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Daily Reading

Exodus 39-40

Daily Thought

Reading through Exodus would not take as long if Moses would stop repeating himself. He wrote God’s instructions, such as “make the ark of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, with four rings of gold and poles of acacia wood, to these exact dimensions” (Exodus 25:10-14), then he repeated the same instructions with the Israelite’s obedience, “We made the ark of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, with four rings of gold and poles of acacia wood, to these exact dimensions” (Exodus 37:1-5). Moses wrote how God wanted the tabernacle designed, then he wrote everything all over again when he described how they built it. All the details, over and over, repeating the same words. What God commanded and what the people did in response were the same. That is obedience.

Moses and the people of Israel were learning to obey God, down to the very details. “This Moses did; according to all that the LORD commanded him, so he did” (Exodus 40:16). Moses wanted this emphasized to the Israelites (and to us), so he repeated the details, because the details are important.  

Many centuries later, Jesus said, “”If you love me, you will keep my commandments”  (John 14:15). His final instructions to his disciples included, “make disciples …teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). One of his disciples, John, reminds us, “By this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1John 2:3). The details are important. 

Daily Prayer

My Lord my God, Your ways are so good. They take me the right direction in life. It baffles me why I don’t follow them always, because when I get off Your path, I find myself in trouble.  Help me keep my eyes on You. Remind me that I belong to Your Kingdom, not to this world.  

I pray, God, that I would shine Your glory into a dark world that needs the light. Like salt, that I would bring out the best and preserve goodness. To do this, Father, I must love Your Word and follow it. May I be as devoted to you as you are devoted to me already. May I delight in you as you delight in me already. May I love because you first loved me.

Amen

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Stop Giving

Daily Reading

Exodus 36-38

Daily Thought

Have you ever been to a church where the pastor told the congregation to keep their wallets in their pockets, we have collected more than enough this year? “Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, ‘Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.’ So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more” (Exodus 36:6-7). You can stop giving …and this was a building campaign, no less!

Building the tabernacle of God transformed something inside the Israelites, because their whining mouths became willing hearts and they “kept bringing Moses freewill offerings every morning”–so much so, that Moses had to put a stop to it. He wasn’t after the wealth of the people, but their hearts, and that was delivered in abundance. Once God has your heart, the rest follows.

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your abounding grace toward me. May I return my thanks to You with glad heart, a serving spirit, and an open wallet. I pray for a thankful heart that is displayed in a cheerful generosity. You have called us to love others with the same love we have for You. May my love be one of action, demonstrating itself in service and compassion.

Amen

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A Jealous God

Daily Reading

Exodus 33-35

Daily Thought

Why does God describe himself as a jealous God? “For you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14). Isn’t jealousy wrong and unworthy of God?

The answer is, God is #1. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, ever-present, fully good, full of love. Is he hard to beat? No, he is impossible to beat. As ten plagues pummeled Egypt, Moses proclaimed to Pharaoh, “so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God in all the earth” (Exodus 8:10; 9:14). 

“I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God” (Isaiah 45:5). God says this, not because he is cocky, but because it is true, and God is always true. God is jealous, not of us, but for us. We belong with him. He promised, “I will be your God; you will be my people.” It is a relationship akin to marriage; Jesus calls the church his bride and he is the bridegroom. No one would fault a husband’s jealousy for the affection of his wife. It is not to be shared or spread around.

But it is more than that. When God says, “I love you,” he is also saying, “I want the best, the very best, for you,” so he gave you himself. He is saying, “I love you enough to die for you, so that you can have the very best.” And what is the very best if not God? Always. Forever and ever. God’s jealousy for us is the best thing that ever happened to us.

Daily Prayer

My heavenly Father, from eternity past to forevermore, You are God, who was, and is, and is to come. Timeless, You created time, then entered time. I long to be present with You in eternity, where Your holiness reigns forever.

Forgive me, God, when I pursue something less than you. and everything else is less than You. May You always be my first love, may I first and always seek Your Kingdom, your righteousness, and leave everything else in Your care.

Amen

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Law of Stickiness

Daily Reading

Exodus 30-32

Daily Thought

The Hebrew people watched as God showered plagues of frogs and flies and fire, blood and boils and death. Ten plagues it took to convince the Pharaoh of Egypt to heed God’s demand to “Let my people go” (Exodus 5:1; 7:16; 8:1, 8, 20, 21; 9:1, 13; 10:4), until he changed his mind and the Egyptian army boxed the Israelites against the Red Sea. So God parted the sea and the Hebrew people escaped, then closed the sea and the Egyptian army drowned. This is the Exodus and it was amazing. It would have made a great movie. The people of God had been delivered from slavery and were heading toward the Promised Land. It was the kind of thing you never forget. 

You would think. 

The Hebrew people watched as God showered plagues of frogs and flies and fire, blood and boils and death. Ten plagues it took to convince the Pharaoh of Egypt to heed God’s repeated demand to “Let my people go” (Exodus 5:1; 7:16; 8:1, 8, 20, 21; 9:1, 13; 10:4), but then Pharaoh changed his mind again and the Egyptian army pursued the Israelites and boxed them against the Red Sea. So God parted the sea and gave the Hebrew people an escape, then closed the sea and drowned the Egyptian army. This is the Exodus and it was amazing. It would make a great movie. The people of God had been delivered from slavery and were heading toward the Promised Land. It was the kind of thing you never forget. 

People have short memories, They are impatient and fickle. They were then and they are now. For example, a good web site designer knows the first law of the web, The Law of Stickiness: People are sticky, but they are not loyal. If they find a web site that serves their needs they stick with it, but the moment that site disappoints (by being slower than usual or temporarily unavailable), they move to the competition. The Law of God says, “I am the LORD your God. You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2-3); but the Law of Stickiness says God must improve his performance or we will make a golden calf.  

There is a problem, however, the golden calf is not really an alternative. “Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39). The LORD alone is God. There is no competition. And that means, you do not seek an alternative, you do not switch to a golden calf. You wait. If God is late (and God is always late), wait–“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope” (Psalm 130:5). God is often slow just so I will wait, so I will learn to wait. How much beauty I miss because I do not wait, because he makes all things beautiful in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:10), not mine. 

Daily Prayer

My Father in Heaven, how I trust in You. My confidence is in Your goodness and Your strength. My life is in Your care. I know that You offer life, life overflowing, abundant life.

May I always seek You first. May I always seek You only. Your kingdom with Your Son on the throne is my greatest hope. May I at all times maintain loyalty to You, keep faith in You, wait on You, trust in You. You are God.

Amen

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The Way It Is Supposed to Be

Daily Reading

Exodus 28-29

Daily Thought

“So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord” (Exodus 28:29). The Hebrew high priest sacrificed daily offerings to God, a routine reminder of the way it is supposed to be.  

We become accustomed to the way things are.

In the movie Grand Canyon, a car breaks down in a bad part of town, and five hoods threaten a tow-truck driver doing his job. “Man,” says the driver, “the world ain’t supposed to work like this. Maybe you don’t know that, but this ain’t the way it’s supposed to be. I’m supposed to be able to do my job without askin’ you if I can. And that dude is supposed to be able to wait with his car without you rippin’ him off. Everything’s supposed to be different than what it is here.”

The work of the priests presents the difference, “And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty” (Exodus 28:2). For glory and for beauty, the way it is supposed to be. The way it was in Eden; the way it will be in the “kingdom come, your will be done” (Matthew 6:10).

This is the call of the Christian in this world, to be “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1Peter 2:9). To follow Jesus is to be a marvelous light, a reminder that this life is not the way it’s supposed to be, a beacon displaying something better, something good, something glorious and beautiful, that “they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God” (Exodus 29:46). 

Daily Prayer

My God, my Father in heaven, Creator of all that is, what a wonderful world. The world you created; not the part my sin has spoiled. Deep inside me, your image, the memory of eternity is buried. Thank you for uncovering it. Thank you for sending your Son to show what was, what is, and what is to come. You are God, the beginning and the end. Sin is messing with the middle, but you sent a Savior.  

God, made in your image, I shall reflect your glory. Forgive me, because I fall short. Teach me to walk in your ways, so others will see the way to You. Change me, dress me up, make me holy for your glory, displaying your beauty, your handiwork, proclaiming your excellencies, reminding the world that this is not what it is supposed to be, pointing the world to your kingdom come.

Amen

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Oh Mercy!

Daily Reading

Exodus 25-27

Daily Thought

I. I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before Me. II. You shall not make for yourself an idol. III. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. IV. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. V. Honor your father and your mother. VI. You shall not murder. VII. You shall not commit adultery. VIII. You shall not steal. IX. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. X. You shall not covet.

These are the Ten Commandments of life given to a people in covenant with the holy God. “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God” (Exodus 6:7), but there was no way the people could hold up their end. The Law does not make us holy; it exposes our sin. “I’ve lived a good life,” does not stand up before a holy God, and the Law opens our eyes to it.

Moses brought the Ten Commandments down from the mountain, etched by God on two stone tablets, and they were placed in the Ark of the Covenant (think Indiana Jones). The Ark containing the Commandments would, therefore, speak of our hopelessness if God had not covered it with the mercy seat; “You shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you” (Exodus 25:21-22). I cannot meet God through the Law, for I cannot keep the Law, so I meet him at his mercy. We meet God not through our goodness, but through his grace. The blood of Jesus Christ paid the penalty of my sin. His death is my mercy, lifting the burden of the Law, and lifting me to my feet to stand in his righteousness before my God. 

The Law of God shows how not very good I am, and the cross of Christ, how very good God is.

Daily Prayer

Holy God, You made this world and You planned from the beginning to display the glory of Your love, Your mercy, and Your grace in it. It is displayed on the cross. Even while we are sinners, You died for us. What an amazing grace, what a wonderful salvation.  

I live in a continuous state of thankfulness. It fills me with joy, knowing I am loved unconditionally by so great a God. How can I not say “Yes” to the life You set before me. I will follow You, walk in Your ways, and display Your love to others.  

Amen

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God and Grandma

Daily Reading

Exodus 22-24

Daily Thought

I hear it all the time, “All sins are the same in the eyes of God.” It is said with good intentions, I suppose. No one is worse than anyone else. God loves us all the same, like Grandma. Ask Grandma whether she loves you or your brother best. “I love you both the same,” her answer every time. God and Grandma–they don’t pick favorites. 

No one is better, therefore no one is worse, they say, and point to James 2:10, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.” See! No one sin is worse than any other. But is that what this verse says?

Every sin, no matter how big or little, is equally effective in separating us from God. That is the point of James 2:10. Why? Because the standard is “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). It does not matter if you miss  by an inch or a mile, you missed. Whether you sin badly or not-so-badly, you miss the standard, and you need saving and you need grace and you need Jesus.

On the scales of God’s judgment, however, we find disparity. Some sins weigh heavy, others not so much, and it may surprise us to see which sins are punished most severely. Exodus 22 is a lengthy list of crimes and punishments. In the first 15 verses, every one who does wrong gets fined. In the next nine verses, they die. The punishments increase because the sins worsen. All sins are not the same, the worse the sin, the greater the punishment. Look what happens when you mistreat aliens or orphans or widows. “My wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless” (Exodus 22:24). Ouch!

Tells you something about the heart of God, doesn’t it?

Daily Prayer

Almighty God, Your ways are truly so much higher than mine. I’m amazed that You are concerned about me, who I am and what I do. You care about my everyday life. It is so good to know what is right and what is wrong, how You expect us to treat each other, what is pleasing in Your eyes. Thank you, Lord, for showing us Your laws that lead to the good life–a life marked by right living. Help me God to remember how personal you are, that You are very close, and that You will lead me. I need to follow!

God, make me keenly aware of those who most need my attention. Give me a heart of compassion for the outcasts, the weak, the poor, and the helpless.  

Amen

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I AM

Daily Reading

Exodus 19-21

Daily Thought

“You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3), the first, the foundation of all other commandments. Keep this one and the rest fall in line. You are to have no other gods–the many nations had many gods, all kinds of gods surrounded Israel. This was a polytheistic world and people chose their own brand to worship. But if I decide I get to choose, then who do I believe is really in charge?

The one God, the true God, told Israel his name, Yahweh. Yahweh means “I AM.” I AM, and all other gods are not, and Yahweh demonstrated this repeatedly in the Exodus from Egypt. Yahweh reminds them, “I AM Yahweh, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Who saved you? Me and Me alone. Who shall you worship? Me, and Me alone. 

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” ~John 8:58

We live in a world that tells us no god is above another. That all are to be respected and none rejected. But we worship Jesus Christ and Christ alone. Why? Because rather than believing we choose god, God is the One who chooses us. Because we know that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). We worship Christ alone because Christ alone saved us. Who brought you out of Egypt? Who died for your sins? Through whom did you experience God’s forgiveness? Who gave you a new life? There is One and only One worthy of your worship.

Daily Prayer

Righteous God, You are holy and just, and we sin. Your grace gives us time to discover Your forgiveness before we encounter Your judgment. Thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, who fulfilled all righteousness and made our salvation possible.

Father, I pray that I may trust fully in You, following closely as You lead. May my life declare and display Your good news, proclaiming Jesus to this world in what I say and what I do. I pray that all would receive Your grace before the Day comes when You settle accounts, that wonderful day when You make all things right again.

Amen

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The Daily Walk

Daily Reading

Exodus 16-18

Daily Thought

Faith can be plunging forward into a future unknown, a leap of faith. But faith can be a walk, as well, one step after another, a daily discipline. God would teach Israel the latter faith as they wandered the wilderness, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not” (Exodus 16:4). Gather meat in the evening and manna in the morning, as much as you want, no more than you will eat. If you save some until the next day, it will not keep. Some saved some anyway, and “it bred worms and stank” (Exodus 16:20). Once a week, on Friday, gather twice as much, because Saturday is the Sabbath, the day of rest. There will not be anything to gather on that day. You can save half overnight on Friday; it won’t stink. Some did not gather twice as much. They went out on the Sabbath, “but they found none” (Exodus 16:27). They went hungry. 

Six days on, one day off. This is not daring to leap, it is learning to walk. It is a discipline of trust, gathering enough and only enough, believing God for our daily bread, a discipline of rest each seventh day. It is the discipline of living by God’s Word, being blessed in his care, that you might know the LORD is your God and you are his people.  

Following Jesus is not so much a leap of faith as an every day walk. 

Daily Prayer

O LORD my God, You and You alone are God, worthy of my devotion, my worship, my love, and my life. With all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, I love and adore You. You bring each day afresh and put a thankful expectation of Your grace and glory in my heart. As I live this day for You, may I see Your handiwork in this world. May I reflect Your grace to others. May I love the people You created with the same tender love that led Your Son to endure the cross.  

Fill my thoughts with the wonder of Your Kingdom and guide my steps toward righteousness. May I be so heavenly-minded that the world cannot help but see Your goodness shine. Teach me to walk in faith, to listen and obey all that You have commanded, because that’s the best way to live. I love You. 

Amen

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Not an Issue

Daily Reading

Exodus 13-15

Daily Thought

God remembered his covenant with the Hebrew people (Exodus 2:24), and delivering ten monumental blows, leveled the Egyptians and freed Israel. In turn, he commanded they “remember this day in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the LORD brought you out from this place” (Exodus 13:3).  

Not long after, the Israelites were trapped between the sea and a terrifying army of Egyptians.  “What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?” they complained. “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

They had already forgotten.  

Moses responded, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD!” The story of God in Scripture is a continual reminder that God is on our side. He provides all we need to stand firm. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Love is not an issue. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Power is not an issue. “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1John 4:4).

Confidence is not an issue. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

Significance is not an issue. “Through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10).

Freedom is not an issue. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Life is not an issue. “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Corinthians 15:56-57).

Eternity is not an issue. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

I have nothing to add. I have all I need. I can stand firm. I can be still and know that He is God.

Moses answered, “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:14). And remember.

Daily Prayer

God, You are my refuge and strength, always with me in times of trouble. I will not fear, though the earth shakes and the mountains quake. Whatever comes before me, You, the Lord Almighty, are with me. Greater is He who is in me than He who is in the world.

I will be still, and rest in the knowledge that You are God. You will be exalted among the nations, You will be exalted on the earth. The Lord Almighty is with me; You are my fortress. On this I take my stand and still my heart.

Amen