A PEOPLE CHANGED
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An encounter with God changes people. I am sure you have met and heard the stories of such people. It is likely you have a story of encountering God in some way that changed the perspective and direction of your life. These are the stories of people who were oppressed or enslaved—physically, emotionally, or addictively—who now walk with their heads held high. They have been set free and transformed by the power of God.
This verse’s reference to walking “with heads held high” speaks of more than merely being removed from the experience of slavery.
This refers to the ongoing work of liberation that God worked among the Israelites during their time of wandering in the wilderness.
Over time, they were liberated from an attitude of enslavement, given a new mindset, even a new worldview. Most significantly, they were given a new understanding of God. God was no longer absent or far off; He was involved in their history and their lives.
And this was now the hope they had to share with the world around them. Encounters with people who have encountered God change our understanding of Him. As well as being affected by our own experiences, we can share in the transformational experiences of others. Well-being researchers have found that our being happy can increase the happiness experienced by our friends’ friends’ friends—to three degrees of separation.* How much more so does God’s influence in transforming our lives and changing our attitudes? And, then, even more so when we are intentional about telling our story of how God has set us free.
* Darren Morton, Live More Happy (Warburton, Victoria, Australia: Signs Publishing Company, 2017), 69.
