Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

The Israelites marched away from Egypt, through the Red Sea, to a place where they will now think, eat, sleep, drink and relate to each other in ways that God ordains as safe and secure.  God commands these detailed laws, teaching His People, now free from bondage of Egyptians, how to live.  God is building them by teaching them how to develop His character, integrity, and compassion.  This building process will take time (as it does with us).  Upon closer examination these details are simply safe practices for living in a new environment in better ways for their own good.  God took His People out of Egypt, now He is taking Egypt out of His People.  Hold that thought as we read and study how God works in and through His Chosen.

Exodus 22, The Message

^1-3 “If someone steals an ox or a lamb and slaughters or sells it, the thief must pay five cattle in place of the ox and four sheep in place of the lamb. If the thief is caught while breaking in and is hit hard and dies, there is no bloodguilt. But if it happens after daybreak, there is bloodguilt.

^3-4 “A thief must make full restitution for what is stolen. The thief who is unable to pay is to be sold for his thieving. If caught red-handed with the stolen goods, and the ox or donkey or lamb is still alive, the thief pays double.

⁵ “If someone grazes livestock in a field or vineyard but lets them loose so they graze in someone else’s field, restitution must be made from the best of the owner’s field or vineyard.

⁶ “If fire breaks out and spreads to the brush so that the sheaves of grain or the standing grain or even the whole field is burned up, whoever started the fire must pay for the damages.

^7-8 “If someone gives a neighbor money or things for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double. If the thief is not caught, the owner must be brought before God to determine whether the owner was the one who took the neighbor’s goods.

⁹ “In all cases of stolen goods, whether oxen, donkeys, sheep, clothing, anything in fact missing of which someone says, ‘That’s mine,’ both parties must come before the judges. The one the judges pronounce guilty must pay double to the other.

^10-13 “If someone gives a donkey or ox or lamb or any kind of animal to another for safekeeping and it dies or is injured or lost and there is no witness, an oath before God must be made between them to decide whether one has laid hands on the property of the other. The owner must accept this and no damages are assessed. But if it turns out it was stolen, the owner must be compensated. If it has been torn by wild beasts, the torn animal must be brought in as evidence; no damages have to be paid.

^14-15 “If someone borrows an animal from a neighbor and it gets injured or dies while the owner is not present, he must pay for it. But if the owner was with it, he doesn’t have to pay. If the animal was hired, the payment covers the loss.

* * *

^16-17 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the marriage price and marry her. If her father absolutely refuses to give her away, the man must still pay the marriage price for virgins.

¹⁸ “Don’t let a sorceress live.

¹⁹ “Anyone who has sex with an animal gets the death penalty.

²⁰ “Anyone who sacrifices to a god other than God alone must be put to death.

²¹ “Don’t abuse or take advantage of strangers; you, remember, were once strangers in Egypt.

^22-24 “Don’t mistreat widows or orphans. If you do and they cry out to me, you can be sure I’ll take them most seriously; I’ll show my anger and come raging among you with the sword, and your wives will end up widows and your children orphans.

²⁵ “If you lend money to my people, to any of the down-and-out among you, don’t come down hard on them and gouge them with interest.

^26-27 “If you take your neighbor’s coat as security, give it back before nightfall; it may be your neighbor’s only covering—what else does the person have to sleep in? And if I hear the neighbor crying out from the cold, I’ll step in—I’m compassionate.

²⁸ “Don’t curse God; and don’t damn your leaders.

^29-30 “Don’t be stingy as your wine vats fill up.

“Dedicate your firstborn sons to me. The same with your cattle and sheep—they are to stay for seven days with their mother, then give them to me.

³¹ “Be holy for my sake.

“Don’t eat mutilated flesh you find in the fields; throw it to the dogs.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn about the real work of developing holy relationships with each other.  It was only right that whoever caused the fire should compensate the people who were deprived of their grain. The word translated “restore” or “make restitution,” used six times in chapter 22 (vv. 1, 3–6, 12), is the Hebrew word shalam that means “to make whole, to make complete” and is related to the familiar Hebrew word shalom (“peace, health”). It takes more than confession of guilt for an offender to make things right; it also demands effort on his part to compensate the people who were hurt. Only then can the torn fabric of relationships be mended and society be made whole.

We learn to think about ourselves less, others more.  These laws limit the tendency toward selfishness. They admonish the Israelites to be kind to strangers and aliens, widows and orphans, and the poor. The Israelites had been strangers in Egypt and for many years were treated kindly, and widows and orphans are the special concern of the Lord.

Israel was cautioned against reviling any legitimate authority. They might blaspheme God with their lips but also by despising the laws He gave for their good, especially the ones relating to generosity to others (vv. 21–27). Blaspheming God was a capital offense (Lev. 24:10–16). It was against the law to speak evil of a ruler (Prov. 24:21, 22; 1 Pet. 2:17). God has established human government (Rom. 13), and even if we don’t respect the officer, we must respect the office.

Finally, says God, “Be HOLY for my sake.”  Seek holiness by laying self aside, laying down our own wants and wishes, control and self promotion, to seek God who is Holy.  Jesus was the supreme example.  See Philippians 2. 

Only God can make us holy.

“Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? ² Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
    he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:1-11, NLT

Lord,

Help me to love like you love me.  Make me holy.  Continue to build your character traits in me.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

We said it yesterday, God brought His People out of Egypt, now He is taking Egypt out of His People by teaching them how to live in community with each other.  He knows that they have lived the Egyptian way for many generations.  So, that’s probably why God is commanding all these particulars.  It seems we are “going through the weeds” of all the commandments’ intentions; but then we realize we humans need everything “spelled out” clearly because we fall to less than perfect behaviors, always looking for loopholes in our obedience to the laws.  And besides that, Moses has been in the weeds before!  (As a baby floating in a basket!)  AND remember Moses, less than perfect, killed a man for abusing an Israelite!  Yes, God has to be specific to help us learn His ways.

God knows His People.  God knows our hearts, too.  That’s why Jesus had to come down, not only to redeem us from our selfish driven sins, but He also came to teach us the true intent of how to love and live in community with each other. 

It is a great study to read Matthew 5-7, the infamous “SOM”, or “Sermon on the Mount” by Jesus, as we walk through the weeds of Exodus, as we wonder why God got so specific in dealing with the punishment for disobedience.  Remember when Jesus began each explanation with, “You have heard it said, but I say to you…”  He was making it clear to all who believed in God that over the centuries, His People made the law even more complicated with attachments to the Law!  On top of that, love was lost for each other and for God.  Sad, really.  Very sad.

Walk through this reading, knowing that God had their best interest at heart.  He is trying to protect His People from themselves.  God has our best interests at heart for us today!  Stay tuned and focused on God’s love for His people.

Exodus 21, The Message

“These are the laws that you are to place before them:

^2-6 “When you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve six years. The seventh year he goes free, for nothing. If he came in single he leaves single. If he came in married he leaves with his wife. If the master gives him a wife and she gave him sons and daughters, the wife and children stay with the master and he leaves by himself. But suppose the slave should say, ‘I love my master and my wife and children—I don’t want my freedom,’ then his master is to bring him before God and to a door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl, a sign that he is a slave for life.

^7-11 “When a man sells his daughter to be a handmaid, she doesn’t go free after six years like the men. If she doesn’t please her master, her family must buy her back; her master doesn’t have the right to sell her to foreigners since he broke his word to her. If he turns her over to his son, he has to treat her like a daughter. If he marries another woman, she retains all her full rights to meals, clothing, and marital relations. If he won’t do any of these three things for her, she goes free, for nothing.

^12-14 “If someone hits another and death results, the penalty is death. But if there was no intent to kill—if it was an accident, an ‘act of God’—I’ll set aside a place to which the killer can flee for refuge. But if the murder was premeditated, cunningly plotted, then drag the killer away, even if it’s from my Altar, to be put to death.

¹⁵ “If someone hits father or mother, the penalty is death.

¹⁶ “If someone kidnaps a person, the penalty is death, regardless of whether the person has been sold or is still held in possession.

¹⁷ “If someone curses father or mother, the penalty is death.

^18-19 “If a quarrel breaks out and one hits the other with a rock or a fist and the injured one doesn’t die but is confined to bed and then later gets better and can get about on a crutch, the one who hit him is in the clear, except to pay for the loss of time and make sure of complete recovery.

^20-21 “If a slave owner hits a slave, male or female, with a stick and the slave dies on the spot, the slave must be avenged. But if the slave survives a day or two, he’s not to be avenged—the slave is the owner’s property.

^22-25 “When there’s a fight and in the fight a pregnant woman is hit so that she miscarries but is not otherwise hurt, the one responsible has to pay whatever the husband demands in compensation. But if there is further damage, then you must give life for life—eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

^26-27 “If a slave owner hits the eye of a slave or handmaid and ruins it, the owner must let the slave go free because of the eye. If the owner knocks out the tooth of the male or female slave, the slave must be released and go free because of the tooth.

^28-32 “If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned. The meat cannot be eaten but the owner of the ox is in the clear. But if the ox has a history of goring and the owner knew it and did nothing to guard against it, then if the ox kills a man or a woman, the ox is to be stoned and the owner given the death penalty. If a ransom is agreed upon instead of death, he must pay it in full as a redemption for his life. If a son or daughter is gored, the same judgment holds. If it is a slave or a handmaid the ox gores, thirty shekels of silver is to be paid to the owner and the ox stoned.

^33-34 “If someone uncovers a cistern or digs a pit and leaves it open and an ox or donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit must pay whatever the animal is worth to its owner but can keep the dead animal.

^35-36 “If someone’s ox injures a neighbor’s ox and the ox dies, they must sell the live ox and split the price; they must also split the dead animal. But if the ox had a history of goring and the owner knew it and did nothing to guard against it, the owner must pay an ox for an ox but can keep the dead animal.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

(We are getting help from Warren Wiersbe, Commentor and Bible Scholar.)

Justice is the practical outworking of the righteousness of God in human history, for “He loves righteousness and justice” (Ps. 33:5; see Is. 30:18; 61:8). There may be a great deal of injustice in our world today, but the time will come when God will judge the world in righteousness by the Savior that the world has rejected, and His judgment will be just (Acts 17:31). 

Though the Israelites were permitted to own slaves from other nations, usually prisoners of war, they were not allowed to enslave their own people. Two scenarios are presented here: a man who voluntarily becomes a servant, and a woman who is sold to be a servant.  Yes, this is a bit confusing.  Once slaves themselves, they could be as harsh as they were treated. 

These laws regarding capital crimes are the logical application of the sixth commandment, “You must not murder” (20:13; Lev. 24:17). We’re made in God’s image, so to murder a fellow human being is to attack the image of God. If a person was found guilty of murder on the testimony of two or more witnesses (Num. 35:30, 31), then the murderer was killed.

Having dealt with murder in general, the law then dealt with specific cases. The first deals with a man’s mistreatment of his parents, abusing them physically and/or verbally, which would be a violation of the fifth commandment (20:12). It’s possible that the “prodigal son law” (Deut. 21:18–21) applies here and that this son was desperately in need of discipline. Children who have no respect for their parents usually have no respect for any other authority and want only their own selfish way.  Oh, but we’re not like that today—are we?

When Jesus prohibited His disciples from retaliating against those who hurt them (Matt. 5:38–44; 1 Pet. 2:19–21), he was dealing with personal revenge (“I’ll get even with you!”) and encouraging personal forgiveness. He wasn’t criticizing Moses or interfering with the legal system, because He came to fulfill the law and not to destroy it (Matt. 5:17–20). As believers, we have the privilege of waiving our “legal rights” to the glory of God and not demanding compensation (1 Cor. 6:1–8). However, a judge has to see that justice is done and the law is respected.

Are you ready to walk out of the “weeds”, the specifics of the Law?  The best way is to think more simply, to get basic, to return to the intent of God’s ways of relating to each other.  It begins by loving God back.  Love God because He first love us. Seek Him first before we think, say or do anything.  Roll out of bed each morning, asking God what HE wants us to be and do for this new day.  Believe, truly believe, that He is God.  Then let us love God with ALL our hearts, minds, and souls.  Love each other like He loves us. 

Love God.  Love People. 

Jesus said, “Love others like I have loved you.” 

This is the Law of Love.

Lord,

I understand why you had to get so specific with the Israelites, Your Chosen.  I also understand why Jesus had to come to save us from ourselves!  We make your laws harder by our human efforts, always seeking a loophole to avoid obeying the true intent of what you say which is based on real, relentless love.  I love you, Lord, with all that is in me.  Guide my every thought and action today as I relate to you and to others.  May Your Law of Love lead me.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

God took His people out of Egypt.  Now God will do the work of taking Egypt out of His people!  God will do this by teaching them His ways.  He will teach them about relationship to Him and to each other.  His message of commands boils down to this:  Love God.  Love each other. 

Jesus reiterates this very message when He came to earth to deliver all people of all sins once and for all.  Jesus will re-establish our relationship with God through His work given to Him by God.  Read the famous “sermon on the mount” in Matthew 5-7 and you will understand how much God loves us and wants His best for us.  God is for us, not against us.  God shows His people, who were once in bondage to slavery by a perverse system, who were not allowed to think for themselves, but only allowed to do what they were told, His way of thinking and behaving.  Now, God’s freed people need to look to their Deliverer, who is their God, the One and Only God, who loves them as His precious treasure and love Him back.

These “Do nots” are filled with how to love and honor each other in ways that God has honored and protected us.  God wants us to love Him back.  That is at the heart of what He is saying.  God desires a holy relationship with each one of us.  Notice that the first four of the ten commandments are about God and how to commune and relate with God in holy thinking and behaving. 

God wants His people to realize that HE is God, there is no one else who is God.  And He is OUR God.  We worship, love and obey only Him.  We prove our love to God by believing He loves us and by being loyal only to Him who loved us first.  We don’t take God for granted, mock him in silly banter or use His very Name in curses.  We honor God for who He is and what He has done in and for us.  We love God with all that is in us.  We discover in our growing relationship that He created us, knows us inside out, and that He wants His best for us.  Yes, HE is God.  We are not.

The remaining six commands teach us how to relate to each other.  The “love others” commands are basic and simple, telling us how to grow in loving, kind, generous, gracious relationships that build community with God and with each other.  Love God.  Love Each Other.  If we truly love like this, God will work through us to revolutionize our world! 

Exodus 20, The Message

^1-2 God spoke all these words:

I am God, your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of a life of slavery.

³ No other gods, only me.

^4-6 No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am God, your God, and I’m a most jealous God, punishing the children for any sins their parents pass on to them to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate me. But I’m unswervingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments.

⁷ No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won’t put up with the irreverent use of his name.

^8-11 Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don’t do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.

¹² Honor your father and mother so that you’ll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you.

¹³ No murder.

¹⁴ No adultery.

¹⁵ No stealing.

¹⁶ No lies about your neighbor.

¹⁷ No lusting after your neighbor’s house—or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don’t set your heart on anything that is your neighbor’s.

* * *

^18-19 All the people, experiencing the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, were afraid—they pulled back and stood at a distance. They said to Moses, “You speak to us and we’ll listen, but don’t have God speak to us or we’ll die.”

²⁰ Moses spoke to the people: “Don’t be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won’t sin.”

²¹ The people kept their distance while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

^22-26 God said to Moses, “Give this Message to the People of Israel: ‘You’ve experienced firsthand how I spoke with you from Heaven. Don’t make gods of silver and gods of gold and then set them alongside me. Make me an earthen Altar. Sacrifice your Whole-Burnt-Offerings, your Peace-Offerings, your sheep, and your cattle on it. Every place where I cause my name to be honored in your worship, I’ll be there myself and bless you. If you use stones to make my Altar, don’t use dressed stones. If you use a chisel on the stones you’ll profane the Altar. Don’t use steps to climb to my Altar because that will expose your nakedness.’”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

He God alone.  Worship only God.  He is God and we are not.

Love God.  Love Each Other like God loves us.

Lord,

You are God alone.  You are the One and Only God I love and trust with a desire to obey because of your love for me and my love for you.  Help me to love others like you love me.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

I listen to the trumpet of Jesus
While the world hears a different sound
I march to the drumbeat of God Almighty
While the others just wander around
I’m a member of the Holy Ghost traveling band
We’re moving on up to a better land
I hear the voice of the Supernatural singing
Like only those who know Him can…

This song is playing in the background as we read God’s message to Moses.  God tells Moses to get ready to meet him.  Can you imagine God speaking out loud directly to you telling you to get ready to meet him on the mountain He has designated?  We have the privilege to do that with each new day because of Jesus, our Deliverer from our bondage of sin!  It is Jesus who died and rose again, taking away the curtain to the holy place where we can meet God at any time of day, all day long.  God loves to meet with us.  God loves to hear our words as He looks into our hearts with an everlasting, unchanging, unconditional love that flows from His grace and mercy for us!!

The trumpet gave the call to announce God’s Holy Presence.  The call signaled the time to listen to God.  God gave a message, with their best interests at the heart of God.  God spoke words about what it would mean to hear and obey Him so that they may live well.  We respond in humbled gratitude as we hear from God.  When we pray, asking God what HE wants for our day, with what we need to be and do, we please and honor God by remembering gratefully all He has already done for us.  For us, Jesus made the Way to God possible.  We have no restrictions as we come to God.  Listen for His trumpet call, it comes in all forms for us today.  The trumpet can be a warning, a call to be different in this world as we live like Jesus taught us to live, and it can be a call to simply be still, let go and let God lead completely.

One sweet sound makes
A whole world of difference
When the world seems indifferent to you
His melody of love calls you to be great
When marking time was all you thought you could do
So if you’ve been playing all your days by ear
Never knowing what your song was to be
Then pull up a chair, let down your hair
And take a few lessons from me…

Listen to the trumpet of Jesus…Get ready to meet God as “his special treasure to those who believe and follow Him.  Get ready to live for God as part of his royal priesthood, a “kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”  We are adopted into this position through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

All because of Jesus for us today!

Exodus 19, The Message

^1-2 Three months after leaving Egypt the Israelites entered the Wilderness of Sinai. They followed the route from Rephidim, arrived at the Wilderness of Sinai, and set up camp. Israel camped there facing the mountain.

^3-6 As Moses went up to meet God, God called down to him from the mountain: “Speak to the House of Jacob, tell the People of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to me. If you will listen obediently to what I say and keep my covenant, out of all peoples you’ll be my special treasure. The whole Earth is mine to choose from, but you’re special: a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.’

“This is what I want you to tell the People of Israel.”

⁷ Moses came back and called the elders of Israel together and set before them all these words which God had commanded him.

⁸ The people were unanimous in their response: “Everything God says, we will do.” Moses took the people’s answer back to God.

* * *

⁹ God said to Moses, “Get ready. I’m about to come to you in a thick cloud so that the people can listen in and trust you completely when I speak with you.” Again Moses reported the people’s answer to God.

^10-13 God said to Moses, “Go to the people. For the next two days get these people ready to meet the Holy God. Have them scrub their clothes so that on the third day they’ll be fully prepared, because on the third day God will come down on Mount Sinai and make his presence known to all the people. Post boundaries for the people all around, telling them, ‘Warning! Don’t climb the mountain. Don’t even touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain dies—a certain death. And no one is to touch that person, he’s to be stoned. That’s right—stoned. Or shot with arrows, shot to death. Animal or man, whichever—put to death.’

“A long blast from the horn will signal that it’s safe to climb the mountain.”

^14-15 Moses went down the mountain to the people and prepared them for the holy meeting. They gave their clothes a good scrubbing. Then he addressed the people: “Be ready in three days. Don’t sleep with a woman.”

¹⁶ On the third day at daybreak, there were loud claps of thunder, flashes of lightning, a thick cloud covering the mountain, and an ear-piercing trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp shuddered in fear.

¹⁷ Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God. They stood at attention at the base of the mountain.

^18-20 Mount Sinai was all smoke because God had come down on it as fire. Smoke poured from it like smoke from a furnace. The whole mountain shuddered and heaved. The trumpet blasts grew louder and louder. Moses spoke and God answered in thunder. God descended to the peak of Mount Sinai. God called Moses up to the peak and Moses climbed up.

^21-22 God said to Moses, “Go down. Warn the people not to break through the barricades to get a look at God lest many of them die. And the priests also, warn them to prepare themselves for the holy meeting, lest God break out against them.”

²³ Moses said to God, “But the people can’t climb Mount Sinai. You’ve already warned us well telling us: ‘Post boundaries around the mountain. Respect the holy mountain.’”

²⁴ God told him, “Go down and then bring Aaron back up with you. But make sure that the priests and the people don’t break through and come up to God, lest he break out against them.”

²⁵ So Moses went down to the people. He said to them:

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We end today with a cliffhanger for Moses and God’s Chosen People, but for us right now, today…

I listen to the trumpet of Jesus
While the world hears a different sound
I march to the drumbeat of God Almighty
While the others just wander around
I’m a member of the Holy Ghost traveling band
We’re moving on up to a better land
I hear the voice of the Supernatural singing
Like only those who know Him can

Listen to the trumpet of Jesus
Listen to the trumpet of Jesus

A spiritual fanfare has a sound all its own
At the birth of a lasting song
It’s been two thousand years since Jesus was born
And still the celebration goes on
If you feel the need to get your life in tune
‘Cause you’re tired of the dirge every day
Then turn yourself around
Put your feet on the ground
And just hear what I have to say

I listen to the trumpet of Jesus
While the world hears a different sound
I march to the drumbeat of God Almighty
While the others just wander around
I’m a member of the Holy Ghost traveling band
We’re moving on up to a better land
I hear the voice of the Supernatural singing
Like only those who know Him can!

Written By Stormie Omartian & Michael Omartian

Listen to the trumpet of Jesus as He calls us today! 

Get ready, stay ready for the final trumpet call by living in His ways humbly and gratefully!  Jesus IS coming back, you know!

Our Father,

Hallowed is Your Name.  May Your Kingdom come, your will be done in every detail of our lives here on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day all you know we will need to live for you and be different from the world.  And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil and evil’s schemes to bring us down. For you have all power, to you be all glory, honor, and praise!

In Jesus Name, Amen

As leaders we fall into a trap thinking we must do all things in our way all by ourselves, especially when led of God for a specific task.  We fail to realize that this handicaps and stunts the growth of those God is preparing to lead with us.  We can actually rob them of their blessings by God to grow in serving!  This passage opened my eyes years ago and the words have profoundly changed the way I lead others.  Take notes as we read, this is great stuff (wisdom) from a father-in-law who has the right advice for an overworked, overwhelmed leader.

Exodus 18, The Message

^1-4 Jethro, priest of Midian and father-in-law to Moses, heard the report of all that God had done for Moses and Israel his people, the news that God had delivered Israel from Egypt. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses’ wife who had been sent back home, and her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (Sojourner) for he had said, “I’m a sojourner in a foreign land”; the name of the other was Eliezer (God’s-Help) because “The God of my father is my help and saved me from death by Pharaoh.”

^5-6 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought Moses his sons and his wife there in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God. He had sent a message ahead to Moses: “I, your father-in-law, am coming to you with your wife and two sons.”

^7-8 Moses went out to welcome his father-in-law. He bowed to him and kissed him. Each asked the other how things had been with him. Then they went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law the story of all that God had done to Pharaoh and Egypt in helping Israel, all the trouble they had experienced on the journey, and how God had delivered them.

^9-11 Jethro was delighted in all the good that God had done for Israel in delivering them from Egyptian oppression. Jethro said, “Blessed be God who has delivered you from the power of Egypt and Pharaoh, who has delivered his people from the oppression of Egypt. Now I know that God is greater than all gods because he’s done this to all those who treated Israel arrogantly.”

¹² Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a Whole-Burnt-Offering and sacrifices to God. And Aaron, along with all the elders of Israel, came and ate the meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

^13-14 The next day Moses took his place to judge the people. People were standing before him all day long, from morning to night. When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What’s going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?”

^15-16 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me with questions about God. When something comes up, they come to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and teach them God’s laws and instructions.”

^17-23 Moses’ father-in-law said, “This is no way to go about it. You’ll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can’t do this alone. Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They’ll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They’ll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they’ll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. If you handle the work this way, you’ll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also.”

^24-27 Moses listened to the counsel of his father-in-law and did everything he said. Moses picked competent men from all Israel and set them as leaders over the people who were organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They took over the everyday work of judging among the people. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but in the routine cases they were the judges. Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law who went home to his own country.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Today we take our clues of wisdom and practice for Jesus, Himself, who rarely did anything alone.  He prayed alone in a quiet place to get direction from Our Father, God, but the ministry of compassion was always carried out with his disciples.  Think about it, seriously, of all the times Jesus ask for help from his disciples.  (Feeding the 5000, paying taxes, etc.)  These activities served to help them grow to serve in the most excellent way by His Love, in His Name for His glory. They, in turn, passed this method on to others!  We are the benefit of Jesus’ work in them!

How do we respond?

1. Pray!  Pray for God to bring people to you.  Pray that you will recognize their gifts and what God is doing in them to help you help others know and follow Jesus.
2. Bring them along with you wherever you go.  Jesus did this often!  As His disciples matured in following Him, He then sent them out two by two to do what He did.
3. Teach like Jesus!  Jesus invited his disciples to watch Him as He did the will of God.  Jesus then invited them to do ministry tasks with Him.  Then He sent them out under his watchful eye.  The disciples came back to “report” how well it went.  Then there was discussion and advice for improvement. Finally, upon Jesus ascending back to heaven, He sent them out on their own with groups of others (and us) with these words; “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:19-20
4. Partner with someone with a humbled attitude.  Seek out those who you can train to do what you do, better than the way you do it currently.  God will certainly bless this way of thinking!  He did for me when I woke up to the fact that I am not sent to do HIS work alone.

Lord,

Help us to know you more and walk in your ways, leading in ways that teach others to lead with us in your Name for your Glory so others will know you more!  Thank you, Lord for the privilege to serve you every day by serving others.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Paul to his young ministry apprentice, Timothy:

“You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”  2 Timothy 2:2, NLT

Thank you, Lord.  I think we’ve got it, now help us to live it in response to your loving advice.  In Jesus Name, For YOUR glory, Amen

Everything I do that I want to do well seems to require a bit of research and development as I plan a challenging task in stages for completion.  I learned this over time, by trial and error, but not well.  God stepped in to teach me that I must be directed by Him at the start who leads me through ALL the stages of life!  I also learned from God to seek counsel from those I respected in His work.  A cherished mentor responded to my overwhelmed mind and my words of complaining with; “Susan, how do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time!” When God directs our path, He does not always show us the end result.  I know this can be frustrating to us, but God knows what He is doing in His created.  There are many lessons learned, not as much in completing or arriving at our destination as there are in the journey itself.

God took the Israelites through the wilderness on a forty-year trek across the dessert. There is much to be learned at each stage of this journey.  God is in front of them and behind them.  God is the Pillar of fire at night and the Cloud of His Presence in the day time—constantly directing them as they are moving forward.  Where?  Only God knows.  But Moses knows and we now know that “Directed by God, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin.”  

God brought His people out of Egypt.  Now God is taking Egypt out of His people.  He will teach and test them as they move farther away from their most recent bondage to freedom “by stages” from all that Egypt taught them over the generations.  There is a lot “unlearning” of Egyptian worldview as they learn God’s view of life and how to live it well.

It’s a good thing they didn’t know at the time that it would take FORTY years, or many of them would have hightailed it back to Egypt, back to slavery, back to bondage, turning their backs on their God who brought them out!  So, they resort to complaining when life gets uncomfortable and scary.  Ah, but we aren’t like that…. are we?

Do we complain when the task of changing our minds, changing our thinking and changing the way we behave becomes hard?  Do we get frustrated that it doesn’t happen all at once but in stages after Jesus deliver us from our sins and past lifestyles?

God’s Holy Spirit comes to live in us at the time we say be believe in Jesus and what He did for us to free us from all our sin debts.  His Spirit will prod us to change the way we think which will change our lifestyle.  It won’t be easy to leave the past worldview thinking for thinking more and more like Jesus.  Why?  World thinking is the opposite of the way Jesus thinks.  Paul explains:

“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants.”  Galatians 5:16-17

He clarifies this statement with…

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.”  Galatians 5:19-26

Paul also teaches us that this is a DAILY, one bite at a time commitment, a life pursuit of being more and more like Jesus in the way we think and behave.

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2

My prayer for all of us:  May we allow God to direct our path as His Spirit brings out of sin and teaches us to be more like Jesus at every stage of our journey—one life experience at a time! 

Begin by trying not to complain at every stage!  (So me, I’m working on me!)

Exodus 17, The Message

^1-2 Directed by God, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn’t a drop of water for the people to drink. The people took Moses to task: “Give us water to drink.” But Moses said, “Why pester me? Why are you testing God?”

³ But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses, “Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?”

⁴ Moses cried out in prayer to God, “What can I do with these people? Any minute now they’ll kill me!”

^5-6 God said to Moses, “Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile. And go. I’m going to be present before you there on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock. Water will gush out of it and the people will drink.”

^6-7 Moses did what he said, with the elders of Israel right there watching. He named the place Massah (Testing-Place) and Meribah (Quarreling) because of the quarreling of the Israelites and because of their testing of God when they said, “Is God here with us, or not?”

* * *

^8-9 Amalek came and fought Israel at Rephidim. Moses ordered Joshua: “Select some men for us and go out and fight Amalek. Tomorrow I will take my stand on top of the hill holding God’s staff.”

^10-13 Joshua did what Moses ordered in order to fight Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. It turned out that whenever Moses raised his hands, Israel was winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was winning. But Moses’ hands got tired. So they got a stone and set it under him. He sat on it and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down. Joshua defeated Amalek and its army in battle.

¹⁴ God said to Moses, “Write this up as a reminder to Joshua, to keep it before him, because I will most certainly wipe the very memory of Amalek off the face of the Earth.”

^15-16 Moses built an altar and named it “God My Banner.” He said,

Salute God’s rule!
God at war with Amalek
Always and forever!

This very testimony of God’s testing of the faith of His people toward Him is why I entitled my daily blog, “Daily Manna with Your Mug”.  Let me share my testimony for just a hot minute.  Since September of 2013, God developed a routine in me for each day.  With sleep still in my eyes, I stumble into the kitchen to make coffee to pour into a large mug.  I also prepare a bowl with Cheerios.  I sit down at the laptop with my Bible and have “breakfast with Jesus”.  It has become a very sacred time for me.  I need help and God knows it.  I pray first, adoring Him, telling Him what everyone needs from him, asking for help for myself, then asking Him for what He wants from me for this day. 

Answers come from His Word and His Holy Spirit while reading a passage in the book of the Bible He has led me to for studying.  His Holy Spirit teaches, corrects, confronts, and encourages me.  He guides me to write down what might be helpful for someone else to be encouraged in their walk with God.  I am amazed what comes together each morning.  But greater still is the simple act of obedience, daily, which is what God is teaching His people in our passage today.  I cannot do these writings in advance or wait until tomorrow or the next to play “catch up”.  It just doesn’t work that way.  I’m compelled to get up, go to God in prayer, read and meditate, then write EACH morning.  Hence the blog’s name—DAILY MANNA.  God knows what I need and He provides.

There have been only a few times when I could not publish due to unforeseen circumstances but the process is always the same—daily.  Going to God daily is a test of our faithfulness to Him, giving Him all glory and praise for each new day that He has given to us, complete with all we need for each new day!  I love God with all my heart, mind and soul.  I love what He does in me and through me.  I pray that whoever reads this each day is blessed by our God, too.  To God be the glory for all He is and is doing in each one of our lives in Jesus Name.  To all who believe and claim Jesus as Lord, I pray for you each day!  To all who are thinking about believing, I pray compassionately for you!  God was, is and always will be the lover of our souls.  God loved us so much He gave…

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

You will have eternal life as a believer in Jesus, but don’t forget the daily life of communion with God that can be had right now, a life that is beyond our wildest dreams!  Wake up with God on your mind.  You’re certainly on His mind right now.  Ooh, yes and amen!  So, go grab your favorite mug, fill it with your daily coffee (or whatever else you drink) and dig in to God’s Word…it’s a daily thing…that’s “what it is”!

Exodus 16, The Message

^1-3 On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt, the whole company of Israel moved on from Elim to the Wilderness of Sin which is between Elim and Sinai. The whole company of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron there in the wilderness. The Israelites said, “Why didn’t God let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat? You’ve brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!”

^4-5 God said to Moses, “I’m going to rain bread down from the skies for you. The people will go out and gather each day’s ration. I’m going to test them to see if they’ll live according to my Teaching or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have gathered, it will turn out to be twice as much as their daily ration.”

^6-7 Moses and Aaron told the People of Israel, “This evening you will know that it is God who brought you out of Egypt; and in the morning you will see the Glory of God. Yes, he’s listened to your complaints against him. You haven’t been complaining against us, you know, but against God.”

⁸ Moses said, “Since it will be God who gives you meat for your meal in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, it’s God who will have listened to your complaints against him. Who are we in all this? You haven’t been complaining to us—you’ve been complaining to God!”

⁹ Moses instructed Aaron: “Tell the whole company of Israel: ‘Come near to God. He’s heard your complaints.’”

¹⁰ When Aaron gave out the instructions to the whole company of Israel, they turned to face the wilderness. And there it was: the Glory of God visible in the Cloud.

^11-12 God spoke to Moses, “I’ve listened to the complaints of the Israelites. Now tell them: ‘At dusk you will eat meat and at dawn you’ll eat your fill of bread; and you’ll realize that I am God, your God.’”

^13-15 That evening quail flew in and covered the camp and in the morning there was a layer of dew all over the camp. When the layer of dew had lifted, there on the wilderness ground was a fine flaky something, fine as frost on the ground. The Israelites took one look and said to one another, man-hu (What is it?). They had no idea what it was.

^15-16 So Moses told them, “It’s the bread God has given you to eat. And these are God’s instructions: ‘Gather enough for each person, about two quarts per person; gather enough for everyone in your tent.’”

^17-18 The People of Israel went to work and started gathering, some more, some less, but when they measured out what they had gathered, those who gathered more had no extra and those who gathered less weren’t short—each person had gathered as much as was needed.

¹⁹ Moses said to them, “Don’t leave any of it until morning.”

²⁰ But they didn’t listen to Moses. A few of the men kept back some of it until morning. It got wormy and smelled bad. And Moses lost his temper with them.

^21-22 They gathered it every morning, each person according to need. Then the sun heated up and it melted. On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, about four quarts per person.

Then the leaders of the company came to Moses and reported.

^23-24 Moses said, “This is what God was talking about: Tomorrow is a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to God. Whatever you plan to bake, bake today; and whatever you plan to boil, boil today. Then set aside the leftovers until morning.” They set aside what was left until morning, as Moses had commanded. It didn’t smell bad and there were no worms in it.

^25-26 Moses said, “Now eat it; this is the day, a Sabbath for God. You won’t find any of it on the ground today. Gather it every day for six days, but the seventh day is Sabbath; there won’t be any of it on the ground.”

²⁷ On the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather anyway but they didn’t find anything.

^28-29 God said to Moses, “How long are you going to disobey my commands and not follow my instructions? Don’t you see that God has given you the Sabbath? So on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. So, each of you, stay home. Don’t leave home on the seventh day.”

³⁰ So the people quit working on the seventh day.

³¹ The Israelites named it manna (What is it?). It looked like coriander seed, whitish. And it tasted like a cracker with honey.

³² Moses said, “This is God’s command: ‘Keep a two-quart jar of it, an omer, for future generations so they can see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness after I brought you out of Egypt.’”

³³ Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Place it before God, keeping it safe for future generations.”

³⁴ Aaron did what God commanded Moses. He set it aside before The Testimony to preserve it.

³⁵ The Israelites ate the manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle down. They ate manna until they reached the border into Canaan.

³⁶ According to ancient measurements, an omer is one-tenth of an ephah.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The Israelites ate manna for forty years until they reached the Promised Land in an act of obedience to God who provided for them in the wilderness.

Until Jesus, Our Lord and Savior, God’s promise of eternal life, comes back to claim His own, feast on His Word daily!  It is by God’s Word and His Holy Spirit in us who teaches us to walk with Him in ways that go beyond our thinking!  Yes, that’s “what it is”!

Lord,

Thank you for this time each morning! Thank you for listening to my words in prayer and to my heart in praying. Thank you for reminding us that you long to be with us daily.  I love how you linger with us through each day as you guide us to better thinking which leads us to better behaviors.  May we be with you before doing anything.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen!

After a harrowing experience comes to solution with victory and relief, what do you do?  My immediate response is Hallelujah!  After all these years, I know it is all God who rescues and saves us from circumstances beyond our control.  He also saves us from ourselves and selfish thinking.  Our first thought should be for God who is at work, delivering us from the storms of life that blow through.  He was and is there all along, whether we recognize Him at work or not, to guide us through on dry land to the other side.

Let’s just stop and praise the Lord right now for all He has done, is doing and will do in our lives to protect us as He provides all He knows we need!  Sing this song of praise with the Israelites!  It’s a beautiful song of testimony about the power and majesty, care and compassion of God!

Exodus 15, The Message

^1-8 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to God, giving voice together,

I’m singing my heart out to God—what a victory!
    He pitched horse and rider into the sea.
God is my strength, God is my song,
    and, yes! God is my salvation.
This is the kind of God I have
    and I’m telling the world!
This is the God of my father—
    I’m spreading the news far and wide!
God is a fighter,
    pure God, through and through.
Pharaoh’s chariots and army
    he dumped in the sea,
The elite of his officers
    he drowned in the Red Sea.
Wild ocean waters poured over them;
    they sank like a rock in the deep blue sea.
Your strong right hand, God, shimmers with power;
    your strong right hand shatters the enemy.
In your mighty majesty
    you smash your upstart enemies,
You let loose your hot anger
    and burn them to a crisp.
At a blast from your nostrils
    the waters piled up;
Tumbling streams dammed up,
    wild oceans curdled into a swamp.

⁹ The enemy spoke,
    “I’ll pursue, I’ll hunt them down,
I’ll divide up the plunder,
    I’ll glut myself on them;
I’ll pull out my sword,
    my fist will send them reeling.”

^10-11 You blew with all your might
    and the sea covered them.
They sank like a lead weight
    in the majestic waters.
Who compares with you
    among gods, O God?
Who compares with you in power,
    in holy majesty,
In awesome praises,
    wonder-working God?

^12-13 You stretched out your right hand
    and the Earth swallowed them up.
But the people you redeemed,
    you led in merciful love;
You guided them under your protection
    to your holy pasture.

^14-18 When people heard, they were scared;
    Philistines writhed and trembled;
Yes, even the head men in Edom were shaken,
    and the big bosses in Moab.
Everybody in Canaan
    panicked and fell faint.
Dread and terror
    sent them reeling.
Before your brandished right arm
    they were struck dumb like a stone,
Until your people crossed over and entered, O God,
    until the people you made crossed over and entered.
You brought them and planted them
    on the mountain of your heritage,
The place where you live,
    the place you made,
Your sanctuary, Master,
    that you established with your own hands.
Let God rule
    forever, for eternity!

¹⁹ Yes, Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and riders went into the sea and God turned the waters back on them; but the Israelites walked on dry land right through the middle of the sea.

* * *

^20-21 Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine, and all the women followed her with tambourines, dancing. Miriam led them in singing,

Sing to God—
    what a victory!
He pitched horse and rider
    into the sea!

Traveling Through the Wilderness

^22-24 Moses led Israel from the Red Sea on to the Wilderness of Shur. They traveled for three days through the wilderness without finding any water. They got to Marah, but they couldn’t drink the water at Marah; it was bitter. That’s why they called the place Marah (Bitter). And the people complained to Moses, “So what are we supposed to drink?”

²⁵ So Moses cried out in prayer to God. God pointed him to a stick of wood. Moses threw it into the water and the water turned sweet.

²⁶ That’s the place where God set up rules and procedures; that’s where he started testing them.

God said, “If you listen, listen obediently to how God tells you to live in his presence, obeying his commandments and keeping all his laws, then I won’t strike you with all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians; I am God your healer.”

²⁷ They came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They set up camp there by the water.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

After sighs of relief, high fives all around, a song of praise to God breaks loose and all join in the singing.  The women began a worship team of praise with tambourines in a repeating chorus of praise to the One and Only who saved them.  Imagine the scene with of praises rippling through the twelve tribes of Israel with family in tow, marching to the other side with God, for God, singing to God!  Wow, what a scene, right?  Kind of like heaven?  May our first thoughts always be praise to God, our Provider, Healer and Deliverer!

Then only three days later…on the other side from slavery to freedom…they complain because they cannot find good water.  They go to their illustrious, trusted leader to raise their complaint about the water situation.  Moses responds by going directly to God.  God provides.  God always provides.  At least the people knew who to go to for help.  Who do we immediately go to for help?

God shows and tell his people WHO is really in charge, WHO will provide and protect them IF they will listen, really hear and obey.  I AM your Healer.  Because of God’s love, care and compassion for those who believe, honor, obey, and love Him back, He still provides a way out for us to get to the other side of troubles.

Listen, trust and obey.  God authority and power has not left the building of our souls!

Lord,

Thank you for all the times you provided dry land through troubles so we could get to the other side and praise you.  You are God.  We are not.  To you be all glory, honor and praise!

In Jesus Name, Amen!

Lord, You want us to go where and do what?  Now, Lord?  Like right now?

Those were the very questions that came to mind that year as Randy and I realized that God was rearranging our lives to move from the home we had always known from children through adulthood, to a place we hardly knew a thousand miles away.  He was calling Randy to go to seminary while pastoring a country church nearby.  At first, I thought I would find a teaching job as that was my profession, but no, God had another place for me to grow and learn.  As problems came in making the move, God provided instant solutions.  We finally stopped trying to figure it all out and let God do what He does best—Lead us.  Our work was to trust Him.  We learned a great deal about God in that move that prepared us for doing the actual work He was asking us to join Him in once we got there!  God is amazing!  There is no one like our God! 

As we read our passage, my thoughts (that are weird to some) go to the first ones who put their sandaled feet on the sea bed that should have been soggy and muddy.  Did they do a dance when they realized the ground below their feet was dry?  Did they shout over their shoulders, “Hey come on in, the ground is fine!”  “Follow me, let’s do this!”  “Kids, are you seeing this and realizing what God is doing for us?”  “Don’t look back, keep moving forward people!”  Trust God!  Look what He has done so far!

Did you catch what Moses said to the complainers?  Anger stems from fear—Moses had the wisdom to know that.  He consoles then he confronts with truth:

“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.  God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!”

I don’t know about you, but this is pretty great advice from Moses for us today when approached by God with a new invitation to work with Him—Don’t be afraid, stand firm, watch God.  And us, yeah, we need to talk less and listen more.  Lesson learned.

Trust Me. I know what I AM doing.  I know what lies ahead.  I’ve got this. –God

Exodus 14, The Message

The Story and Song of Salvation

^1-2 God spoke to Moses: “Tell the Israelites to turn around and make camp at Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. Camp on the shore of the sea opposite Baal Zephon.

^3-4 “Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are lost; they’re confused. The wilderness has closed in on them.’ Then I’ll make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn again and he’ll chase after them. And I’ll use Pharaoh and his army to put my Glory on display. Then the Egyptians will realize that I am God.”

And that’s what happened.

^5-7 When the king of Egypt was told that the people were gone, he and his servants changed their minds. They said, “What have we done, letting Israel, our slave labor, go free?” So he had his chariots harnessed up and got his army together. He took six hundred of his best chariots, with the rest of the Egyptian chariots and their drivers coming along.

^8-9 God made Pharaoh king of Egypt stubborn, determined to chase the Israelites as they walked out on him without even looking back. The Egyptians gave chase and caught up with them where they had made camp by the sea—all Pharaoh’s horse-drawn chariots and their riders, all his foot soldiers there at Pi Hahiroth opposite Baal Zephon.

^10-12 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw them—Egyptians! Coming at them!

They were totally afraid. They cried out in terror to God. They told Moses, “Weren’t the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? Back in Egypt didn’t we tell you this would happen? Didn’t we tell you, ‘Leave us alone here in Egypt—we’re better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness.’”

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!”

* * *

^15-16 God said to Moses: “Why cry out to me? Speak to the Israelites. Order them to get moving. Hold your staff high and stretch your hand out over the sea: Split the sea! The Israelites will walk through the sea on dry ground.

^17-18 “Meanwhile I’ll make sure the Egyptians keep up their stubborn chase—I’ll use Pharaoh and his entire army, his chariots and horsemen, to put my Glory on display so that the Egyptians will realize that I am God.”

^19-20 The angel of God that had been leading the camp of Israel now shifted and got behind them. And the Pillar of Cloud that had been in front also shifted to the rear. The Cloud was now between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. The Cloud enshrouded one camp in darkness and flooded the other with light. The two camps didn’t come near each other all night.

²¹ Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and God, with a terrific east wind all night long, made the sea go back. He made the sea dry ground. The seawaters split.

^22-25 The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground with the waters a wall to the right and to the left. The Egyptians came after them in full pursuit, every horse and chariot and driver of Pharaoh racing into the middle of the sea. It was now the morning watch. God looked down from the Pillar of Fire and Cloud on the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic. He clogged the wheels of their chariots; they were stuck in the mud.

The Egyptians said, “Run from Israel! God is fighting on their side and against Egypt!”

²⁶ God said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea and the waters will come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots, over their horsemen.”

^27-28 Moses stretched his hand out over the sea: As the day broke and the Egyptians were running, the sea returned to its place as before. God dumped the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. The waters returned, drowning the chariots and riders of Pharaoh’s army that had chased after Israel into the sea. Not one of them survived.

^29-31 But the Israelites walked right through the middle of the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall to the right and to the left. God delivered Israel that day from the oppression of the Egyptians. And Israel looked at the Egyptian dead, washed up on the shore of the sea, and realized the tremendous power that God brought against the Egyptians. The people were in reverent awe before God and trusted in God and his servant Moses.

WHAT MORE DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

When we forget God’s promises, we overthink and begin to imagine the worst possible scenario. The Israelites were sure that they and their children would die in the wilderness as soon as Pharaoh’s army caught up with them. The frightened people reminded Moses that they had told him to leave them alone (5:20–23), but he had persisted in challenging Pharaoh. Israel was now in a terrible predicament, and Moses was to blame.

Unbelief has a way of erasing from our memory all the demonstrations we’ve seen of God’s great power and all the instances we know of God’s faithfulness to His Word.

Trust God who knows what happens next!

Knowing that the enemy was in pursuit, and hearing the wind blowing all night, the Israelites must have wondered what was going to happen and why God was taking so long. But when we have faith in God’s promises, we have peace in our hearts.

“Why are you so fearful?” Jesus asked His disciples after he had calmed a storm. “How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). Faith and fear can’t live together in the same heart, for one will destroy the other. True faith depends on what God says, not on what we see or how we feel. It has well been said that faith is not believing in spite of evidence—that’s superstition—but obeying in spite of consequence.

Lord,

I will trust You, no matter what the world says, no matter what my circumstances are indicating, I will trust You.  You delivered me.  You redeemed me and set me free to love like you love, to live for you with you living in me.  There is no one like you—why then would I trust anyone else but you?  I cannot think of one good reason that I would trust anyone else but you!  Thank you for the peace that comes when all my hope and trust is in you.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Today, we place a ton of trust in a global device to get from where we are to where we want to be, right?! I don’t even go across town without it because I am so directionally impaired!  However, our trust has been built in our vehicle’s navigational system over time.  When new on the market, we would sometimes be guided into places that were filled with construction dangers and detours. We carried a paper map as backup.  Sometimes the system would take us to the wrong place completely or end up on a dead-end street or alley!  But today the navigational process has improved and even warns us of dangers ahead with optional routes to take.  It even tells us where we can get fuel and food!  Impressive, right?

What if we had as much trust in God as our guide on the journey through life as we have in our man-made devices to get us where we really and truly need to be?

What if GOD was all you had?  (Like in the “old days”?)

Exodus 13, The Message

^1-2 God spoke to Moses, saying, “Set apart every firstborn to me—the first one to come from the womb among the Israelites, whether person or animal, is mine.”

³ Moses said to the people, “Always remember this day. This is the day when you came out of Egypt from a house of slavery. God brought you out of here with a powerful hand. Don’t eat any raised bread.

^4-5 “You are leaving in the spring month of Abib. When God brings you into the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he promised to your fathers to give you, a land lavish with milk and honey, you are to observe this service during this month:

⁶ “You are to eat unraised bread for seven days; on the seventh day there is a festival celebration to God.

⁷ “Only unraised bread is to be eaten for seven days. There is not to be a trace of anything fermented—no yeast anywhere.

⁸ “Tell your child on that day: ‘This is because of what God did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

^9-10 “The day of observance will be like a sign on your hand, a memorial between your eyes, and the teaching of God in your mouth. It was with a powerful hand that God brought you out of Egypt. Follow these instructions at the set time, year after year after year.

^11-13 “When God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he promised you and your fathers, and turns it over to you, you are to set aside the first birth out of every womb to God. Every first birth from your livestock belongs to God. You can redeem every first birth of a donkey if you want to by substituting a lamb; if you decide not to redeem it, you must break its neck.

^13-16 “Redeem every firstborn child among your sons. When the time comes and your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you tell him, ‘God brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, God killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both humans and animals. That’s why I make a sacrifice for every first male birth from the womb to God and redeem every firstborn son.’ The observance functions like a sign on your hands or a symbol on the middle of your forehead: God brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand.”

¹⁷ It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn’t lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, “If the people encounter war, they’ll change their minds and go back to Egypt.”

¹⁸ So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt in military formation.

¹⁹ Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear to do it, saying, “God will surely hold you accountable, so make sure you bring my bones from here with you.”

^20-22 They moved on from Succoth and then camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness. God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and at night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light; thus they could travel both day and night. The Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night never left the people.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

My first thought is this:  The Israelites have been told where to work, what to do, where to live for over four hundred years!  They were not allowed to think for themselves.  They are now no longer slaves in bondage; they are free to think again!  Their mind muscles will need to be exercised again in this freedom.  So until then, God guides and provides.  God gathers his people, with Moses in the lead.  In an organized, “military-like” formation, God leads them through the wilderness instead of going the “faster route” for their own protection.  God KNOWS what lies ahead, He knows what is bests for us because He knows what we can endure or handle in our growth to reply solely on Him.  God is even better than Siri, our GPS!  I know!  Can you imagine?  God says to us daily, “TRUST ME, I’ve got this!”  But, do we?

GOD WANTS US TO REMEMBER what He has done so we will not fall back to our own smallness of self without Him.  Because of God’s mighty acts in protecting and redeeming His people and saving the firstborn of humans and livestock from death, all the firstborn belonged to God. They were sanctified, that is, set apart for God’s exclusive possession.  When a firstborn son was redeemed, or a firstborn animal, it gave adults the opportunity to explain how God had rescued the firstborn in the land of Goshen on Passover night.

NEW FREEDOM IS A LEARNING PROCESS!  It is a mark of maturity when we learn that freedom is a tool to build with, not a toy to play with, and that freedom involves accepting responsibility. Israel’s Exodus experience taught them that their future success lay in fulfilling three important responsibilities: following the Lord (vv. 17–22), trusting the Lord (Exodus 14:1–31), and praising the Lord (Exodus 15:12–21).

The person who trusts Jesus Christ is born again into the family of God, but that’s just the beginning of an exciting new adventure that should lead to growth. God liberates us and then leads us through the varied experiences of life, a day at a time, so that we might get to know Him better and claim by faith all that He wants us to have. At the same time, we come to know ourselves better; we discover our strengths and weaknesses, and we grow in understanding God’s will and trusting His promises.

GOD NEVER LEAVES US!  This passage leads us to an encouraging truth about our God; “The Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night never left the people.” 

Jesus reminded His disciples (and us) about this truth.  “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:20

Dear Friends, where God guides, God provides.  Always and forever.  I am proof of a life that learned through trial and error and I am still learning that God knows the best path, through all kinds of terrain and troubles, through good times and bad.  He is consistently teaching me on the journey and amazing me with His power, wisdom and love.  God knows me.  God knows what is best for me.  God knows what I need to do His will.  And through it all, I know God will not leave me. 

Let God navigate your journey!

Lord,

Thank for all you have done, are doing and will do on my brief journey on earth!  Thank you for teaching me, being patient with me while loving me unconditionally.  There is no like you!  Guide my every thought and action today.  I live with expectancy and hope with you!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen!