Quick Devotion-Legacy of Faith

Three verses in the book of Luke is all she got; just a quick mention. Anna, an elderly prophetess about 104 years old who never departed the temple. This kind of dedication should at least get her a whole chapter. But, no, just three meaningful verses in Luke chapter 2.

Luke 2:36-38
36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Just to give you some context, this passage picks up right at the time that Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple for dedication as a infant.

There are three big takeaways from this short passage about Anna. First, take a look at the description of her in verse 36. Anna was a prophetess. She was not a fortune teller or a revelator, but rather, a dedicated woman of God who wholeheartedly proclaimed the word of God. Most likely, she sat at the temple teaching the people from the Old Testament and it was probably all from memory. This amazing woman hid the Word of the Lord in her heart so it was always at hand to proclaim to the worshipers at the temple.

As a woman of God, we too can be prophetesses. We can have an impact on our spouse, children, friends, coworkers when we hide the Word in our heart and have it ready at all times. We can confidently speak about Jesus and use His word to bring others closer to Him. What a great responsibility. But, this takes hard work as we study the Bible diligently just as Anna must have done all of those years.

Now, take a look at verse 37. Anna spent all of those years within the temple grounds dedicated to worshiping the Lord and waiting for her savior. I imagine that she didn't want to leave for fear that she would miss His coming. She didn't want to miss the big moment! So, she dedicated herself to waiting and worshiping in the presence of the Lord at the temple. We too can stay in the presence of the Lord, waiting for the coming of Christ. Through prayer, worship, Bible study, and a relationship, we are always in God's presence and power. Let us not get sidetracked and stop waiting. Let us always be dedicated to being in the LORD's presence.

Finally, it is amazing that Anna didn't let the things of the world get in the way of her worship. Because she was always in the temple, she was not tempted by earthly things that would take her away from total devotion to God. Rather, she spent her time in constant prayer and fasting. With this activity day in and day out, you can bet that she knew the LORD intimately. This is precisely why Anna just knew Jesus was the Messiah the moment she laid eyes on Him. We too can have an intimate relationship with Christ and know His work when we see it. We too can be devoted to Him, not letting the things outside the temple get in the way of our worship.

Let these few verses be an inspiration to you on LIVING OUT the Kingship of Christ. Anna is an example of a woman with total devotion, complete dedication, and commitment to proclaiming the Word of God. Because of this, Anna was rewarded by seeing Jesus face to face. How cool! One day, we will see Him face to face and be able to worship Him in all His glory. In the meantime, be dedicated to waiting in His presence, be devoted to prayer and worship and be committed to proclaiming His Word!

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Exodus 38-40; Glory of the LORD

We made it through Exodus! Oh I pray that you stay with it. Most people who set out to read through the Bible only make it through Exodus. So, push through. We can do it together.

I love the final segment of chapter 40. This one part just captivated my imagination:

34 Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

The glory of the LORD. What does that mean? I am honestly not sure that I can even explain it. In this instance, the glory of the LORD was His presence in the tabernacle. He filled the tabernacle up and nothing else could occupy that space. I imagine there was something about the area that no one could put their finger on but they could feel energy and excitement and the power of God.

We too can be filled abundantly by the glory of the LORD. When we allow Him to occupy our heart completely, there is something about us that others can see, but they can't always put their finger on what it is that makes us different. It is this occupation of the LORD that is often the best way we bring people to Christ. They simply see Him in us and want it for themselves.

Do you allow the Glory to fill your heart completely? Or is there something else that fills that space. It could be other passions and obsessions. It could be love for work, love for money, love for success, or even love for a hobby. When these things take precedent over God, they make empty space in our heart that blocks the Glory of God from really shining through us.

When we enjoy the glory of the LORD, we are taking part in the blessing of knowing Him, creating a meaningful relationship, and benefiting from His abounding love. Don't let other things make a home in your heart. Move them out and open the doors for God's glory.

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Exodus 35-37, Prized Posessions

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE jewelry. I love fun, funky costume jewelry and I expecially love the real stuff too!! Oh how I just enjoy window shopping (notice how I said window shopping) at Tiffany's and I am mesmerized by the sparkles. I once ventured in just to look for fun and upon trying on a georgeous diamond ring, I had to immediately take it off because I got a case of the vapors. That's right, I got a little vaklemped!

So, when Exodus 35 mentioned brooches, earrings, signant rings and armlets of gold, you just know this got my attention!

Moses was setting out to start the building of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle and he needed supplies. Because the Lord required only the best materials, Moses needed gold, silver and bronze. Upon asking for donations, the Isrealites came in droves to provide the materials. That's right, they actually took off their jewelry and gave it up for the Lord. Oh my...

Exodus 35:21-22
21And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the LORD.

Their hearts stirred and their spirits were moved to bring this offering to the LORD.

This passaged challenged me to think about if I would be willing to give an offering of this magnitude. Now, your vice might not be jewelry like mine is, but you might have somthing else that you cherish. Would you be willing to give it up for the LORD?

Please hear me when I say that these items in and of themselves are not bad at all. In fact, God often blesses us with things we enjoy. It is when we are not willing to give them up for the LORD that creates the problem. This means that we are putting some earthly object that won't accompany us to heaven before our God.

Let us all be like the Israelites and let our hearts be stirred and spirits moved to offer up daily what we cherish to the LORD. Most importantly, let us offer up our lives to be used by Him and glorify Him.

Here is a representation of the Ark of the Covenant-just FYI:

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Exodus 32-34; Pleading to God

Poor Moses, his fellow Israelites were always disappointing him. First they whined and complained before he parted the Red Sea, saying they were better off back in Egypt. Now, the moment he leaves them to be with God on Mount Sinai, they loose their minds and make a golden calf to worship as their god.

How crazy is this?! I mean, honestly, how could they possible forget all the awesome things the one and only God had already done for them. Just to go and worship some inanimate object? Well, actually this isn't too far from where we are in our present culture. But, we have already discussed this in previous blog postings.

What I am getting at right now is that Moses had to go and stand in the gap for the people of Israel. Because God is a jealous God and demands all of our allegiance, you can only imagine how angry He was at the people. In fact Exodus 32:10 said that the LORD's wrath burned hot and He was ready to consume every one of them!! Oh man, Moses must have been freaking out at this point.

What is so cool is that, instead of freaking out, Moses immediately went to bat for his people. He pleaded with God on behalf of these wayward Israelites.

Exodus 34:9 (New International Version)
9 "O Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes," he said, "then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance."

Moses sets a great example for what we need to be constantly doing for our very own wayward nation. We must be on our knees in prayer, pleading to God for forgiveness and mercy. Just as He heard Moses' prayers, God hears our prayers as well. Think about how many evil things could turn around in this country if every Christian pleaded to God in this manner on a daily basis.

We need God on an individual basis. But, let us not forget that our nation as a whole needs God desperately, too!

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Exodus 29-31, A High Calling

Exodus 29 goes into great detail as to how the priests of the Lord were to be consecrated. Now, the word consecrate is such a "churchy" word that most of us uses regularly but don't always know the true meaning of. Below is the definition from the Holeman Dictionary:

CONSECRATION refers to persons or things being separated to or belonging to God. They are holy or sacred. They are set apart for the service of God. The Hebrew kadosh and Greek hagiazo are translated by several different English words: holy, consecrate, hallow, sanctify, dedicate.

What sticks out to me is that it means the person would be separated from everyone else, declared holy and also belonging to God. The definition goes on to say that those who were consecrated, were also set apart for God's demands and service.

This passage is relevant to us in many ways. Although we don't have to go through alot of the ceremony, when we are in Christ, we are considered a holy priesthood. Just like Aaron and his sons in the Old Testament.

1 Peter 2:9-11 (The Message)
9-10But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

I love this version of the 1 Peter from the Message. We are CHOSEN for the high calling of being holy and working as God's instruments.

Before you reread Exodus 29 and start freaking out about the priestly duties of Aaron to perform all of the animal sacrifices, don't worry! The symbolism in the animal sacrifices was that the animal took the place of dying for them. God is pure and holy and demands nothing but holiness in His presence. Therefore, He demands a blood sacrifice to make up for that sinfulness. This is relevant to us since Jesus became that blood sacrifice and took our place in death. Because of the Cross, we are able to be set apart and a holy priesthood in His service.

Chapter 29 also goes into great detail about the garments Aaron was to wear. These garments were to be ornate and beautiful; not just everyday wear. This signifies the holiness of the situation in which they were dressing up for. We too are to be clothed in beautiful and ornate wear once we are set apart and made holy for God.

Isaiah 61:10 (English Standard Version)
10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

As servants and instruments of God, our special clothing is salvation and righteousness. Isaiah likens this clothing to beautiful jewels and headdresses. God even has special clothing for us to wear. And, it sounds better than anything you could find on a shopping spree at the mall!!

So, once we have been made holy by the sacrifice of Christ and clothed in His beautiful salvation and righteousness, we are set to go and serve the LORD by exclaiming His excellence and great power. Sounds like a huge task not to be taken lightly. Start today, accept the challenge of being a royal priest with honor and dignity and go forth to serve the Lord with joy and gladness.

LIVE IT OUT! application:
What does it mean to you that being a holy priest for the Lord is a high calling? Does this scare you? Take that to the Lord asking Him to give you excitement and courage to take on the calling with exuberance and stamina.

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Exodus 26-28, Intricate Details

This passage contains all of the minute details of how God wanted Moses to build the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle. I was struck by the intricacies of the directions and couldn't help but meditate on the fact that God required such a detailed, beautiful intricate dwelling place. Of course, I should not be surprised that He wanted the dwelling place to be awe inspiring and set apart from just the regular old tents that the Israelites carried around.

Take a look at these chapters and noticed how many times God required gold, silver and bronze. Can you imagine how bright and shiny this thing was? God called for nothing less than the purest of these precious metals. This dwelling place was to be like nothing they had ever seen.

Why all the trouble? I think God wanted this Ark and Tabernacle to be set apart. He wanted there to be no question that this dwelling place was Holy and pure and precious. Remember, this dwelling place was for the King of Kings; a King deserves the best and the most beautiful.

But, keep in mind, these materials and designs were of earthly things. We have so much more to look forward to when we worship the Lord in heaven. When we come to see Him face to face at His throne, this will be like nothing our human mind could ever fathom. Colors, textures, brightness, shine; we will be awe struck at His presence. The final chapters of Revelation give us a glimpse of what we have to look forward to:

Revelation 21:3
3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

If you read further in that chapter, it goes on to describe what the New Jerusalem will be like. Really cool description. Here is what it say the foundation of the city will be like:

Revelation 21:18-21

18The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[a] 21The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.

Just let your imagination take over and think about what this will really look like. Pretty amazing. Of course, should we really expect anything less from our AMAZING LORD?!

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Exodus 23-25, God's dwelling Place

Ok, so I know it was super hard to wade through the previous chapters about the Law that the Lord laid down for Moses and the Israelites. We must remember that we won't find every single chapter of the Bible directly speaking to us. But, out of obedience, it is so important to read every chapter so that we know the whole context of each book of the Bible.

After God lays down the Law, He instructs Moses to make a dwelling place for Himself. This is called the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle. Chapter 25 goes into detail of the Ark. Now, there is, yet again, alot of symbolism that I don't even begin to know. But, I was captivated about the notion that God would have a dwelling place among Israel. God's physical presence would be within the Ark of the Covenant.

Verse 8: And let them make a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.

Chew on that for a moment-God dwelling among them. The LORD of LORDS, KING OF KINGS making His presence known among His chosen people. How can that not excite you?! Later on, once established, they would build that amazing temple where the Lord would dwell. But, this Ark of the Covenant was a portable contraption that Israel would carry as they were wandering in the desert. Now, don't get me wrong. This is not like they were "putting God in a box" and God was only in this Ark. No, this was a place where God would come and meet with Moses.

So, you might be thinking, this is interesting and all, but what does it have to do with me? Everything! You see, the Lord dwells in you right now if you believe in Christ as Lord and Savior. You don't have to carry around an ark. His Holy Spirit lives and dwells with you and you are always in His presence. This means that you have access to the King any time, any place with ANY matter you want to discuss with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:10 says that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

Access to the King. Take advantage of that right now. Go to Him with your troubles, hurts, worries, praises, blessings and excitements. He wants to hear it. He welcomes you into His presence ready and willing to show you His majesty and power over all of our circumstances, good and bad.

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Exodus 17-22; Jealous God

Take a look at the Ten Commandments in chapter 20 of Exodus. I find it so interesting that the first commandment is that we shall have no other gods but our LORD-the one and only God. Why would this be the top of the list of "shall nots?"

I think this is the first and most important because all of the other commandments stem from not worshiping anyone or anything else but the LORD. When we make idols out of people or possessions, we tend to to crazy, stupid and dangerous things.

Each one-stealing, coveting neighbor's wife, coveting neighbor's property, murder, taking God's name in vain, adultery-all of these start because we bow down to something other than God.

The LORD says it Himself, He is a jealous God. He wants our full attention and affection. There is nothing on this earth that is valuable enough to put before or above God. What happens if we do fall into the trap? Well, one thing is that we put a huge cavern between ourselves and the LORD. Now, the LORD will never forsake us, but He does allow space creep in. Then, we find ourselves yearning more and more for the earthly things and not heavenly things of God. It becomes an endless cycle. Nothing will satisfy that craving to fill that void-only God can quench the thirst. You might not even know that your thirsty, but you know you want more. You might skip from one cool gadget, to that cool shop, to that cool fitness craze to that cool fad. Sooner or later, each one of those cool things loses its luster.

Good news, God will always close the gap if we let Him back into our lives. He waits with open arms to take over your life again and fill that void with His love that is so much better than anything at the local shopping mall!

No other gods-period.

LIVE IT OUT! application:
Prayerfully take inventory of things that take your attention away from fully worshiping God. Why do you think you go to them before you go to Him? Do they really satisfy you? Take this matter to the LORD and ask Him to show you how He can fulfill you and be your only God.

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Exodus 14-16

Take a look again at Exodus chapter 14. I am sure we all heard the Red Sea account year after year in Vacation Bible School. It is easy to skim through the parts we think we already know. But, take time to read it again and observe God's mighty hand in saving the Israelites.

As many times as I have read this passage, I never payed much attention to verses 13-14. The Israelites were doubting God's motives as the Egyptians were fast approaching. They had a 600 chariot army on one side and the Red Sea on the other. It did not look good for God's people. Check out how Moses responds, I just love this passage from the Message version of the Bible:

Exodus 14:13-14 (The Message)
13 Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you're never going to see them again. 14 God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!"

Whoa, Moses just told them to shut up! I love it! I felt the Lord tell me just now that when I am in a rough spot, I need to quit complaining and just shut my trap. Ouch!

But, the first part of the passage is the best. The Israelites were told not to do a thing but watch God do HIS thing. How hard would that be?! You've got your enemy at your back and your told to stand where you are and not do a thing but shut your mouth.

If we don't stand firm, keep quiet and watch, we will surly miss God working amazing things out in our favor. He will fight our battles and He will certainly win every time. With that kind of track record, do you ever want to go at it alone again and miss out on a great show?

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Exodus 11-13, Forshadow

Today I want to focus on a passage in chapter 12 which is chock full of meaning, symbolism and foreshadow of what Christ would do on the cross many many centuries later. God is so cool in how he delivered the Israelites from His judgement on Egypt and then how He delivers us from our sins when we have Christ as our Lord and King.

Please read the following passage. It is a tad long, but worth taking another look at so hang in there and soak in all of the rich symbolism.

Exodus 12:3-13 (New International Version)
3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb [a] for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire—head, legs and inner parts. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover.
12 "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

I was so overwhelmed with this passage at the thought of writing about it on this blog, but I knew it had to be done. So, I don't pretend to know every nuance of symbolism, but I will make a list of what was meaningful to me.

**Sacrificing the Lamb: Christ is referred to as the Lamb of God (see John 1:29) You will recall that in the Old Testament days, God required a blood sacrifice as atonement for sin. A lamb was often used in this ceremony. I love verse 5 in the ESV. It says that the lamb will be without blemish. Our Christ, was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. With out blemish, without blame, completely innocent on our behalf. As innocent as a precious lamb...

**Blood covering the door frame: there is all kinds of meaning that I can't go into (lack of knowledge) regarding the placement of the blood on the door. But, right now we will focus on the fact that blood was shed and that the blood was a sign to God to pass over that house. A sign to not pass judgement on those people. When we are in Christ, we are covered in His blood and our sins are passed over and forgiven. It is so powerful to remember this daily and worship Christ by thanking Him for shedding His blood. We are covered by His blood, covered by His love, and covered by His power (through the Holy Spirit).

**God's judgement-all I have to say is DON'T MESS WITH GOD! His wrath is not pretty. But, again, as mentioned before, when we are in Christ, we are passed over.
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

**Eating all of the Lamb: God didn't want any leftovers in this meal. The symbolism here is to take all of Christ. When Christ comes again, I don't want Him to find any leftovers in my fridge! I want to take all of Christ everyday and leave nothing on the table. I want to experience everything, love Him with all my heart, serve Him to the best of my ability and not miss a single blessing from Him.

This part of Exodus is not a pretty picture. In fact, it is down right gory. But, you have to admit that the event that is foreshadowed in this passage is down right glorious! So, go... Take the Lamb, leave nothing on the table, be covered in the blood, and thank the LORD for passing over your sin!

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Exodus 8-10, Get a Clue!

Exodus chapters 8-10 is a continuation of God's judgement against Pharaoh and Egypt for not letting the Israelites go. Like I said yesterday, you would think Pharaoh would get a clue! But no, his heart was hardened each time. This just goes to show how far gone Pharaoh really was not to be effected by these plagues! God was doing serious things to get his attention.

Is God doing crazy things in your life so you would get a clue? Are you getting it? Sometimes we need a wake-up call and sometimes its not pretty. Why don't we all save ourselves the trouble and listen to God the first time!!

This is written in the book of Jeremiah. It is so much like the times we live in that its scary.

Jeremiah 7:23-24 (New International Version)
23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. 24 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.

Oh let us not go backward, but forward towards our God and towards the abundant life we have when we love and obey Him!

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Exodus 5-7, Crazy Things

The book of Exodus is a great example of how God can do any ol' thing He wants to. There are some example of the crazy, unimaginable things that God did to Pharaoh in the first several chapters of Exodus.

Talk to Moses with a burning bush that doesn't burn to a crisp
Turn a staff into a serpent
Make Moses' hand leprous and then heal it again
Turn the whole Nile river water to blood-yikes!
Many more to come in the following chapters!

Now, this was all done to get either Moses' attention or to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. You have to admit that God is very creative, we most certainly saw this in Genesis. But, Exodus just shows us that God can use His very creation to do whatever He pleases with it.

This got me thinking about how we don't always think about how creative our LORD is and we most always put God in a box. Part of it is that we have human, finite brains that, in reality, can't truly comprehend the awesomeness of God. The other part of it is, that maybe we just don't believe that God can do crazy things! We just don't think to ask Him for these things because it doesn't occur to us that He actually can do the impossible.

As we see in Exodus 7, Pharaoh learned his lesson of not believing Moses when he said the LORD would turn the water into blood. Actually the upcoming chapters describe many of these incidents. You would think the Pharaoh would get a clue after the blood incident.

The key here is that it says Pharaoh's heart was hardened(Exodus 7:13) Often times, when our heart is hardened to believing God, our mind is shut off to believing that God can do the unimaginable. The heart is the culprit-if it is not in the right place, you WILL miss out on seeing and experiencing amazing things of God.

Don't let your heart be hardened. The world around us is a tough place, it is easy to get caught up in it and find yourself cynical. Don't fall into that trap. God wants nothing more than to show you His greatness and to have you praise Him for it. Open your heart, then your mind to see what kind of crazy things He has in store.

LIVE IT OUT! application:
Make a list of things you have seen in your own life or the lives of others that just amaze you at God's power. Let this be a reminder on the days that your heart is hardened and you just don't feel like believing.

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Exodus 1-4, Four Words

The book of Exodus marks a new chapter for the Israelites. They have spent many years as slaves to the Egyptians and God has chosen Moses to lead them out of Egypt and into the Promise Land of Caanan. Chapter 3 holds a very important phrase that carries us through the whole Bible:

I AM WHO I AM
Four simple words on the surface, yet they are overflowing with significance to Israel and to us as well.

This phrase is, at the most basic level, is God's way of describing Himself. Because this is such a rich, deep topic, I don't feel adequate to expound on this on my own. Check out what the famed theologian, Matthew Henry has to say about this. (This excerpt come from the LifeWay online Bible-the abridged version of Matthew Henry's commentary)

A name that denotes what he is in himself, I AM THAT I AM. This explains his name Jehovah, and signifies, 1. That he is self-existent: he has his being of himself. 2. That he is eternal and unchangeable, and always the same, yesterday, to-day, and for ever. 3. That he is incomprehensible; we cannot by searching find him out: this name checks all bold and curious inquiries concerning God. 4. That he is faithful and true to all his promises, unchangeable in his word as well as in his nature; let Israel know this, I AM hath sent me unto you. I am, and there is none else besides me. All else have their being from God, and are wholly dependent upon him. Also, here is a name that denotes what God is to his people. The Lord God of your fathers sent me unto you. Moses must revive among them the religion of their fathers, which was almost lost; and then they might expect the speedy performance of the promises made unto their fathers.


Did you catch point number one? God is self existent. Have you ever really thought about this fact? Our God is above all. He is in and of Himself; no one or no thing existed before God. This means that He is the creator of all things because God was in existence before all things. Pretty deep...
Because of this, we all are dependant on Him whether we like it or not; whether we acknowledge it or not. Because we were created by God, there is no way that we are independent of Him. The implications of this are huge! Every breath we take, every beat of our heart, every cell in our body is because of God. Once we really wrap our mind around this fact, we can't help but be humbled and acknowledge that we need God. Let me say that again, WE NEED GOD!! Not just for our physical being, but for our emotional and spiritual being.

Are you the type that thinks that you don't need anyone to help you in this world? Think again. This type of thought process just keeps you from enjoying God's power, grace, goodness and love in your life. Surely you wouldn't want to miss out on that!

LIVE IT OUT! application:
Reread the Matthew Henry commentary. What description of I AM stands out and means the most to you? Take time to pray to your I AM and let God know that you acknowledge His ultimate greatness and that you want to know more and more of who He is.

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Wrapping Up Genesis

Did you ever think you could read through a whole book of the Bible? We did it! Oh, I hope some of my readers are going along side of me in my journey through God's word! (please post a comment and let me know if you are!)

Genesis-a book of beginnings. A wild beginning at that. Think about the richness of the chapters in this book and all of the various people who were a part of the beginning. It is so important to keep in mind that these were real people; not just characters in a story. They had real lives, real troubles and real encounters with the Lord. For most of the main people in Genesis, God spoke to them audibly-how cool is that! But, it is also important to remember that these people were not perfect. Think back at all of the interesting mishaps along the way:

Forbidden fruit was eaten
A brother killed by his flesh and blood
A flood wiped out the earth
THREE women gave their maidservants to their husbands
one brother was ditched by his other brothers and sent to Egypt
the list goes on...

Though these events are not pretty to us and make us cringe, the are certainly NOT pretty to God either. Yet, He still loved them, forgave them, and used them to further His purpose. God also brought good things from bad situations as I wrote about yesterday.

As I move on to Exodus, I am reminded that every book of the Bible is important. God has something for each of us in His word. It might take time to read it and comprehend it, but through diligence and prayer, we all can have the awesome experience of knowing God's Word-the Bread of Life.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (New International Version)
16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Isn't it stunning to think that the very Bible that we have in our hands is breathed out by the God of the universe. The very God that made heaven and earth, yet wants to speak directly to you and me. Please know that EVERY word of this book is from God. It might be written by man, but God put the exact words in their heart to write. It is infallible, it is accurate and it is TRUTH. We have the truth right at our finger tips. Please don't miss a single word of it!

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Genesis 40-48, He makes the bad into good

These last few days have been busy so I haven't been able to post my thoughts on Genesis. But, don't worry, I have still been reading my chapters, have you?

So we are wrapping up the story of Joseph, his brothers and their forays in Egypt. You will recall that Joseph was treated horribly by his brothers and ended up in Egypt. This is where God shows that He can take a bad situation and make it into good: Joseph found favor with the Pharaoh and obtained a high position in his court. Wouldn't that surprise his brothers, they thought he would end up as a slave somewhere! But, even though the brothers were being evil, God again took a bad situation and made it into a good situation: when Joseph's family was effected by the famine they found their way into Egypt. Low and behold, Joseph was the one who helped them out and the Pharaoh gave permission to move the entire family into Egypt so they wouldn't go hungry.

Do you see the trend here in this story? The fact is, we live in a fallen world full of sinners. Bad things just happen. Good employees lose their jobs, hurricanes strike fragile land, car accidents injure entire families. This is not a pleasant topic, but it is the reality of the world we live in. Thanks to Adam and Eve, we are all sinners and treat each other badly like Joseph's brothers treated him.

Here's the good news! God knows each and every one of our situations intimately. He knows what is going on in our life and nothing surprises Him in the least. Just like He took Joseph's situation and turned it around in Joseph's favor, He is in total control of your situation too. So, we can't loose heart, we must trust God and His sovereignty.

Romans 8:28 (English Standard Version)
28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,for those who are called according to his purpose.

Loving God means trusting Him in every situation. We must not waiver in our trust when things in our life go south. This is a sign of true spiritual maturity when you can praise God for His goodness when life itself doesn't seem very good.

LIVE IT OUT! application:
Make a commitment today to trust God in EVERY situation. How does the verse in Romans encourage you in this step of faith?

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Genesis 37-39; God with Us

Today's reading is Genesis chapter 37-39. The majority of this passage is about Joseph who just happens to be the favorite son of Jacob. You might imagine that this made his brothers very jealous which lead them to dump Joseph in a ditch. Luckily some travelers pulled him out and sold him to an Egyptian officer.

What is so cool about Joseph is that he was such a great guy that the Egyptian, Potipher, put Joseph in charge of his estate. In fact, it is said 3 times in chapter 39 that the LORD was with Joseph and this brought favor upon him.

God was with Joseph. Hmmm... ring a bell...?

How about the angel telling Mary that her son would be Emmanuel, "God with Us."
I just love that name of God. Something about it just makes me all warm and fuzzy. The very idea that the creator of the universe, the very ONE who builds up kings and tears them down, the Alpha and Omega is also WITH each and every one of us.

Some people, even Christians, ignore this fact. This seems crazy to me. When you have God with you, you have access to all kinds of wonderful things like peace, love, power, joy, patience and on and on. Those people are just missing out on all the fun. They might even miss out on some success; like the success that Joseph enjoyed because the LORD was with him.

LIVE IT OUT! application:
What kinds of things do you enjoy because the LORD is with you? Thank Him for being a God who cares enough about you to be with you!

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Genesis 32-34, Keep On Keeping On

Today's reading was from Genesis chapter 34-36.

I just wanted to leave a word of encouragement to those who are reading through the Bible with me this year. Keep Up the good work! Sometimes you might not feel like reading three whole chapters. Sometimes you just don't connect with the story. Sometimes it just plain doesn't make sense to you. KEEP ON READING!!! God will certainly bless your obedience and reveal to you what He wants you to get from reading.

Also, on those days that the passage just isn't doing it for you, remember that it is important to get the full context of the story. It is important that you are reading through the Bible diligently because this gives you the whole picture of Gods word rather than bits and pieces. Your hard work WILL be recognized by the Lord.

Thanks for coming along side me for this journey.

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Genesis 31-33; Don't bring it!

Today I read Genesis chapters 31-33. The saga of Jacob, Rachel and Leah continues...

Chapter 31 details the events of Jacob and his family leaving the house of Laban, his father in law who has been a pain in the booty to Jacob from the beginning. I guess Jacob finally had enough and decided it was time to move on and get going to that Promise Land that God spoke of to his father.

While on their way, Laban catches up with the group and is furious that Jacob took his daughters and insists that Jacob took his property as well. Jacob confident that nothing was stolen, allows Laban to search their tents.

Enter Rachel...

Genesis 31-34 says that she took the "household gods" and hid them from her father by sitting on them. These household gods were most likely little idols that were worshiped in Laban's house. There is not telling why Rachel felt the need to take them. My goodness, she was headed to the PROMISE LAND that THE ONLY GOD had promised to her husband. I guess she was quick to forget that God had blessed Jacob and his family and that Rachel's very own children would become the nation of Israel. None the less, she felt the need to bring these idols with her. There is nothing written in Genesis as to why she did this. But, I suspect that Rachel needed something from her past to comfort her. (this is only my opinion!)

So, of course this got me thinking. When we are committed to Christ and living for Him, God gives us an earthly promise land before we move on to our eternal promise land. We get to enjoy His many blessings on this earth as we look to His glory and His beautiful creation around us. But, we all have a past; some other life that we left behind. Many of us want to bring our "baggage" along with us like Rachel did. Is it a reminder of what life used to be like? Is it something that you just can't get rid of because it is too comfortable? Often times, this baggage is very small and we think we can hide it from God and those around us. Here's the thing...there is no use hiding it, God knows!

Why carry around that added load? Why hang on to something that is going to deter you from enjoying the things God has blessed you with now in your promise land? Jesus said to unload our burden on Him and take up his yoke. He said in Him, we can find rest for our souls and His burden is light. (see Matthew 11:29)

LIVE IT OUT! application:
Ask God to show you some kind of baggage that you might needlessly be sitting on. Take some inventory of your life and see what kind of things you can unload on Him and truly live burden-free in this earthly promise land of living in Christ.

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Genesis 25-30, Desperate Measures

Today I am combining my thoughts from today's reading and yesterday's reading.

Genesis 30 is interesting as it details the births of all of Jacob's children. Read chapter 29 to get the full soap opera version of how Jacob ended up with both Rachel and Leah as his wife. I am not sure why Rachel and Leah put up with this situation; I certainly wouldn't want to share my husband with ANYONE! But, both ladies loved Jacob desperately and that is why our saga continues into chapter 30 with all of their children.

So, Leah started giving birth to her sons and Rachel got jealous. To try to make the situation more favorable in her corner(it seems there was some competition between the sisters for Jacob's affection) Rachel gave Jacob her maidservant to bear a child for her. WHAT?! Jacob actually agreed!! Later on in the chapter, Leah did the same thing with her maidservant.

I am unclear on if this was against custom to take on more than one wife, but I know that this did not please God. I started to think about times that I have taken crazy measures to get what I want. Ok, I'll confess... I very Type A personality so, when I want something, I go for it! How often do we manipulate situations in our favor? While you are doing this, does it feel right? I always get a pit in my stomach when I am trying to make something happen in my favor. I think I know deep in my heart that I am trying to take the reigns when I should let God handle it.

Let's not be like Rachel and Leah. Their manipulation just had to cause more heart ache and grief. When we want something, let's take the time to first pray over it, read the Bible and ask God to guide us in His way. We would probably save our self alot of trouble if we did it God's way rather than our own!

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Genesis 22-24, Hearing God's Call

The passage about Abraham and Isaac is such a chilling and heart wrenching story to me now that I have a son of my own. Oh, I shudder at the thought...

Notice through out Genesis 22 that God calls upon Abraham three times and Abraham answers, "Here am I." Abraham hears God's call clearly and is actively available to answer that call. It was especially important for Abraham to answer God in verse 11 when God exempted him from sacrificing Isaac!

Here am I.

Are you clearly hearing God's call? Are you ready and willing to answer Him?

Check out verse 18:
'...and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."

We too can enjoy all types of blessings by simply paying attention to the call of God and being ready and willing to obey.

LIVE IT OUT application:
Is is hard for you to "hear God's voice?" He doesn't always speak to us audibly. Most of the time, the Lord uses the Bible to speak to us. Now is a great time to crack open the Word and dig in to hear what God is saying to you personally. You are always welcome to join me in my journey this year of reading through the Bible...

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Genesis 19-21, No turning back

Sodom and Gomorrah...not unlike what goes on in this day and age.

Don't be like Lot's wife...

Enough said!

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Genesis 16-18, Read thru the Bible

Today I read through Genesis chapters 16-18. They were familiar parts of the Bible so it took extra concentration to look at the passage with a fresh perspective rather than just skim through the parts that I already know so well.

I focused in on a tiny little verse in Chapter 18. The Lord appeared to Abram and Sarah to let them know that Sarah would indeed bear a child. To her, this was absurd being that she was quite far along in years and she actually laughed at the notion. Get that, she LAUGHED at God! To make things worse, Sarah denied flat out that she laughed and God plainly "called her out." (see Gen 18:15)

What struck me is that the Lord made a visit to Abram and Sarah, gave them exciting news, and Sarah was found disbelieving God. From our perspective after reading this passage, it might be easy to reproach Sarah and look down on her disbelief, but we all have been there. You can't deny that...
Have you ever thought about the fact that you can believe in God and not believe God? We can believe that God is the Almighty maker of heaven and earth, yet not believe what He promises or believe that He does what he says he will do. This is a dangerous place to be spiritually. Not believing God leaves us open to Satan's lies and temptations. Satan just fuels the fire of disbelief.
Would you just hate for Christ to make His return to earth and find you in un-belief? You surly wouldn't lose your salvation, but I imagine you would have lost some reward in heaven.
So, how do you rectify this un-belief? I really think it starts with an honest conversation with God; being up front with Him about your feelings. Then, ask Him to work on your heart and strengthen your belief in His Almighty Power. This won't happen overnight. He might work on you for a while by speaking to you through His word or through various trials that test your belief. Let Him do His thing in your heart. Let Him "call you out." Then, how great it will be to be found BELIEVING GOD when He returns!

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Genesis 13-15, Read thru the Bible

Today I read through Genesis chapters 13-15.

Check out Genesis 13:17 from The Message:
"So—on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I'm giving it all to you."

God wanted Abram to explore the entire span of the land that He gave to Abram and his descendants. Abram was directed to check it all out, every inch of it. I got to thinking, have I checked out every inch of what God has blessed me with? So many times we ask God for more with out really appreciating what He has already abundantly provided for us. I am not just talking about material things. When was the last time you took inventory of all the spiritual blessings God grants us. We can look through the length and breadth(see above) to the span of Christ's arms spread out on the cross for us! We can look at the depth and height of the enormity of a God who created the entire universe and still is involved in the minute details of our life. Oh how I want to explore every inch of the blessings the LORD has granted me today!

LIVE IT OUT! application:
Take a moment to list some non-material things that you are grateful to God for. Tell Him how much you love Him and how you never want to take for granted His blessings. Feel free to write a comment to this post as to what blessings you have thought of today.

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Genesis 10-12, Read thru the Bible

Today I read Genesis chapters 10 thru 12. There were alot of names to sift through, but were interesting to try to pronounce. Speaking of names, check out chapter 11. The people built a city with a tower to heaven all for the goal of making a name for themselves! Didn't God just recently show HIS name and power by means of a flood? Surely the stories of the flood weren't too far back from this crew in Babel... just a thought.

What really stood out was chapter 12 and the call of Abram by God.
"So Abram went, as the LORD had told him..." verse 4.

God called Abram out of his comfort zone and into a land that he knew nothing about. Abram packed it all up and moved to Caanan in utter obedience. Then God explained that Abram's offspring would be a great nation. Little did Abram know that his ultimate offspring was Jesus! But, Abram stepped in faith and God lived up to His promise.

Is God calling you to step out in faith and obedience? Sometimes His call is not as audible as Abram's was. Sometimes it is a quiet leading of the Spirit. Are you listening? Are you following God's command? There is real blessing in going the way that the LORD tells you...

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Genesis 7-9-Read thru the Bible

Genesis 7-9
This is what stood out to me today:
Genesis 8:20:
20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though [a] every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

The first thing Noah did when he got off the ark was to build an altar to God. By making burnt offering, this was his way of showing the LORD his gratitude. His first action was to praise the Lord. We are no longer required to perform animal blood sacrifices (that was taken care of by Christ dying on the cross to save us from our sins), but I am called to acknowledge God FIRST in every event. Especially the events that He has provided so graciously.

What about the events that I don't think are so great? My thoughts on this is that I do not know the mind of God. I don't see His big picture. This is hard, but I have been working on acknowledging God's omnipotent power and foresight in every situation, the good and the bad. I try to praise Him for keeping my best interest at heart.

Take a look at verse 21 where it says that this offering was a pleasant aroma to God. Doesn't that bless your heart to know that your offering of praise in every situation is not missed by God in the least. In fact, it is outright pleasing to Him.

LIVE IT OUT application:
What can you praise God for today? What ways has he shown you his Love, Care, Provision and Holiness?

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Posting a comment

My mom made me aware that it is a bit confusing to post a comment on the blog. Here is how you can do it if you don't have a blogger/google account:

Click on the comment link at the end of a particular post. Then, after writing your comment, click on the anonymous button. Your comment should then show up.

PLEASE feel free to leave me a comment. I love you feedback and would be honored to hear what God has shown you through your devotional reading.

Thank you for your time reading my blog.
Happy New Year!

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Read thru the Bible

Ok, everyone has New Year's resolutions. I look at mine as a New Year, New Habit. I feel like I been slacking on reading and studying the Bible as a whole. So, this year, I will follow a reading plan to read through the whole Bible. I found a great plan on the Rick Warren website that has easy outlines. Click here to check it out. So, my plan is to record on my blog what I have read everyday. This is more for my own accountablility than anything else. Maybe you will be inspired to do the same. I will list the chapters that I have read and write a little bit about what stood out to me. Leave me a comment on this post if you would like to join me in this endevour.

I am also going to keep up with my quick devotional writing that I have always posted.

Today:
Genesis 4-6
This passage was about Noah. We all know the story, but have you ever focused in on this verse:
Gen. 6:8" But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." What in the world could Noah have done to gain God's favor and be exempt from the flood. The Bible doesn't say much in this regard, but we do know that the earth was not a pretty place at that time. Chapter Seven does say that Noah was a righteous, blameless man who walked with God. It sounds like Noah stood out from the pact and did not succomb to the temptations of the earthly desolation going on around him.

LIVE IT OUT application:
What I take away from that is that I want to daily find favor in the eyes of the LORD. I want to walk with Him daily through reading His word, prayer and worship. I want to be different than the world around me. Do you? Do you want to stand out from the crowd? What do you need to do differently today to find favor in the eyes of God? (Please don't misunderstand me in this phrase. I fully believe that we can not earn our salvation. That is by accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. But, we can act in a way that pleases and glorifys God)

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