In the Wilderness: Exodus 24:1-25:9

God confirms His covenant in Exodus 24:1-25:9. (Click on the link to read these words.)

 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

 Exodus 24:8

God makes a covenant and I hear the echo of words we hear on the first Sunday of every month.

When the supper was over, he took the cup,

gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:

"Drink from this, all of you;

this is my blood of the new covenant,

poured out for you and for many

for the forgiveness of sins.

Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

--Service of Word and Table, The United Methodist Hymnal

Moses and his people sacrificed young bulls to confirm the covenant God made. Blood splattered on them covered their sin, and made a way for the leaders to come and fellowship with God.

But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

Exodus 24:11

God made a New Covenant with us through the blood of sacrifice. Only it wasn't a bull or ram... it was a man. His very own Son. Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb and we drink the blood from His cup. It covers our sin and makes a way for us to come and fellowship with God.

God's people continued to make animal sacrifices for atonement until the final price was paid. It hung nailed to a cross bleeding and broken all for you and me. What kind of God is this? There is none other like Him. No other God who would limit His deity to hang and suffer on a tree just to be with us. This is the God we serve... the Good News we share. Amen and amen!

Lord, You made a way through blood to restore us to relationship with You.

Help me to understand You more fully and this radical love You have for

Your creatures and what it means to me.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 23:10-33

God sends an angel to lead the way in Exodus 23:10-33. (Click on the link to read the Scriptures.)

 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you.  Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.

Exodus 23:29-30

God reveals His plan to the Israelites when He explains exactly how they will take over the Promised Land. This was war He was talking about, the overtaking of an entire land and its peoples. His battle plan does not include cleaning out the area in one fail swoop. Instead, little by little God's people will move.

There's good reason for it. If God drove out everything in one year, wild animals would take over the land. They would be so numerous the Israelites could not handle it.

God's Word says He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His nature has not changed over thousands of years, neither has the way He works. And we too face enemies in the lands promised to us. Lands of peace, joy, and unity in Christ. God recognizes our weakness, the wild animals in our lives. And He knows the overtaking of these things takes one step at a time.

When I was a youth director, there were times teens would get discouraged in their walk with God. They would feel the move of the Spirit and commit to live differently... live fully in Him. After a week or two, they would become frustrated because it seemed God was not doing anything. They wanted instant change dropped like a nuclear bomb wiping out any area of struggle. I would remind them transformation takes time.

Carol and I have a saying when we find ourselves feeling like the teenagers I served.

When times seem hard and no matter what we do it doesn't feel like God is moving fast enough.

When the battle is long and fatigue seeps deep into our bones.

Little by little... that's what we say to each other... to ourselves. God's battle plan always, always leads us to victory. Most times victory comes step by step, day by day... little by little.

Lord, open my eyes to the promises You've already fulfilled in my life.

Bless me with encouragement and faith to see You working little by little.

Increase my trust in Your plan.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 22:16-23:9

God continues to teach His children how to love one another in Exodus 22:16-23:9. (Click on the link to read today's verses.)

Let me warn you, the following may not be easy to read.

“Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction.

Exodus 22:20

I doubt you've taken an animal sacrifice and burned it on any altar lately, but the law still applies. Consider where you've made sacrifices lately. Where are you spending your time, your energy, your money? Because where we spend time, money, and energy reveals who our gods are and what takes priority in our lives.

“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.

Exodus 22:25

Most who need to borrow money from us for personal reasons are poor. If they weren't, there would be no need to borrow. When we lend we must do it with an open hand not expecting anything in return.

“You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

Exodus 22:28

This is a tough one. We may not agree with the person who holds an office of authority in our lives, a president or political figure. I've seen much anger in the last few years from others when it comes to this issue, and I've come to understand if God allows them to be in their position then it is for a reason. God is sovereign even when it comes to leadership. We may not like it, but we are called as children of God to trust in His plan for His children and the places where they live.

“You shall not spread a false report.

Exodus 23:1

Be care-full of your words brothers and sisters.

You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

Exodus 23:9

Sojourners are those who stay temporarily, and it may seem unimportant to invest our time or even care about someone who is passing through. We must remember we are all just passing through... making our way home.

Did you feel the sting of God's conviction in His words today? Is there a place in your heart God is asking you to allow Him to change? Take heart, the sting indicates your ears hear His voice. Listen... repent... turn around and rejoice.

Father God, thank You for Your Word, the totality of it,

which teaches us at its heart, to love You and love others.

May I receive Your conviction with appropriate remorse

but also with joy that You are loving me.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 21:33-22:15

Read Exodus 21:33-22:15

God exacts justice for every breach of trust. Click the link above to read online.

For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, 'This is it,' the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.

Exodus 22:9

Our reading today is full of if scenarios where damage happens to one party, either intentional or unintentional, and the price which must be paid is defined.

Every loss requires restitution.

Every loss marks a sin exacting a price to be paid.

God is a God of justice. He cares about every loss, every sin, and judges accordingly.

Ultimately, every sin is against Him. Every loss offends His righteousness. 

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

Psalm 51:4 ESV

But His unfailing love is as much a part of Him as His sense of justice and righteousness, so He came Himself to pay the price we couldn't. He exacted the price of sin from Himself.

Let us never forget the great price He paid for our great sin. Let us never forget to praise His holy name and the salvation He made the way for on the cross.

Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things!

His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

The Lord has made known his salvation;

he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.

He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness

to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation of our God.

Psalm 98:1-3 ESV

Close your time of devotion this morning by confessing your sins, intentional and unintentional, conscious and unconscious. Ask His forgiveness in Jesus's name. Thank Him and praise Him for His grace, mercy, love, and justice.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 21:1-32

God gives specific laws for servants and personal injuries in Exodus 21:1-32. (Click on the link to read the Scripture.)

Twice I see the word in our reading for today:

If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself, he must let her be redeemed.

Exodus 21:8

 However, if payment is demanded, the owner may redeem his life by the payment of whatever is demanded. 

Exodus 21:30

According to Merriam-Webster's redeem means to buy back, to get or win back, to free from what distresses or harms, to free from captivity by payment of ransom, to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental, to release from blame or debt,  to free from the consequences of sin.

God made a way through the law for the redemption of others. This was the way of the Old Covenant. Do you see it? The Good News written in the very definition of the word redeem.

Under the New Covenant, one man made a way for redemption. He was the total fulfillment of the old law. His sacrifice made a way for us to return, paid the ransom we owed, overcame the detriment of our sinful condition, released us from debt and freed us from the consequences of sin.

Have you heard the Good News? Have you shared it with a friend?

Sing it loud:

I know He rescued my soul. His blood covered my sin. I believe... I believe. My shame is taken away. My pain is healed in His name. I believe... I believe. I'll raise the banner. My Lord has conquered the grave. 

My Redeemer live... my Redeemer lives... my Redeemer lives. HE LIVES!

Lord, thank You, for the great news of redemption. For making a way for all to be redeemed by faith in Jesus.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 20

God gives Moses the "Big Ten" in Exodus 20. (Read about them by clicking on the link.)

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 22:36-40

Jesus didn't come to abolish the law, He came to complete it. He came to finish what began in the beginning. The leaders were scheming, hoping to catch Jesus in some sort of warped belief or teaching. Hoping Jesus would somehow speak against God's law. Yes, there were ten commandments given in Exodus. Yes, Jesus gave only two. But Jesus doesn't change the law. Instead He reveals the heart of the law.

Let me show you.

Jesus said love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The first four commandments tell us exactly how to do just that. Loving God means we should never place our faith or trust in any other God (Exodus 20:3). It means no idols and no taking the Lord's name in vain (Exodus 20:4-7). Loving God means setting apart time to be with Him, observing the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11).

Then Jesus said love your neighbor as yourself. When we read the rest of the commandments we see specific ways to love others. Honoring our parents, don't kill, stay faithful to the one you married, don't steal or lie or want what someone else has (Exodus 20:12-17).

God's people have a knack for taking the heart out of the law because it is easier to try and follow a list of rules than love. Love takes sacrifice... the laying down of ourselves for God... for others. Love is hard, emotional, and risky. Jesus reveals to us the heart of the law. It is never based on the doing, but the loving.

It's Friday, and we have an entire weekend to consider the way we love God and others. Take notice of the way you love in the next two days. Are you obeying the heart of His law?

Lord, show me Your way; the way of love, not rules.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 19

The Israelites prepare to meet the Lord in Exodus 19. (Click on the link to read the verses.)

Up until this time God spoke directly to Moses and Moses gave the message to the people. Now, God makes a plan to speak to His people.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”

Exodus 19:9

They had three days. Three days to get ready, to consecrate themselves. They washed their garments. They made themselves ready.

God set limits as to how far the people could come.

And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.  No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.

Exodus 19:12-13

Almost one week has passed since we celebrated the plan God made to speak to us... to be with us. God's ultimate plan to make a way for us to hear and believe. His plan hung on a cross and we laid Him in the tomb. Three days we waited, made ourselves ready with the preparations of an Easter celebration.

Only this time it's different. Because there are no limits when it comes to this saving of us. Jesus left those limitations in the grave, and we now have total access to the Father through Jesus.

Won't you take advantage of what Christ did today? Find time to be in the presence of God with no thought of limitation. Pray, worship, sing, give praise for a stone rolled away, an empty tomb, the Resurrected One.

For He is risen... He is risen indeed!

Father God, thank You for all You've done so we may be called "children of God"! So we may come into Your presence, know Your Spirit's presence in our lives, and follow Your Son right into Your Kingdom.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 18

A happy reunion occurs in Exodus 18. (Click on the link to read about it.)

Moses did not have the support of his wife or comfort of his children during the escape from Egypt. He sent them back to his father-in-law Jethro for their safety. Remember there were no phones, no ways of simple communication. When Jethro heard of the great things God had done for Moses and the people, he sent word to Moses: "We're coming!"

What a sweet moment of reunion for Moses. Imagine how he embraced his wife... kissed his sons... Like most reunions, Moses and Jethro shared their lives, the daily happenings, how things were going. They broke bread together, and when Jethro heard all the things God did for the Israelites, he was moved to sacrifice and praise.

Jethro hangs out with Moses and watches him work. He sees something Moses doesn't or maybe can't at this point.

When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?”  And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.”  Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good.  You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.

Exodus 18:14-18

Moses needed a new perspective. Don't we all at times? Sometimes, we get so bogged down in the leading and the doing, it takes the wisdom of someone looking in to show the way. Moses revealed great leadership when he took his father-in-law's advice. Because he could have pushed it aside thinking pridefully no one else was capable of leading or would lead the way he wanted. He might have had an "I can do it myself" mentality. He could have been a control freak. But he wasn't.

So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

Exodus 18:24

I've watched a loved one struggle lately with his unwillingness to follow the wisdom of others. His refusal to ask for help. I've been there myself a time or two.

What about you? How willing are you to accept someone's perspective and think about it? Do you tend to want to control all things in your realm? Are you offended when someone offers a better way? Has pride leaked into the way you lead at home, work, or in your community?

Maybe it is time to seek God and be willing to see with new perspective.

Father God, open my eyes to the places I'm allowing pride to wear me out.

Open my heart to receive help and wise counsel.

You made us to walk with You and those You provide to help.

Bless me with the faith to trust You in bringing the right people into my life.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 17

Joshua leads the army into battle. Read about the victory in Exodus 17.

 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner...

Exodus 17:15

Moses stood on the hill with his staff in hand and two friends at his side. He held his arms high and when he did Joshua's army gained ground. But the holding of something up brings fatigue, muscle cramps, and the strain gives way to exhaustion. When his arms inched lower, the enemy's strength grew.

Thank God for the two friends. They sat him down on a rock and held his arms for him until the battle was won. There on a hill three men worked to hold God's banner high and when it was all over Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is My Banner.

There's a children's song I learned long ago and I can't help but sing it as I write these words.

The Lord is mine and I am His,

His banner over me is love.

The Lord is mine and I am His,

His banner over me is love.

The Lord is mine and I am His,

His banner over me is love.

His banner over me is love!

Have you declared you are God's and He is yours? Have you raised your own banner high above?

He brought me to His banqueting table,

His banner over me is love.

He brought me to His banqueting table,

His banner over me is love.

He brought me to His banqueting table,

His banner over me is love.

His banner over me is love.

Do you remember when He invited you to His table and you feasted for the first time on His grace and love?

Jesus is the rock of my salvation,

His banner over me is love.

Jesus is the rock of my salvation,

His banner over me is love.

Jesus is the rock of my salvation,

His banner over me is love.

His banner over me is love.

Moses' friends placed him on a rock and held his hands high until sweet victory came. We have a rock too. His name is Jesus. And when we stand on the Rock of salvation, hands lifted high we sing sweet victory... His banner over me is love!

Thank You, Lord, for waving a banner of love over me.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 16

God feeds the people in Exodus 16. (Click on the link and see.)

On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day." So the people rested on the seventh day.

Exodus 16:27-30

Just yesterday we celebrated Easter, the resurrection of our Lord. Many gathered with family and friends after worship to continue the celebration. Easter is a Sunday we set apart for worship and family... a time to breathe deep the joy of resurrection... a time to rest and build relationship with those we love. There are some who only come to worship once a year and Easter is the day. This is the most holy Sabbath day of the year.

The Lord has given you a Sabbath...

Sabbath is both a command from God and a gift. The Israelite slaves didn't know how to rest. For them all of life was work and even though they were free, they had a work mentality. There was a time I was just like them. I filled every moment with the doing of something. I spent Sundays preparing for the week, finishing my chores after church, getting all the laundry done. I cooked and cleaned and worked in the yard. By the time I placed my head down on the pillow I was spent. My entire focus was getting things done.

Most Sundays are different now. Yes, it's true you might find me in the laundry room on occasion and we often have breakfast for dinner on Sunday evenings because growing boys have to eat. I'm not like the Pharisees with a mile long list on what I can't do on the Sabbath.

I'm not sure if I can put it into words, but I guess you could say God has changed my focus. I've let go of using the day for getting things done. Instead I focus on loving God and others more. It might mean you find me snoozing on the couch while the hubby watches golf, or sitting in the boat reading while he fishes. I might plant a few things in the garden or watch the hens peck around the yard. There's no agenda as I let the work mentality go for a day.

I am learning to experience the Sabbath as His gift, and in the end all the things I think need to be done get done... or they didn't need doing in the first place. 

What about you? Where is your focus on the Sabbath? Are you working up to the last minute of the week? Do you find yourself yearning for rest? 

Ask God how He wants you to work out His Sabbath command in your life. 

Consider letting go of your work, your agenda, your to do list and focusing on Him for a day.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Psalm 34:8

Lord, teach me how to rest in You one day a week.

Teach me to trust You for all I need.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 15

The people enter a new land in Exodus 15. (Click on the link to read the verses.)

Egyptians are swallowed by the sea and God's people rejoice. Moses sings and Miriam dances as they worship the Deliverer. And then Moses leads them on into the wilderness.

I can't help but wonder what the people thought as the singing died down and the celebration completed. What were they thinking as they awoke the next morning realizing they were in a different land with no way to get back?

I was blessed to go to Australia with a friend many years ago, and I remember the first night clearly. I would wake up and think about my family and home, and as the night wore on I became a little unsettled. I was an entire ocean away from my kids. How would I get to them if there was an emergency? Why in the world did I think this was a good idea?! I didn't get much sleep that night.

It must have been a scary place to be. The slaves weren't traveling for a couple of weeks and returning home... they could never return.

It's Good Friday, the place of no return. The day we remember Jesus carrying His cross to Golgotha. Beaten, bloody and bruised the soldiers hammer nails into His feet and hands. The people mock Him and watch as he struggles to breathe and cries out to God.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

Matthew 27:46

There's no turning back now. Our Savior, the Redeemer of the world, is dying. Dying in order to set us free. And as His lungs breathe in one last breath and He whispers, "It is finished," we too cross the sea of death into a new land. This world will never be the same. Our lives will never be the same.

Father God, bless me with the faith to follow Jesus into the wilderness,

to come to the place of complete freedom and no return to who or where I was before.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 14

The Israelites cross the Red Sea in Exodus 14. (Click on the link if you don't have your Bible close.)

And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

Exodus 14:11-12

Remember these complainers... the ones who dreamed of freedom. Recall their cries to the Lord for deliverance from the Egyptians. Egypt was no picnic. Day after day in the hot sun making bricks to build Pharoah's kingdom. Slave masters who dealt harshly with those who weren't pulling their weight. They prayed and God answered. He sent Moses.

Remember these complainers... the ones who experienced plague after plague. Recall how they painted blood on doors and were protected as every first born male in Egypt died. They endured all for the sake of freedom, for the moment when Pharoah would let them go.

Remember these complainers... how much they wanted out of the circumstance in which they lived.

It hasn't been very long since they left and already they have forgotten the complaints they made about Egypt and now they're complaining about their new circumstance. This was a complaining generation and we'll see as we continue to read, they never stopped. In the end it will cost them everything.

Are you a complainer? Someone who sees the negative in every situation and tells someone about it. There is another way. Another way to think and speak and believe, because all this complaining the Israelites did... the complaining we do... it is really our unbelief bubbling to the surface.

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Luke 6:45

When we listen to ourselves talk we will quickly see what's going on in our heart. The Scripture in Luke is clear. What's happening in our hearts in abundance will flow out of our mouths.

Today, consider the words coming out of your mouth. Take notice as you speak to others, even yourself. Are your words positive or negative? Do you find yourself complaining? What are your words revealing about the things going on in your heart?

Pray about the things revealed. Instead of deciding to only speak positive words, ask God to change your heart and your words will soon follow.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 13

The Israelites begin their journey to the Red Sea in Exodus 13. (Click on the link to read the Scripture.)

For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea.

Exodus 13:17-18

God knew His people. He knew they would have the urge to return to Egypt when the going got tough. He knew them better than they knew themselves. Not only did God protect the slaves from the Egyptians, but He protected them from themselves. His intention for them was freedom, and He knew He had to put a literal sea between the Israelites and Egyptians to keep them from returning to bondage.

But the people didn't get it. They prayed and begged for freedom. I'm sure they thought they could take whatever hardship came in return for a life with no task masters, no brick making, no Pharaoh. They thought they could handle it. Pride always does. And pride must always come to an end if we want to have a full relationship with God, a full and complete freedom.

God's intention for us is the same as the Israelites. He intends to set us free, and the road out of bondage might just look like wilderness to us. We too have the propensity to return to what we know even if the road leads us right back to slavery.

Consider the places in your life that look like a wilderness. Places you wonder what in the world is God doing. It might just be the way to freedom, a freedom so complete you will never turn back.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:36

Father God, keep my heart open to Your leading, root out pride in my life,

and bless me with faith to trust You in the wilderness ways.

I want to experience true freedom in You.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 12:29-51

The slaves leave in haste here in Exodus 12:29-51. (Click on the link to read the verses.)

It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.--Exodus 12:42

It took many plagues and a night of death, but finally Pharaoh had enough and let the people go. The Israelites left in haste with no time to prepare provisions for the journey. This verse caught my attention today.

It was a night of watching by the Lord...

I'm like the Israelites in so many ways. I've been called to move, to make haste with no time to prepare provisions. I've felt the darkness of night and wondered if I'll make it out. Maybe you've experienced it too. What a beautiful truth to know in our dark hours the Lord is watching.

... to bring them out of the land of Egypt...

He is watching, waiting... preparing just the right time to bring us out. He faithfully leads us to new places and provides those things we could not prepare before we left.

... so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord...

Each year the Israelites remember the watching of the Lord as they celebrate the Passover. They remember the plagues, blood smeared on doors, the provisions God gave along the way. They remember and we should too.

As we approach Good Friday let us remember the provision God made through His Son. Jesus made a way where no way existed. So let's keep watch.

Lord, there is yet one more exodus to come.

Help us to be prepared at any moment for You to come

and make all things new.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 12:1-28

The final plague is found in Exodus 12:1-28. (Click on the link to read the verses.)

I recently read a fiction novel based on the life of Aaron. As the author writes about this moment, I was taken by surprise by the emotion she described. Imagine for a moment, following each step God had given the people.

Consider the waiting, fully dressed, sandals on your feet. Imagine your family hunkered down as death passes over the door.

And then the screams begin. Egyptians discovering their first born sons dead. Oh the wailing, the agony... the sorrow...

In just a few days we too will experience a Passover of sorts. Death will come to the Lamb of God. His blood covering the doors of our hearts, so that we might live.

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.  The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.            Matthew 27:45-50 

Oh, the sorrow... the suffering He endured for you and me. Jesus completed the final Passover when He said, "It is finished." And it is you know. Because of Him death has no power over us, sin cannot hold us down, our chains have been broken. I sing His praise.

Oh Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God. I love the holy Lamb of God. O wash me in your precious blood. My Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

 (Want to hear the song Lamb of God? Click here.)

Father God, thank You for making a Way for death to pass over me.
Jesus, thank You for Your great love and faithfulness.
Holy Spirit, thank You for making the way in me.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 10:21-11:10

Pharaoh still held tight to his control. Read about the plague of darkness and the warning of the final plague to come in Exodus 10:21-11:21. (Click on the link to read the verses or open up your Bible.)

So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. 

Exodus 10:22-23

This was no ordinary darkness. Not the kind experienced in places like Alaska. Not the dark of night when all we have to do is look up and see stars twinkling. No, this was an all consuming absence of light. Pitch dark for three days. So dark no one even moved. They sat in the stillness, waiting for three days.

As we approach Easter I can't help but think of Good Friday. A day we begin the observance of darkness. Three days waiting for light to come. Every moment in the Old Testament points us to the Savior. Every moment of darkness works in our lives to bring us closer to Him.

Do you remember a time without electricity? How quiet and dark the night seemed? No dim light of the clock on the stove or sound of the air conditioner humming. It's as if the whole wide world stands still.

Waiting...

Just seven days and we too will remember the waiting. Waiting for light to come. After three days of darkness, the Light will shine. And the world will never be the same again!

Lord, darkness still seems to loom over the world. So many tragedies,

so much brokenness. Remind me we are waiting for Your Light

to return in its full glory, never to be hidden from us again.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 10:1-20

A plague of locusts descends in Exodus 10:1-20. (Click on the link to read the verses.)

Back and forth... back and forth. Moses pleads for freedom to worship. Pharaoh denies his request and the next plague begins. You can see Pharaoh beginning to waver. He listened to his advisers and gave Moses partial permission to go.

And he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God. But which ones are to go?"
Exodus 10:8

Many times in my life I've been like Pharaoh. I've felt the gentle nudge of the Spirit leading me to do something. Back and forth I go. Thinking through all the scenarios, wondering is this really the Lord. I'll admit, there are times I've done some of what God calls me to do, stopping when I get uncomfortable or fearful. I've been half-obedient which is not much obedience at all.

Moses and Aaron didn't waver. They listened to God followed through in obedience. They were equipped. Each one using the gift God gave them to do what God called them to do. Oh, how I want to be like them. Unwavering... determined... faithful.

Paul reminds the Ephesians when we use our gifts to build up the Body of Christ, when we teach, shepherd, and equip each other, then we become mature. No longer are we like children moving back and forth.

  ...until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 

Ephesians 4:10-14

Is there something you are wavering on lately? Some circumstance where you find obedience difficult?

Why not turn to someone you know, someone whose faith you find encouraging? Maybe discuss your wavering with a preacher or teacher in the church. We are not called to walk alone, but to lean on each other just like Moses and Aaron did. Ask God to make a way for you to talk to someone, and then do it. Be open, be honest, and when the discussion is over, seek God's counsel. Pray His truth will reign in you, and you will become mature in Him.

Lord, grow me up spiritually, so I may be fully mature and unwavering in my obedience.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 9

And then there were more plagues. Read about them in Exodus 9. (Click on the link to read the scripture.)

But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. 

Exodus 9:7

But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 
Exodus 9:34

So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses.
Exodus 9:35

I read through the plagues and keep hoping... praying... Pharaoh's heart will soften. Yes, I've read the story many times, but I still find myself holding my breath in anticipation of some change. Something is a bit different about the hope this time because it is not centered on Pharaoh letting God's people go. Instead, I find myself hoping for change in a hard-hearted man for the sake of his salvation, his freedom, and freedom for the Egyptians.

I ponder: What makes a man's heart so hard? Because in my experience those I've met who are trapped in bitterness and anger, whose hearts are so hard there seems to be no joy, no love, no peace, are hurting somewhere deep inside. Their hardness becomes a mask to cover the broken running deep in their soul. Pharaoh's hard heart was a result of his sin, and ours can be too.

Every plague was an act of grace. An opportunity for Pharaoh's heart to change.

For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth.  But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

Exodus 9:15-16

It was God's grace alone holding pestilence back that would destroy an entire nation. Only by God's grace did Pharaoh and his people live to see another plague.

There is a Savior whose name is Grace. And He endured the ultimate plague in order to set the hard-hearted free.

Let me ask you...

Is there a place in your heart so hard nothing will break through?

Maybe you've been praying for God to pour out grace on some hard-hearted soul with no joy, no love, no peace. Don't give up or give in. God is faithful to hear the prayers we speak over hard hearts.

Lord, I first pray for Your grace to rain down on the hard places in my heart. Bring whatever is needed to break those places and prepare me to fully receive Your grace and love. Fill me with grace for others and a willingness to be broken, so others might know You.