Tag: God

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study
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Based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d4

Read: Mark 15:16-39/SOAP: verse 39

A purple cloak…a crown of thorns…mocked with the salute…”Hail, king of the Jews!”…struck on the head with a staff…spit on…bowed down to (mockery of course)…and led away to a cross of shame, where more mockery followed as He hung on the cross …there was mocking accusations hurled against Him, some taunting: “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross!” Even the chief priests jabbed at Him with insults, saying: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!” The scene is painfully familiar and always difficult to read, especially when we recall that not long before He breathed His last breath, He had prayed in the garden, that this “cup might pass from Him.” Yet, seemingly in the same breath of time, He relinquished His desire for the will of the Father and died on a cross meant for sinners like you and me. He took our place so that we might live – and I find myself standing transfixed alongside the centurion at the foot of the cross, saying: “Truly this man was God’s Son!” And moved at His sacrifice, I hear myself cry out ~ Come, let us bow down and worship this One who left the splendor of Heaven for us. Let us praise the God who sent Him and raised Him up from the grave! Let us give thanks to them both for the gift of eternal life and for the gift of the Spirit in us, who empowers us to live until our work on earth is done.

…I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

JOHN 10:10

Friends, this is not a fable or a what-if imagination I have put to words. Nor is it a mistake. Jesus, the Christ, wasn’t in the wrong place at the wrong time. Neither was He forgotten by God, but rather, He carried out the mission of God, laying down His life for ours. There is no greater love than this.

No one has greater love than this–that one lays down his life for his friends.

John 15:13
The More We Know

For further reading, take a moment to read: Mark 14:32-50;15:-6-15 and 40-47

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

Faith Is The Victory

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d3

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:25-26 NET or NKJV

Today’s journey is best understood with a little bit of backstory for the context of Jesus’ statement. He didn’t just walk up to her and declare that He was the resurrection and the life; rather, He replied to her statement in the conversation they were having.

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already. 18 (Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 so many of the Jewish people of the region had come to Martha and Mary to console them over the loss of their brother.) 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant you.”

23 Jesus replied, “Your brother will come back to life again.” 24 Martha said, “I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day.”

John 11:17-24

Friends, even though Lazarus was physically dead and buried for four days, Jesus was able to call Him out of the grave. When I read this, I can not help but remember, similarly, we were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins, but God sent His Son to seek and save the lost, proclaiming the message: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” … and inviting the lost to believe in Him and be saved. Consider the sweetness of these truths. Whether our need is a physical one or a spiritual one, Jesus alone is ready and able to meet the need. As we see with Martha and Mary, faith is the key to victory. He calls us out of our sentence of death to a new life – not by works, or looks, or position in life – but by faith alone in Christ alone.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” 

– Galatians 2:20

As I read the words of Jesus to Martha and heard Him call Lazarus out of the grave, I couldn’t help but think of Paul’s words in Galatians 2:20. They are some of my favorite in all of Scripture, and through the years they have become my own declaration: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” There is powerful beauty in these words, and they bring me peace and strength. That same power and beauty echo in the words Jesus spoke to Martha, when He declared,” I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies” (Jn 11:25-26), and to Lazarus when He called him to come out of that grave. Friends, may we never forget that we were condemned sinners, we needed to be rescued, and God sent us a Savior, who not only rescued us from our deserved fate, but gave us new life and a relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

As today’s journal entry reminds us, whether it was a miracle of healing the sick, bringing sight to the blind, feeding thousands with food meant for one, or raising the dead to life – it is through these miracles that we are able to see that Jesus truly is the Son of God.1

You may be walking through a season where you feel forgotten or that God is not able to do the impossible. Whether it’s an illness, healing broken relationships, or providing means, never forget that God is more than able to help. Nothing is impossible for Him.2 ~Do you believe this?

  1. From the Beginning to Forever, p155 ↩︎
  2. From the Beginning to Forever, p155 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

Teachable Moments

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Based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d2

Read: Luke 9:12-27/SOAP; Luke 9:23-24

Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.

Luke 9:23-24 NET or NKJV

(For further reading: Matt. 5:1-20; Luke 9:10-11)

When my daughters went on mission trips with their youth group, their leader would gather the group together at the end of every day and ask them to share their highs and lows of the day. It was a good practice meant to teach them to look for and recount both the ways they had seen God in the day and the challenges that they had encountered. It became something we often emulated as a family, whether at school pick-up, the dinner table, or the end of the day. For me personally, it became something I tried to incorporate into my prayer time and/or journaling. I did it with my girls (and for myself) to try to capture the teachable moments of the day.

As I was reading today’s passage of our journey, From the Beginning to Forever, the notes I made in the columns of the journal became a fresh reminder of the high-low practice. On one side of the passage, I had listed out the challenges the disciples faced, such as:

  • They believed they couldn’t or didn’t have the means to care for the crowd that remained when the day of teaching began to draw to a close.
  • They based things on what they saw with their eyes and understood with their mind.

In contrast, on the other side of the passage, I had written the ways I saw Jesus respond/work, like:

  • In response to the disciples wanting to send the crowd away, even after hearing their reasoning, and undoubtedly being tired Himself, He said: “Feed them.”
  • I don’t know about you, but when I see Him at work, in the little things or the big, it is inspiration and hope and peace and strength to press on. So, it was also a high to see that He acted on what He knew was possible, for He knew the power of the Father and the power within Himself.
  • However, perhaps the biggest high of the passage for me was Jesus seizing this teachable moment, not turning away from the crowd’s need for food or from the disciples’ need to learn from Him. He knew that they would benefit from knowing and seeing His love and power in action, and obviously wanted them to understand/know that:
    • All things are possible with Him.
    • They should/could trust in the Father and ask Him for His help and provision.

Friends, the example Jesus set and the things He taught were “characterized by love, service, and humility.1” So even though the world we live in has made life about our own wants and preferences, Jesus presented a clear message to the crowd: if they truly wanted to follow Him, they would have to turn from the world’s way of living and their own desires. As true disciples and followers of Christ, our lives should not be a reflection of the world, but instead, a reflection of God and His ways. In other words, we should live and love like Jesus. In other words, we must live counter-culturally to the world. As today’s journal entry points out, this won’t be easy, but it will be worth it

As the author of Hebrews wrote, let’s encourage one another daily to this end, so that none of us may become hardened by sin and turn away from God~(Hebrews 3:13).

The More We Know

There were two big takeaways from this for me…

  1. Jesus didn’t desire “groupies.” He wanted those who were truly/fully sold out to the cause of His mission—to seek and save the lost by spreading the Gospel message in word and deed.
  2. Jesus had slipped away for quiet solitude, but the crowd found Him ~ and He welcomed them, and taught them about the kingdom of God and healed the sick. (Meaning, I need to be ready to serve and respond with a good attitude even when my “time” is interrupted by the needs of others.)
  1. From the Beginning to Forever,151 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

A Rescuer

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Based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w4d4

Read: 1 Kings 12:16-20 and Isaiah 53:1-9/ SOAP Isaiah 53:5

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

As we continue our journey from The Beginning to the End, this one statement bears repeating: from the beginning of time, God’s plans included a “Rescuer”. He is described in Genesis 3:15 as the One who will crush the head of Satan. Satan, of course, is the enemy (the serpent) who approached Eve in the garden, tempting her to disobey (sin) God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve knew the commandment, she repeated the commandment to the serpent, but she saw that the fruit was attractive and desirable for making one wise ~ and she ate it. From that time forward, ‘man’ has needed someone to rescue them…to save them from eternal separation from God. Because as Isaiah wrote, “Our sins have separated us from God.”1

“And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strikeb your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Genesis 3:15

If you are a human being, you needed rescuing. Jesus came to save you. He saves us from sin by forgiving our sins (Luke 19:10; Acts 10:42–43; 1 Timothy 1:15). He saves us from God’s righteous punishment by justifying us with His blood (Romans 5:9). He saves us from death by giving us eternal life. He saves us from the degradation of the world by separating, empowering, and sanctifying us (Titus 3:3–8). He saves us from the devil, who deceives the world (1 John 3:8). For all these reasons and more, Jesus is rightfully worshiped as the Savior of the world (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14).

gotquestions.org/What does it mean that Jesus is the Savior?

Salvation is more than just a one-and-done ‘religious experience’ you check off a list and move on. Friends, true salvation is the beginning of a life-giving/eternity-long relationship with the one true, Triune God (Father, Spirit, and Son). The Father gave the Son, the Son gave His life to rescue/save us, and the Spirit fills us with life and power to participate in the Divine Nature.

In most superhero movies, the hero must intervene in a dangerous situation to rescue a powerless victim. At the end, the victim might exclaim, with all the force of a well-worn cliché, “You’re my hero!” In this moment, the grateful person is acknowledging that the hero has, potentially with great sacrifice, rescued him or her from mortal danger. Christians mean much the same thing when they refer to Jesus as the Savior, but on a much grander scale. In the Bible, the word Savior simply means “someone who saves someone else.” In the Old Testament, God is frequently referred to as the Savior, rescuing His people from all kinds of danger (Deuteronomy 32:15; 1 Chronicles 16:35; Psalm 18:46; 38:22). What does Jesus rescue us from? And what does He rescue us for?

To understand Jesus’ role as Savior, we must understand our own desperate situation. Humans have sinned against God, rebelling, and voluntarily separating themselves from the God of life (Romans 3:23; 5:12). Sin produces death, and so everything in our world is now dying (Romans 6:23; James 1:15). Because God is holy, He will punish sin, leading to eternal separation from Him (Matthew 10:28). Without Jesus, humans are helplessly enslaved by sin and cannot ever achieve holiness on their own (Romans 3:9–20). We were born on a one-way track to hell, rightly condemned for our sin (Ephesians 2:1–3).

Read the full answer here: https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-is-the-Savior.html

I love this analogy, Jesus is my ‘super-hero’! For He has saved me from my sins and the death they deserved! He has rescued me from so many pits, wrong turns, the power of hell, the deception of the enemy, the desires of the sinful nature… the list is long, but the evidence is sure and certain and liberating, for I have been set free from the chains of sin and death and from the condemnation that sin brings.

He’s My Rescuer is one of my favorite songs by Rend Collective, and I couldn’t help but think of it as I was writing out my thoughts on today’s journey.

[Verse 1]
There is good news for the captive, good news for the shamed
There is good news for the one who walked away
There is good news for the doubter, the one religion failed
For the Good Lord has come to seek and save

[Chorus]
He’s our rescuer (Hey!)
He’s our rescuer (Hey!)
We are free from sin forevermore
Oh how sweet the sound (Hey!)
Oh how grace abounds (Hey!)
We will praise the Lord our rescuer

[Verse 2]
He is beauty for the blind man, riches for the poor
He is friendship for the one the world ignores
He is pasture for the weary, rest for those who strive
For the Good Lord is the way, the truth, the life
Yes the Good Lord is the way, the truth, the life

The More We Know

  1. Isaiah 59:2 ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, LGG Study

So Much More Than A House

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Based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever, w4d2

Read: 2 Samuel 7:1-17 and SOAP verse 16; (For Further Reading: 2 Samuel 7:18-29)

The Lord’s Covenant Promise to David

7 When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, 2 the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!”

3 Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”

4 But that same night the Lord said to Nathan,

5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? 6 I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. 7 Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’

8 “Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! 10 And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, 11 starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! 12 For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. 13 He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. 15 But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. 16 Your house and your kingdom will continue before me[b] for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

17 So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.

David’s Prayer of Thanks

18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed,

“Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

2 Samuel 7:1-17

When we “first” read this passage, we may be surprised, wonder why, or even be appalled that God would refuse David this gesture of love and devotion. However, these words of explanation by Charles Spurgeon and others are helpful – even to those well acquainted with the Scriptures.

  • “Though the Lord refused to grant David the realization of his wish, he did it in a most gracious manner. He did not put the idea away from him in anger or disdain, as though David had cherished an unworthy desire; but he honored his servant even in the non-acceptance of his offer.” (Spurgeon)
  • God said “No” to David’s offer because David was a man of war, and God wanted a man of peace to build His temple. 1 Chronicles 22:8-10 explains this: But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight…. a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest…. He shall build a house for My name.
    • The explanation to David recorded in 1 Chronicles 22:8 came years afterward. We can surmise that for many years, David did not know the exact reason why God didn’t want him to build the temple. “It would have wounded David needlessly to have been told this at the time…. Meanwhile, David possessed his soul in patience, and said to himself, ‘God has a reason; I cannot understand it, but it is well.’” (Meyer). https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-Samuel-7/

The bottom line is that while David’s desire and reasoning were beautiful proof of David’s heart for God, God declares that it will be the other way around; God would build a house for David, one that would ultimately be the throne of Jesus, the Eternal King. As one commentator points out, “This was a greater promise than David’s offer to God because David’s ‘house’ (dynasty) would last longer and be more glorious than the temple David wanted to build.” (David Guzik)

A Branch from David’s Line

 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
    yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:1-2

This promise from God to David is known as the “Davidic Covenant”, and it is so much bigger than God building David a ‘house’. It’s more than David’s son building God a house. Friends, this is about the promise of an eternal kingdom, one that would know no end! The ‘house’ God is promising David will include the Messiah, Jesus, God’s own Son. As we have seen thus far in our journey, from Genesis to Exodus to Samuel … and, as seen in the following passages, eventually to the New Testament God was sending a Rescuer. “The Rescuer would be a descendant of Abraham, an Israelite from the line of Judah (Genesis 49:10), and now from David’s family line. God’s rescue mission was still at work, and God was continuing to reveal more and more of who the Savior would be.”1

Jesse had at least eight sons (II Samuel 16:10-11), the youngest of which was David. God chose the line of this young shepherd boy to reign over Israel and ultimately to produce the King of kings: “‘Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, ‘that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth'” (Jeremiah 23:5; see Isaiah 9:6-7).

Both of Jesus‘ human parents were of the line of David (Matthew 1:1, 6; Luke 3:31), and it was well known during His ministry that Jesus was a “son of David” (Matthew 9:27; 15:22; 21:9; etc.). Before His conception, Gabriel tells Mary, “The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David” (Luke 1:32). Paul reminds Timothy of what this means to Christians: “Jesus, the seed of David, was raised from the dead. . . . This is a faithful saying: ‘For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him'” (II Timothy 2:8, 11-12).

“Though David was far from perfect (2 Samuel 11-12; Psalm 51), one would come who would be perfect in every way. He would be the King of Kings and lord of Lords, and He will one day rule forever as the eternal King.”2

The More We Know

David learned that God didn’t want him to build the temple, but David didn’t respond by doing nothing. According to 1 Chronicles 29:2-9, David gathered all the materials for building the temple so that Solomon could build a glorious house for God.

i. “If you cannot have what you hoped, do not sit down in despair and allow the energies of your life to run to waste; but arise, and gird yourself to help others to achieve. If you may not build, you may gather materials for him that shall. If you may not go down the mine, you can hold the ropes.” (Meyer)

https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-Samuel-7/

What is the Davidic covenant?

  1. From the Beginning to Forever, p125 ↩︎
  2. From the Beginning to Forever, p125 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

A Surrendered Heart

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w4d1

Read: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 and Soap verse 7; For Further Reading: 1 Samuel 8:4-9

Do you have a “Saul” who or that you are mourning? What I mean is, is there a person, place, or thing – or perhaps a dream or hope that hasn’t happened or was taken away- holding you captive or back from moving on? Scripture reveals to us that Samuel did. Verse 35 of 1 Samuel 15 tells the story of Saul’s disobedience to God, and how, “Until the day he died, Samuel did not see Saul again. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul, but the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.”

Until the day he died, Samuel did not see Saul again. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul, but the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

1 Samuel 15:35

If you’ve never watched or prayed and waited with parents mourning their child’s decision to turn away from God, it is hard to understand the devastation and personal responsibility they feel and the sorrow it induces. It is an awful thing that either drives them to despair and/or to their knees. Much as a parent mourns their child wandering away from God’s path, Samuel mourned for Saul’s persistent disobedience and ultimately God’s rejection of him as king. On top of that, Samuel had devoted time and service to Saul and the calling on his life, so understandably, Saul’s failure and the Lord’s rejection of him were likely a personal disappointment and defeat for Samuel as well, possibly believing that he had failed Saul. Thus, the Lord’s question and command to Samuel that we find in our journey today:

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your horn with olive oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem, for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.”

1 Samuel 16:1 NET (KJV Version)

Having had time to mourn, God was now calling Samuel to stop mourning and “go” to the one He had selected as king in Saul’s place. Fear was Samuel’s next obstacle, as he was concerned that if he did as the Lord asked, Saul would hear about it and kill him. The Lord answered his concern, and Samuel did as the Lord told him. God’s assurance moved Samuel past his mourning and fear to obedience to God’s calling. From that obedience, Samuel meets Jesse and his sons, including David, who would one day be the successor of Saul, and the ‘root’ from which Jesus, our Rescuer, would come. Samuel assessed the brothers, beginning with Eliab, the oldest, and continuing through to the youngest. Ultimately, he chose David, the shepherd boy, the one whom God had told him to anoint, rather than the oldest, who looked more like a king. Why? Because Samuel had listened to God, who looks at the heart rather than appearance

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7

As today’s journal entry by LGG reminds us, Saul looked the part on the outside, but outward appearances don’t always match what’s on the inside. Saul was more concerned with what people thought of him than with pleasing God, so God chose a different king, a young shepherd boy named David. David was anything but kingly according to his outward appearance. But he had something that Saul did not, a heart that wanted to live for God. So God raised David to be the greatest earthly King of Israel, not because David was perfect, but because he was surrendered to God.1

Friends, if you are stuck in a place of mourning or regret, fear or disobedience, disappointment, or waiting… let me ask you – “How long do you continue to stay there?” Samuel was led to David, the true and future King of Israel when he left his mourning behind and followed where God led him. Let’s ask God to search our hearts, know our thoughts, and reveal anything holding us back from His mission/desire for us. Let’s humbly and faithfully surrender to Him daily, choosing His way over our own. 💜 🙌

The More We Know

Do you know the One who looks at the heart? If not, I invite you to check out the “Know These Truths” link below:

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/
  1. From the Beginning to Forever, Love God Greatly Journal, p 121 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

Listen and Obey

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Based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w3d4

Read: Ex 20:1-21 and Deuteronomy 6:4-15; SOAP Deuteronomy 6:5

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed, and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Read More

Deuteronomy 6:4-15

“When the Israelites had crossed through the Red Sea, God gave them rules by which to live. This is known as the law. The law was meant to reveal the people’s sin and show their need for God’s grace. It was also meant to show them what a holy life looks like.”

From the Beginning to Forever/p107

These rules and this message are specifically to the people of God. A message that emphasized the importance of God’s people loving Him. It wouldn’t be an easy command to keep because it wasn’t simply a feel-good type of love. For Israel, God’s children, this love required every part of them ~all of their mind, all of their being, and all of their strength. They were not only to obey the commandment to love like God with their whole being, but they were also not to forget the commandment. Again, not as easy as it may sound because they weren’t just to obey the commandment(s), but they were to “keep them in mind, teach them to their children, speak of them (verse 6) all throughout the day and evening. They were to be written down and put in places where they would be seen and remembered easily.

God knew that the people could never fully uphold the law. This is why they needed a Rescuer.

From the Beginning to Forever/p107

So, why were these words of instruction so important? Why is there a mandate to remember them, talk about them, and teach them to the children? The answer is found, at least in part, in Deuteronomy 6:12-15 – where we read: be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 13 You must fear the Lord your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name. 14 “You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations, 15 for the Lord your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth. However, David also addresses the purpose/benefit of remembering the commandment(s) when he wrote: “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)

Obedience isn’t always easy. My grandson experienced that at preschool today when he ended up in time-out more than a time or two. For a three-year-old, he is typically a very well-behaved, kind, and respectful little boy (and, for the record, I would say that even if I weren’t his Oma ☺). You see, it wasn’t that he didn’t know how to obey; it was that he got caught up in what he saw or wanted to do, and he forgot the importance of remembering, listening, and obeying.

Friends, let’s ask God to help us keep His Word in mind, to teach His Word(s) to our children, speak of them (verse 6) all throughout the day and evening. Let’s write them down and put them in places where they will be seen and remembered easily. Let’s be ‘all-in’ in our relationship with God, making every effort to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength.

You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. ~ Hebrews 3:13

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

The Power of the Blood

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based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w3d2

Read: Ex 12:1-13; SOAP: Ex 12:13 / (for further reading Ex. 7:1-7)

The First Passover

12 While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the Lord gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: 2 “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. 3 Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. 4 If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat. 5 The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects.

6 “Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. 7 They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. 8 That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal—including the head, legs, and internal organs—must be roasted over a fire. 10 Do not leave any of it until the next morning. Burn whatever is not eaten before morning.

11 “These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the Lord’s Passover. 12 On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord! 13 But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Exodus 12:1-15

Praise God, this side of the cross, we do not have to literally paint blood over the door frames of our home. We do not have to find a spotless lamb and go through all of the steps required of our ancestors. Why? Because our lamb was provided by God from Heaven, He gave His life on a sinner’s cross that was meant for us, and now He dwells in us through the Spirit we received from God. Jesus Christ is the spotless Lamb who takes away the sins of the world1, and His righteousness has been placed on all who have, by faith, believed in Him, the risen Lamb of God! It is by His blood and righteousness that the wrath of God passes over us.2

Friends, are you covered with the soul cleansing blood of the Passover Lamb? Are your garments spotless, are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb?

The More We Know

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet. 2 Tell Aaron everything I command you, and Aaron must command Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country. 3 But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 Even then Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will bring down my fist on Egypt. Then I will rescue my forces—my people, the Israelites—from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment. 5 When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”

6 So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them. 7 Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three when they made their demands to Pharaoh.

Exodus 7:1-7

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Friend, if you have never put your faith in Jesus, you are in danger, for only those who are covered in the blood of the lamb will be spared from the wrath of God. I would love to introduce you to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Please visit the Know These Truths link below to learn more about the Lamb of God, whose blood can save your soul.

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

Taking a Closer Look

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Based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever.w3d1

Read: Exodus 3:1-14; SOAP: verse 14 (for further reading/Ex 2:1-15)

Moses and the Burning Bush

3 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. 3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”

4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

“Here I am!” Moses replied.

5 “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. 9 Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”

13 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”

14 God replied to Moses, “I am who I am. Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.”

Exodus 3:1-14

For Moses, it was a burning bush and the angel of the LORD … for me, it was a quiet hospital room and my Bible in 1989 after the birth of my first daughter. As I waited for the nurse to bring my. daughter back to the room, I reached for my Bible and began to read. I cannot tell you exactly how I ended up at this particular passage, for God had led me through passage after passage from the Old Testament to the New. Each verse led me to another and then to this passage in Psalm 95:

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.

3 For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
7 for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.

Today, if only you would hear his voice,
8 “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,
    as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness…

Psalm 95:1-8

It was not the audible voice of God or an angel that I heard, but I know He was in that room with me, and He was the one who led me. He had actually been leading me for months through circumstances, family, and friends out of the wilderness where I had been wandering for years. However, I had not stopped to turn aside to really look and listen, as Moses did, until now. So, as I waited for my daughter, I wept over the sins of those nine years in the wilderness, those choices that had led me further and further away from my God. It was clear that my loyalties had become divided between God and the world – but in His faithfulness, He pursued me. During my pregnancy, we lived with my mom and dad while we built our new home. During that time, he brought new people into my life, people who were sold out to God and who awakened my heart, mind, and soul, and renewed a thirst for Him; and in turn, a conviction of my sins and the need to make a change.

Now, in the quiet of the hospital room, it was as though time stood still, and I turned and looked and listened to His still small voice from the pages of His Word. “Do not harden your hearts as you have been doing…” Instead, He called me to sing for joy to the Lord, to shout aloud to the Rock of my salvation, to come before him with thanksgiving, and extol him with music and song. He reminded me that He is the Lord, the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. I was to come and bow down in worship, l was to kneel before the Lord my Maker; for (as He reminded me) He is my God and I am His… and then the warning/if not a plea ~ that changed everything for me: “Today, if only you would hear My voice, “Do not harden your heart as you have been doing ~in the wilderness…”

Friends, Moses could have simply looked at the burning bush and thought to himself, “What an amazing sight,” and then gone about his business, wondering why the bush did not burn up. Instead, he “turned aside to see the amazing sight.” Scripture tells us, “God saw that Moses turned aside to look, and called to Him from within the bush…” Is God trying to get your attention? What or who is He using? Do not just ‘notice Him‘, but make yourself turn aside to look, listen, and then respond to Him. His message may not lead you out of a wilderness or into a ‘battle with Pharaoh’, but His message will always be important and always lead us where He wants us to ‘go’. Moses looked, stopped, listened, and responded to God’s call – and because He did, the people of God, the ancestors of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (now a great nation), were set free from their oppressors, their suffering, and their sorrows.

God, Your Word is living and active. It is able to judge the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts; it is able to convict and to guide us by its light. Please help us to live by it, to search it out, to listen to it, and respond in obedience. Help us to be ready with an answer for the hope that is in us, that Hope that comes from knowing You, the Great I Am, and Your Son, the risen One, and His Spirit in us. Thank You that You are the same God today as You were in the days of Moses. Thank You that you still hear, see, know, and care about Your children. Help us to faithfully follow where You lead. ~

The More We Know

Check out the interwoven tapestry of God, beautifully laid out in today’s journal and throughout Scripture:

“Exodus 1:8 tells us that four hundred years after the death of Joseph, the new king of Egypt did not know about him. God kept His promise to Abraham, and the people of Israel grew greatly in number. The new Pharaoh grew scared of the Israelites and forced them into slavery.”1

“But God was in control. He would miraculously save Moses2 from the plot to kill all the Jewish boys,3 and God would place Moses in Pharaoh’s house to be raised by his daughter.”4 5

“In Hebrew, ‘I AM’ translates to ‘Yahweh’. This name is indicative of the totality of God’s character. God is. He is without beginning and end. He is holy, just, loving, gracious, sovereign, powerful, and good.”6

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

He Kept His Eyes Up

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Based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w2d5

Read: Genesis 37:9-11,23-24 and 50:15-21; SOAP: 50:20

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20

“Joseph was saying, ‘You could have tried everything, but it would still not have worked because God is faithful.’”

LGG BLOG/FRIDAY, OCT 10, 20251

Joseph kept his eyes “up” – past the people and the circumstances of his life. This isn’t an easy task; it takes discipline, and Joseph had it. From his dreams to the pit his brothers left him in, being sold as a slave to Potiphar, falsely accused of attempted rape, imprisoned by Potiphar, forgotten by those in the king’s household who pledged to help him, and eventually reunited with the brothers who had left him for dead, Joseph kept his eyes on God, and it affected all that he did and said.

This isn’t to say that the betrayal by his brothers, the false accusations by Potiphar’s wife, being left in prison, or even seeing his brothers again was easy. Yet what he says here to his brothers…is a good indicator that he had seen God’s hand at work in his life all along the way.

Scripture tells us that Joseph excelled at his duties…became one of Potiphar’s most trusted servants…and was put in charge of his household. Even Potiphar could see that, whatever Joseph did, God looked favorably on him and he prospered in all that he did. When Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph, he fled from her, leaving his cloak behind, and was then accused of attempting to rape her, and he was put in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. It was actually his time in prison that allowed him the opportunity to interpret Pharaoh’s dream and find favor in his eyes, which positioned him right where he needed to be to save his family when the famine hit.

Based on Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph predicted seven years of bountiful harvests followed by seven years of severe famine in Egypt and advised the king to begin storing grain in preparation for the coming dearth (Genesis 41:1–37). For his wisdom, Joseph was made a ruler in Egypt, second only to the king. Joseph was in charge of storing up food during the years of plenty and selling it to Egyptians and foreigners during the years of famine (Genesis 41:38–57). During these years of plenty Joseph had two sons—Manasseh and Ephraim (Genesis 41:50–52).

gotquestions.org

Of course, this is the abbreviated version of Joseph’s story, but I think most would agree that even in its abbreviated form, it is quite a testimony to the sovereign and intimate workings of God in Joseph’s life. Which is undoubtedly the reason Joseph was able to say to his brothers: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.“

Oh, friends, may we keep our eyes on the Lord our God. May we not lose sight of what He has done and is doing in, for, and around us. May He be the one that we love and trust above all others, so that others see that it is God at work in our lives. May we keep our eyes up on the Him, so that neither the past nor the present nor the future shake us. Whether we are facing plenty or want, may our hope still burn through the dead of the night. May we keep our eyes on the One who has overcome the great enemy of this world, and may we never forget all the battles He’s won and that the work that He has finished cannot be undone. May we join the song of Heaven and sing: “Holy holy, holy is the Lord!

Keep Your Eyes Up

[Verse 1]
I look to You, not the left or the right
You are my vision, You are the prize
I’m grounded in love, my fear’s taking flight
And hope is still burning through the dead of the night

[Chorus]
I keep my eyes up, I keep my eyes up
I keep my eyes up, I keep my eyes up (
To the One that I love, the One that I trust, Jesus
I keep my eyes up, I keep my eyes up

[Verse 2]
Your eyes full of fire, Your face like the sun
Your robe fills the temple from all the battles You’ve won
And there’s nothing to fear ’cause You’ve overcome
The work that You finished cannot be undone

[Chorus]
I keep my eyes up, I keep my eyes up (Yes, I do, yeah)
I keep my eyes up, I keep my eyes up (Oh, yeah)
To the One that I love, the One that I trust, Jesus
I keep my eyes up, I keep my eyes up

[Bridge]
And when the whole Earth is shaking
Heaven keeps singing
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord
And when the whole Earth is shaking
Oh, Heaven keeps singing
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord
Yes, I will sing holy, holy, holy is the Lord

[Chorus]
I keep my eyes up, I keep my eyes up (Yes, I do, yeah)
I keep my eyes up, I keep my eyes up (Oh, yeah)
To the One that I love, the One that I trust, Jesus
I keep my eyes up, I keep my eyes up (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
I keep my eyes up, I keep my eyes up (Yes, I do, yeah)
I keep my eyes up, I keep my eyes up (Oh, yeah)
To the One that I love, to the One that I trust, Jesus
I keep my eyes up, I keep my eyes up

(Keep My Eyes Up/Ryan Ellis)2
The More We Know

Do you know the God of Joseph? Let me introduce you to Him~

https://mefromthensideout.wordpress.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/

For more insight into today’s journey, be sure and read today’s LGG Blog Post