Road to the Cross #3

“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

It does seem rather foolish that we would celebrate the cross.  Even more that we would look at it and see the “power of God”.  It does not make sense to the human mind.  The cross was a symbol of death, weakness and failure in the first century.  For the disciples it must have represented a premature ending to a thriving ministry.  But, to those who believe…power.

The disciples soon came to understand that the cross represented sacrifice and selfless love.  It was God providing forgiveness, stability, and strength to a world that He loves (John 3:16).  It was God breaking into our world to decisively take back what was rightfully His.  It was God clearing the way for a restored relationship between Creator and creation. 

He was broken so you could be whole again.  He gave His life so that you could have life abundantly.  Today give thanks to God for the cross and the love that was behind it.

Thank you, Lord Jesus for your sacrifice.  Thank you for loving me.  Thank you for healing my broken heart.  Thank you for forgiving me.  I am yours this day.  Have your way with me.  Amen.

Road to the Cross #2

As we prepare our hearts to take this journey we should begin by presenting ourselves to the Lord. This can be as simple as offering a prayer that asks God to have His way with you during this time of meditation. This invites God to walk with you during this time and it helps you get into the right frame of mind as you get started. Here is a prayer that I found helpful.

“O God, You are the Creator and I am your creation. You are the Lord and I am your servant. You are the Father and I am your child. Therefore, what would you have me to learn during this season of prayer and meditation? What would you have me to do as a daily reminder of your of mercy and grace? Transform me and have your way with me during this time of lent. I long to know you better. I also want to be known by you. I want to be a part of what you are doing in this world around me. I long to be a vessel that is useful to you in the work of your Kingdom. Open my eyes during this season of lent. Let me see your work around me in a fresh way. Reveal yourself to me. Nourish me. Fill me. Bless me.”
Amen.

Road to the Cross

Yesterday we began our road to the cross and our preparation for the Easter celebration. Officially this Wednesday is Ash Wednesday which begins the season of “lent”. Among the early Christians it was a period of intense instruction for those who were considering faith in Christ. It would finish with a baptism celebration on Easter weekend. The church today has kept the tradition by observing the 40 days before Easter (not including Sundays) as a time of preparation and reflection for all believers.

Our challenge is to reflect on the work of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus and re-commit ourselves to live our lives in light of His sacrifice.

Many do this by fasting or sacrificing a certain food or activity. Some add a daily reading or prayer to their schedule. Others will carry a reminder with them that turns their thoughts to Christ frequently. Whatever the discipline, the purpose is the same…a daily reminder of the love that God has for us and demonstrated on that first Easter.

I hope that this blog could be a useful tool to you during this time. I will be posting daily thoughts or prayers that will focus us on God’s work in our lives. May God bless you on this journey and may He draw you closer to Him during this lenten season.

Blessings!

The Wilderness #2

“But Moses said, ‘Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed! Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.’” (Numbers 14:41, 42)

Why do we disobey?   Rebellion against doing the right thing seems to come easy.   Maybe it is because we feel that our ways are better than God’s.   Maybe we feel that God doesn’t have enough information to make the right call.   Maybe we feel that the task is too large for God to handle.    Whatever the reason, it comes down to a matter of trust.   The people of Israel had a heart problem…they didn’t trust God.   After arriving at the edge of the promised land they were unwilling to go in as God commanded.   They were afraid.   For over a year God had revealed Himself as the Almighty God who was able to deliver them.  He was One who could be trusted.   They were there.   They heard His voice.   They had witnessed His power and majesty but…it just didn’t sink in.    How do we know?   They didn’t obey.   You see, disobedience is always a symptom of a deeper problem.   Their refusal to go into the land revealed their heart.

Now, in these verses today it becomes obvious that they still do not trust.   God told them through Moses that they would be going back to the wilderness to wander for 40 years.   Why?   It would be a time of discipline for them.   Of course, they would rather avoid the consequences of their mistake (like all of us when caught) and they decide to correct themselves and go into the promised land.   Correction made.  Discipline unnecessary…wrong.

This just reveals that they still did not trust God.   This time they wanted to let by-gones be by-gones.   But God had another plan.   Now, according to Moses, it would be disobedient to go into the promised land.   He warned them that God would not go with them if they went in.   They went anyway.  Somewhere in their minds they had come to the conclusion that they would rather be in the promised land without God than in the wilderness with Him.

To trust God is to follow Him wherever He leads.   Sometimes He leads us into the wilderness.   It may be to discipline us.   It may be to teach you something new about Him.   You may never know the reason but He will be with you.   And know this today…it is better to live in the wilderness WITH God than in the promised land WITHOUT Him.

Blessings!

The Wilderness

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will these people treat Me with contempt?  How long will they refuse to believe in Me, in spite of all the miraculous signs they have performed among them?’”  (Numbers 14:11)

The people of Israel were powerfully delivered from bondage in Egypt.  God had brought them out of slavery and through the Red Sea in a dramatic rescue.   He continued to lead them through the wilderness of the Sinai dessert toward the promised land.   He led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night.   When they were thirsty He provided for them water from a rock.  When they were hungry He provided for them “manna” from heaven.   He taught them about Himself and gave them guidelines for living through the 10 commandments.   All this in the wilderness on the way to the promised land.

We tend to forget the first time in the wilderness.   It gets overshadowed by the second time which lasted 40 years.   Maybe that is why we see the wilderness as a place of punishment rather than a place of learning.   It was in the wilderness that God revealed Himself to His people so that they would believe in Him.   He was building a relationship based on trust.  In the wilderness He showed them that He was a God who was always there for them.   He was a God who would always provide their needs.  He would always guide them.

To God the wilderness was a place to learn and grow.   In today’s verse the people have refused to trust God and move into the promised land that has been prepared for them.   For more than a year God has been revealing Himself to them but they still don’t trust Him.  So…back to school.

When we are in a “wilderness” time of our lives we tend to focus on getting out.  “When will this end?”  “I need to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”  But God wants to use those times to teach us more about who He is.   He wants us to grow closer to Him.  When we are in the wilderness we should take time to Look for God, listen to His voice and learn from Him.   Are you there today?

Blessings!

Egypt #4

“The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” (Exodus 16:4, 5)

God’s purpose in giving manna to the people was much more than just satisfying their hunger. It was more than just getting the group to stop their whining. Every blessing He brings has benefits for us and for the Kingdom of God.

First, He is more interested in you becoming all that He has created you to be than in you being comfortable.  In fact, most of the time His work “on” us is uncomfortable.   Each of us is designed to be a godly citizen of His kingdom. This involves growing and learning through testing. Everything that God allows to come into our lives is for that purpose.   Even blessings!   It is God’s desire that our faith in Him increase and that our relationship with Him would deepen.   He also desires that all that we do bring glory to His name (show the world that He is God).  So, God is not interested in giving you blessings just for you to be happy and comfortable.  He has a plan to build you up into His godly creation.

How have you been blessed today?   What has God brought your way?   With each blessing comes a list of instructions.   When Israel received the manna God also gave directions on how to use it.   The Scripture says that it was a “test” to see if they would obey.   We learn from studying that God was testing the amount of “trust” that they had in Him.   Maybe God wanted to make sure that they didn’t see Him as a cosmic Santa Claus who brought gifts to good boys and girls.   Maybe He wanted to know that they were more concerned about how to use the gifts than the gifts themselves.

One truth that we see for sure is that a blessing from God shows that He is a gracious and caring God but, how we handle the blessing is a test of our submission to His direction.   Are we gracious?   Do we share from the abundance that God has given us?    Do we present the gift before God and ask Him how He wants us to use it?    Some interesting things for a blessed people to think about.

God has provided you with manna today.   Use it to His glory.

Blessings!

Egypt #3

“The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth.  There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children…Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years.”  (Exodus 12:37, 40)

The Israelites were in Egypt a long time.  They came to Egypt as a family of 70 people (Genesis 46:27).  Joseph was second to Pharaoh in the land and they were treated well. They settled in the fertile part of Egypt called Goshen.   After the death of Joseph a new Pharaoh in Egypt came to power and turned the tables.  The people of Israel were made slaves and treated “ruthlessly” by those in power for the next 400 years or so.

We learn in Exodus 2:23 that Israel cried out to God because of their slavery and God heard their groaning.   That brings us to Moses and the great deliverance story we have been looking at.   The question could be asked, “Why did it take God 400 years to answer the call from Israel?”   “Why does God seem to take His time when answering certain requests?”   For some of us 4 days seems like 400 years when we put in a call for help.   Emergency response time is measured by minutes not centuries.

There may be several answers in this case.   In Exodus 2 it could imply that, as miserable as they were, Israel hadn’t called upon God until this time.   A last resort, so to speak.   After all, that is true for many of us unfortunately.   Asking for help from the One who created us is, unfortunately, not our first thought.   Even our hero, Moses, early in his life relied on his own strength and position to defend his people.   It took 40 years as a shepherd to get him to turn to God.

What was God doing during the 400 years of oppression?   He was there and working to grow and prepare His people despite their lack of attention.   The first chapter of Exodus tells us that the more they were oppressed the more they would multiply.   From a family of 70 to a people of more than a million.  God was building a nation.   They didn’t know it.   The Egyptians suspected something.   God had a plan.

In trouble?  Got a problem?  Dealing with an issue?   First, don’t wait till you hit rock bottom to call out to Him.   He does hear you.   Second, if He doesn’t answer right away He has a plan.   He is building something bigger in you!

Blessings!

Egypt #2

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.’” (Exodus16:4)

It rained bread from heaven?

“Hey God I need my bills paid. Could you make it rain money?”

Yes, it rained bread from heaven. No fields of wheat. No planting or harvesting. Bread from heaven.
This  ”manna” represents so much for us today. First, it represents God’s provision for us. It is a reminder that whether you buy your food from the grocery store or grow it in your backyard, it is from heaven. This is true of all the things that we need to live.   God doesn’t just provide our needs…He IS THE PROVIDER. All things come from Him. All that you have and are blessed with has been rained on you from heaven. God is the Source of Life and the Sustainer of life.  The Lord’s prayer says, “Give us this day our daily bread.”   Whatever we need.   The miracle of God providing manna happens every day for us and we should be reminded that it is from God and be thankful.

Manna also should remind us that we are to “gather enough for the day.”   This is the hard part for our day and time.   Only take what you need.   Manna doesn’t keep.   God’s blessings are not to be selfishly hoarded.  But many are not satisfied.   “I want more”.  After all today’s mantra is:

“Get all you can.   Can all you  get.  And sit on your can.”

God’s provision is enough for you.  Some of us want more.  We are not satisfied with enough.   We want enough for today and tomorrow.   “Give us this day our daily bread for the rest of the year!”   God will provide your need for today but, I believe that God wants us to trust Him for tomorrow.   It is natural to worry about tomorrow but, in order to live in the moment today we must trust Him for what is ahead.

Can you practice these two lessons from the manna today?   Walk in a spirit of gratitude for all that God has rained down on you and trust Him for tomorrow.

Blessings!

Egypt

“In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.” (Exodus 16:2)

When was the last time you complained about something? Yesterday? Last week? Today, when the alarm went off? We seem to be people that are naturally bent toward the negative. It doesn’t take a lot to get us “grumbling” about things, circumstances, or the people around us. Many of the conversations that we have concerning current events, family, work or school often turn into “gripe” sessions.   So why are we so surprised when the people of Israel complain to Moses when they get hungry?

We even go so far as to give them advice.

We remind them of how short their memories are.  God just parted the Red Sea so that they could escape the Egyptian army.   “Don’t you think God could provide the rest of your needs?”   We also remind them of God’s rescuing them from a life of slavery.   “Do you really think you had it better there?”   Basically, we are frustrated because they are questioning God…the good One in the story.  He is the Knight in shining armor.   He is their deliverer.  Our patience with the people of Israel quickly disappears and we are ready for God to clean house.   But wait…

I believe that grumbling and complaining does show a lack of trust.   This is why a negative attitude is so hurtful to God.  But, what does Israel have to go on?  Its’ been 400 years.  They have been exposed to pagan practices and worship in Egypt.   There has been no temple.   There has been a spiritual “dryness” among the people.   Is this God that Moses is talking about really going to take care of them?   They have nothing to base their faith on.   They are just getting introduced to this loving God.

So in this passage we see the patience of a loving Father who doesn’t punish them for their lack of trust but attempts to show Himself as One to be trusted.   “That you may know that the Lord has done this.”  God’s desire is that we know Him better and that we would trust Him in all our circumstances.  The Scripture tells us to “Do all things without complaining or arguing.” (James 2:14).   He wants us to trust Him.  The more we trust…the less we complain.

Maybe you are young in your relationship with God.  Let me encourage you today by telling you that He is good and He will take care of you.   For some, maybe you have allowed your relationship to cool off and, therefore, you have forgotten that He can be trusted.

Today, I want to challenge you to trust the Lord.   Consciously make an effort to NOT grumble or complain.   Take your concerns to God and trust Him to take care of them.  He is longing to show you that He is a God who can be trusted.

Blessings!

Bethel #4

“Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with meand will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wearso that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God.’” (Genesis 28:20,21)

When God reveals Himself to us we are always faced with a decision. How will we respond? Some choose to ignore God’s voice when He calls their name or gives them direction. Others choose to put off making a commitment or acting on what we have seen. Some question God and ask for further clarification, in other words, stall. All of these responses fall short of a faith based relationship. The response of Jacob is the one God is looking for. Jacob rose early the next morning and “made a vow”.

Now, on our first read it seems that Jacob’s vow falls short of an all out commitment. In fact, it sounds conditional since it begins with the word “if”. But when looking at the usage and the nuances of the Hebrew we find that it is not conditional on God’s future provision but can be interpreted as a result of God’s revelation. For our understanding it may read better as “If all this is true…then you will be my God and I will be your servant.” Jacob was modeling for us a faith response. If God cares for me and is willing to protect and provide for me…what else can I do but to pledge my allegience to Him.

How have you responded to God’s great work in your life? He has promised to be with you today no matter what. He will never leave you or forsake you. He has also promised to watch over you and protect you. He has promised you strength for this day and all that it holds. He wants to provide for you all you need. Wow! What do you think of that? Can you commit your life and devotion to a God like Him? For Jacob it was a no brainer!
Let me encourage you today to give yourself to the Lord 100%. It is the only decision that shows a faith relationship in a God who loves you more than you could ever know.

Blessings!