Daily Reading
Daily Thought
Moses, after hiding in Midian for forty years, hears God speak from a burning bush, obeys God, and returns to Egypt to speak against the Pharaoh on behalf of the nation of Israel. Along the way, something strange occurs: “At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, ‘Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!’ So he let him alone” (Exodus 4:24-26). God threatens Moses with death right after he commissioned him to go to Egypt. What’s that all about?
It is about keeping a covenant. God promised Abraham he would be a great nation and established a sign of circumcision securing that covenant (see Genesis 17:9-14). Delivering the Israelites from slavery to Egypt was part of God keeping his promise, but Moses, God’s chosen leader, had broken covenant. It seems Zipporah, his wife, was repulsed by the very idea of circumcision and Moses had accommodated his wife rather than do what was right. Moses messed up, he did the wrong thing and God’s judgment made that clear. He could not do the wrong thing and, at the same time, lead Israel to God’s promised land. But then comes grace. Zipporah did wrong, but then she did right. She circumcised her son and restored the covenant, and Moses lived.
Following God, you will mess up sometimes, like Moses and Zipporah. You will not always do the right thing, but after you do the wrong thing, you now have the opportunity to do the next right thing. Following God is not always doing the right thing, but doing the next right thing.
Daily Prayer
Mighty God, thank You for salvation and grace and Your goodness. You saved me from bondage of my own making, my sin. Thank You, as well, for Your righteousness and holiness. Saved by grace, may I live for You. May I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness. May I live rightly.
I should not cheapen Your grace by taking advantage of it. Instead, I shall each day wake up and see the day before me as a gift from You, and delight in it. I shall remember that I am Your workmanship, made to do good works, that others will praise You. I shall love You fully, and live out Your love to this world. Help me do that, God!
Amen
Daily Question
Which is more effective in keeping you from sin, God’s goodness or God’s judgment?
