Tag: Moses

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, She, Volume 2

Pharaoh’s Daughter

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Adapted from, She, Volume 2/pp 57-58

Read: Exodus 2

“She had a Specific Task, for which the LORD had a Great Purpose.”

RECAP: During the Hebrews’ period of enslavement in Egypt, Pharaoh decreed that all male Hebrew babies should be killed (Exodus 1:15–16). When that plan did not work, he issued another decree to throw all Hebrew baby boys into the river (Exodus 1:22—2:4). A mother named Jochebed, however, kept her baby son hidden for three months. “But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile” (Exodus 2:3). The baby’s name was Moses, and his mother’s faith and courage in saving her son would be pivotal in shaping world history.

Today, we explore another woman who was pivotal in the story of baby Moses. We only know her as the daughter of Pharaoh, ironically, the same Pharaoh who issued the decree to throw all Hebrew baby boys into the river. While we do not learn much about her in this passage of Exodus, we do know that she was a princess. We also know that God used her for a specific task and a great purpose. Ironically, that purpose was to rescue baby Moses from the Nile.

As explained by Bibleref.com: “The daughter of Pharaoh’s identity is uncertain, though there are possible candidates to fit this description. One is Hatshepsut, daughter of Thutmose I. She would have been the appropriate age at the time of Moses’ birth. Her historical account also portrays her as a kind princess who could fit the description found in this biblical passage. Another possibility is Sobekneferu, the daughter of Amenemhat III. Amenemhat had no surviving sons, and Sobekneferu had no children, making her more likely to adopt a child. Whoever this daughter was, her attitude is clearly much different than her father’s”, who, as previously mentioned “commanded all infant sons to be thrown into the Nile River to die.”

Bibleref.com goes on to explain that “This royal woman comes to the Nile to bathe, a common practice in her time. Her servant girls would have been present. Moses’ mother also likely knew the location. She probably placed Moses there in hopes he would be cared for by this woman or one of the other women who bathed there. Though this verse says Pharaoh’s daughter “saw the basket” and had a servant get it, her very first notice might have been hearing him cry (Exodus 2:6).” And this is where we learn of her compassion.

“And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river, and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maids to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child and behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, ‘This is one of the Hebrews’ children.’”

Exodus 2:5-6

It is worth noting again the irony of the story that unfolds here. Moses’ mother, in order to somehow protect her son from the edict Pharaoh had given, places him in a basket, prepared for the water, and leaves her daughter to watch and see what happens to him. Pharaoh’s daughter spots the basket, has her maids bring it to her, and despite her father’s edict, she has compassion on the child when he cries. Her compassion results in her adopting Moses; this presented an immediate need to provide a means for him to be fed and cared for in the early years. Of course, God had perfectly orchestrated everything. Miriam(the sister of Moses), who had been planted there by her mother, speaks up, offering to get a Hebrew nursemaid for Pharaoh’s daughter, who sends her to do so, which resulted in Moses’ own mother, was blessed by God to not only nurse and care for her son during those early years, but was also paid to do so.

“And the child grew and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, and she said, ‘Because I drew him out of the water.’”

Exodus 2:10

As our study guide for today points out, “God saw the plan for Moses long before he was placed in the ark of bulrushes.” He also chose who would find him, who would nurse him, and who would be his adopted mother. (It should be noted that while some would say Pharaoh’s daughter converted to Judaism and is numbered among God’s children, there is no Scripture that I could find that makes that clear.)

SHE WAS USED BY THE LORD TO PRESERVE & PROTECT THE LIFE OF MOSES.

SHE VOLUME 2, P58

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, She, Volume 2

Jochebed and Miriam

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Adapted from She, Volume 2, pp 35-36

Read: Exodus 2

Jochebed, was the mother of Moses, Miriam, and Aaron. She had Moses during the days when Pharaoh had given an order to throw all Hebrew baby boys into the Nile River. (Exodus 1:15–16).  She was a devoted and godly mother who found a way to protect her son (Ex 1:17-19 and 2:3) from Pharaoh’s order (Ex.1:6-18). As bibleref.com points out, “Ironically, this very command from Pharaoh will frame the life of the man who eventually leads Israel out of slavery. She was a devoted and godly mother, trusting God to protect her son.

“She carefully prepared an ark of bulrushes, covered it with slime and pitch, and placed him inside.”

She Volume 2, p35

As with Hannah and Samuel (1 Samuel 1 and 2), when Jochebed we can only imagine how difficult it was to place her son into the basket – and then into the water. She actually found it so difficult that she couldn’t bear to leave him unattended, but the Bible says her daughter Miriam is there to watch over Moses. so they would know what happened to him.1

Jochebed refused to leave Moses unattended.

Miriam (yet another woman of the Bible – bonus addition to our journey), was used in the plot to save Moses from certain death. She watches over her baby brother, Moses, among the bulrushes on the banks of the Nile. Their mother had hidden Moses in a basket on the riverbank to protect him from Pharaoh’s decree to throw all Hebrew baby boys into the river (Exodus 1:22—2:4). Oddly enough, (or perhaps – perfect as planned) as Miriam watches, it is Pharaoh’s daughter who discovers and pities Moses. Miriam quickly intervenes to ask if the Egyptian princess would like a Hebrew woman to nurse the child for her. The princess agrees, and Miriam quickly gets her mother, Jochebed. Not knowing that Jochebed was Moses’ mother, Pharaoh’s daughter commands her to nurse him and bring him back to her when he is older. By the sovereign grace of God, Moses’ was saved from the waters and Jochebed was not only able to nurse and care for him in the early years of his life, but she was also paid for it (Exodus 2:5–10).

“Jochebed (and Miriam) serve as examples that God can use the most unique situations to protect His children and His plan for their lives.”  She, Volume 2, p36

When Jochebed placed Moses in the river that day, she had faith that he would not only survive, but also thrive.

She, Volume 2, p36
Reflection and Application:
  • What have you placed in your basket in faith that God would intervene?

Posted in Bible study, Journey Through The Word, She, Volume 1

Lydia, part 2

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Adapted from the study ‘She, volume 1, p 27-28

Read: Acts 16:11- 40

She is the first recorded convert in Europe

Our previous day’s journey focused on Lydia and how the Gospel she heard from Paul changed her life. Her life was no longer about a religion or religious acts – instead, it was now about a relationship with God, made possible through the grace of God and the saving work of Jesus Christ, His Son. This change in Lydia’s heart is a prime example that “there is”, as the study guide puts it, “a difference in knowing something, and actually believing, or placing your faith in it” (p 26).

After her heart was opened, she placed her faith in Jesus and never looked back. Scripture tells us that she (and her household)* were baptized … she then provided housing for Paul and those with him on more than one occasion. One commentary describes her as one who is “generous and passes on that generous spirit to the church that started in her home (Phil 4:15-16).

And as you Philippians know, at the beginning of my gospel ministry, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in this matter of giving and receiving except you alone. 16 For even in Thessalonica on more than one occasion you sent something for my need.

Philippians 4:15-16

While Lydia’s name doesn’t appear often in Scripture, it is easy to see – from her salvation (believed to be the first in Europe)…to her public profession of faith through baptism…to her willingness to house Paul and the others…to opening her home so others could hear the message and grow in their faith…to laboring with Paul and others in spreading the Gospel … and using her income to help missionaries whom she often hosted in her home – why it is believed that “she had a great impact on the church.”

“She had a great impact on the church.”

She Volume 1, p 27

Lydia was not bashful but bold with her faith. As the writers of our study guide point out, “She must have told all that were in her household what the Lord had done for her” – for they were baptized with her. Lydia was so excited and passionate about her faith that she had to share it with those around her. What a beautiful picture she is of “the effects the Gospel can have on our lives.” Surely she is an inspiration to be active and open in our walk of faith, generous and purposeful in ministry, and ready and willing to share the Gospel, mindful that the person seated beside you week after week in church may need to hear the Gospel message of salvation.

Words of Encouragement: For Faith and Duty

Sharing the Gospel does not come easily for everyone. From our personalities to our understanding of the Gospel, and everything in between, there are many reasons or excuses we allow to hold us back. Perhaps we’re afraid we will say the wrong thing or offend someone – there are a myriad of other reasons we can offer, but there is one reason that should outweigh all of the reasons/excuses we can think of – and it is found in John 3:36: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. Simply put, it is a choice between life and death. Trust me, I’m not making light of the ‘difficulty’ we have with this all-important commission. I still freeze up sometimes, and/or I make excuses that it’s not the right setting or timing … or I can’t remember what to say … and sometimes those things may be true, but I have found that if I just open my mouth – God will lead the way and the conversation. Sometimes it ends up being an invitation to church; other times it is putting the Gospel information in their hands; still others, it is actually sharing the Gospel, as Paul did with Lydia – and even then the outcome isn’t on us … for only God can open someone’s heart and mind to understand the message of salvation.

Consider this … When Moses was sent by God to speak with Pharaoh, Moses told God: “Please, Lord, I am not a man of words, neither formerly nor since you’ve been speaking to your servant, because my mouth and my tongue are clumsy.”  God heard Moses’ response and replied back: And Yahweh said to him: “Who made man’s mouth? Who makes him dumb or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now, go! And I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you shall speak.” Exodus 4:10-12

Friends, the battle belongs to the Lord! Just as God came down and spoke to Moses – leading Him to set His people free from slavery to Pharaoh – Jesus came down to set sinners free from their bondage to the law of sin and death. Like Moses, we have been commissioned to be the mouthpieces and the lights that lead them out – the hands and feet of Jesus, His love (the very message of the Gospel) in and to a lost and dying world.

Reflection/Application

What does Lydia inspire you to do? – share your answer, question, or comment in the comment section below – or jump over to my Journey Through the Word page

The More We Know

Need help sharing the Gospel? Check out this step-by-step plan of salvation from my church’s website. You can also message me for something to share with those who may need to hear the Gospel message.

Who Made Man’s Mouth?

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From Broken to Restored, From the Insideout, Joshua, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

The Secret to Success

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Based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w3d5

Read: Joshua 1:1-9 (soap vs 7); 2:1-5 (For further reading: Josh 2:6-24 and Josh 6

After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. 3 I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— 4 from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:1-9

We are traveling through some sad but exciting territory today, but rest assured, God was not surprised by any of the events. He knew the day and the hour of Moses’ death, and He knew and had been preparing Joshua to lead His people. From the death of Moses to Joshua receiving God’s call to lead Israel across the Jordan River into the promised land. The call of Joshua came with a promise that just as He had been with Moses, God would now be with Joshua. No one would be able to stand against him as long as he lived, because God would not fail him or abandon him.

With this promise comes instructions that read like a secret to success.

  • Be strong and courageous.
  • Be careful to obey all of the instructions Moses gave you.
  • Do not turn away from them.
    • Then you will be successful in everything you do.
  • Study the Book of Instruction continually.
  • Meditate on the book, day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it.
    • Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

Following Moses’ death and Joshua’s call to lead, I encourage you to journey a little further in the story. It is here you will find the two men that Joshua sent in to spy out the land that they were to enter. This is also the story of Rahab the prostitute, one of the most beautiful stories in the BIble, a story of faith and salvation, a story of love and God’s faithful provision and miraculous victory for His people as we travel just a little further and watch as the walls of Jericho fall – giving Israel entrance into the city.

God may be calling you to something that seems impossible. Know that nothing is impossible with God. He is at work in all the details and will be with you through it all. You only need to trust Him.

From the Beginning to Forever/journal p111
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

Dry Ground

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Based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w3d3

Read: Ex 14:19-31; SOAP: Ex 12:13 / (for further reading Ex 12:33-37; Ex 14:5-18)

Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. 20 The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night.

21 Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. 22 So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!

23 Then the Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers—chased them into the middle of the sea. 24 But just before dawn the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion. 25 He twisted[a] their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. “Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!”

26 When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.” 27 So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived.

29 But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides. 30 That is how the Lord rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore. 31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Exodus 14:19-31

As I read through this the first time, all I could think about was how the Israelites must have felt. The amazement at the dry ground…fear at the walls of water on their right and left…and undoubtedly at the army of Egyptians that pursued them. Then I read through it again and found myself jotting down phrases and verses that flooded my thoughts.

“If God is for us, who can stand against us?”

“Lean not on your own understandings.”

“Nothing is impossible for God!”

Trusting in God is essential to following Him wherever He leads. 🦋

We must always be ready to walk by faith and not by sight.

“Even the wind and seas obey Him.”

Listen and obey ~ right away, all the way, and in a cheerful way.

God is all-powerful! When we see this, we will fear (respect Him) and believe in His greatness and in those He places over us.

“My God is so big, so strong, and so mighty there’s nothing my God cannot do!”

Was it amazement or awe, fear or excitement, was adrenaline pushing them forward, or caution holding them back? Whatever they were feeling, Moses had stretched out his hand toward the sea, and the LORD had driven the sea apart by a strong east wind all that night, and He made the sea into dry land. The water was divided, and God’s people were delivered through the waters and saw that their pursuers were dead. Scripture records that they saw the great power that the LORD had exercised over the Egyptians; they feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses.

Friends, as today’s journal entry so beautifully puts it: “When we come to a crossroads in life, when it seems as if there’s no other option but defeat, lean on the power of God. Our job, like the Israelites’, is to be still, lay all our problems before the Almighty One, and wait for His deliverance. It will come, in His good time.”

From the Beginning to Forever/journal p103
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, From Broken to Restored, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time
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based on the LGG Study, From Broken to Restored /w5d5

Scripture: Nehemiah 13:1-3; Numbers 22:1-14; Ruth 1:16-17 / SOAP: 2 Tim 3:16-17

Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

I love this passage from 2 Timothy. If you or anyone else you know ever wants to know why reading the Bible is so important – here’s the answer. It is inspired by God for the purpose of empowering and equipping those who are dedicated to God for “every good work”. Paul breaks it down to Timothy like this, God’s Word is able to …

  • teach us right from wrong
  • reproof, which basically means to rebuke or scold
  • correct us, to help turn one back to the right way – and to
  • train God’s people to not just do what is right but to live righteously

Paul writes in Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” “So then” marks this statement as a conclusion. If we desire to be in God’s Kingdom, hearing is essential. Such a person must live by faith. Salvation is by grace through faith, and faith comes by hearing.

My church has a monthly magazine and I have the privilege of being the content/copy editor. It is absolutely one of the favorite things I get to do! I’m working on the October issue right now and it is all about the Bible. We aren’t quite done with it yet, but I can already tell you it is going to be one of my favorite. Why? Because I love the Bible, the living and active Word of our God. It is the light for the path of every believer, the conviction of every sinner, the comforting balm for every broken or storm battered child of God, it is the wisdom for all who seek answers, and it is so much more. “Hearing it is essential,” for Paul wrote that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God; and knowing it is strength and power against the enemy, for the Psalmist wrote – I have hidden [God’s] Word in my heart so that I might not sin against [Him]. Is it any wonder that we are to treasure it, share it, and study it to show ourselves approved by God, workmen who don’t need to be ashamed and who can not only discern it well but explain it well. Clearly, God’s Word is vitally important both to the saved and the unsaved. May we be faithful to make the Word an integral part of our lives that spills out to others and brings glory to the Father.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:16
Make it Personal / Reflection

Have you fallen into a sinful pattern, as the Jews had? What is God calling you to repent of? Are you willing to turn from sin and back to Him?

Going Further

Don’t forget to check out today’s LGG Blog

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Importance of Prayer, The Importance of Prayer

Love With Your Whole Being

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Today’s Reading: Matthew 22:34-38; 2 Peter 3:18

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question Jesus again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

Matthew 22:34-38

When asked what the most important commandment is, Jesus answered with the Word of God. – He pointed those trying to trick Him and all who were listening to God and what they would recognize as coming from God through Moses.

““Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, … Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
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Deuteronomy‬ ‭6:4-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The same words God gave Moses to teach the people of Israel, Christ now gives to the people as the first and greatest commandment. Both the father and the son called the people, and by extension- all those who would believe in Christ, to remember that the LORD was their God and that they were to love Him with everything they had – heart, soul, mind, and strength – their whole being.

We could stop there and let that be the devotion, for we can never be reminded enough of this first and greatest commandment. However, as I read the title again in the devotional journal of our study I was left wondering why on earth they had titled it, “Praying for Your Children and the Next Generation.” So, now I’m staring at my SOAPed up passage, the highlighted words and the notes in the margin and I’m not seeing anything to do with prayer or the next generation – BUT – what I do see is the passage I jotted down from Deuteronomy and I went back to it and there, in the context of that passage, was the answer.

“These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, 2 and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. 3 Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
4 “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.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Clearly these commandments, that were eventually summed up into the one that Christ gave to the Pharisees, were meant not just for each of us individually but for us and our children, and their children, and all the generations to follow. So important were the words God had given to Moses that they were meant to be passed on to their children, written on their door posts, and spoken of day and night, at home or on the road. Surely if they are that important they are meant to be a consideration of our prayers … prayers that we would love the Lord our God with all of our being, prayers that we would be faithful to teach our children and grandchildren about the commandments and how Christ summed them up, and prayers that our children and all the generations to follow would know and love the LORD our God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Lest you find yourself even for a moment wondering how it could be that important – consider this reminder – only a few generations after Moses the people of Israel no longer acknowledge God as the LORD nor did they know the wonders He had done for them.

After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the LORD or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel. 11 The Israelites did evil in the LORD’s sight and served the images of Baal. 12 They abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the LORD. 13 They abandoned the LORD to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth.

Judges 2:10
Prayer: Response to God’s Word

Father, this world we live in looks and sounds much like the description found in Judges chapter 2. In our country and around the world we see and hear people who have grown up not knowing You. They do not acknowledge You as Lord or remember the great things that you have done. They do evil in Your sight. Many who have grown up in the church have abandoned You and have gone after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. Change their hearts oh God, let them know You and Your love and may they be moved to love You with all of their being. Call Your people to live out Your command through Moses – to love You with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Help us to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to this command that Jesus summed up as the greatest of them all. Keep us faithful to repeat them again and again to our children, to talk about them when we are at home and when we are on the road, when we are going to bed and when we are getting up. May they not just be written and kept in places where we can see them but may they be written and hidden in our hearts as a light to guide our feet and as a lamp for our paths.   

Posted in Bible study, Choosing God Instead of the World, LGG Study
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Keeping the Covenant

Week 3, Day 3 of Choosing God Instead of the World, A Love God Greatly Study

Scripture Reading: Genesis 35 and Deuteronomy 30:16-20 (SOAP: Deuteronomy 30:15-16)

15 “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. 16 For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. Deuteronomy 30:15-16 NLT
Observation:

In our Deuteronomy passage we hear Moses encouraging the Israelites. Were we to listen to the whole “farewell speech” we would hear him reminding the people of all God had done for them and of what He had promised to do for them. Here in this section – what we hear is the reminder that God has set a choice before them – and what He expects their choice to be. They can choose life and prosperity or death and disaster. This makes me think of Jesus’ words to the Pharisees in John 10:10, when He told them He had come that the sheep, [believers] might have a rich and satisfying life, but the thief [the ruler of this world] comes to steal, and kill, and destroy – that certainly sounds like death and disaster to me. It also reminds me of Paul’s declaration, in Romans 6:23, that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord! Seems to me that while Moses was making a specific speech to the Israelites in Deuteronomy, God, through Christ has made the same offer available to the world today. We can choose the wages of our sins – or – His gracious and merciful gift of eternal life. To put it another way – we can choose Him [God] or the world.

Application: How then should we Live?

Life or death? Prosperity or disaster? God instead of the world? The answer to all of these questions seems crystal clear – doesn’t it? Yet so many have chosen option ‘b’ to each of the questions – even as believers who have chosen life over death by placing our faith in Jesus – we still find it difficult at times to choose option ‘a’ as the answer to the second and third questions. We choose ‘life’ through faith in Christ but then choose the world instead of His ways more often than not. In doing so we forego the prosperous and blessed life and relationship with God that Christ came to give, John 10:10. This kind of living comes with a warning from Matthew’s Gospel, where he recorded the Lord saying, “I never knew you”.

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Matthew 7:21-23

One other note on this application and the “fire-insured Christian”, a believer with one of his/her feet in heaven and the other running after the world. The verses we find just prior to 21-23 seem to provide another good reminder not to treat salvation like an insurance policy. For rest assured, The Lord will be the one to judge whether or not your ‘policy’ is creditable or not.

So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Matthew 7:17-20 ESV

How then should we live if we want to bear fruit? Since I love a list when it comes to ‘how tos’ and ‘to dos’, let’s make a list so we can see how we are doing …

  • We should love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. (Mark 12:29-31)
  • We should walk in His ways, keep His commandments, statutes, and ordinances If you’re wondering what Moses meant by the words, according to gotquestions.org they are all Hebrew words referring to commands from God to be obeyed by God’s people regardless of the situation you are in.
  • We should be enjoying His blessings of life and provision (property, in the case of the Israelites)
Prayer: My Response to God’s Word

Oh LORD, my God – You are to be loved, imitated and obey. Help me to live this way – so that I might find favor in Your eyes and know Your blessing – In Jesus’ name – Amen and Amen!

Your Turn:
  • What’s your prayer response?
  • How will you choose to follow God today?
  • What temptations are you feeling?
  • What is pulling you away from God and toward the things of the world?
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