161. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. God heard his groaning and He remembered his pleading in prayer.

26 May 2021

God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant. Exodus 2:24

Exodus 2

23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 

25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.

The Israelites Oppressed

Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 

but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.

“Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us.  

Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”

So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. Exodus 1:6-11

The Book of Exodus is so named because God would miraculously let the Israelites led by Moses, escape slavery in Egypt by parting the Red Sea going into the Promised Land, his covenant from the time of Abraham.

Groaning. Job was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1).

Job went groaning when he went through severe affliction.

Job Speaks

Job 3

1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 

2 He said:

24 “For sighing has become my daily food;

    my groans pour out like water.”

3 “May the day of my birth perish,

    and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’

4 That day—may it turn to darkness;

    may God above not care about it;

    may no light shine on it.”

20 “Why is light given to those in misery,

    and life to the bitter of soul,

21 to those who long for death that does not come,

    who search for it more than for hidden treasure,

22 who are filled with gladness

    and rejoice when they reach the grave?

23 Why is life given to a man

    whose way is hidden,

    whom God has hedged in?”

If you want to know how severe the affliction Job went through, I would suggest you read the Book of Job.

Job's prayer and his intercessor pleads with God as one pleads for a friend.

Job 16

16 My face is red with weeping,

    dark shadows ring my eyes;

17 yet my hands have been free of violence

    and my prayer is pure.

18 “Earth, do not cover my blood;

    may my cry never be laid to rest!

19 Even now my witness is in heaven;

    my advocate is on high.

20 My intercessor is my friend

    as my eyes pour out tears to God;

21 on behalf of a man he pleads with God

    as one pleads for a friend.

In the midst of severe affliction, Job kept the faith that he will see God with his own eyes and that his redeemer lives.

Job 19

20 I am nothing but skin and bones;

    I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.

25 I know that my redeemer lives,

    and that in the end he will stand on the earth.

26 And after my skin has been destroyed,

    yet in my flesh I will see God;

27 I myself will see him

    with my own eyes—I, and not another.

    How my heart yearns within me!

Epilogue

Job 42

12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys.

16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 

17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.

Affliction to the point of groaning.

God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. - Pastor Rick Warren

For a time in my life I went groaning. I thought it was for eternity, until God heard my groaning and remembered my pleading.

For the period 2000 to 2005, I had no stable employment at a time my children were starting college. I was at my wit's end.

I recovered, l learned to cry out for help. The Lord heard my prayer, the prayer of my heart, wordless, groaning, ungol, luha kasama ang sipon. I became a born again Christian at age 44.

During that period of crisis, the Lord provided for college for my three children, in tuition fees that should be more than a million pesos.

Nothing beats God's grace!

"21 December 2017

Lord, I pray for the oppressed, the poor, those in grief or affliction; those affected by the typhoon and other calamities. "The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble" (Psalm 9:9). "Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone" (Lamentations 3:32-33). "Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you" (Psalm 9:10). Lord, "Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name" (Psalm 74:21); this I pray in Jesus' name. Amen."

One day my children's children will utter, wala ka sa Lolo ko; God heard his groaning and He remembered his pleading in prayer.

May you be blessed with God's Word.

Maraming salamat.