Exodus 1:7-137 The Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and becameexceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. 8 Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9 "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." 11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor. . . . 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly. . . . Exodus 2:23-2523 The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.DOES GOD REALLY CARE? Have you ever felt that God had forgotten about you? I suppose His covenant people, Israel, felt that way when they didn't hear from Him.At the beginning of the book of Exodus, we see the Israelites bent over from the back-breaking servitude of Egyptian bondage. For the first two chapters, heaven is silent. The people were being severely mistreated, and their groans and cries went up to God. When we feel as if God has forgotten about us in our trouble, and our pain is too deep for words, we should remind ourselves of His faithfulness. His faithful character is communicated in several ways:God hears. Although He wasn't speaking during that time, He was there. God hears the deepest sigh and the unutterable sounds of agony in our heart right now. God remembers. When He heard Israel's groans, He remembered His covenant. Another way of saying this is that the time was right for Him to fulfill the promises He made to Abraham (Genesis 12; 15; 17). When God promises something, He will fulfill it in His own time. God sees. He sees obvious pain. I believe He also sees the painbehind the pain. He sees the private persecutions of your heart. He sees and He is ready to respond with compassion and redemption. God knows. His knowledge of the Israelites' plight was more thanintellectual assent. It was an intimate understanding. He knew it was time to raise up a deliverer (Moses) to redeem His people, and He knew it was time to disclose more of Himself to them (Exodus 34:6-7). God heard our groaning as well--underneath the servitude of sin. He remembered His love for us. He saw that we couldn't save ourselves. He knew it was time to send Someone who could enter this painful world, reveal to us the depth of His love, and deliver us from the bondage of sin (John 1:14; 3:16-17). He sent a Deliverer. He sent Jesus. --Marvin WilliamsDESTINATION POINTS* When do I feel as if God has forgotten about me? * How will Iremind myself of God's faithfulness this week? * I will spend a few moments today thanking God for Jesus. LINKSKnowing God Through Exodushttp://www.discoveryseries.org/sb112/bottom line: Jesus is the depth of God's love.