Devotion 12 February 2026

Be my holy people. Be holy because I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 20:7

READING: Exodus 6: 2-9

The Exodus reading for today takes us to a time when Moses was instructed by God to tell his people that God is their Lord, faithful to His promises, and He intends to take them out of the misery of Egyptian slavery. Four times in this message the words “I am the Lord” are repeated, along with wonderful words like I will free you, I will redeem you.

But in verse 9 we are told that the people were too discouraged and focused on their harsh circumstances to listen or have hope.

We are sometimes like those enslaved Jews, bent down with the burden of our lives and unable to hear God’s words or understand the hope He brings.

We say, in the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hollowed be Thy name”. We need to realise that this is a petition, a request, not an announcement. Hallowed BE Your name. As Max Luxado says, we are actually asking God, “Be hallowed, Lord. Do whatever it takes to be holy in my life. Take Your rightful place on the throne. You be Lord and I will be quiet.”

The word ‘hallowed’ comes from the word ‘holy’, which means ‘separate’; originally an ancient word meaning ‘to cut’. To be holy, then, is to be a cut above the norm, superior, extraordinary … the Holy One dwells on a different level from the rest of us. What frightens us does not frighten Him. What troubles us does not trouble Him.

God is our Lord, and, because He is a faithful, hallowed God, our hope is firm that all will be well. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4: 8,9)

If we listen to Him, we will hear that He wants to save us; free us from oppression.

When a sailor finds himself in a storm at sea, he knows the secret to finding land. He doesn’t aim for another boat. He certainly doesn’t stare mesmerised by the huge waves. He sets his sights on an object unaffected by the wind - a light on the shore - and goes straight toward it. The light is unaffected by the storm.

By seeking God – we do the same. With our eyes fixed on our Lord, we focus on one ‘a cut above’ any storm life can bring. And we will find land.

Prayer

Our Father, hallowed be Your name. I acknowledge You as my Lord, the light in my storm, who frees me from my hopelessness. I praise Your holy name. Amen