«I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage» (Exodus 20:2).
THE FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE OF LIFE, in the opinion of C. S. Lewis, is to establish a personal relationship with our Creator, for no one knows better than Him how «the human machine» works.
«God designed the human machine,» Lewis wrote, «to function with Him. He Himself is the fuel for our spirits, or the food that was designated to feed us. There exists nothing else:'» What Lewis is telling us here is that there is simply no happiness without God. In vain, humanity has been trying to fill the void of its existence by «drinking from other sources»—riches, pleasure, power—but only to be thirsty again.
How can we establish this personal relationship with the Creator, so that true happiness is a reality in our lives? Let’s read today’s text. Already in the
first line we read what we might well qualify as good news. Speaking to the people of Israel, who have just been freed as slaves in Egypt, the Lord says, «I am the Lord your God.»
What an interesting way to introduce yourself! Let us remember that the children of Israel were in Egypt for about four hundred years. To say «Egypt» is to say «idolatry.» We know that the Egyptians worshiped a whole host of deities: living beings, elements of nature—as was the case with the Nile and the stars—and human beings, as was the case with pharaoh. This means that, as Andy Stanley rightly points out, when they left Egypt the people of Israel had no idea of a personal God, let alone how to relate to Him personally.
However, God tells them, «I am the Lord your God.» Saying «your God» obviously already implies a relationship. This is how the Creator, the Sovereign of the universe, chooses the children of Israel as His people, and makes them the object of His care and devotion without them having done anything in particular to deserve that privilege.
Why is this good news? Because this is exactly the same thing Jesus did with His disciples! «You did not choose Me,» He said to them, «but I chose you» (John 15:16, emphasis added).
So then, Can we have happiness without God? There is no such thing! But the good news for starting this day is that when you and I were lost, the loving heavenly Father searched for us and found us. Now we are His children, and He is our God. Can we ask for anything else?
Thank You, heavenly Father, because I am a member of Your people, though I have done nothing to deserve it.
I want to have a personal relationship with You every day,
I also want to get to know You better and to love You more and more.
#AdultsDevotional
#RadioJovenAdventista
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Colaboradores: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
