I had my first driving experience when I was about 4 – my mum had let me play in her Renault 4! She was in the house washing her hair over the bath. I was being Nigel Mansell, but then the car actually starting moving! I had let the handbrake off in my excitement. The car rolled into the main road, totally blocking it. They started blasting their horns, and I started crying! I don’t know if it was the cars horns or my cries for help, but I still vividly remember seeing me mum running out the door with a towel wrapped around her wet hair as she came to drive me to safety!
Why did she rescue me? She heard my cries and saw her treasured possession (me or the car?!) were in danger. She rescued me because she loved me.
Why did God rescue His people from slavery? He heard their cries, and remembered His promises to Abraham. God swooped down to rescue them. Look how God describes what He did (19v4), he carried them out on eagles’ wings. Our mighty God brought His people out of Egypt like a powerful eagle tenderly caring for its’ young. Is there any doubt of God’s love for His people?
We need to see that this happens before the 10 commandments are given. It’s rescue then rules! You don’t get to God by keeping the rules, you are rescued by God and then He tells you how to live a life pleasing to Him. He doesn’t give His commands to be a burden but to be for our good.
Sometimes we’re like the child who thinks her parents don’t love her because they have asked her not to do something. But, good parents give rules to their children because they love them and want what is best for them.
Just think about the 10 commandments, wouldn’t the world be a better place if people kept them? There would be no fear of anyone hurting you, strong healthy marriages, you would be able to trust everyone, you wouldn’t need to lock your door!
God’s rules are for our good, but they are not the way we get into God’s good books. The truth is there is only one man who has ever kept the commandments perfectly, our Lord Jesus Christ and He has died for every time His people fail. If you trust Him, He can say to you “I bore you on eagles’ wings, I have rescued you and you are my treasured possession.”
Jesus can put His arm around you and point you to our Psalm for today and tell you “shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous!”
We might feel far from righteous, but Jesus says, I have paid for your sin and given you my righteousness, you can shout for joy!
When you know that, doesn’t that make you want to be an imitator of God as His beloved children? (Ephesians 5:1)
Light and Momentary Troubles 
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