Devotion 

I Have Heard Their Cry

Frances Taylor 

God hears us. He hears the cries of his people when they are being oppressed. In this case, the people of Israel were being oppressed by the Egyptians and God had placed Moses in a position to help them be free. God hears his people cry today. There is oppression in some countries of Christians and also of the Jews. God never abandoned his chosen people, and he doesn't abandon those who have chosen to follow his Son, Jesus. Sometimes oppression occurs in the workplace or neighborhoods as well. Men and women can be oppressed because of religious beliefs, for race, for language, for country of origin, for economic status, or for gender. While I was still in college a friend got a job teaching in an inner city school. Because the children were mostly from poor families and minorities, the budget for supplies was not the same as that for schools in better neighborhoods. People got together and demanded equality. It took time, but God guided them to victory. We have a responsibility to be available for God to use to help free people from oppression. Sometimes it is standing up for equality in the workplace, sometimes it is working for non-discrimination in our policies providing access to a good education for all students. We also have a responsibility to pray for freedom of religion in the world. God is Father to all creation, and he doesn't want any of his creatures to suffer oppression. We need to make sure that we are part of the solution, not part of the problem because of our own possible prejudices.

Prayer 

Lord and Father of us all, may we never be oppressors of your children; may we keep our eyes open and our ears to also hear the cries of those who suffer and do what we can for them. Amen.