Category Archives: Hearing from God

Doubt / Lacking Faith, Grace / Forgiveness, Obeying God, Provider, Speaking, Through Prophets

The Grace and Provision of Jehovah

Have you ever gone out of your way to really help someone else who was in need. Not just a little help, but fundamentally transforming their lives in a certain area. Perhaps bringing them out of addiction or adopting them to bring them into a loving home or bringing them to know the joy of Jehovah through Jesus Christ. Imagine if all they did was complain and whine about it and say they wish they were back where they started? How would that make you feel?

It is easy to imagine us losing interest in wanting to continue helping this person when they respond that way… ungrateful. How gracious is Jehovah in His love and provision for His people. Even after He has performed many miracles, over and over in the sight of the people, leading them out of slavery in Egypt and into freedom… many whine and complain. Yes, really.

While we may easily be able to understand if Jehovah responded by sending them back to slavery, we see that is not His way. He tests and teaches His people to follow and obey His instruction. He is preparing them to be ready to take the promised land. They are not ready yet.

Exodus 16:1-21

The LORD Provides Manna

      1Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. 2The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the LORD’S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

      4Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. 5“On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening you will know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt; 7and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, for He hears your grumblings against the LORD; and what are we, that you grumble against us?”

The LORD Provides Meat

      8Moses said, “This will happen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the LORD hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD.”

      9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your grumblings.’” 10It came about as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12“I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’”

      13So it came about at evening that the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. 15When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. 16“This is what the LORD has commanded, ‘Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.’” 17The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. 18When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat. 19Moses said to them, “Let no man leave any of it until morning.” 20But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. 21They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt.

Let us each challenge ourselves to avoid grumbling complaints about where and how Jehovah is leading us. Instead, pray He will help us to trust and obey joyfully. Then let us also help one another by focusing on the good things Jehovah provides for us even when times are tough. Finally, let us obey Him and do things His way even if they do not seem to make sense to us!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Miracles, Prayer, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Speaking, Through Prophets

Jehovah Will Help You On Your Way To The Promised Land

How often do we turn to our heavenly Father when we are in need, and then, when the immediate circumstances improve, we turn back away from Him and try to do things our own way? Our Father wants not only for us to draw near to Him through difficult times, but also to stay near to Him when those difficult times start to improve. He can not only deliver us out of bondage and suffering, but also deliver us to the land of promise… as He did for His people after leading them out of Egypt.

Exodus 15:22-27

The LORD Provides Water

      22Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25Then he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.
There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. 26And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.”

      27Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.

Jehovah did not just lead the people out of bondage in Egypt and then leave them to find their own way. Nor did He force Himself upon them when they grew bitter. Nor did He answer when they complained and grumbled. It was when a righteous man, Moses, asked for help with water that Jehovah responded and provided. Moses did well to turn back to Jehovah when he needed help, even after they had already been delivered from bondage.

How can this same principle apply to you in your life? Do you ask Jehovah for help with the big issues and then once the crisis is past try to do it on your own? Ask Him to help you along your whole journey in life, not just parts of it.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Miracles, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness, Suffering / Adversity, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Trust Jehovah Even When All Seems Lost

It seems that we, as humans, have a very short memory at times. We see God acting in our lives and in the world around us and we are fine and stand with faith. However, when that faith is tested, we often fade in our faith in God. We doubt. We fear. We do not trust.

God wants His people to trust Him even when all seems lost by our earthly eyes, when we know the situation is beyond our ability to manage it to the outcome we want. This is when the strength of our faith is truly tested.

The Israelites had just witnessed great miracles as God demonstrated His power to lead them out of Egypt. Over and over again, God demonstrated His power over the Egyptians… over everything really. Yet even after all that, when the Egyptians came after them, they still had so little faith in God.

Exodus 14

Pharaoh in Pursuit

      1Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea. 3“For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4“Thus I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.

      5When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him; 7and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out boldly. 9Then the Egyptians chased after them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

      10As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? 12“Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

The Sea Is Divided

      13But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. 14“The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.”

      15Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 16“As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. 17“As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18“Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.”

      19The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 20So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night.

      21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. 22The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. 24At the morning watch, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion. 25He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”

      26Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.” 27So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing right into it; then the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained. 29But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

      30Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses.

Take some time to prayerfully consider and perhaps write down some of the things God has done in your life. What has He helped you overcome? What difficult situations has He used to your benefit that you did not realize until after they were over? Take some time to thank Him and praise Him.

Next time you encounter a difficult time, remind yourself of how God is working in your life and that you can trust Him no matter what hardship comes your way.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Speaking, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Do You Put Your Light Under A Basket?

People often try to redefine God (Jehovah in Hebrew) into their own image instead of recognizing that He made us in His image. In a desire to avoid uncomfortable conflict we often want to find a comfortable manner in which to blend in with those around us who do not  submit to Him. We may often rationalize that we can separate our “work lives” or “sports lives” from our “spiritual lives”. We tell ourselves we can essentially hide our Christianity in some areas of our life and still be pleasing to God because we will proclaim Him in other areas of our lives.

God is not pleased when we “hide” our faith in Him in order to avoid conflict. In fact, God calls upon us to take a strong public stand to demonstrate clearly to others through our lives, through all aspects of our lives, that we submit to and follow Him.  The prophets, Jesus, the disciples… they all publically proclaimed God even when it brought them into conflict with the people of the world around them. Another great example of God’s people being commanded to take action and show who’s side they are on is in Exodus 12, as God prepares to bring the 10th plague… death to the first born in all of Egypt. There are very real consequences for those who fail to obey God.

Exodus 12:1-13

The Passover Lamb

      1Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2“This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. 3“Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. 4‘Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. 5‘Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6‘You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. 7‘Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8‘They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9‘Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. 10‘And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire. 11‘Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the LORD’S Passover. 12‘For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the LORD. 13‘The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Make no mistake… surely by the time the first 9 plagues had passed there must have been tension between the Egyptians and the Hebrew people and perhaps even between the Hebrews themselves. Those who were faithful to God, yes publically, were passed over because of their obedience. Those who tried to straddle the fence and claim God, but not obey His instructions by marking the door post suffered alongside the Egyptians as the plague came.

Do not think that God will be pleased if you hide your faith in Him to avoid conflict in your life. He will not be pleased with this. Instead, take a consistent, obedient, stand for God publically. Put your faith in Him, no matter your circumstances.

This can be a difficult matter for us to adjust to. Many around us constantly try to shame us in our Christianity to remain quiet or compromise our beliefs in the name of “tolerance”. Many are hostile toward followers of Christ. Pray for God to help you and then thoughtfully consider your life. Are there areas in your life where you do not proclaim Jesus Christ boldly by example and by words? If so, commit to God and ask His help to have the courage to change so that you always proclaim Him in your actions and words.

We are to be a light on a lampstand, shining the light of Christ to show others the way. We are not to hide our faith.

Matthew 5:14-16

      14“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Speaking, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Do Not Negotiate With God, But Rather Obey

Be careful in your life that when Jehovah speaks clearly to you, you do not negotiate with Him but rather obey. He is our Lord and all powerful Creator of everything. His wisdom and His plans are beyond our understanding. We have not position or power or wisdom with which to negotiate with Him. We either obey or disobey, and then receive the consequences of our choice.

By the time we read the history through to Exodus 10, Pharaoh has been through a lot. He started by trusting in his magicians to replicate the signs and wonders God provided. This helped him rationalize that God is not very powerful or special and thus could be ignored or dismissed. Then, when his magicians could no longer replicate the signs, Pharaoh would relent under pressure and agree to let the Israelites go, but then change his mind as soon as the threat was no longer in front of him. It was as if he was rationalizing that it never happened or could not be repeated once it had passed. Now in Exodus 10, Pharaoh first tries to negotiate or compromise with God by allowing only the men to go worship, when God demanded all the people and their livestock to go. It must have been difficult for Pharaoh, a mighty king, to submit humbly to Jehovah. Pharaoh had already decided the people must return, so was trying to keep the children and now, in Exodus 10:21-29, the livestock from going away with the people.

Pharaoh’s hard hearted attempts to bargain or negotiate with God fail. God has already stated His demands and will not change His mind for the likes of Pharaoh.

Exodus 10:20-29

 20But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.

Darkness over the Land

      21Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.” 22So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings. 24Then Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, “Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be detained. Even your little ones may go with you.” 25But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice them to the LORD our God. 26“Therefore, our livestock too shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we shall take some of them to serve the LORD our God. And until we arrive there, we ourselves do not know with what we shall serve the LORD.” 27But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. 28Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Beware, do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you shall die!” 29Moses said, “You are right; I shall never see your face again!”

Be careful that you do not dismiss Pharaoh to easily. We can all be vulnerable to similar patterns of behavior and rationalization. What God tells us to do, we should do and not debate or negotiate. This can apply to His specific will for our lives that He may choose to reveal to us each through prayer or scripture or through other means. It can also apply to His general will, documented so clearly in the Bible. God gave us many instructions to follow to help us know right from wrong and to be set apart from the world clearly to be His people. How many of us though, grow up with a compromised version of which of His rules we are taught we should obey and which we are wrongly taught no longer apply.

Who are we to choose what commandments or instructions we will follow and which we will not? How often I notice that people who claim to follow Him may agree they should not use the Lord’s name in vain, they should honor their parents, not kill, not commit adultery, not steal, not lie, and not covet… but they ignore the Sabbath day, include statues (idols) even in their church and worship, and place many things in priority in their life before God. These things may range from money, lust, sports, job, power, or accepting other false beliefs associated with make believe gods.

God is not pleased when we choose to obey some of what He tells us any more than human parents are pleased when their children obey some of the instructions they are given, but disobey many more. Is a business owner pleased when employees obey half the rules he gives them? Doubtful… he will probably fire those employees. Why then do we expect that we can please God by negotiating or compromising with Him?

Prayerfully examine your own life and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any areas where you are not fully submitted to God. Also, as you study scripture make note of the instructions God gives His people and test whether or not it still applies and you should be following it today. Pay special attention to the Old Testament passages as many churches today teach wrongly that most of the instruction God gave His people in that time are now obsolete, despite Jesus clearly stating and showing by His life that God’s instruction in the Old Testament is still valid.

To learn more, read Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean For Us Today?

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Speaking, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

God Demands Obedience, Not Compromise

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When God speaks and speaks clearly to us… take heed and obey fully. Do not be so arrogant as to debate or compromise with God. He wants obedience rather than compromise.

Pharaoh discovered this in a memorable way when he again refused to listen to what God demanded. God called for all of the Israelites to go to the wilderness to worship and serve Him and Pharaoh was not willing to obey. He had experienced enough by Exodus 10 to finally agree again to let the men go worship in the wilderness, but would not let all the people go, as God demanded. Pharaoh was not obeying, but rather attempting to compromise with God. It did not work out well for him and for Egypt.

Exodus 10:1-20

The Plague of Locusts

      1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, 2and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.”

      3Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 4‘For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. 5‘They shall cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land. They will also eat the rest of what has escaped—what is left to you from the hail—and they will eat every tree which sprouts for you out of the field. 6‘Then your houses shall be filled and the houses of all your servants and the houses of all the Egyptians, something which neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day that they came upon the earth until this day.’” And he turned and went out from Pharaoh. 7Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not realize that Egypt is destroyed?” 8So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the LORD your God! Who are the ones that are going?” 9Moses said, “We shall go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we shall go, for we must hold a feast to the LORD.” 10Then he said to them, “Thus may the LORD be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Take heed, for evil is in your mind. 11“Not so! Go now, the men among you, and serve the LORD, for that is what you desire.” So they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

      12Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt and eat every plant of the land, even all that the hail has left.” 13So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD directed an east wind on the land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. 14The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled in all the territory of Egypt; they were very numerous. There had never been so many locusts, nor would there be so many again. 15For they covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Thus nothing green was left on tree or plant of the field through all the land of Egypt. 16Then Pharaoh hurriedly called for Moses and Aaron, and he said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. 17“Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and make supplication to the LORD your God, that He would only remove this death from me.” 18He went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to the LORD. 19So the LORD shifted the wind to a very strong west wind which took up the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not one locust was left in all the territory of Egypt. 20But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.

Have you ever found yourself negotiating or trying to compromise with God? If God tells you to pack up and move to a land far away, it is a wrong answer to simply say I will obey, God, but only rather than going to the land you told me to, I will go to one nearby that is in my comfort zone instead.

God gives us many instructions for us to follow in His written word, the Bible. He is not pleased if we choose to follow “most” of them, choosing which we refuse to obey because we want to do something else. One cannot simply say “I will obey 8 of the 10 commandments, God, and that is enough” or “I have decided that Sabbath is no longer necessary, but I will follow the other instructions” and expect God to be pleased.

God wants us to fully submit to Him and obey Him. This can be a very difficult journey over the course of a lifetime. It is not comfortable or predictable or aligned with what the world values and it is not always in agreement with what we want… but it is what God wants and He is always right.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Holy, Justice / Judgment, Righteous, Speaking

His Ways Are Not Our Ways

Many people who claim to follow God (Jehovah) find themselves looking around at the wickedness in the world and wondering why God does not bring judgment or intervene more to bring people to Him. Then when major unlikely events occur, such as the rise of evil nations like the Islamic State or Hurricane Katrina that brought severe devastation to New Orleans, these same people immediately dismiss or criticize those who rightly point out that God may be at work in these things.

We won’t explore the Islamic State in today’s article, but if you are interested to see if God ever raised up an evil nation to serve His purposes… He did. Read about how God raised up the Chaldeans (a.k.a. Babylonians) in Habakkuk.

Today we look at examples of how God chose to use powerful and dramatic “forces of nature” for his purposes. They created devastation among the wicked Egyptians who rejected Him, yet left the Hebrews alone. Yes, God may use both forces of nature and evil nations at times to His own purpose.

Exodus 9

Egyptian Cattle Die

      1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2“For if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, 3behold, the hand of the LORD will come with a very severe pestilence on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks. 4“But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.”’” 5The LORD set a definite time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land.” 6So the LORD did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died. 7Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

The Plague of Boils

      8Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses throw it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. 9“It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will become boils breaking out with sores on man and beast through all the land of Egypt.” 10So they took soot from a kiln, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on man and beast. 11The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians as well as on all the Egyptians. 12And the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses.

      13Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 14“For this time I will send all My plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15“For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. 16“But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth. 17“Still you exalt yourself against My people by not letting them go.

The Plague of Hail

      18“Behold, about this time tomorrow, I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19“Now therefore send, bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. Every man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die.”’” 20The one among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses; 21but he who paid no regard to the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field.

      22Now the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt, on man and on beast and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” 23Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24So there was hail, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very severe, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25The hail struck all that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, both man and beast; the hail also struck every plant of the field and shattered every tree of the field. 26Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail.

      27Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time; the LORD is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones. 28“Make supplication to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail; and I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29Moses said to him, “As soon as I go out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease and there will be hail no longer, that you may know that the earth is the LORD’S. 30“But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God.” 31(Now the flax and the barley were ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32But the wheat and the spelt were not ruined, for they ripen late.) 33So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread out his hands to the LORD; and the thunder and the hail ceased, and rain no longer poured on the earth. 34But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.

As you reflect on this scripture, consider world events or even on a smaller scale, events in your life and community around you. Do not be quick to dismiss how God may be at work around you. His ways are not our ways… they are better and wiser. We should be careful not to “put God in a box” such that we assume He only works in ways that we would also choose to work. Often He works in ways that we would not choose ourselves.  Too often we expect judgment and intervention from God, but then expect that “a God of love would not hurt anyone”. God is love, but is also holy and righteous and just.  If God chooses to work in a way that results in people or animals dying or suffering, than who are we to question Him?

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Father / Yahweh, Miracles, Pride, Through Prophets, Wickedness / Evil

Denial Is Not Just A River In Egypt

Most of us are familiar with the phrase “Denial is not just a river in Egypt.” It is a word play on “denial” and “the Nile”. We all encounter denial in regards to Jehovah’s presence and interaction in this world. It seems that some can find a way to reject Him no matter what signs and wonders He performs. Others, even when He gets their attention with signs and wonders, they quickly fall away again once the sign is past and they begin to rationalize away the power of God they just witnessed.

Pharaoh and his court did this over and over, thus inviting God to continue demonstrating His power to all through more miracles. First, whenever God would demonstrate a sign through Moses and Aaron, the Egyptian “magicians” would attempt to produce a fraud… a trick that mimicked in some way the real sign just demonstrated. They would try to point to something man can do similar to what God did as a way of avoiding admitting that Jehovah was God. After they were overwhelmed by God’s signs they would appear to repent. He got their attention. They were defeated in that sign, like the frogs in Exodus 8. Then Pharaoh would commit to releasing the Israelites. However, once the sign was completed and the threat to Egypt appeared over, his heart was hardened again and he would go back on his commitment.

Exodus 8:1-15

Frogs over the Land

      1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2“But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite your whole territory with frogs. 3“The Nile will swarm with frogs, which will come up and go into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and on your people, and into your ovens and into your kneading bowls. 4“So the frogs will come up on you and your people and all your servants.”’” 5Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the streams and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’” 6So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7The magicians did the same with their secret arts, making frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

      8Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Entreat the LORD that He remove the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.” 9Moses said to Pharaoh, “The honor is yours to tell me: when shall I entreat for you and your servants and your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, that they may be left only in the Nile?”

      10Then he said, “Tomorrow.” So he said, “May it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. 11“The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your servants and your people; they will be left only in the Nile.” 12Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD concerning the frogs which He had inflicted upon Pharaoh. 13The LORD did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courts, and the fields. 14So they piled them in heaps, and the land became foul. 15But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

Often we say to ourselves, “Pharaoh was a rare exception because God hardened his heart. That does not really happen today.” I disagree. It is all around us even today. Consider…

What are some recent examples you have encountered from people, even those identifying as Christian, in which they deny the power or presence of God based on comparing what man can do to what God did? I can think of examples in healthcare… people turn to God for help, He miraculously heals someone and those involved start convincing themselves it was not really God, but rather man’s efforts in medicine alone. (Of course God can work through doctors and medicine.)

Apply the same thought exercise to an event like major hurricanes that have led to devastation in some areas or terrorist attacks. (We can debate in any one case if major events like this are guided by God. However, the reaction we see in people is the same as if it were.)  The event happens. People are in pain emotionally and physically. Some who are not close to God may turn to him in this time of suffering. What happens once the event stops and time begins to pass? Some will continue in deeper relationship with God but many will adjust back to acting as they did before… as if nothing happened. This is essentially what Pharaoh did in Exodus 8 after the frogs were contained.

Now the hard part… you may want to engage a fellow follower or disciple of Christ you trust. Look back at your life and prayerfully consider if there are moments when you too dismiss the power of God that has been demonstrated in your life. Avoid the blindness of pride in this exercise and begin with humbly admitting you are not perfect and are indeed capable of making mistakes. This opens the door to growing in wisdom and applying God’s word in your life. Are there times in your life around big events or small ones that you quickly dismiss the power of God, rationalizing it away as coincidence or activities of man alone? Look for it in your thoughts as you go forward in life. Consider writing down when you feel God is working in your life to keep a record. It is too easy to dismiss what He is doing in our lives while at the same time wondering why He is not active in our lives.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Miracles, Miracles, Strong in Our Weakness

Do Not Dismiss God’s Guidance In Search Of Your Own

Have you ever found yourself facing situations where you felt like God was directing you to or away from something. Perhaps you prayed even a simple prayer for God to do something in your life.  At times when I have prayed for something, God may answer “yes” or he may answer “no” or he may answer “not the way you want, but my way” or even “not right now”. He does not always answer with words or miracles. Sometimes he just blocks our path as we keep trying to find a way to accomplish our own desires… having convinced ourselves that God must want it for us too.

I have experienced this more than a few times in my life. I have an answer in mind and pray for help. Then I proceed to ignore every improbable barrier that comes in my path, each time convincing myself that God wants to give me the answer I already identified. Sometimes He is giving me a clear answer and I just refuse to listen. In fact, He often seems to be “closing certain doors” and “opening others” I had not even considered or had chosen against. Pharaoh had a similar problem with a hard heart, refusing to acknowledge God and the will of God despite many miraculous wonders.

Exodus 8:16-32

The Plague of Insects

      16Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats through all the land of Egypt.’” 17They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats through all the land of Egypt. 18The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. 19Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

      20Now the LORD said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 21“For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they dwell. 22“But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the LORD, am in the midst of the land. 23“I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.”’” 24Then the LORD did so. And there came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants and the land was laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt.

      25Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26But Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to the LORD our God what is an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us? 27“We must go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.” 28Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Make supplication for me.” 29Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you, and I shall make supplication to the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only do not let Pharaoh deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.”

      30So Moses went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to the LORD. 31The LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants and from his people; not one remained. 32But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.

Each time you pray, challenge yourself to try to look for what God wants you to do, rather than what you want to do. Identify your bias and try to guard against it. Test what you want to do against scripture for guidance and pray for God to help you find His path rather than your own. Then be open to the prompting God provides to lead you and guide you. He will not always send gnats and flies. Sometimes He is much more subtle. When you ask for God’s help, take special care you do not dismiss His answer when He gives it.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Family, Speaking

A Genealogy? Right In The Middle Of The Action?

Have you ever wondered why genealogy was important to God? It shows up periodically in varying detail in different places in scripture. In Exodus 6, we see Moses and Aaron struggling and discouraged because of the reaction of the Israelites when things are not going well for them. Pharaoh just made the tasks of the Hebrews harder by demanding they find their own straw to make the bricks to build for him. The people were discouraged and quite frankly not excited about following Moses at this point.

God spoke to Moses and Aaron and reinforced that they were to lead the Hebrew people, regardless of the reaction of the people. At this point Moses (Moses is the author of Exodus), inserts a genealogy of the “Heads of Israel”. Why?

Exodus 6:10-27

   10Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 11“Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the sons of Israel go out of his land.” 12But Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, “Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am unskilled in speech?” 13Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a charge to the sons of Israel and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

The Heads of Israel

      14These are the heads of their fathers’ households. The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben. 15The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon. 16These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon and Kohath and Merari; and the length of Levi’s life was one hundred and thirty-seven years. 17The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families. 18The sons of Kohath: Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel; and the length of Kohath’s life was one hundred and thirty-three years. 19The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations. 20Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the length of Amram’s life was one hundred and thirty-seven years. 21The sons of Izhar: Korah and Nepheg and Zichri. 22The sons of Uzziel: Mishael and Elzaphan and Sithri. 23Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 24The sons of Korah: Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites. 25Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites according to their families. 26It was the same Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, “Bring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their hosts.” 27They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the sons of Israel from Egypt; it was the same Moses and Aaron.

There are a few observations we can make about this insertion of a genealogy and I am sure if you choose to study it in more detail on your own, you could learn even more.

Moses and Aaron were not outsiders, though they may have been viewed that way at the time. God raised up leaders from within the Hebrew people. Moses’ and Aaron’s genealogy is a great reminder.

God consistently emphasizes the importance of family. Family is a very important social structure for God’s people and should continue to be viewed that way today. We should not lightly abandon the family structure in favor of turning our children over to strangers and government to raise. God never intended that.

Prayerfully reflect on how important the family structure is to the Lord. Are there relationships in your family that need a change? Begin with prayer for all involved, together if practical. Then focus on praying for God’s help to change you so that you reflect the love of Christ through your actions and behaviors. Willfully choose how you react to situations that are tough… control your tongue, focus on gentle answers that turn away wrath, and even consider overlooking real or perceived transgressions that come against you. There is a lot of wisdom toward this end in Proverbs. Seek it and live it and your life will certainly be better for it.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.