Category Archives: Faith / Trusting God

Consequences of Sin, Encouragement, Faith / Trusting God, Obeying God, Persecution / Glorifying God, Sin, Suffering / Adversity

Lay Aside Sin and Run With Endurance

This world is filled with sin and distraction. It can be difficult to lay aside so many things which seem important, but only promise to entangle us and keep us from living the life God intends for us. Just as a runner in a race does not carry with him extra baggage, so too we must lay aside that which would weigh us down. Let us fix our eyes on the example of Jesus Christ and do as He did. Let us seek and follow God’s will for our lives no matter how difficult. We do so for the glory of God. Though the race we run is difficult in this life, the reward is substantial and we will not be disappointed when we stand before God after we finish our journey in this life.

Hebrews 12:1-3

Jesus, the Example

      1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

      3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

We will have many trials and face much hostility. Let us consider Jesus and what He endured for us so that we will not grow weary. Sin of all kinds will distract and draw our attention. Be on guard and seek after the things of God. Do not be led astray by greed or coveting, by idolatry or lust or gossip or so many more.  Fear of persecution or being mocked may discourage some of us. Sometimes it is sloth or gluttony or drunkenness that lay forth a trap. Jesus endured temptation for these things and more, as fully man and fully God. He resisted the devil and turned away from temptation with the word of God as His guide. He ran the race in a focused manner with great endurance and accomplished all God had for planned for Him.

What is holding you back from living fully devoted for God in your life? We only live once… don’t miss running the race well. Pray today for God’s help to guide you and help you break free.

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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.

Compassionate, Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Fear / Reverence for God, Help / Serve Others, Holy, Interceding for Others, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Speaking, Through Prophets

Moses Intercedes Again For The People

If you read the preceding chapters you will refresh yourself on the sin and rebellion of God’s people against God when Moses went up Mount Sinai to be with Yahweh. Moses interceded with God on behalf of the people and God spared them by not destroying them. There were consequences and the people were kept at a distance from God due to their sin. God remained close Moses and Joshua, the righteous.

Now we see Moses intercede again on behalf of the people, that they would have the continued presence of God among them.

Exodus 33:12-23

Moses Intercedes

      12Then Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ 13“Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” 14And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. 16“For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”

      17The LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.” 18Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” 19And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” 20But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” 21Then the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; 22and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23“Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”

Moses found favor in the sight of God. Moses was a righteous and faithful servant. As such, he drew near to God and God to him. When he interceded on behalf of the people, God listened because of this relationship and favor.

If we choose not to seek after God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, do not expect to be able to effectively intercede for others. When you do draw near to God and wish to intercede, remain focused not only on the people, but also on God and His name… His kingdom… His glory.

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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.

Demons, Faith / Trusting God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Salvation, Satan

What Does It Mean To “Believe In” Jesus?

John 3:16 is often referred to as a wonderful summary of the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in many ways this is true. However, many allow themselves to be misled or become complacent in reading this popular verse.

John 3:16

  16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

For those who read this at a surface level given the common English translations, a lot hinges on the meaning of “believe in”.  This is not simply to acknowledge the historical nature that God became man and walked among us thousands of years ago and then go about doing anything we want, rejecting and rebelling against God, but still  expecting God to give us eternal life.

Even Satan and the demons “believe” in Jesus. In fact, they recognize Him instantly… much more readily than people seem to.

Mark 3:11

11Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!”

Luke 8:27-28

27And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. 28Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.”

Matthew 4:1-11

      1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”

      5Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,

6and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,
‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’;
and
‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’”

7Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”

      8Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” 11Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

Are we to conclude that just by acknowledging in our minds that the historical figure of Jesus is God we will be saved from the punishment we are due for our sin? The simple answer is … absolutely not. Satan and demons acknowledge and know Jesus.

Let us expand beyond John 3:16 to get better definition of context for the application of the words “believe in”.

John 3:16-21

  16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Note in the broader context we get a much clearer perspective.  There is a very big difference between “believing about” Jesus and “believing in” Him. To believe in Jesus is much deeper than just acknowledging a historical reality, but rather it is reflected in our actions. To acknowledge that aerodynamics work and planes can fly is interesting, but may not affect my life at all. Many may acknowledge planes as a means of travel but be deeply fearful and choose never to use them. If I believe in aerodynamics and planes, I will likely use them as a means of transportation.

The broader context of the scripture shows us that truly believing “in” Jesus as God, or not believing,  will be reflected in our actions. Truly believing that He died for our sins and rose from the dead means we will practice the truth and come to the Light. Not believing will be reflected by a life filled with evil and ungodly living.  Believing “in” Jesus  It is so much more than just believing “about” Him.

Sometimes a lot hangs on proper understanding of context of even small words.  Pray that God would help you to grow in your faith and believe deeply “in” Jesus as Messiah and not grow complacent just acknowledging the historical reality of Jesus. Believing in Him should be reflected in our behaviors and attitudes. It should affect everything we do and how we do 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 Knowing, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Idols / False Gods, Obeying God, Speaking, Through Prophets

Put Your Faith In Jehovah Rather Than Your Religious Leaders

Jehovah tells us to put our faith in him rather than men, even when men may be righteous and in leadership roles. Now that is not to say we should not be respectful and honor those in leadership over us, we should. However, men fail or even when they do not fail, we may lose sight of them. Eventually they die. If our faith is in men, then we will surely have our faith tested and fail. If our faith is in Jehovah, He will never fail us.

Consider the Israelites, who were led out of slavery in Egypt by God through Moses.

Exodus 32:1-18

The Golden Calf

      1Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2Aaron said to them, “Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 5Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” 6So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

      7Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8“They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” 9The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. 10“Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.”

The people put their faith in Moses rather than God! Thus when he was out of sight for awhile, they grew nervous and failed in their faith very quickly.

    1Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

The people had not learned to trust in God directly, but relied on having an intermediary, a go-between, to communicate between God and man. Moses was even righteous… he did not fail in this case, but still the people were separated from him and their faith failed. When it did, they acted boldly in rebellion to God’s instructions by creating and worshipping an idol. They worshipped God the way they saw Egyptians worshipping their gods. They had not drawn near to God, but rather relied on Moses to do so on their behalf.

God invites each of us to draw near to Him in personal relationship and to put our faith in Him and Him alone. Let us each accept this generous invitation from the Creator of all things and put our faith where it belongs!

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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.

Faith / Trusting God, Heaven and Hell

Should We Fear Death?

Why is it we are willing to plan for retirement or a new car or a vacation but not for what happens when we die? We should all get past denial of death and accept that we will all die… we may not know when or how, but it will happen. Many avoid thinking about the topic of their own death because it makes them uncomfortable.  However, this is a bit like an ostrich putting its head in the sand to hide from trouble. They feel better, but it does little to protect them.

We do well to prepare ourselves and our families for death in its proper context. Of course this  includes financial planning and making a will and other logistical aspects of providing for those we may leave behind, but it is more than that. Should we not spend at least as much time thinking about where we will go after we die as we do thinking about where we may live when we retire? Eternity will last much longer than retirement, I assure you.

“Should I fear death?” It is a penetrating question that many struggle with. Others avoid it all together. The answer truly comes down to one of personal faith. For those of us who truly believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we need not fear death. We can trust that God’s promises are true and we will go to be with Him when we die. We can also trust that He is in control and can protect us as His faithful servants if He chooses to do so.

Let us first consider Psalm 23. Read the whole scripture but focus in particular on verses 4 and 6. It reminds us that we need not fear even when we face death and that after goodness and lovingkindness of God follow me all the days of this life… I will go to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23

The LORD, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

     1The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.

      2He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.

      3He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

      4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

      5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.

      6Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Consider also the faith of Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-nego. They were confronted with a demand to worship an idol or be thrown into a furnace to die. They believed that God would save them, but were prepared to die if God may choose not to save them. That is faith that does not fear death.

Daniel 3:16-18

      16Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18“But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

There are more examples you can study as well such as Paul and Daniel, but I will not try to include them all here in this article. For those that have rejected God or do now know Him, then death may truly be a frightening topic for there is no hope for them. Suffice it to say that the only way to truly prepare to face death is to come to know the Creator of the universe personally and accept His offer of salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.

If you are not sure of your relationship with Him, now is a great time to seek Him out, by reaching out to us on our Contact Us page of our website or by reaching out to other Christians you know. Start planning for eternity 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.

Faith / Trusting God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Provider

Jehovah Wants Us To Trust In Him

I find it very rewarding to unpack the laws and instructions Jehovah has provided in such a way that I can consider each thoughtfully and prayerfully. Jehovah instructs us throughout His word to observe the Sabbath. It has even more significance than most of us realize. It is beyond just resting every seventh day. Jehovah actually encouraged His people, when farming, to cease from sowing their land in every seventh year. Letting the land rest and lie fallow. This approach is so different from what we would conclude or plan. Our wisdom would tell us to keep working the field. So why does Jehovah instruct His people in this way?

Exodus 23:10-13

The Sabbath and Land

      10“You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield, 11but on the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the beast of the field may eat. You are to do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

      12“Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves. 13“Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard; and do not mention the name of other gods, nor let them be heard from your mouth.

The only reason the scripture states to let the fields rest is to help the needy or even allow animals to eat. Perhaps Jehovah has something else in mind as well. Perhaps He wants us to trust in His providence and provision rather than to continue to think of doing things only our own way. We are to trust in Him rather than be fully self sufficient. We also see another firm reminder in verse 13 that we should not even mention the names of false gods. Jehovah’s people so often chase after false gods that He constantly reminds us to not even discuss them. He does not want us focusing on how pagans worship their gods, but rather on how He tells us to worship Him and lead our lives.

Pray that Jehovah will help you to understand and obey His instructions for how we are to live. Praise Him for providing such a great record of His guidance and His relationship with His people over time… the Bible! Then make or renew your personal commitment to do things God’s way, even when you may not understand why.

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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.

Faith / Trusting God, Guide, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prayer

I Delight To Do Your Will, O My God

How many of us truly delight in doing the will of Jehovah? To delight in doing His will goes well beyond just knowing and obeying His will. It reflects a deep and passionate relationship and trust in Him. There are times where I delight in doing His will… but there are still times where I am choosing to do His will because I want to serve Him. I do not always delight in doing His will.

Psalm 40

     1I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

      2He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

      3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the LORD.

      4How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

      5Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

      6Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
My ears You have opened;
Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.

      7Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

      8I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your Law is within my heart.”

      9I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O LORD, You know.

      10I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.

      11You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.

      12For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has failed me.

      13Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
Make haste, O LORD, to help me.

      14Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.

      15Let those be appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

      16Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The LORD be magnified!”

      17Since I am afflicted and needy,
Let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

Pray with me that Jehovah will help you to understand His will, and want to do His will and even delight in doing His will. I will share this parting thought. The more time I spend with Him in prayer and study and the more I choose willfully to obey His instructions… the more often I truly delight in doing His will. It has a lot to do with continuing to actively develop a relationship with our heavenly Father. It has much less to do with always understanding and agreeing with what He tells us to do.

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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.

Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Protector / Deliverer, Speaking, Strong in Our Weakness, Suffering / Adversity, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Sometimes We Must Fight, Even When God Fights For Us

Faithful followers of Jehovah seek to learn His ways and seek to know His voice and obey it. He is our wonderful Creator and He cares for His people. We can turn toward Him and trust in Him even when we come under attack and encounter adversity. Sometimes He will just take care of the situation on our behalf, but often He expects us to demonstrate our faith by participating. He may deliver the victory, but we are expected to show our faith by taking clear and decisive actions that show we trust in Him.

In Exodus 17, Moses did not just pray for Jehovah to wipe out Amalek and then sit and wait for Amalek to come. Moses sent Joshua to go and lead their people in battle physically while Moses than went up on the hill to call upon Jehovah’s power.

Exodus 17:8-16

Amalek Fought

      8Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. 9So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. 12But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. 13So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

      14Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner; 16and he said, “The LORD has sworn; the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

In this example, the people still needed to fight. They needed Jehovah for the victory, but they had to take up arms and go to battle. This is a common pattern throughout scripture… Jehovah expects His people to take decisive action demonstrating their faith and then He brings the victory. Gideon, Daniel, Shadrach, Meschac and Abednego all had to make choices about their actions that demonstrated their faith. Jehovah did not spare them the confrontation. Elijah had to leave to escape Ahab and Jezebel, even though Jehovah provided for him. It is not always for us to literally go to war, but we are often called to take decisive action to confront the situation while also seeking Jehovah’s help to win.

We should caution ourselves to avoid the assumption that when we call upon Jehovah to help us somehow we will be spared the confrontation or the battle. We must demonstrate courage and faith, but we can be encouraged knowing He is fully capable of delivering the victory every time.

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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.

Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Grace / Forgiveness, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Miracles, Mockers, Obeying God, Speaking, Through Prophets

The Patience of Our Father

Good parents exhibit patience with their children when they are learning to obey. Jehovah is no different. He is our heavenly Father. He loves His people. When He brought the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt, He understood that they would need to learn to obey Him. He was not surprised. As such, Jehovah exhibited great patience in dealing with them as they complained and whined about Pharaoh’s army and then food and water. Each time, Jehovah protected them and provided for them.

Exodus 17:1-7

Water in the Rock

      1Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. 2Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” 3But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.” 5Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6“Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us, or not?”

Though Jehovah was patient and merciful with His people in this example, we should not take His patience for granted and we should not deliberately put Him to the test.

Luke 4:12

12And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”

As we spend time with our children to teach them and help them grow, we eventually expect them to mature in their understanding, obedience, and respect.  Similarly, our Father in heaven expects this from us also. Let us strive to trust and obey our heavenly Father and praise Him for His patience with us as we grow in maturity, faith and understanding.

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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.