During the 400 years the Israelites were in Egypt, God made them a great nation. They suffered much when they were in bondage in Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt with signs and wonders. They were despised and oppressed in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 26:8 speaks of God’s great salvation upon them. This is something fit to be remembered always. God looked upon his people’s affliction and took pity on them. As they remembered the goodness of the Lord, they brought their first fruits to him, for without his salvation they would not be experiencing the present mercies. During their most trying times, God was with them and his mercies unto them were new every morning.

In the 1960s my late father, Rev. T. Devairakkam pioneered Advent Christian work in Johore, Malaysia. Parts of Kluang, in the State of Johore were flooded annually for seven years. It was knee-length flooding. In 1969, the seventh year, the water level went above the danger mark. Many houses were swept away. Just before our house was in danger, we moved to a friend’s house on a higher area for a week, until the rain stopped. We were the only Malaysian Indians living among the Malaysian Chinese. Our Chinese friends helped us to find a house on higher ground, and this is where we continued to hold our church services. In this new premise, many healings took place and some of them were even delivered from evil oppression. When the Chinese started attending our services, we began bilingual services in Tamil and English. I interpreted my father’s Tamil messages into English. Many of the Chinese made decisions for Christ. Some of them are still in touch with us. Those were truly difficult times, and as we recall it, we remember the goodness of the Lord as mentioned in our selected verse. Once every few months, I still visit this place and recall the times God brought us out of the painful flood experiences. It was God who restored us and brought us out to a place of his peace and blessing.

God is able to lead us from our difficult times to a place of his blessings.

Ruth Devairakkam, Kluang, Johore, Malaysia

Extended Scripture: Deuteronomy 26–27 (NKJV)