Welcome

If you love a good story filled with twists and turns, you’ll love the story of the Israelites.

Believe it or not, their journey isn’t all that different from ours. If you’re longing to come out of the wilderness and find freedom from whatever has you feeling trapped, their story holds the key.

The Israelites had lived in Egypt ever since Joseph brought them there as a refuge during a famine. But after 400 years, a new Pharaoh—threatened by their growing numbers—enslaved them. They were subjected to harsh labor, beatings, terrible living conditions, and, in the most horrific act of all, the systematic killing of all newborn Hebrew boys.

What had once been a place of rescue had become a prison.
By all appearances, their story shouldn’t have ended well.

Our story, left to itself, shouldn’t end well either. We, too, begin as captives—and in many ways, we each still experience bondage. We need rescue. Left to our own devices, we struggle. But we have an all-loving, all-powerful God on our side—one who fights for us.

Paul echoes this truth in 2 Timothy 4:18:

"Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.”

If you are longing to experience the kind of deliverance that is sure and lasting—and the kind of rest that frees you from everything that overwhelms—you’re not alone. I invite you to journey with me over the next five days to discover how the Lord can rescue us today, just as He rescued the Israelites then.

Your guide through this study:

I’m Miriam Iacopelli, Manager of Prayer for Hope Media Group, the ministry behind the World’s Biggest Small Group. I’ve loved Jesus for as long as I can remember. But I discovered my calling to ministry in my own wilderness season, when God became deeply real to me. Wherever you are today, I pray He becomes real to you, too. This study—and you—have been covered in a multitude of prayers.

As you take this journey, I recommend that you keep a journal handy to record your thoughts and reflect on your answers to the questions in this study. Take your time and wrestle with God for as long as it takes to put yourself fully in His hands. START on this first day by spending time talking with God and expressing your desire for His help, your frustrations, and your questions. Can you thank Him in faith that He will lead you forward to rescue and rest?