The best thing about winter is we get to enjoy being inside a little more. That is unless you have to scoop each time it snows, take the dogs out for exercise and necessities and do all the little chores that are needed each day. But, none the less, I find that in the dead cold of winter, I have more time to spend with my Lord.
But wait, let me explain. At the beginning of 2023, as I listened to Curtis Bowers’ Agenda Weekly, I accepted his challenge to pray more, focus on serving Christ more, read more, and less social media and T.V. With that said, I love reading the Bible so have started in Genesis again this year and will continue to the last book by the end of 2023, Lord willing.
Which is why I am here. I want to encourage you! If you are using “Faithful Promises of God” to read through the Word, and you are finding that you can’t read the recommended reading each day, may I suggest that you use two days to do the reading before moving on to the next day. Sure, it will take a little longer but that OK. Keep pressing on! You can do it!
In your daily readings, what jumped out at you this past week? For myself, early in the week, when I read Exodus 1:8, it talked about the new Egyptian king that “knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done.” So as a result, the king feared the Israelites, their numbers were enormous. This king thought it would be a good idea to make the Israelites do slave labor, making bricks.
What struck me is that this king didn’t know the past history of his own country or why (and how) the Israelites were there in Egypt…he didn’t know what Joseph had done for Egypt.
Ignorance will get you nowhere and possibly can get you killed!
Remember this when you see what is happening in our world around us. Many people don’t know American history much less world history and as a result, are leaning towards repeating the mistakes of the past. Much of what our country is pushing towards is the exact same mistakes that other countries have made. Why? Because we are no longer students of history. We think we know of a better way but nothing is new under the sun—nothing!
Will we be like the king in Egypt who was so hard hearted that it brings our destruction?
As in Exodus 6, are we suffering because we have chosen not to obey Him. How much more pain do we have to experience before we (individually or as a nation) surrender our lives to the Lord?
As we journey through Exodus, we see over and over God’s protection and provisions for the Israelites. Every so often He tested the people of “their faithfulness to Him.” What do you think, does He test us to see if we are faithful to Him?
Do we only look to the Lord when things are not going so well and we come to Him as spoiled, whining children? Or are we steadily looking to Him and choosing to obey all the time?
Remember, He fights the battle as we surrender with uplifted hands (as a child reaches out to his father). Our enemies will be remembered no more.
He made a conditional covenant with Israel, “If you will…I will…”. Today we serve Him because of our love for Him, not what He can do for us. For He’s already given us the best gift of all.
Should we not tremble before the Lord as the Israelites did in Exodus 20? Do we show Him respect and reverence or are we walking our own path in arrogance, thinking we don’t need Him? That is, unless things don’t go well, then we are back begging Him to make things better.
And so we continue reading, following the greatest story ever told. I would love hearing from you. Share how He is guiding you on our walk together. Until next week, may God watch over you and keep you focused on Him.
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