Exodus 21-24

God follows up the Ten Commandments with more specifics to His laws in Exodus 21-24.  He covers rules for Hebrew servants, personal injuries, stealing, social responsibilities, justice and mercy, Sabbath, and three annual festivals to remember.  He wants us to thrive within the abundance of His love.  God also reminds Moses of His plan to lead His people back to the Promised Land.  And at the end of today's reading, Moses goes up on Mount Sinai to be alone with God for forty days and forty nights, a number that we will see again and again in the Bible.

God's promises and purposes for us are overwhelmingly good and big and true.  Think about His complex, detailed plan for the Israelites that is full of blessing and prosperity.  It's the same for you and me.  When we follow God, we may not know what lies ahead, but God does.

"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared for you."

Exodus 23:20

When we willingly follow Him, we have His awesome protection.  I find a lot of comfort in the fact that even though I get scared of the uncertainty, God is going before me and working circumstances for His purpose.

Many times when I read the Bible, specific words will jump off the page at me and scream for my attention.   That happened to me today with this verse,

"Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land."

Exodus 23:30

Lately, I have been catching myself in my own impatience.  I know some areas of my life in which I am sure God is using me, leading me, even transforming me.  He puts directions in my heart.  I do my best to follow them, but in between the BIG, obvious signs of His hands working things out, I start to question what I am doing day in and day out.  I wonder if I am still doing what He wants me to do.  

And then I came to these words today, “little by little… until” God makes His promises happen.  

That’s just the reminder I needed to hear.  Even in my times of waiting, when it seems nothing much is happening, God is working on things at the rate at which He knows I can handle them.  Sometimes that means tackling bits at a time until I am ready for the fullness of the bigger picture He has in mind.

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

I thank You going ahead of me and preparing my way.  Thank you for knowing me and loving me so much that You reveal Your plans and purposes to me at just the right times in my life.  Forgive my impatience and doubts.  Help me to remember that You are working things out even when I feel as though nothing much is happening.  Open heart to Your voice of encouragement, especially in the little moments of my days.

I pray for ________ today who really needs Your loving encouragement, Lord.

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

Grace and peace of Christ,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more. 

Exodus 17-20

In Exodus 17-20, God's people are traveling from place to place, following His direction.  God is showing His awesome power to His people.  And at the same time, the journey brings out lots of grumbling and frustration, and Moses continues to be in the pressure cooker as the leader.  He finds the help and support he needs in God and Aaron, Joshua, and his father-in-law Jethro.  And as today's reading ends, God appears to Moses and Aaron on Mount Sinai and gives His people the famous Ten Commandments.  

Do you know them, the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20)?  

Exodus 14-16

Look at God go today in Exodus 14-16 as He continues leading the Israelites out of Egypt (see the map)!  God has them right where He wants them, and that turns out to be terrifying for His people.  They find themselves stuck in a hard spot (literally), Red Sea on one side and an angry Egyptian army on the other side.  Things look terrible, but God has something special in mind.  He sends His people straight through the Red Sea of all places!  He rescues all the Israelites and swallows up the entire Egyptian army in the waters.  And that's not all of God's glory.  He continues to hear the voices of His people.  He continues to provide bread and meat as they go through the dessert.  There's so many reasons to praise God!

God fights for us just like He fights for the Israelites.  Did you catch what He says today?

Exodus 11-13

Pharaoh, again, refuses to listen to God in Exodus 11-14, until the last (and most horrific) plague, killing all of Egypt's firstborn sons.  It's tragic, but through it all, God's wonders and power are multiplied.  God honors his promise to keep His people safe.  While the Egyptians are in mourning, the Israelites are celebrating the Lord's Passover for the first time under God's direction, in the comforts of their own homes.  God loves His people.  Even Pharaoh, with his hard heart, can tell it.  And so, finally, at the end of today's reading, God leads His chosen people toward the Red Sea and their Promised Land.

I want to focus on the celebration of the Lord's Passover.  To this day, Jewish people commemorate this day when God freed the Israelites from slavery.  But as Christians, does Passover really apply to us? 

Everyday Reading Project: January 19-25

I would love for you to jump in and join me in reading!  For more on this Everyday Reading Project click here.

Exodus 8-10

In Exodus 8-10, things continue to get worse for the Egyptians, but the Pharaoh just will not listen to God.  The Israelites are miserable.  God promises to save them and take them from Egypt to the Promised Land.  But, my goodness, the whole process seems like torture.  Despite plague after plague from God, Pharaoh's heart is ridiculously hardened to God and His love for His people.  Things are just as God said they would be.

I can't shake Pharaoh today.  Have you ever met a Pharaoh?  Have you ever had to come face to face with someone whose heart is obviously hardened and desperately missing the love of God?

It can be exhausting, scary, frustrating, heartbreaking.  Ultimately, it's life threatening.

God keeps sending signs of His might, His presence, and His power.  There's a battle going on for Pharaoh and those who do not believe in God.  They question God's sovereignty because the magicians distract people, making them believe that they, too, can do the same things God can do.  God could take all of Egypt out in one instant, but He makes Himself very clear.  He is in Egypt to tell a bigger, better story.

Take a look at what God has to say to Pharaoh.

15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

Genesis 8:15

15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up[a] for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

Genesis 9:15-16

I caught myself today.  I was thinking how much I can't stand that Pharaoh and how much I AM NOT like him.  He bothers me, the way He disrespects God and refuses to listen.  Just when I think He might finally know who God is, Pharaoh goes his own way again.  

Thank goodness I am not like Pharaoh, I insist to myself.  Then I heard a still, small voice saying, "Wait a minute, Lindsay.  Let's think about that." 

Exodus 5-7

God has called Moses to do a really big job for Him.  Moses is overwhelmed and really wishes someone else would do it.  But, after much conversation with God, God makes it very clear that Moses is His man.  God promises to bring His people, the Israelites, out of Egypt and back to Canaan, The Promise Land.  God tells Moses exactly what to do and say, and He provides all the resources Moses needs to get the job done.  Then in Exodus 5-7, we see Moses and Aaron are a faithful team as they carry out God's plan.  Unfortunately for the Israelites, things with Pharaoh get a lot worse before they get better.  

We know God has a plan to save His people.  We know He is concerned about them.  We know He hears them.  We know God loves them.  We also have the advantage of reading the details in retrospect in the comforts of our own homes, so we know things end really well for the Israelites.  But in the middle of it all, Moses is scared to death.  He follows God's direction, and time and time again, we see that things don't go the way Moses would expect when, after all, he's just doing what God tells him to do.

After his first attempt to speak to Pharaoh, Moses goes straight to God.  He's on the verge of freaking out because things are worse now that Moses has gotten involved.

22 Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me?

Exodus 5:22

Has that every happened to you?  You feel called to do something special for God, and things just don't work out the way you would have thought?  

Moses is right on about one thing, though, in today's reading.  God is the one with whom we need to share all our doubts.  Moses is getting really good at that.  Take a look at how God reassures and encourages Moses in answering his questions.

6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country...”

6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”

Exodus 6:1, 6-8

God reminds Moses that He IS GOD.  He wants Moses, Aaron, the Israelites, and even Pharaoh and the Egyptians to know what that means.  There are no limits to what He can do.  He invites Moses to "watch and see."  God wants to use this situation for more than just saving His people.    

See, the solution God is going for in this situation with Moses is not so plain and simple.  And, I know that's the way God works in our lives sometimes when things don't go the way we wish they would.  

God thinks bigger and better than us.  He wants us to really know Him, His love for us, and His mighty power.  

So when we find ourselves scared to death, on the verge of freaking out, like Moses, we can draw close to God.  We can focus more on Him, and He will use our doubts to build our faith through the amazing things He does not only for us, but also for those around us.    

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You so much for showing me Your glory and power in my life and in the world.  Help me to recognize Your presence each and every day.  Forgive my doubts when things don't look good or when things get worse before they get better.  Give me the courage and the faith to trust You.  I pray that my relationship with You will fill me, strengthen me, and encourage others to really know and love You too.  I pray today that You will be with ____________ today as he/she/they face(s) what seems like an impossible situation.  To You, Lord, be the glory forever and ever.

In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit I pray,

Amen

May the love of Christ fill you today and always,

    
*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more. 

Exodus 1-4

God's great story continues as we begin reading Exodus 1-4.  Joseph and his brothers all died, but God still has a plan.  The famous 12 tribes of Israel (the children and grandchildren of Joseph and his brothers- Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Nephtali, Asher, and Gad) live on in Egypt and continue to multiply and prosper.  The problem is, there's a new, evil Egyptian Pharaoh in town who is threatened by so many Israelites living among them.  He decides to enslave them, kill them, and make their lives miserable.  Pharaoh's plan, though, doesn't work, thanks to God and those who faithfully believe in Him.  We see God call Moses to action and use his life in a big way.

I love the whole story of Moses because, just like Moses, God calls each of us for His purpose.  What will we do?  

The scene with Moses and the burning bush speaks volumes about the measures God is willing to go to in order to get our attention.  And when we sense God's call, we can't deny that it's person specific.  Look how he calls Moses by his name. 

2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

Exodus 3:2-4

Immediately I stop and think, "How is God trying to get my attention right now?"  

Like the burning bush, when something really grabs our attention and makes us stop what we're doing, we know it's more than just a weird coincidence.  God's call won't go away.  It begins to fill our hearts and minds.

God gives us all the direction and the resources we need each step of the way when we are living in His purpose for our lives.  But even with God speaking to us, we doubt.  We feel inadequate.  We have a tendency, by default, to focus on our weaknesses and use them as our line of excuses.    

Here's the thing God did for Moses, and He does the same thing for you and me- God uses our weaknesses to make us strong in Him.  Moses has the Israelite elders, who know God, for support.  He also has Aaron who can make up for the one area of his life that worries him the most, his communication skills.  And as if that wasn't enough, how about that powerful cloak and mighty staff God shows Moses how to use to his advantage?

We are never on our own when we follow God, even though we may feel that way at times.  He is with us.  He will prepare us for what we face.  He puts the right believers in our lives for the job at hand.  And best of all, we have God's power on our side in real time, as we need it.

11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

Genesis 4:11-12

So, the bottom line I got from today's reading...

When God calls me for His purpose, it's because He loves me, just like He loved Moses and the Israelites.  And when He calls me, I don't want to disappoint him or make him mad by asking Him to send someone else.  I want Him on my side.  God has all authority on Heaven and Earth.  He, himself, puts it this way,

14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.[a] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

Genesis 3:14

We can't get any stronger or any more capable than when we choose to be with our almighty, omniscient, omnipotent, loving God in His purpose.  

Whenever He hand-picks me, I can be sure it's because He knows I am the one for job.

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for knowing me, loving me, and calling me by name.  Forgive me for all the times I let my feelings of inadequacy be an excuse in my life.  Help me to hear Your voice and follow You.  Fill me with Your courage and strength.  ___________ (those on your mind) also need(s) to Your courage and strength today, Lord.  

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

Peace of Christ,

  

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more. 

Genesis 48-50

We read about the death of Jacob and Joseph in Genesis 48-50, and we now know how God laid the faith foundation for His family of believers.  Abraham's family line of faithful followers reflect God's story even in their dying.  The focus remains on God through it all.  Jacob's death is sad, yes, but it is so beautiful the way he chooses to pray for his family and bless his children and grandchildren before he goes to be with our Heavenly Father.  What an everlasting gift!    

This family has been through so much over the years, from generation to generation.  We see God's promises repeated over and over again.  In hindsight, we recognize God's guidance and sovereignty in working out His bigger plan.  No one person plays a perfect part in the story, but that doesn't stop God from loving each and every one of His chosen people.  

God's love for us is so high, and wide, and deep that it has the power to heal all our wrongs (but on His timeframe, of course).

Divine love is full of glorious surprises, even beyond our expectations  As Jacob puts it, 

11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”

Genesis 48:11

If we stick to our faith, God will surprise us too.

And, Joseph teaches us that we have to hold onto our faith, and work on God's plan for us, not our grudges with others.  We see this come to life when Joseph addresses his brothers' guilt.

19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

Genesis 50:19-21

We can take what Joseph says to heart and apply it to our own lives.  

Is there a part of your life in which you need to ask yourself the same question?

Am I in the place of God?

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

I thank You for your abundant and powerful love for me.  Thank You for filling my life with Your glorious surprises.  You, alone, are sovereign, in my life and the lives of others.  Forgive me for trying to figure out and fix wrongs when what I really need to do is hold onto my faith and let Your timing work things for Your glory.  I pray for Your Holy Spirit to guide my words and actions.  Give me patience, Lord.  I also pray for all those who need Your help in letting go so You can transform their hearts.

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

Grace and peace,

 
*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Genesis 45-47

Joseph makes himself known to his family in Genesis 45-47.  Almost immediately, he forgives his brothers of their guilt because he is able to see himself as playing a purposeful part in God's bigger story.  Joseph not only saves his family from famine, he provides abundantly for their every need by moving them all to live with him in Egypt.  I love how Joseph's faith blesses his entire family.  We are able to see, even more, how God continues to use Abraham's family across generations.    

One person's faith makes a difference for many.  God's light is far reaching.  I can't help but notice the boldness that Joseph and his father, Jacob, have in sharing their faith and their blessings with those around them.  

Their faith crosses cultural boundaries.  Look at all the ways Joseph and Jacob bless the Pharaoh.  Joseph makes Pharaoh a very wealthy and powerful man, and Jacob verbally blesses Pharaoh in prayer.

7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed[a] Pharaoh,8 Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”

⁹ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.”

Genesis 47:7-9

This family makes it possible for others to know God and believe in Him through their faithful choices.  

How bold are you in your faith?   

How can you share your faith today in a powerful way that blesses others?

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank you for using me in Your glorious story.  Forgive me for getting distracted and passing up opportunities to be bold and share my faith with others like Joseph and Jacob.  Open my heart and mind to all the chances I have throughout my days to live in a way that reflects Your love and blesses others.  Give me the courage I need to overlook cultural norms and boundaries.  I want to pray your blessings for ___________ (name those on your mind) today.  To You, my God and Father, be glory forever and ever.

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

Love in Christ,

 *This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.


         

Genesis 41-44

Things just haven't gone Joseph's way for many years at this point in our Bible reading.  The poor man faces two more long years in prison after the cupbearer forgets about him.  But in Genesis 41-44, the tide changes for Joseph.  When the cupbearer finally remembers him, Joseph's God-given interpreting gift earns his favor with the Pharaoh and changes his life.  He goes from prison to being the Pharaoh's right hand man, in charge of all of Egypt.  Once again, he is adorned with a special robe, a new Egyptian name, his own house, a wife, and kids.  He saves all of Egypt from a terrible famine.  

I started thinking about God's gifts.  As believers, we are all blessed with our own personal, specially designed, gifts from God.  They go hand-in-hand with His purpose for our lives.  God-given gifts are powerful, and I am pretty sure our Heavenly Father needs us to handle them with tender, loving, care.

Everyday Reading Project: January 12-18

For more on this Everyday Reading Project click here.

Genesis 37-40

In Genesis 37-40, Jacob is living in Canaan following the surprisingly loving reunion with his brother Esau.  Joseph is clearly Jacob's favorite son, and his special robe says it all.  Needless to say, Joseph's brothers are frustrated and angry, and Joseph's dream takes them over the edge.  Joseph is sold into slavery and ends up spending many years in Egypt serving Potiphar, the captain of the guard for Pharaoh.  He faces favor and trouble for many years.  Meanwhile, Jacob's son Judah ends up sleeping with his dead sons' wife.  It's all very scandalous.  I don't know about you, but I am feeling pretty good about my life after today's reading.  

Joseph's story is typical of God's work isn't it?  It seems unpredictable, contrary to the circumstances we would choose for a man who is going to follow in his father's footsteps of leading a great nation for God. 

Joseph has weird dreams, and it turns out that's a real God-given talent.  He's sold by his own brothers into slavery.  He's taken far away to serve in another land for a long time.  And as if that wasn't bad enough, he is thrown in prison for doing the right thing and NOT sleeping with his masters wife.  Everywhere Joseph goes, he prospers.  The more people get to know him, the more they realize that God's favor is with him.  Even in prison, Joseph uses his interpreting skills to help out the King's cupbearer.  The cupbearer goes free, and Joseph is forgotten.  That's where we stop today.  It doesn't seem fair. 

Joseph makes the best of the worst of circumstances.  I wonder how he does that?  What kind of attitude do you think he had?  What do you think he did day to day in order to get through the ordeal?

Joseph seems to use what God gives him to do what is right, and he suffers in spite of himself.  There's a pattern here from Abraham to Isaac, to Jacob, and now to Joseph.  Being a main character in God's plan is not an easy path to follow.  It doesn't entitle us to what we think is "right."  In order to realize God's big promises for our lives, God needs us to be humble and serve others, even to the point of being a slave.  

I think that's where our faith has the biggest impact on the world and God gets the most glory.

God uses our circumstances to teach us what it means to really love the way He does.  He gives us what we need to get us where he wants us to go in the future.  

Later in God's story, Jesus, the king of kings, the Messiah, shows us what that looks like again and again.  He says,

26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:26-28

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to be my Savior and a perfect example of what it means to love and serve You.  Forgive me for acting as if I know how things "should be."  I pray you will open my heart to humbly serving You by serving others in all circumstances. Help me think of Jesus first and what He would do, before I act.

____________ is/are on my mind today.  Show me ways to shine your love into his/her/their live(s).

In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit I pray,

Amen

Love of Christ,

   

      
 *This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Genesis 32-36

In Genesis 32-36, Jacob is following God’s instructions to return home with his wife, children, and possessions, and his drama continues.  No sooner had Jacob recovered from a big run-in with his father-in-law, he has to start thinking about facing his brother for the first time in a long time.  Remember Esau, who wanted to kill Jacob for tricking their father and stealing his blessing?  The two weren’t exactly on good terms.  You and I know God is with Jacob, but that doesn’ t stop him from being overcome with fear.  In the end, all is well, and the two brothers work it out.  It’s a good thing because a short time later, Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, is raped.  Jacob’s sons are angry and take matters into their own hands to get revenge on the local people who wronged their sister.  Like I said, drama, drama, drama.  And from it all, God establishes the 12 tribes of Israel, His chosen people.  Interesting isn’t it? 

Like his grandfather, Abraham, Jacob has many encounters with God in his lifetime, and those experiences help him grow in his faith.  As he faces the drama in his life, Jacob learns to rely on God more and more, and God changes him for the better, even his name changes to Israel.   

Don’t we all have drama to face at times in our life?  I know we have in my family.  We can really be one big, hot mess of a crew.  The thing is, God can really use drama to be a reflection of his perfect love for us.  

I love how Jacob handles the situation with his brother, who happens to have an entourage of hundreds of men.  He’s scared to death and filled with dread, but he doesn’t run.  He spends time with God.  He makes a plan, and he prays.

9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulnessyou have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”

Genesis 32:9-12

Jacob’s conversation with God is crucial.  Jacob reminds God (and himself) of His promises.  He humbles himself, and gives God all the credit.  He shares his problems and his fears about them.  Then, Jacob is very direct in asking God for what he needs.  To close, he, again, reminds God (and himself) of His promises.

Then Jacob sleeps on it.  He makes plans for approaching the encounter with gifts as a respectful loving servant (that’s the really hard part).  Jacob wrestles with God some more, and then he comes face to face with his brother.  He follows through with his plan. 

What do you know?  The past wrongs are forgiven.  They are never even mentioned.  The reunion is an emotional, beautiful hug, overflowing with love.

So the next time I am in the middle of a “situation” or a potentially disastrous mess, I am going to think about Jacob.  Walk with God.  Spend lots of time with Him.  Plan.  Sleep on it.  Pray my heart out.  Wrestle with it some more.  Give and serve with all my pinned up energy instead of talking about the conflict.  Love.

God's love heals.   

Good advice.

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for using all of my circumstances to draw me closer to You.  Thank You for hearing my prayers, guiding my steps, and working out the details for Your glory.  Forgive my hot-headedness and my selfish reactions in the midst of life’s drama.  Help me to be a peacemaker.  Fill me with grace and forgiveness.  Guide me in giving to and serving others, even in the middle of conflict.  Be with me especially as I deal with _____________(talk to God about any current conflicts).  I want to be a reflection of Your healing love.  

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

Peace of Christ,

    *This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.