks who distance themselves from the community. Yes, God provides and protects His people but His people have an obligation to be diligent and use the gifts He has given us to fend off the enemy.

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill