Bible Reading Plan | Devotion for the week of April 10, 2022

Weekly reading: Galatians 4; Exodus 13-16; Psalm 105-106

Warren Wiersbe, a well-known, beloved pastor now in Heaven, left us a literary legacy of books on the epistles. Wiersbe chose short, simple titles beginning with the word “be” to define the main idea in Paul’s letters written to the churches. For Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia, his book title was “Be Free.” As we read chapter four, we can see why. In it, Paul pleads with his dear friends to not regress, to not become enslaved by religion and rules. Paul passionately reminds them of their reality. They hadn’t been given a religion; they had inherited a relationship with Jesus. They were heirs with Christ; they were free.

As I read the passages for this week in Exodus and Psalms, I recalled the stories I learned as a child of the Israelites in Egypt. From their struggle as a nation of slaves in a foreign country to finally being delivered with the exodus from Egypt through the miraculous opening and crossing of the Red Sea into the wilderness wanderings. I remember the angel that passed over the house with the blood on the doorpost, and what would happen if it wasn’t there! The children of Israel understood both the burden and blessing of sacrifice for the atonement of sin. God wanted His people to remember and retell His faithfulness and forgiveness. Passover was meant to be passed down from generation to generation to generation.

God is looking for this from you and me – our remembrance of all He has done for us and sharing His faithfulness and forgiveness with others. Our freedom comes from knowing truth. These chapters give the truthful account of God’s provision and protection to His people. They also recount the on and off faith of His chosen people. We need to know who our God is and who we are. God’s Word tells us that truth sets us free. We experience freedom when we trust our God. God invites us to trust Him with a full heart, bend our understanding to His, and acknowledge that we need Him for everything. Freedom seems to flourish in a heart that is thankful. The old adage says, “There is always, always something to be thankful for.” We know this to be true because we have received freedom. We are friends of God, we are joint-heirs with Jesus, and we have His Spirit to help us live in truth, trust, and thankfulness. Be free! – Ruth Romeo