Title: The Humbling of a Proud Heart/ Topic: Maintaining Repentance

Today’s Reading: Exodus 12; Exodus 13; Psalm 21; Acts 1

Scripture: Exodus 12:31-32
31 During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me." (Emphasis added)

Observation: In the many times I have read through the Bible, I have never really noticed the phrase at the end of verse 32. Pharaoh has just lost his son and has finally humbled himself enough to tell Moses that the Israelites can leave with no conditions attached. In fact he orders them to leave. Then he makes this amazing request, “And also bless me”. What an incredible change of heart. He has been in a power struggle with the Lord, maintaining his right to set the rules, and now he completely humbles himself and acknowledges his need of receiving a blessing from the Lord through his servant Moses. He displays no anger because of the loss of his son, which indicates to me that he realizes that it is through his own actions and words that this tragedy has come about. He assumes responsibility for the circumstances in which he finds himself. He does display grief and humility. What is tragic is that his change of heart does not last long, as he changes back to thinking he can overrule God just a few days after this incident.

Application: I want to live a life that demonstrates a dependence on God that is noticeable to others, just as Moses did before Pharaoh. I also want to learn a lesson from the life of Pharaoh and realize that repentance is not a one time event; it must be ongoing. I must constantly acknowledge the Lord's right to determine my life's course and remain humble and submissive to him. In this way, I will remain in a place of blessing.

Prayer: Father, I again give you the right to determine my steps and commit myself to your ways. Show me any areas of my life where I am being self-determinative and stubborn. Redeem every aspect of my life; I don't want to hold anything back, because I realize that submission to you is really the path to true fulfillment, happiness, and blessing. And may I be a light to others so that they know that they may ask me to bless them in your name and that my prayer on their behalf will be heard.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Encountering God/ Topic: Intimacy with God

Today’s Reading: Exodus 3; Exodus 4; Exodus 5; Luke 22

Scripture: Exodus 3:5, 6
5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Observation: This scripture has an odd juxtaposition. First, God tells Moses not to come any closer, maintaining a certain distance between his manifestation (the burning bush) and Moses, then he tells Moses to take off his shoes because he is in a holy place. The taking off of the shoes represents, in my mind, the removal of all barriers or coverings that would come between Moses and the Lord. These two commands seem contradictory. But there are other places in the Bible where God says that we could not take it if we saw the Lord in all his glory face to face. Something about the awesomeness of God's power and glory must be too intense for us to handle in our sinful condition. Yet God has always sought to have an intimate, genuine, and truthful relationship with us as his beloved children. So he has Moses remove his shoes. They are a man-made covering designed to protect his feet, but Moses needs no protection from or barrier between himself and God. Neither do we.

Application: God is the one who knows how much of himself I am able to receive any any given point in my life and he is therefore the one who sets the boundaries of how close I can come, but whenever I come to him, I need to come without pretense and without hiding anything. No part of me should be inaccessible to God. I must not be concerned about presenting a certain image to him but must come in humility and truth.

Prayer: Father, I want to come to you as a child, with an open honesty and a humble heart. I want to abide in the safety of the boundaries you set for my own good without setting any boundaries on you. Do your will in my life Lord, and I will praise you for it.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Course Corrections/ Topic: Direction in Life

Today’s Reading: Exodus 1; Exodus 2; Psalm 88; Luke 21

Scripture: Luke 21:34-36
34 "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Observation: Jesus warns all of his followers that they need to be very careful in the end times. He says that the days of trouble that precede his second return to the earth will come upon all people, not just unbelievers. As a believer, I am warned against having my heart consumed by the anxieties of life, by worldly pleasures and excess. Oh, what a word for our day when people have so much leisure time and yet are consumed with making money over everything else. We spend so much time “relaxing” from our labors with TV, gaming, ipods, and other toys and so little time in fellowship with God.

Application: It is my responsibility to take stock of my life and direct the focus of my heart. Jesus says to “be always on the watch, and pray” so that I may escape the worst of what is to happen and may be able to stand before him in the judgment without shame. I must therefore be alert to what is happening in the world and not go blindly through my daily routine and I must discipline myself to pray for myself and for the church so that we may get through the coming hardships. Some of us will be required to give up our lives believing in Jesus. If we don't keep watch and pray, we may be too weak to stand up for him. Woe to us if we do not heed this warning of Jesus!

Prayer: Father, I want to spend more time than I do right now in seeking your face, in prayer, worship and fellowship. I want to be ready when you come. Help me to continue to grow strong spiritually and to lead others in doing the same.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Choosing Optimism/ Topic: Happiness

Today’s Reading: Genesis 44; Genesis 45; Genesis 46; Luke 18

Scripture: Genesis 45:5-8
5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. [a]
8 "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.

Observation: These words of Joseph reveal him to be an optimist and a generally happy person. He had been hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, been lied about with his character maligned as a result, wrongly imprisoned, yet he puts all these things in perspective by adopting the attitude that God meant it for good. He could have remained mad at God for all his unjust suffering. What would his life have been like if he had? Would he have been lifted to such a high position in the government? I think not. He made the important choice to trust that God is good and would work all his circumstances (even the difficult ones that he couldn't understand the purpose of) out to eventually bless him in his life.

Application: If we are to have the joy of the Lord in our lives, we must also choose this optimistic view of even the tragedies that happen to us. God is a Redeemer. He can redeem circumstances that the enemy would like to ruin us with into events that make us stronger, kinder, more gracious and even happier people. I have known many Christians who live in regret, unforgiveness, or resentment because of hardships in their lives. They seem to feel God is picking on them. This is wholly unproductive and limits the miracles we will see and the amount of happiness we will have in our lives. Choosing an optimistic view of our circumstances is choosing faith.

Prayer: Father, help me to take every thought captive and make it obedient to the truth of Christ. I want to release your full blessing in my life by having the view that you will work all things together for my good.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: To Have or Not to Have/ Topic: Attitudes

Today’s Reading: Genesis 37; Genesis 38; Psalm 7; Luke 15

Scripture: Luke 15:28-32
28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31 " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

Observation: The attitudes of this older son are instructive. He seems to be resentful that his father is celebrating the return of his brother who has been ungrateful, disrespectful of his father's values, and disobedient in the extreme. In addition, the older brother also feels that the younger is being given benefits that he has not received. Why should someone less worthy get to have things that he didn't have? It's also interesting to note that even though he has had the benefits of living with the father, he has not really enjoyed being with his dad. He has had the mindset that he is “slaving” for his dad, not realizing that all the work he has done has been to his own benefit since the entire estate is his inheritance. A sense of obligation has robbed him of the joy of fellowship with his father.

Application: These are the lessons I can take away from the older brother: 1) Don't take up other people's offenses. God gives us grace to help us forgive those who offend us but he doesn't necessarily give it to a third party who takes up that offense. 2) I need to keep an attitude of gratitude so that I don't obey the Lord out of a sense of obligation or duty but because I love him and know he loves me and wants my best. I need to enjoy getting to know him and being in his company. 3) If I see someone enjoying blessings that I am not enjoying, I need to be happy for them and also have the attitude of a learner. Instead of resentment, I can realize that I am a joint-heir with Christ and that all he has belongs to me too. I can learn from someone who has figured out how to appropriate God's blessings and walk it them so that I, too, can enjoy all the benefits of the rich inheritance God has given me.

Prayer: Father, speak to me through the Holy Spirit whenever my attitudes get off track so that I may repent of them. I know the Bible says that you have given us all things, richly, to enjoy. I want to be a person who is focused on all that you have given me, not on what I feel may be lacking in my life. I want to be full of your grace and joy so that others see how good you are.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Movin' On Up!/ Topic: Humility

Today’s Reading: Genesis 34; Genesis 35; Genesis 36; Luke 14

Scripture: Luke 14:7-11
7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Observation/ Application:Humility is so counter-culture. We are taught by our society that we need to “make our mark” and put ourselves out there so that we are noticed and can get ahead. Everyone wants to be given attention by the “important” people. But Jesus gives a very different kind of instruction. I am to put myself in the lowest places, not seeking my own glory, and let others promote me. The Bible says, “a man's gift will make room for him”. In other words, if I do my work well and with God's character, others will notice and promote me; I will not have to “toot my own horn”. My only concern needs to be to make sure I am pleasing the Lord and working to honor him. He will make sure that I get whatever recognition I need. Prayer: Father, it is a good thing that we don't need to strive for the approval of others. May I please you in all I do and not worry about what others think of me. Give me a humble heart that brings you pleasure.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: He Never Promised Us a Rose Garden/ Topic: Blessing

Today’s Reading: Genesis 25; Genesis 26; Psalm 6; Luke 10

Scripture: Genesis 26:12-15
12 Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. 13 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. 14 He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. 15 So all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth.

Observation: God blessed Isaac tremendously and made him a wealthy man and the envy of those around him. But we see that God, in blessing Isaac, does not remove all problems from his life. Isaac still has to deal with the negative reactions of others toward him, vandalism, and the extra work created for him by this vandalism. Like the rose, blessings come with some thorns, but the beauty and fragrance of the flower is worth the inconvenience of the thorns.

Application: I used to think that if God was blessing me that I would not be experiencing any difficulties from anyone else. But absence of conflict doesn't seem to be what God promises when he promises to bless us. In fact, sometimes his blessing comes with problems that we didn't face before being “blessed” by the Lord. Almost always there are those who will find fault and be critical of us when they see we are blessed. But going to God with these trials and learning to respond to them in the power of his character actually grows and matures us in a way that could not happen if we never faced difficulty. I want to live under the blessing of God; and I will accept and be thankful for even the trials that come with that in order to live in the place of blessing. I know that God can and will use the trials I face to perfect my character.

Prayer: Father, I pray for your blessing to be poured out abundantly in my life. Bless me, Lord, as a testimony of your grace. Let every trial that comes as a result of that make me more like you.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Decision Making During Times of Grief / Topic: Grace and Judgment

Today’s Reading: Genesis 6; Genesis 7; Genesis 8; Luke 3

Scripture: Genesis 6:5-8
5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. (Emphasis added)

Observation: The depth of emotional grief expressed by the Lord here always surprises me. I tend to think of God as emotionally “reserved”. Any parent who has had a child commit shameful acts habitually can relate to the Heavenly Father's anguish as written in these words. He recognizes that the people he has made are beyond redemption and he must destroy these whom he created and loves. Can there be any greater grief than to have to cut off your own kids because they persist in evil conduct? This is so difficult that many parents seem to prefer to continue to enable their evil children to live dishonorable lives. The other extreme is to have no grace or forgiveness toward a child who has been a prodigal. But even in his grief, God finds one good man and his family and spares them from the judgment that is coming. God, being perfect, knows when to judge and when to have grace.

Application: I take away two lessons from these verses. First, that God understands every kind of grief that I will ever experience in life and therefore can be a perfect comfort for me when I am in distress. Secondly, I must depend on God and look to him to guide me in control of my emotions because I have a sin nature that tends toward wanting revenge when I have been hurt or betrayed. God's judgments are pure and untainted by such motives. When he judges, it is to either restore the disobedient person back to righteousness or deliver consequences that will spare others hurt, damage or negative influence by the offender he knows is too arrogant to ever repent. Without his guidance I can be unrighteous by either not setting proper limits for someone because of an unhealthy love for them or by not extending grace when they need it. Only God can make the perfect decisions as to what actions will do the most good.

Prayer: Father, help me to come to you in all my moments of distress to find comfort and wisdom in how to relate to everyone who offends me, especially those whom I love deeply. I thank you that you are perfect in every way and One on whom I can fully depend.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.