5 July | EVERYONE
“You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, and said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” Isaiah 41: 9,10
The people of Israel lived more than four centuries under the Egyptian yoke. Jacob's descendants were nothing more than poor slaves of the most powerful nation of that time. They lacked aspirations and dreams because “the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor” (Exodus 1:13-14).
There is nothing wrong with making bricks or tending the field, but Pharaoh's true intention was to weaken and suffocate them; that is why he ordered the midwives to kill the Hebrew male children at birth.
God’s enemy knew that a deliverer would arise from among them; and by this cruel measure, he hoped to ruin the divine plan. So the people of Israel ended up becoming a bunch of slaves without aspirations, camped in the land of Goshen on the banks of the Nile River. However, the Lord freed them. Years later through the prophet Isaiah, He reaffirmed to them that He had taken and chosen them, as we read in today's Bible text.
God freed the people of Israel from that land of slavery, led them through the desert, protected them, and defended them. And in the face of the threat of Babylon, He repeats the promise to be by their side, always helping and supporting them "with [His] righteous right hand.”
Take Action
God has also chosen you and considers you His child. So how can He not take care of you? Live without fear, even if what surrounds you is not always pleasant. The Invisible God accompanies you. Sing “I Have Chosen You” (if possible, with your family).