ESOCS Devotional 24 August 2025 – I Have Heard Your Cry
MEMORY VERSE: “I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.” Acts 7:34
TEXT: ACTS 7:17-43
“But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt 18 till another king arose who did not know Joseph. 19 This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live. 20 At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. 21 But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.
23 “Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. 25 For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. 26 And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ 27 But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.
30 “And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. 31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, 32 saying, ‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and dared not look. 33 ‘Then the Lord said to him, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 34 I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.” ’
35 “This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
37 “This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.’
38 “This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, 39 whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41 And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. 42 Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets:
‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness,
O house of Israel?
43 You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch,
And the star of your god Remphan,
Images which you made to worship;
And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’
Read Other ESOCS Devotional Here
It happened in the land of Egypt when a Pharaoh that knew not Joseph came on board the leadership of the land. He maltreated the Israelites, forcing them to hard labour and great affliction; and they cried to God. We pause to ask: when you go through tough times in life, who do you cry to? Do you go about complaining from one person to another? Or do you channel it to God? The Israelites cried to God and it yielded good results. “…and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God” (Ps. 50:23).
Here is another affirmation that God indeed answers prayers. No matter what you are going through, the challenges of life also not withstanding, we bring you good news today that for every cry you direct to God, He hears all of them. King David realized this and said, “I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill” (Ps. 3:4).
The children of Israel made their cry in Egypt. On hearing their cry, God went as far as Mount Horeb in Midian to conclude solution to their problem. God is ever ready to proffer solutions to the problems of His people (Is. 62:1). Therefore, you have a duty to trust Him. He says He has heard your cry; thus, believe, have faith that He is working out something great for you. Someone may be asking, how long? We assure you today that it will not be long. Just hold on and you will see Him manifesting. He has indeed heard your cry. You can go and celebrate now because solution is coming your way. Remember this, God still answers prayers; never lose your trust in Him.
CHALLENGES
- In times of pains and affliction, turn to God in prayers.
- Where answers seem to be delayed, engage the power of praise.
- Remain expectant with a very strong faith in God.
PRAYER POING
- Father, I thank you for answering my prayers and my cry. I pray you grant me Grace to remain in Faith, as I wait for the answers.
FURTHER READING: Malachi 4:1-End; 2 Samuel 1:1-15:1-12; Romans 15:13-32
ESOCS Devotional 24 August 2025
