A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 114

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 114
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

When Israel went out of Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became His sanctuary, And Israel His dominion. The sea saw it and fled; Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like lambs. What ails you, O sea, that you fled? O Jordan, that you turned back? O mountains, that you skipped like rams? O little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob, Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters (Psalm 114:1-8).
 
When God moves upon the natural world in a supernatural way, a God story is being written. Psalm 114 is a God story! It tells the powerful redeeming story of how God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt and brought them into the promised land. 
 
In many ways, Israel’s story of redemption has similarities to the redemption story being written in the lives of believers in every generation. Nothing has greater power than the Gospel to redeem, save, and deliver us from the bondage of sin. The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.”
 
My own life included many years of enslavement to sin, and the bondages sin created. Like Israel, I needed to be delivered and set free.

I was born into a Jewish family in the Bronx, New York. In 1948 my family moved to California. A short time later my parents separated. During that difficult time my dad decided to end his life. As odd as it seems, he thought he’d have one last fling in Las Vegas before ending it all.
 
After checking into his hotel he went to the casino to do some gambling. He quickly grew restless. While standing in front of a gambling table he heard a voice behind him saying, “You don’t belong here.” He turned around, but saw no one. He immediately left the casino and returned to his room. In the drawer by the nightstand he found a Bible. He became curious and started reading in the book of Genesis. He couldn’t put it down!

In the morning he checked out of the hotel with the Bible hidden in his suitcase. He changed his mind about ending his life, and continued reading the Bible whenever possible. A few months later, while reading the book of Isaiah, his eyes were opened to the truth that Jesus was his Messiah. His “God story” had begun!
 
My dad prayed for my salvation for ten years. On August 15, 1963 his prayers were answered!

On that day my dad had invited me over for dinner at his house. After dinner, our conversation turned to spiritual things. I had a lot of questions about the Bible and the Gospel. One by one he answered them. As he did, my heart was being drawn to Jesus. I wanted to respond in some way, but fear held me back. I decided to ask a few more questions.

Here are the questions I asked and the answers my dad gave me…
 
Question #1 
If I believe what you said is true, is that enough to be saved?
Answer #1
The Bible says, “To as many as receive Him, to them He gave power to become sons of God” (John 1:12). If you were dying of thirst in the desert and I handed you a glass of water, it wouldn’t help you if you believed it could save your life but didn’t drink it. In the same way, you must believe and receive Jesus into your life by faith.
 
Question #2 
Since that means a decision, I would like to think about it. Can I get back to you at another time?
Answer #2
The Bible says, “Today is the day of salvation, now is the acceptable time” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Don’t put it off! 

 
Question #3 
What would my friends and family think if I did?
Answer #3 
The Bible says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5). You need to humble yourself before God.

 
After his last answer I knew I couldn’t put it off any longer. I needed to make a decision…
My dad and I knelt together by the couch in his living room and I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. When I stood to my feet I knew my life had changed. That night the Author and Finisher of my faith began writing a new “God story” upon the pages of my heart.
 
Insight: Nothing is more powerful than-
The power of the gospel to save,
The power of the blood to cleanse,
The power of the cross to deliver,
The power of the truth to free,
The power of the Lord to transform,
The power of the Spirit to make all things new!
 
Insight: I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit (Ephesians 3:16 NLT).

#psalms #devotional #devotion #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow
©2026 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.
 
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