Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 8 – 10 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – John 3 – 4; Proverbs 5; Psalm 26 – 30
Scripture Memorization for January – Proverbs 4
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read “Ten Pillars for Spiritual Leaders” by Pastor Paul Chappell
A Study of Women in the Bible
Athaliah, A Wicked Mother and Grandmother
And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead: for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned. Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly. Wherefore he did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab: for they were his counsellors after the death of his father to his destruction. (2Chronicles 22:1-4)
But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah. But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not. And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land. (2Chronicles 22:10-12)
Athaliah was the daughter of Israel’s wicked king Ahab. Instead of being a godly mother, the Bible tells us she encouraged her son Ahaziah, to do wrong. After becoming king of Judah, Ahaziah joined Joram, king of Israel, in a battle against Hazael, king of Aram. Jehu killed many of Ahaziah’s heirs and wiped out Judah’s king.
When Athaliah heard the news, she sought to kill off all her grandchildren so she could gain the throne. This power-hungry woman literally sacrificed her family on the altar of her own ambition. If she had been successful, the line of the Messiah would have been destroyed. So, God place a faithful woman, Jehosheba, by Ahaziah’s son Joash. For years the child remained in hiding at the temple while his grandmother ruled.
And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land. And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king’s son. (2Kings 11:1-4)
And he brought forth the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king. And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD. And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason. But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD. And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king’s house: and there was she slain. (2Kings 11:12-16)
And he sat on the throne of the kings. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king’s house. (2Kings 11:20)
Athaliah’s actions are shocking, or are they? Few women would sacrifice their child or grandchild to gain power. But with our fast paced lives causes us to sacrifice our time and attention with family. If our jobs always come first with long hours or travel, or when we need to place our child in the care of others, we’ve begun to make the same mistake as this wicked queen. We don’t have to serve a pagan god or want to rule a kingdom to get our priorities mixed up.
If we fail, we are not a wicked Athaliah, but we should get it right by confessing our wrong and find a way to make a change. It might be reorganizing our time, refusing a promotion, or working part-time. I know in today’s world, with needing two pay checks or being a single mom, many women must work. But let’s do whatever it takes, not to sacrifice our families to get ahead. In the end we won’t be ahead at all, we’ll lose it.
Thank You
I John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
It Is Finished!
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 1 – 4 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read –Luke 23 – 24; Proverbs 3 ; Psalm 16 – 20
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4
“And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar:” – (Leviticus 4:33-34)
“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” – (Luke 23:34)
I must confess that as I was reading the 4 chapters from Leviticus this morning, I kept thinking to myself: “what am I going to write about from this passage”. The four chapters are all about the Old Testament offerings. We read about the burnt offering, the meat offering, the peace offering, and the sin offering. I have been a student of the Bible for many years, and I still don’t have all of the Old Testament offerings straight in my head. I really was not looking forward to writing a devotion this morning on one or all of these Old Testament sacrifices. But then I read the “second miler” passage for this morning from Luke 23. I read where Jesus said, “Forgive them”, and I thought about when He said in John’s gospel, “It is finished”; and then it when I got excited. I realized that I don’t have to know all of the details of the Old Testament sacrificial system because all of those sacrifices and offerings pictured and pointed to one thing: the sacrifice that Christ would make on the Cross of Calvary. It truly is finished! We don’t have to run down to the Tabernacle or Temple every time that we sin. We do not have to keep it all straight, because Jesus Christ paid for it all when He died for our sins. Praise God!
The next thing that I thought about this morning was that I don’t fully appreciate what the Lord did for me on the Cross. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to live in Old Testament Israel. It certainly would have been very burdensome to live under the Law; and it was also impossible to live it perfectly. Do you think that even the best of the Israelites did everything the way they were supposed to. Do you think that every time they committed a sin of ignorance (and didn’t get caught) they went down to the priests with a sacrifice. I doubt it. But then that must have led to a lot of guilt, because they knew in their hearts that they were not fully obeying the Lord. What a relief it is to know that all sin: every sin, whether they be sins of ignorance or not, are forgiven. They are all under the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. I feel like speaking in tongues right now! (just kidding) Praise God for Jesus!!!!
Oh Oh! I just got another thought: a thought about sacrifices. There is one more sacrifice that I should consider today: the living sacrifice. I am to present my body a living sacrifice to the Lord. I am no longer my own: I am bought with a price, and I belong to Him; and that is my reasonable service. It is the least that I can do to live for the Lord since He was willing to die for me.
Posted in Thoughts from Leviticus by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
The Glory of the Lord
Today’s Passage – Exodus 39 – 40 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read –Luke 21 – 22; Proverbs 2; Psalms 11 – 15
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1
“Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” – (Exodus 40:34)
“And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.” – (Leviticus 9:24)
“Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.” – (2 Chronicles 7:1)
“Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” – (1 Kings 18:38)
The first two verses referenced above deal with the event that is taking place in Exodus 40: the dedication of the Tabernacle. Moses and the people of Israel have completed all that God had asked them to do regarding the construction of the Tabernacle. They had followed God’s instructions perfectly, building everything precisely as God had showed Moses. They anointed Aaron and his sons, and now everything is ready for God to put His blessing upon it. Exodus 40:34 tells us that the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Leviticus tells us that a fire came down from Heaven. You will notice that 2 Chronicles tells us that later in Israel’s history, in the days of King Solomon, that the fire fell again when they dedicated the Temple. It also fell in the time of Elijah when God was showing the people of Israel His power on Mount Carmel.
I remember years ago when Pastor Rick Wedemeyer and a handful of people first started the Christian Bible Church in South Tom’s River. There is no better way to say it than to say that in those early days the church was “on fire”. It was new, and it was fulfilling the purposes of glorifying the Lord and winning souls for Christ. The people were committed wholly to the Lord and His will for their lives. And the fire fell. God put a zeal, a fervor in the hearts of those people; and within a very short time the church had grown as many people were saved; and converts were being discipled and getting involved in the service of the Lord.
I also have seen the fire of the Lord fall upon our ministry here at Jersey Shore Baptist Church; but unfortunately it has only been at certain seasons, and for a limited time. There have been times when the people were revived, and very zealous for the work of the Lord. Then there have been other times when the church seemed very lethargic. I pray constantly for the Lord to revive me, and our people; that He will once again set us on fire for His work, and His glory. I believe if God’s people will separate themselves from the world, and then dedicate themselves to the Lord and His purposes, the fire will fall once again. It really is all about what we desire. In our passage, the people of Israel were wholly focused on the Lord. And the fire fell. And if we were to wholly focus on the Lord in our lives and ministries, we would also see the fire of God fall to bless His work. Remember when you first trusted Christ as your Saviour? You were probably more “on fire” than you are now. I don’t know why, but it just happens that Christians, as well as churches, cool off in their spiritual zeal. However, now that we recognize that the fire in our hearts is not blazing as it once was, let’s confess our apathy to the Lord, and then ask Him to stoke the embers of our hearts and revive us. And the fire will fall once again.
Posted in Thoughts from Exodus by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Willing Servants
Today’s Passage – Exodus 33 – 35 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read –Luke 17 – 18; Proverbs 31; Psalms 1 – 5 (Jump start on February because it is a short month)
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 61:1 – 3
“And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying, Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass, … And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded; … And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD’S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD. … The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.” – (Exodus 35:4-5, 10, 21-22, 29)
“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” – (Philippians 1:27)
Notice in our passage today, in chapter 35, how many times the word willing is used. There is nothing sweeter than to see the people of God doing what God has called them to do with a willing heart. Preachers love it when the people all want to pitch in to do the work of the Lord. Unfortunately, there is often not always this type of spirit within the church, which tempts us to use “methods of persuation” in order to accomplish the work that needs to be done. I must admit that there have been times that I have tried to “guilt” people into serving, and I may have even been successfulat getting them to do things, at least for a short while. However, if God’s work is going to be done the way God wants it done, it will have to be done by willing servants who are excited about serving and who are absolutely convinced that they are doing what God wants them to do.
Notice from this passage:
1 God gave the congregation a job to do – building the tabernacle
2 God gave them instructions as to how the tabernacle was to be built, and how they were to acquire the necessary materials for building.
3 God equipped them – He gave specific people specific skill in order for the work to get done.
4 The people willingly offered to give. In fact, we will soon learn that they gave too much.
5 The people willingly offered to work. They gave themselves to the task that God had given them.
God has a job for us to do today as well. The task is different from what the Israelites had to do, but the process for completing the task is the same. God told us what to – fulfill His Great Commission; He equips us to fulfill the task, giving each participant the gifts that they need to their part. Now, it is up to us to willingly give ourselves to the task that God has given us. Let’s do it. Get excited about serving God!
Posted in Thoughts from Exodus by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Exodus 28 – 29 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 13 – 14; Proverbs 29; Psalms 141 – 145
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51
A Study of Women in the Bible
Naaman’s Servant Girl
“Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.” (2Kings 5:1-3)
Today we will be talking about another nameless girl. She was a Jewish girl who was taken form her home and all that was familiar. She became a slave by the hands of Syrians, to the captain of the host, Naaman’s, wife. Although she was torn form her home, she was not torn away from her faith. She was in a heathen country, but still kept the teaching of Jehovah God and she knew exactly where to go for help. We also see she was not shy about telling her mistress, that her husband Naaman, needed to see a man of God. Remember these people did not worship the Lord God.
Although very little is written about this young girl, but I believe we can learn a few important facts from her. She was surrounded by unbelievers. When working outside the home, their are lost people all around us. We listen to their talk, their music and their stories. We see the way they dress, the places they go and the way they act. If we are not keeping our minds fully on the Lord, their ways will become our ways. It was not so with the servant girl. She kept her faith. She must have been a good servant and a good testimony, because Naaman listened and did what she suggested. She also was not ashamed about telling Naaman and his wife about God. (Would God my lord we with the prophet that si in Samaria….). Notice the word God is capitalized. We too must be a bold witness for the Lord. Who knows what can become of someone sharing the Gospel. In the case of the servant girl, Naaman turned to the Lord.
“And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.” (2King 5:15)
Are we witnesses in our everyday life? Or are our mouths closed by doubt and fear? Like the unimportant servant girl, we need to do God’s will wherever we are. Let’s not distracted by our place in life, our enemies or anything else. God uses the most amazing people to serve Him. Are you willing?
Thank You
I John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Use It Or Lose It – The Saturday Morning Post (Sunday Edition) by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage – Exodus 22 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 9 – 10; Proverbs 27; Psalms 131 – 135
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1
Read a previous post from today’s reading passage – “Living in Canaan”
Good morning! Did you get to wake up yesterday morning to a wintery scene, with your yard all covered in clean, white snow? Do you think Heaven is like that? Could you imagine the colors you will see in Heaven on your arrival? Heaven will be hard for us to imagine. The Bible says, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1Corinthians 2:9).
Everything we receive in Heaven comes from God who understands what we would like better than we understand ourselves. Think about it. You think you want something, you buy it, and then you lose interest in it: it’s not what you really wanted. But an all knowing God will give you what He knows will satisfy you. A perfect gift from a perfect God. Heaven will be just as perfect to you as it is to me. But what about the things we get here on earth? God allows us to have things here on earth. They don’t belong to us, they belong to Him. He allows us to use them in our quest to be a good steward. There is also the stuff we buy that we think we need, or will make us happy. It only ends up in the basement, attic, garage, or shed. And that is where it stays until you pass. You can’t take it with you. Some of it will be given as gifts, some of it will end up at the flea market or garage sale, the rest thrown out as garbage. God tried to teach this to the children of Israel in Exodus 16. The Bible says, “And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.” (Exodus 16:14-20).
Here is some stuff about our stuff that we can glean from this passage. The first and most important is that everything we have is from the Lord. God’s Word tells us that He will provide our every need (Phillippians 4:19). He will also give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). Be careful with this: Israel got tired of the manna, and wanted meat. God sent quail that they could eat till it came out their nostrils!
The second item we can glean, knowing first that everything we have is from the Lord, is that everything we have was made to be used. In the parable of the talents, A lord had three servants. He gave one, three talents; the second two talents; and the third, one talent. The first two put what they received to use and turned a profit for their master. The third did not…
“Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.” (Matthew 25:24-27).
Maybe it’s time to sell off the excess stuff in our basements, attics, garages, and sheds; pay off some debt, and help others. Turn a profit for our Lord.
And that leads to our third gleaned item: everything that we have that we don’t use will decay, stink, and breed worms. The things that God has allowed us to have are for a reason. If we do not use them, they fall into a state of decay that will eventually render them useless and worthless.
The space in my shed appears to be shrinking. I have to unload everything in order to get through the door. It is probably time for myself, and maybe others, to clean up our acts, and get organized. And then remember, you can’t take it with you. It will only remain for someone else to give away, sell at the flea market, or throw out. Paul wrote to Timothy, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” (1Timothy 6:7-12).
Peace. (1Timothy 6:7)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Come As You Are?
Today’s Passage – Exodus 19 – 21 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 7 – 8; Proverbs 26; Psalms 126 – 130
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:6
“And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives. And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.” – (Exodus 19:14-17)
Notice in chapter 19 the reverence the people had when they were entering into the presence of God. They washed their clothes; they abstained from physical intimacy; and they trembled. I bet that there was not one person from the congregation that was not present. I bet the children were silent; being kept under very close watch of their parents. The people understood that they meeting with the omnipotent Creator of the universe. He is holy and He was not to be approached by the people of Israel in a flippant and carefree manner. They came with a reverent attitude of worship.
Fast forward now to today. Many of God’s people show up late, if they show up at all. They arrive wearing shorts and ripped tee shirts. The children are running all over the sanctuary while their parent are obliviously engaging in their own conversations about anything and everything except the worship of God. We have certainly come a long way down as far as our reverence to God is concerned. We sing half heartedly; talk during prayer and special music; and then sleep when the Word of God is being preached: all the while wondering how long is this going to take. We’ve got more important things like football to worry about today. Do I exaggerate, or is this an accurate description of the attitudes of many in our churches today? God help us!
Now, I wish to be very clear about this: I do not consider myself to be a legalist at all. I understand completely that salvation comes solely through a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, beginning with faith in His shed blood at the cross of Calvary. I know that God is not impressed when we show up at the church with our white shirts and ties, or our long, modest dresses. I get that. I know that God dwelleth not in temples made with men’s hands; and that the believer’s heart is the temple of God. And I realize that God looks upon the heart; and if a man shows up at church in shorts and a ripped tee shirt because that is all he has, or perhaps because he doesn’t know better, I think God is pleased. I know that I am. Believe me, I am thrilled that people just show up, and I am not the least bit concerned about the way they are dressed. I am, however, very concerned about the heart attitude of God’s people today when they come to worship the infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, and all-powerful God. It’s not a ball game. We are not gathering together simply to meet with friends, or to hear a man speak. We are corporately entering into the presence of God. We have become way to casual and careless. People give more thought when they are meeting with earthly dignitaries. God help us to remember that worship is a holy undertaking. Let’s give God our very best attention. I want people to come as they are, but I want them also to realize Who it is they are coming to worship, and I also want to see them leave a little more conformed to His image. I think this “seeker sensitive” thing has gotten way out of hand. Should we not be a little more “Saviour sensitive”.
Posted in Thoughts from Exodus by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Quit Griping!
Today’s Passage – Exodus 13 – 15 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 3 – 4; Proverbs 24; Psalms 116 – 120
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 19
“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” – (Exodus 15:1)
“And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” – (Exodus 15:24)
Exodus 15 is an amazing chapter of Scripture, which demonstrates the fickle nature of God’s children. The first 21 verses, which comprises more that three-fourths of the chapter is the record of God’s people singing, dancing, and praising Him for the great miracle that He had done in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. Specifically, they are praising God and thanking Him for parting the Red Sea so that they could pass through on dry ground. You will remember, the Egyptians tried to follow them and that same sea closed up upon them and drowned them. The people of God were thrilled that God took away the water so that they could travel to other side. Now, at the end of the chapter, they are complaining that there is no water. First they want the water to go away, and then they want it back again. You just can’t make these Israelites happy, can you? I am kidding, of course; but I do want to point out the tendency that Israel had (and we have today) to forget about all of God’s past blessings by griping about some apparent injustice that seemed to be taking place in the present. Here, they begin to think that God delivered them from Egypt only to kill them with dehydration in the wilderness. Absurd! That big God that they were worshipping in the beginning of the chapter all of sudden got smaller when the people got a little thirsty.
I find that we are no different today. We sometimes see God do wonderful things in our lives, and from that mountaintop we offer up to Him praise and worship. But then when God allows a little testing to come our way, our attitude changes completely. Our view of God seems to be based solely upon what He does for us. When we are getting popcorn, bubble gum, and ice cream, God is good; but when God says that we should eat a little broccoli because it’s what we need at the time, God becomes some mean ogre. We act like little children in the nursery, don’t we? Let’s grow up! Let’s mature in our faith to the point where we trust God completely. God is good when the circumstances in life are great; but God is also good when things are not going as we would like them to. God is always good. He loves us. He says He will never leave us; never forsake us. He has our very best interests at heart. Trust Him even when you don’t understand; and whatever you do, don’t gripe. Griping is perhaps the most predominant cause of death in the Old Testament. I am not saying that you should not bring your concerns and burdens to Him. There is a big difference between a prayer request and a complaint. Let’s get to the point in our Christian walk where we can praise Him even in the dark days. Remember, there are others out there that have it worse than you. God is not just good, He is awesome. Learn to wait on Him. He will deliver you if you will simply trust Him, obey, and be patient.
Look, we are all really good at spotting problems, but instead of murmuring, why don’t we try becoming part of a solution. We can pray, and we can work to make the situation better. Anybody can complain, and they often do; but it takes a person of true character to actually make a difference.
“Do all things without murmurings and disputings:” – (Philippians 2:14)
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You’re Free To Go
Today’s Passage – Exodus 10 – 12
“And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.” – (Exodus 10:3)
“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:” – (2 Thessalonians 3:1)
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” – (Mark 16:15)
Moses made the demand to Pharaoh that the people of God must be let go, but notice that the reason that God wanted them free was so that they could serve their Lord. Why is it that free people so often neglect the freedom that they have been given by God and use in the service of the King of Kings. We live in America, and here we are free here to preach the Bible openly to whoever will listen, but for the most part we keep silent. Peter wrote that we are to use our freedom as the servants of God. (1 Peter 2:16)
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States)
Take full advantage of the freedom that you have been granted by God and use it to spread the good news of salvation to the people around you. It is my fear that the day is coming soon that this liberty that we enjoy today may be taken away, and then we will want to serve God, but we will be banned from doing so. Assemble now with God’s people in the church house; serve the Lord with gladness; testify of His goodness and glory; win souls – do it now, while you are still free to do so!
Posted in Thoughts from Exodus by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Exodus 7 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 15 – 16; Proverbs 22; Psalms 106 – 110
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Deuteronomy 32:4
Read last year’s special guest post – “I Don’t Wanna” by Melissa Dilley
The Study of Women in the Bible
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA
“And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.” (1Kings 10:1-11)
The Queen of Sheba, was a woman of great wealth, beauty and power. She heard about Solomon, the king of Israel, the man who appeared to be rich and full of wisdom. His fame was known throughout the East. The world consulted Solomon, to hear the wisdom God had put into his heart. The Queen knew in her heart she must go see the king to see if these things were true. So she got ready a caravan and started on her long trip. She had many questions that Solomon answered. Later they exchanged gifts and the Queen returned to her home.
My thoughts from this passage is that the Queen held a high position, and yet she was humble. Humble enough that she admitted openly that there was someone who had greater wisdom and she want to learn about it. Many times we too have areas where we are in charge of something. We know how everything should be. We are working towards that goal and have it down pat. But there are times when someone may come along with a better way to achieve that goal. The Queen ruled her kingdom and had it all under control. But she wanted to know if what she was hearing was true and learn how she could apply this wisdom so she could rule wiser.
As women, we grow up under the guide of our father. Later in life we marry and are in subjection to our husband. When with others ladies, we want control. If God gave you a task, and someone has a better suggestion, will you be humble enough to take her advice? But you say “I’m in charge of that”. The Queen was in charge of her kingdom, but learned from Solomon. Lets us follow the example of the Queen of Sheba, be humble, take advice, and learn from others.
Thank You
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.