Your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. (Deut. 29:2)
Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 29:1-4
Who was your comic hero in childhood? The best heroes were mixed up in epic adventure, powerful struggle, and mind-boggling circumstances. They saw great need, came onto the scene from nowhere, rescued the helpless, and won the battle. Their stories continue to be told.
The God of the universe was the Israelites’ epic hero, their rescuer from mighty Pharaoh. The eyewitness accounts of the Lord’s great power had been repeated to sons and daughters, grandkids too. And now, forty years later, although most of the eyewitnesses were no longer alive, the next generation could say they’d also seen the Lord’s might. The hero story had become their own because they’d been recipients of the eyewitness accounts of their parents and grandparents. The story and the hero never grew old.
It’s one thing to know the story by heart; quite another to understand its meaning. For years, the wandering eyewitnesses could speak the stories, but they still needed a second rescue—one that opened their minds and hearts to understand who their hero was and what following him faithfully would mean in the sequel to come.
God also helps us understand his significant work in our past. As we tell our own tales of the Lord’s power in our lives, let’s allow him to also open our minds and hearts to understand the meaning beneath, trusting our hero with the outcome.
Tell your hero tale—and seek to understand its significance for today.
Jamie Hilty lives in northern Indiana with her pastor-husband Josh. She spends her days reading aloud to her kids, planning retreats, and avoiding the dishes.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
