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Thank
God for Grace
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[Psalm 136:16 ]
to him who led his
people through the desert, His love endures forever.
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God rescued the
Israelites from Egypt. The Israelites began a long journey to their dream
land of Canaan.
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There
were two ways to go to Canaan. One is the way past the Philistine people. And
the other way is through the wilderness.
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God
led Israel through the wilderness and into Canaan. Because if the Israelites
even fought against the Philistines, their hearts would be weakened, and they
might give up their way to Canaan. God helped Israel get to Canaan.
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The
road through the wilderness is not an easy way. It is also difficult to find
a way to go where. During the day, you must fight the heat because of the
intense sun. At night, the temperature drops and they have to fight the cold.
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God
who guided Israel through the wilderness was prepared and guided all these
things in advance. He made and guided a large pillar of clouds in front of
them. During the day, the sun shaded the clouds so that the hot sun did not
directly hit Israel.
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It
was a night to fight the cold of the wilderness. God has given a great pillar
of fire to heaven. The heat from this pillar of fire allowed all the
Israelites to spend a warm night. God guided the Israelites through pillars
of clouds and pillars of fire throughout the wilderness.
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One
of the biggest challenges the Israelites faced in the wilderness was the lack
of food to eat. The Israelites went to Moses and Aaron and complained for
food to eat. Those who did not fully believe in God did this, thinking they
might starve to death.
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God
heard their complaint and said to Moses: "I will give food for you as it
rains in heaven, so let the people go out day after day to gather the food
they need for that day." How does God solve the food problem?
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The
next morning, the Israelites saw an amazing sight. After the morning dew was
removed, thin pieces of frost were covered all over the tent. God gave the
¡°manna¡± food to all the earth.
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God
gave manna, the food that the Israelites would eat every day. The Israelites
did not suffer hunger with manna given by God. The Israelites had been
steadily descending for 40 years until the day they entered the land of
Canaan.
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There
were times when there was no water on the way to the wilderness. The people
complained again when they went to Moses again and were angry that there was
no water. However, Moses could not solve the problem with his own power.
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Moses
heard the people's complaints and prayed to God. God told Moses how to solve
the problem. ¡°Take some elders and go before the Israelites. And take the
staff you used to hit the Nile. I will stand before you on the rock of Mount
Sinai. You hit the rock with a stick. Then there will be water for the people
to drink.¡±
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Moses
obeyed what God said. He grabbed the wand and knocked down the rock. At that
moment, water overflowed from the rocks. God let the water come out of the
rock and let it drink. God provided all the needs of the Israelites and led
them to the end.
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Just
as Israel left Egypt and went to Canaan, the Promised Land, we, as children
of God, believe in Jesus and leave sin and go to heaven. On the way, like the
people of Israel, we can meet many difficult things. We, like the Israelites,
should not complain or fall into anguish. Because God showed the Israelites through
the Word.
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God
has guided us in the past six months as he has led the Israelites in the
wilderness. He has delivered us from a great danger we do not know. He has
given us the grace to know and fill our needs. In the future, God will help
and guide our way.
As children of God, we must thank God for
guiding us in all circumstances. Also, we must be people of faith who believe
that God will protect and guide us in the future and that we can thank God
for whatever we encounter.
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(This
is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the
conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)
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