Friday, March 8: Exodus 8- God's in control.

The Lord is doing something mighty. As I read today’s chapter I could feel the intensity of confrontation building and the name of the Lord was ‘growing.’

The chapter began with the plague of frogs, which like the other plagues so far, the magicians of Egypt could reproduce with their magic arts (7). I always wonder why the magicians felt good that they could reproduce the plague. Weren’t they just intensifying the pain? Shouldn’t they have tried to stop the plague to show their strength?

Next came gnats, which the magicians could not mimic! Intensity grows, just listen to the magicians response. "This is the finger of God" (19). And yet Pharaoh still hardened his heart and said ‘no’.

Next came flies. And for the first time God makes a distinction between His people and the Egyptians (23). This plague will not happen to the people of God living in Goshen!

Now God is really making His point. Pharaoh almost gives in, but when the plague is lifted Pharaoh changes his mind and hardens his heart.

God is setting things up for His glory to be broadcast across the entire Middle East.

I sat and meditated on the majesty of God. God is not phased by the magicians and their puny magic arts, thinking they could compete with Him. He just increased His might and they recognized God was in a different league.

God was not phased by Pharaoh’s reluctance. God just turned up the heat.

Things were progressing according to God’s plan. God is in total control.

I may not understand everything that goes on in the world, but God is still in total control…

Thanks be to You, O God. You are the Lord. You are sovereign. Lord, are there any ways, intentional or unintentional, in my life that I am trying to compete with you? Am I hardening my heart against You? Search me, Oh Lord, and show me. Because I want to live for You and not ever against You. Through Jesus, my Savior. Amen.

 

 

Thursday, March 7: Exodus 7- The exodus drama opens.

Today we begin reading the account of God’s plan to deliver Israel from Egypt. I often wonder why God used such an elaborate plan with plagues and the pharaoh changing his mind and all the drama. But God did…

I have read how each of the plagues directly connects with one of the gods of Egypt, how God is showing His superiority over all false gods.

I realize how the drama of The Exodus –plagues, red sea crossing, etc.- becomes a news flash that travels all around the Middle Eastern world eventually striking fear into the peoples later conquered (check out Rahab’s response in Joshua 2).

It seems that the Lord is declaring His glory by making sure all people know He is God, that His decrees are true, and that other gods are nothing before Him. These are all lessons I need to realize, meditate upon and incorporate into my life of following the God of gods and Lord of lords…

Father, Son, Spirit… reveal Yourself to me in all Your glory that I might never forget that You alone are God and that I am not and never will be. May my understanding of You grow to be more and more full so that I will surrender more and more deeply to You and Your will. This I pray through the matchless name of Jesus. Amen.

 

 

Wednesday, March 6: Exodus 6- A hole in my walk.

How often our personal circumstances impact if and how well we hear the Lord when He speaks with us.

This thought came alive to me this morning as I read verse 9, Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.

Moses had just finished reporting all that God was going to do for the Israelites but they couldn’t (or was it ‘didn’t’) hear because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.

When I am sick, when I am angry, when I am whinny, when I am… I often do suck into myself, and in those moments of self-absorption, I do not hear the Lord’s voice well.

God is exposing a weakness in my walk with Him. What can I do about this, Lord?

A quiet voice seemed to whisper, “First, pay attention to your internal self. Learn to notice when you ‘suck into yourself.’ Note any attitude indicators that surface when you are in this place.”

“Second, be especially vigilant when you are in that place to listen for My voice because I do speak during those times…”

As I pondered things this morning, I realized that I have to fill this hole in my walk with the Lord and I am sure there is more for me to learn…

Lord God, continue to lead me to deeper and deeper faithfulness. Show me how to fill my faith gaps. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Tuesday, March 5: Exodus 5- When God's plan leads us to pain.

We want things to be perfect, to be neat, clean and tidy. We want life without pain. We want Camelot where it only rains at night.

God’s people cry for deliverance from a hard and oppressive life. Moses is called to be God’s answer. Israelite leadership meets and buys in, “Yep, God wants us delivered.” Pharaoh is confronted and he makes the pain and heartache worse for God’s people. That is not how we want the story to go!

I wondered how many Israelites died from the cruelty and harshness of Pharaoh as he put the screws to the Israelites?

We want the ‘Disney ending’ and ‘happily ever after’ in chapter one.

I do not know what God was thinking and why He allowed the road to deliverance to be paved with so much pain and sacrifice… but this is some of what I was thinking and musing upon.

How much am I willing to sacrifice to see God’s ultimate deliverance in Jesus Christ accomplished here on earth? How much would I sacrifice to see disciples made to the ends of the earth?

Would I remain faithful to Jesus if my lot in God’s plan was to endure suffering, pain, oppression, even death as God worked out His salvation plan?

I don’t like when these questions pop up in my thoughts. I wonder is God setting me up for another stage in life or are they ruminations of someone who has a martyr complex?

What I determine to do is live faithfully for Jesus day after day and see where faithfulness to my Lord takes me.

Spirit, lead me today to do the things You have for me to do today.  Plant seeds of spiritual faithfulness in me today that will mature and be ready to bear fruit when You call me to do something I am not capable of doing today. This is my pray, prayed in and through Jesus, my Lord. Amen.

 

---

Monday, March 4: Exodus 4- When God calls God gifts to complete the task .

But God I can’t…. I’m not good enough, strong enough, wise enough, smart enough. Every one of us has said something like this to God. We have this sense that the Lord wants us to do this, that or another thing and then we rationalize ourselves out of it. That is precisely what Moses tried to do.

Despite the burning bush and the fact that he was conversing with God Almighty, Moses tried to beg off God’s call to go and save the Israelites.

We enter the conversation toward the end. Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses … (10-14).

Moses is pushing God’s patience.  The Lord’s anger is beginning to simmer! What was Moses doing that angered God? Moses was acting as if God could not, would not, give Moses the abilities he needed to do what God was asking him to do!

At this point my meditations flashed across the centuries to me… and the Spirit began asking me about times I have done the same. Times I have said, “Go ahead, God, send someone else. Oh, I just can’t, I am not good enough… I don’t have enough time… I’d rather sit and watch a TV show… not me, God, not today…!”

When God calls God gifts to complete the task. I hear that loud and clear in my reading and meditations today.

I also hear the Spirit reminding me not to trifle with God. After all God is God, I am not! His word rules, not mine.

And so my morning went with God challenging me. Is He challenging you?

I surrender, Lord. I surrender. You are Lord and I submit to Your will. Send me, lead me, direct me… I am Yours. I will go. Amen.

 

---

Saturday, March 2: Exodus 3- Wow.

There are so many wows in this chapter. Even though I have read it many times before, what happens in this chapter still amazes me.

The whole burning bush that isn’t consumed is a big wow. And the detail with which the Lord tells Moses what’s going to happen is a wow.

But the wow that knocked my socks off this morning was Moses’ conversation with God. Take a moment to reread it. It is a conversation in every sense of the word. The dialogue, the back and forth, is illustrative of any conversation in which two people meet and connect for the first time. God calls to Moses in essence saying, “hi.”

Moses responds, “I’m over here.”

Then God introduces Himself and now comes a surprise twist, God says “Moses I have a job offer for you.”

After hearing the offer, Moses responds, “This is above my pay grade. I am not prepared for a job like this!”

To which God responds immediately, almost as if He anticipated Moses response, “Not so fast, I will be with You. You will go in My name.”

“Ok, suppose I take your job. Who do I tell people You are. I don’t even know Your name?” questions Moses.

“Fair enough,” replies God, “My name is I AM.”

The conversations continues for a few more moments…

My wow goes beyond the content to the relational nature of this conversation. Moses had a dialogue with God. I mean this could be a recruiter conversation taking place at a table in Starbucks… but Moses is having it with the God of the universe. This just blows my mind.

I have never had a running dialogue with the Lord like this. And yet this vignette fills me with awe and reminds me how intimately and personally God knows us. How closely I can connect with God and the Lord with me… my morning wow keep growing.

God knows us! God connects with us! God invites us to be part of His world salvation plan! These are all thoughts that are spinning as I meditate on this text.

I hope and pray God wows you as you spend time in His word today.

Lord I am in awe that You choose to connect with us, to speak to and with us, and to reveal Yourself to us. Wow. I am enveloped in awe of You Lord. Praise You. Amen.

 

 

Friday, March 1: Exodus 2- So many stopping points.

Narratives can provide so many stopping points for contemplation. Here are a few of the places I paused to ponder the ways of God and the message of the text.

I pondered the risks of a husband and wife who defied the law in the hopes of keeping their son alive. What mental anguish and wrestling did they endure to come to this point. I pondered families in China when it had a 1-child policy. I stretched my meditations to families with problem pregnancies and chromosomal issues who defy the logic of many today and birth the child rather than abort. Doing the right thing in the eyes of the Lord often comes with hard decisions and difficult life choices.

I pondered the family and wondered how they came up this the plan to save their baby. I think mom planned, as best she could, these events. I wondered about Moses’ sister, if she was the slave for Pharaoh’s daughter and what it meant to be a slave.

I wondered how God prompted the family to come up with this plan… I wondered about the behind the scenes work of the Holy Spirit, setting up the deliverance of Israel in the years to come. I know there is no formula for the working of the Spirit, but we can certainly work to remain sensitive to His leadings…

I wondered what possessed Moses to kill the Egyptian. He was a son of Pharaoh, he could have used his rank to stop the fighting… Why did he resort to murder?

I pondered how things we do in secret, when we think no one is looking, often come to light!!!

These are some of my ponderings today. Where did God take you?

Lord, thank You for the richness of Your word and for the life of Moses Your deliverer for Israel. Lead me today as You led his parents to be faithful to You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.