Daily Devotion for August 20, 2026
Although Pharaoh’s army looks distinctly like 15th-century Florentine cavalry, the panic and pain of getting “drownded” is captured dramatically. (See Full-size.)
Prayers
Scripture
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
I am always thankful to remember the point of this cheerful song — that God came “down to our level” to save us.
He came down to my level
When I couldn't get up to His
With a strong arm He lifted me up
To show me what livin' is
He'll come down to your level if you'll open up the door
He wants to make your life worth livin'
That's what he came down for.
If you're lookin' for contentment
In the things that you can see
You're gonna have some disappointment
So won't you listen to me please
'Cause I know about a Savior
He came down to be a man
And when He left He sent His Spirit
He made me everything to me.
Sometimes I make decisions
That later I regret
But the Lord keep assuring me
He's not finished with me yet
I don't worry about tomorrow
I don't worry about yesterday
I don't worry about this crazy world
'Cause I Found a better way.
Prayer for the Day
Holy God, you have given me another day. Bring your Holy Spirit into my mind and my life, so that I may walk this day in your presence. Let me feel your presence throughout the day, remembering always that you sent your Spirit that you might be a living force in all I see and all I do. When I feel temptation or begin to stray, show me your path. Correct me, comfort me, let me live your will; that I may be happy in this life and blessed in the life to come. This I pray in the name of Christ, my Lord.
For Faith
Almighty Christ, let me look into that place beyond space and time where you dwell, from where you came and to which you will return. Let me look to you and be saved: Beyond material things, beyond the insistent desires of my flesh, beyond the reach of Satan.
Give me the faith that can save me from despair, the faith that will dissolve my worry and care, the faith that can bring peace beyond all understanding. Let me move every day towards absolute faith in you, for there lies the strength I need to follow you without reservation. Let me find, every day, more and more faith, that I may have an ever-renewing vitality and power, and live in the conviction that you and only you can and will take care of me, forever.
Meditation
“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”
Benediction
Now to Him who has given me grace in accordance with His gospel, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for many ages past, but now revealed and made known by the command of the eternal God, so that all mankind might find the obedience that comes from faith; to the only God, the God of wisdom and truth, be glory forever through His only son, Jesus Christ.
Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.
Psalm 32:1-6 (The Message)
Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be —
you get a fresh start,
your slate’s wiped clean.
Count yourself lucky —
God holds nothing against you
and you’re holding nothing back from him.
When I kept it all inside,
my bones turned to powder,
my words became daylong groans.
The pressure never let up;
all the juices of my life dried up.
Then I let it all out;
I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.”
Suddenly the pressure was gone —
my guilt dissolved,
my sin disappeared.
These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray;
when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts
we’ll be on high ground, untouched.
Exodus 14: 22-31 (KJV)
The Parting of the Red Sea [2]
nd the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, and took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.
Exodus Map - Hammond Exodus Map 2
Notes on the Scripture
There is not much to say about this wonderful story, as what happened is clear from the face of the text. Moses raised his staff, God parted the sea, and the Hebrews — having packed up their camp, and so with all of their baggage and animals — traveled safely to the opposite shore. They walked on dry land, bravely, as the sea formed walls of water on either side of them.
When the Egyptians tried to pursue, the wheels of their chariots got stuck and came off. The Egyptians lost their nerve and tried to reverse course: but before they could get back, morning arrived, the Hebrews were by then safely across, and God pulled the plug on the walls of water. Thus, Pharaoh’s army — in the words of a great old Gospel song — “got drownded.”
Do not get hung up on the Red Sea, because this term comes from translators, not the Bible. In the original Hebrew text, the body of water is called Yam Suph, which translates to “Sea of Reeds.” Nobody knows where it was, but it was almost certainly not what we call “the Red Sea” today. The border between Sinai and Egypt is littered with deep bodies of water (just look at the Hammond Map).
Moreover, geography changes, often greatly, over millennia. The Bible, for example, talks about Paul sailing out of the harbor at Ephesus — but Ephesus is five miles inland! (I was recently there, which is why this one comes to mind.) Is the Bible wrong? No — 2000 years ago, Ephesus was a port. The geography has changed. My point being, the “Sea of Reeds” that Moses crossed @ 3500 years ago might not even exist today.
