Move Forward; Don't Forget

Reading of the Day: Exodus 20-22

Exodus 22:21: Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Now we come to the point where God is establishing order among the Israelites. Their new life required some new lines of protection to be drawn with some guidelines to keep things peaceful & holy unto Him. And that's very understandable! Just like when our country was first established-there needed to be a balance of freedom & power given to the people, with "one nation under God" being the main focus & God being the main authority! But in their new-found freedom, they were never to forget their slavery. This was not to make them upset from time to time...because God wants our minds to be just as free as our entire being...but it's because their slavery is their testimony! They would carry this with them in order to show the glory & power of God to others! They did not escape slavery in their own power...if they had the ability, they would not have taken 430 years! God had a plan, purpose & the only power able to do the job! So, as it says in this Scripture...never vex or oppress a stranger. The Israelites knew what it was like. Strange land, strange customs, no freedom, just trying to survive...so who would they be to abuse their power and oppress a stranger? We also need to remember this! God's brought all of us a long, long way. We might meet people on the way to our promised land who have no idea who they are or where they are going. We can't judge them, but we CAN help them! We can give them a glimpse of the God we serve by loving them & sharing The Word...then, they'll be on their way too! So as we move forward, let's not forget where we came from. In doing so, we'll be surprised seeing who will join us on the way to where we are going!