February 19, Tuesday

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Spite”

Exodus 5:6-9

But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.” 5 And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens!” 6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.”

In yesterday’s passage, we saw Moses and Aaron approach Pharaoh and appeal to him for freedom for the Israelite people. In today’s passage, what is Pharaoh’s response? A very clear and resounding NO. Not only does he say no to them, he’s so insulted by their request that, being full of spite, he demands that the Israelites make bricks without straw (a necessary component of straw making), while expecting the same production. Because Pharaoh doesn’t like how he’s been confronted, he responds with spite and anger.

Spite is destructive path to go down. When we act out of spite, people suffer, especially ourselves. So, when we find ourselves caught in a downward spiral of anger and bitterness, people around us are forced to deal with the consequences. Proverbs 29:22 says, “A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.” And I think we can all recognize that when we respond with anger and spite, like Pharaoh does in Exodus, it causes much strife and leads us down to darker places.

At the same time, we should recognize how we can easily fall prey to the temptations of spiteful anger. Think about how you’ve responded in the past month when someone cut you off while driving on the highway, or when you’ve received really poor customer service at a restaurant, or when your roommate didn’t do the dishes, again. Did you reply with joy and peace in your heart? Think about the last time someone challenged you about doing a poor job in something or when someone close to you rebuked you. Did you immediately thank God for that person? I’m guessing for the overwhelming majority of us the answer to these questions is a clear and resounding no. The truth is that we’re not that different from Pharaoh.

The good news for us is that we have a savior. The only way our hearts can move from spite and anger towards love and grace is through Jesus. In the gospels, Jesus was confronted, challenged, tested and rebuked many times and even when he was being treated like a criminal and was sentenced to execution on the cross for sins he never committed, Jesus did not respond in spiteful anger, but instead he lived out of love and grace.

Today we will likely encounter people or circumstances that will tempt us to act out of spiteful anger. As we face those moments, let us look to our savior and follow his example.

Prayer: Jesus, I pray for strength to face all of the difficulties that today may bring. Thank You for Your example of love and grace. By the power of Your spirit, help me to act and respond with love towards all. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 7

Lunch Break Study

Read Colossians 3:12-15: Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Questions to Consider

What is the foundation of acting in love towards one another in this passage?
How do you act when you have a “complaint” against another person? How can we practically strive to be more gracious towards others?
What does it look like when the church is acting in love towards one another?

Notes

The foundation is the forgiveness of Jesus in our lives. When we recognize the depth of our sin that Jesus has so graciously forgiven, it should lead us to act in grace and love towards one another.
Personal reflection question. We must first start with remembering the grace of Jesus in our lives. Also, Paul’s command is to “put on” compassion, kindness, humility, etc.; we must actively, even against the cries of our own flesh, push ourselves to respond in love and grace instead of bitterness and anger. Finally Matthew 18:15 tells us to lovingly confront one another.
Paul points us to “perfect harmony” and peace.

Evening Reflection

Did you face any challenging circumstances today where you were tempted to respond with spite? How well or poorly did you respond? No matter how good or bad we are at this, we thankfully are assured of the love of Jesus. Spend a few minutes reflecting on Jesus’ love and forgiveness in your life to close out the night.

February 18, Monday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Who Is the LORD?”

Exodus 5:1-2

Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”

As a parent, one of the most fun and randomly joyful moments/phases is when I would give my son a dirty napkin (or something else) saying, “Tyler can you put this in the trash?” and exuberantly and joyfully he would exclaim, “OK Daddy!” And then he would take the dirty napkin, and jubilantly gallop to the trash can, open the trash can, and throw that napkin in, and come back to me as if he had done the greatest thing ever. Such obedient behavior from my son can, of course, be attributed to me and my wife’s superior parenting skills and my commanding and authoritative presence.

But much to my surprise, my skill as a parent and my authority don’t work with other kids. When I go to other kids and say, “Hey, you kid, put this napkin in the trash!” they don’t listen to me. Why is that? Because if I were to do that, each kid would look at me and think or say, “Who are you? Who are you to tell me what to do?”

In Exodus, Moses appeals to Pharaoh, asking for the freedom of the Lord’s people, and Pharaoh replies, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go?” What Pharaoh says to Moses—and ultimately God—is ”Who are you to tell me what to do?” He isn’t willing to listen to God and set his people free because he does not know God.

As followers of Jesus, one of our desires is to see people listen and obey the Lord. And we especially would love to see people in positions of power, working to bring freedom and justice to this world. It is a worthy cause for us to fight to see greater righteousness and justice in our world today. However, realistically, in order for those in power to follows God’s way, they must know God first. The only reason my son is willing to listen to me is because he knows that I am his father; whereas, other kids are not willing to listen to me because I am assuredly not their father. In a similar way, we must pray that our friends and neighbors, and even those in power, will know the Lord because if they know the Lord, they will listen to His voice. And more importantly, let us be people who seek to know the Lord and follow Him.

Prayer: God, I pray that I will know You this day. Help me to know and follow Your ways. I pray that through me and through Your body that the world will know You and follow You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 6

Lunch Break Study

Read John 10:1-5: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Questions to Consider

How do the sheep know who to follow?
What do the thief and stranger represent in this passage?
How do we know Jesus as our Shepherd?

Notes

The sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd, so it means that they are accustomed to hearing his voice. And not only do the sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd, but the shepherd knows each sheep by name. The shepherd personally knows his sheep, not just as a flock, but individually as well.
Jesus may be hinting at false messiahs that came before Him, or He could be talking about the religious leaders of the time, or even Satan himself; but regardless of who Jesus is talking about directly, for our lives, we can understand the thieves and strangers to be anyone or anything that has a voice that could lead us away from our Shepherd.
Just like the sheep in the metaphor Jesus gives, we must make it a habit to listen for Jesus’ voice, especially through prayer, the Bible, and the body of Christ. We don’t usually learn to hear His voice all of a sudden in a holy moment; instead, we must grow and learn to do so consistently. And we know we can grow in this since Jesus knows us personally and wants to speak to us.

Evening Reflection

The culture and society that we are living in is not conducive for us to hear and follow the voice of God, so we must be intentional and vigilant about spending time with Jesus and hearing His voice. Spend some time in silence and solitude, and listen for His voice. And then pray that others can come to hear His voice as well.

February 17, Sunday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“AMEN!”

Exodus 4:29-31

Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Though I did not grow up in a religious household, as a young child, I often felt an urge to pray almost every night. Usually, I would pray for trivial things like good grades or so that I won’t have nightmares. Though I had limited knowledge of prayer, I knew you had to end the prayer with the word “amen,” thinking that not ending that way would be like not saying goodbye and not hanging up the phone after a conversation – you’d be leaving the other person hanging!

So, why do we say amen after we pray? Most of us have probably heard that amen basically means “yes” or “I agree.” However, I want to dig into this word a bit more, as it’s important in our passage. In today’s passage, Moses and Aaron tell the elders of Israel about God’s rescue mission for their people: about how Moses encountered the Lord in the wilderness and how He is going to bring Israel up from Egypt to the Promised Land. After hearing this testimony, verse 31 says that “the people believed.” What does this mean?

The Hebrew word (sorry, nerding again) here for “believed” is vayyamen (ignore that vayy part, it’s just a prefix for past tense). Basically, the people heard the testimony and they amen-ed it. We think of belief as merely cognitive, but for the ancient Hebrews, belief was about agreeing with the Lord’s plan—really, it was about trusting in God’s ways over their own. Belief is saying, “Amen, may Your will be done.” This is what Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane when He said, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” Despite His fear, Jesus said amen to God’s plan. Jesus believed in God.

Today, let’s say amen to the Lord! When we pray and say “amen” at the end a prayer, let’s remember that we are saying yes to God, not just a formality to end the prayer. It’s our soul saying, “Lord, Your will and not mine be done in my life. Have Your way.” Then, when the Israelite elders had said “amen,” this resulted in worship (see the end of verse 31). May our trust in God’s way lead us to worship Him more and more, the God who is trustworthy. Let’s all say our amens to Him!

Prayer: Lord, may my soul always say amen to You. May my belief be more than just intellectual; rather, may my whole being agree with You and Your ways. Help me to trust You over myself. May Your will be done in my life, always. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 5

February 16, Saturday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“No More Excuses!”

Exodus 4:10-17

But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

Join me in a brief thought experiment: What would it look like if you followed God every time you felt His direction, urging, or conviction? Or if you were to say “yes” to God every time you felt like He was prompting you to do something, no matter how crazy or not? Just think about that for a moment. Imagine if you did that each day of your life. What would happen? I think we would see God at work in ways we could never imagine; we would see signs and wonders that demonstrate the power of God. More bluntly, we would see God in our lives.

However, we as human beings have a marvelous talent—making excuses: “Why didn’t I wash the dishes last night? Oh, I was tired and the game was on”; “I really wanted to go watch that one movie”; or “I had that one assignment I hadn’t finished yet.” We always have an excuse to push off something we know needs to be done. Most of us are master excuse makers. It’s like it’s hard-wired into our beings. Unfortunately, it is hard-wired into us to an extent because of our sinfulness. Think about Adam and Eve: as soon as they ate from the tree, they immediately made excuses—“It wasn’t MY fault!”

The same goes with our relationship with God. We listen to a sermon on Sunday and feel the Spirit tugging at our hearts, but we quickly write it off: “Oh, that’s just not practical”; “I’m not in a season where I can do that right now”; “Maybe later”; or “I just don’t think it’s wise for me to do that right now.” So many excuses! This is what Moses did in our passage for today. God called him to speak to Pharaoh in order to set the Israelites free, but Moses kept pushing back: “Send someone else! I can’t do this!” Unfortunately for Moses, God relented and Moses’ role was split with his brother Aaron. Moses to an extent missed out on something God wanted to do through him.

May we never live in regret at missing out on what God wants to do through us! Since we all who believe in Jesus have received the Spirit, God wants to use ALL of us. Let’s not be a people of excuses but a people who say “YES” to the Lord. Remember that thought experiment, and let’s pray for that to be a reality in our lives!

Prayer: Lord, help me to stop making excuses. I do it every day. I make excuses to limit my prayer and Bible reading, to limit the time I spend with You. Please forgive me for that. May I respond to You and Your presence without hesitation. Use me, Lord, for Your purposes! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 3-4

February 15, Friday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“The Name of the Lord”

Exodus 3:13-15

Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

Moses asked the Lord, “What is your name?” A simple question, yet have you ever thought about that? We call God by certain names – “Lord,” “Father,” “Savior,” etc. But does He have a proper name? Asking someone their name is usually the first question you ask when you get to know someone. So, what is God’s name? Other deities have names – Marduk, Ra, Zeus, Pluto. Does the one true and living God have a name as well?

It’s amazing that we do not think about this more often because our God actually does have a name! We most commonly refer to Him as God or Lord, but that is not actually the Bible’s most common way to refer to Him. Over 6,000 times, the Bible uses a proper name to speak of our God. By comparison, the Bible uses the Hebrew word for “God” only about 2,000 times. What is this proper name?

Pardon me while I nerd out a bit. The proper name is derived from four consonants YHWH. Scholars are not 100% sure of the vowels, though most believe Yahweh is the right vocalization of the name. But this name is loaded with meaning. God answered Moses’ question about His name by saying, “I am who I am.” In Hebrew this is ehyeh asher ehyeh. Though most translations render this as “I am who I am”, this literally means “I will be who I will be.” Alright, so why don’t we call God ehyeh asher ehyeh? Well, God answers the question about his name a second time by shortening his response to just ehyeh, or “I will be”. But God’s name is not ehyeh either. God answers the question a third time in verse 15 by saying, “Yahweh, the God of Your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” If Moses were to talk about God, he wouldn’t call him “I am” or “I will be” because that would not make sense. Rather, he would use a the third-person form, “He is” or “He will be”. Yahweh is similar in pronunciation to the third-person form. But God paired His name with a description: He is the God of Moses’ fathers, namely, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The same God who made the promises to Moses’ fathers is the same God who is with him now. His name signifies His faithfulness. He is the One who was, and is, and is to come. He is who He is and He will be who He will be, always. God’s name signifies His faithfulness.

Out of respect for the name, Hebrews in antiquity eventually started to say “Lord” instead of “Yahweh”, which is why we do not use the divine name frequently. Still, the Israelites were called to trust in the name of the Lord. This meant trusting in the God who keeps His promises. It’s in His very name to be faithful. He is and always will be who He is. That is His name.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that Your name is faithful. I trust in Your name because I know You will always be who You are and that You will always keep Your promises. Help me to trust in Your name day by day.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 86:11-13: Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. 12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. 13 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead.

Questions to Consider

What is the result of being taught the way of the Lord?
What do you think a “divided heart” looks like?
What is the connection between trusting God and worship?

Notes

According to this psalm, we are taught the way of the Lord in order that we may rely on His faithfulness. This is similar to what Jesus taught when he said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Walking in the way of Lord results in us relying on God’s provision and faithfulness in our lives.
The psalmist asks for an “undivided heart” in order to fear the name of the Lord (biblical fear is about honor and trust). If we have a divided heart, it means we are not honoring God and we are trusting in other things. This could be trusting in money, or worldly talents, or our thoughts/ideas, or countless other things. All those things turn our eyes away from the faithfulness of God. An undivided heart trusts that God is always faithful, in every way. An undivided heart is a heart that is fully surrendered to God.
If we do not actually trust in God, our worship is superficial. If we worship God on Sunday but then trust in ourselves Monday through Saturday, our worship is a lie. The psalmist says that he will praise the Lord God and this genuine praise is possible because the psalmist relies on the faithfulness of the name of the Lord. Note also that this trust has been built on experiencing God. As we trust in God, we experience His deliverance and this in turns builds our trust more. May we experience the love and deliverance of God in more and more ways!

Evening Reflection

Tonight, call on the name of the Lord. Remind your soul that He is the One who was and is and is to come. He will never change and His promises to us are sure. If you feel your trust wavering, ask God for help to build more trust. May this trust lead to greater worship of the name of the Lord!

February 14, Thursday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“The Potential of God”

Exodus 3:10-12

Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

When my daughter Audrey was an infant, some people jokingly called me a “tiger dad” because I kept trying to make her do things she obviously could not do yet, like trying to get her to lift her head when she was a week old. I really wanted her to be more advanced for her age, a feeling many first-time parents experience. Unfortunately for my new son Benji, I have swung the opposite direction and just figure he’ll learn to do things eventually. I guess my tiger dad days are over.

In our passage for today, God asked Moses to do something that he thought he could absolutely not do. God had a plan to rescue the Israelites from Egypt and He was inviting Moses to be a part of it. Specifically, God was calling Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him to free the Israelites. To this request, Moses said, “No way! You’ve got the wrong guy. Send someone else!” This seemed impossible to Moses. But what was God’s response? “I will be with you.”

Fear is a huge barrier to doing the work of God. Many of us have a fear of failure, a fear of not being good enough, of looking foolish. Yet, when that is our attitude, we are being self-centered because we are putting the focus on ourselves. Moses was being very self-centered – His response was “I cannot do that. I am not the right person.” But it’s not about being the right person; our God is the right God and whoever He calls is the right person for His work. Why? Because God goes with whoever He calls. He enables them to do the task.

After Jesus ascended into heaven, the early church did not run around trying to do things that Jesus did. They prayed and waited. Eventually, at Pentecost, they were all filled with the Spirit and empowered to do the work of growing the church. God was with them. Though it seemed impossible, God enabled them to do something that seemed impossible. In the same way, perhaps God is calling you to do something. Remember that you have the potential of God within you. He will enable you to do whatever He calls you to do.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that You send Your Spirit upon me to do Your will. On my own, I would fail, but with Your Spirit I have Your potential within me. May I never fear failure knowing that You will carry me through Your purposes.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Exodus 31:1-4: The Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.

Questions to Consider

What did God call Bezalel to do?
How did God enable Bezalel to do this?
Is the Lord calling you to do something right now?

Notes

God called Bezalel “to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.” God was planning to build the tabernacle which was basically a tent that the Israelites would carry with them as their place of worship, and it also was God’s symbolic presence with His people.
Verse 2-3 tells us that “[God has] called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and [He has] filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship.” Was Bezalel a skilled craftsman before God called him? We don’t know, but he likely was not good enough to do what God called him to do. If you have read these chapters in Exodus, you know that the design of the tabernacle was very intricate. Bezalel needed the power of God through the Spirit to do this. God called Bezalel and gave him the ability to do the task.
Take time to reflect on this question. Invite the Spirit to speak to you and give you confidence that God will equip you for all the work He wants to do through you.

Evening Reflection

As you get ready for bed tonight, consecrate tomorrow to God. Say to Him, “God, I want to do what You want me to do tomorrow. Fill me with Your Spirit that I may do it by Your strength.” Imagine praying that prayer every night; God would certainly use you in mighty ways!

February 13, Wednesday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“When He sees, He moves”

Exodus 3:7-8

Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Homer Simpson—always the dispenser of great wisdom—says this in an episode of The Simpsons while running a red light: “If I don’t see it, it’s not illegal.” At face value, this seems ridiculous—just because we don’t see something does not mean we are exonerated from it. Yet, I imagine many of us subconsciously believe this. For example, we pass someone in need, pretending not to see that person. But as long as we do not see that person, we do not need to help him or her—we are exonerated. Perhaps you have even done that with hearing, too. Someone asks you to do something but you pretend not to hear, you ignore the request. For those who are married, maybe you do that with your spouse sometimes.

Though we are sinful people who can pretend to be blind and deaf at times, God is not like that. God said to Moses, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters” (v.7). The phrase translated surely seen is a Hebrew idiom, literally saying, “I have seen seen.” The verb is repeated twice to add emphasis. God surely saw the pain and suffering of His people and when God sees something, He moves. He does not turn a blind eye and pass on by.

And not only does God move, He comes down. The God of the universe who rules over everything is saying that He is coming down; He is getting off His throne to come and deliver His people from slavery. Further, not only does God come down to His people to rescue them, He brings them up. He did not just free His people and tell them, “Good luck out there in the desert.” He brought them up to the Promised Land, to “a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey” (v.8).

That is the pattern of God’s activity in our lives. He sees us in our need, He comes down to us, and He brings us up. What are you going through right now? Are there struggles or sufferings you currently face? God surely sees you. And when God sees, He moves. When you cry out to Him, He comes down to lift us up. Today, let’s cry out to God, knowing that He surely sees you and He will not pass you by.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You see me. Who am I that You would even notice me? Yet, You see me and hear my cries. May I trust in You to always be my Redeemer—the One who comes down to lift me up. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 50

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 34:15-18: The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Questions to Consider

What does it mean that the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous?
What is the pre-condition to the Lord delivering His people out of their troubles?
To whom is God near and what does He do for them?

Notes

At the surface, this verse may seem to mean that God only looks towards those who are good, that you need to earn His attention. Yet, the biblical picture of righteousness is more about being in right relationship with God. The righteous are those who depend on God. God does not forsake those who depend on Him; rather, His eyes are always upon them, to help them in their every need.
The pre-condition is crying out to Him. This seems so straightforward, yet so often we try to do things on our own. We either don’t want God’s help or don’t think He’ll actually help us. But when we cry out to Him, He sees us and moves to deliver us. He is faithful! However, the way He helps may not be the way we want; that’s why dependence on God requires trusting that He knows what is best.
God is near to the brokenhearted and He saves them. As Jesus said of Himself, “a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench” (Matt 12:20). God is gentle to the broken and He hears the cry of those who are crushed in their spirit. Remember, the God who is all powerful is the same God who comes down to us in our need to deliver us.

Evening Reflection

This evening, cry out to the Lord. Be honest with Him about the things that are weighing heavily on your heart. So often we bottle up the things that burden us; release them to the Lord and ask Him for His help. Allow His peace to come to you as you sleep tonight.

February 12, Tuesday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“The Lord Appears” Part 2

Exodus 3:3-4

And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Our church currently is going through Experiencing God, so I can’t help but use another quote today (I promise this will be the last one for this week): “God’s revelation of His activity is an invitation for you to join Him…When you are in the middle of God’s activity and He lets you see where He is working, you know God wants you to join Him.”

The Lord did not appear to Moses simply to say, “Hey buddy, how’s it going?” I cannot think of any time in the Bible that the Lord spoke to His people simply for conversation (please tell me if you know of an example). When God appeared and spoke to His people, there was a reason. God was up to something and He wanted to bring His people on board. God’s revelation is always an invitation.

God revealed Himself to Moses to call him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. God appeared to Gideon to lead the Israelites against the Midianites. God appeared to Ezekiel at the Chebar Canal to call him to prophesy to the Israelites. God’s appearance is always an invitation to join Him in what He is doing—we see this countless times throughout the Bible.

This means that God’s appearance demands a response. When God called Moses, he responded, “Here I am”—which is basically the ancient equivalent of saying, “I am ready to listen.” Moses turned his full attention to God. Though we know Moses was hesitant about the specific task given (which we will see later), Moses’ ears were turned to the Lord. He was ready to listen and respond.

How about us? Are we ready to say, “Here I am” when the Lord appears to us? Are we ready to respond to Him? Yesterday, we prayed for eyes to see God when He appears, but this appearance is meaningless if we do not respond. God’s appearance is always an invitation for us to join Him – will you accept that invitation?

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You reveal Your ways and purposes to us. Thank You that You involve us in what You are doing! Who are we to be included in Your plans, yet You choose to use us nonetheless. Please give us ears to listen and hearts to respond to what You say to us. May You use us for Your kingdom purposes. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 49

Lunch Break Study

Read Judges 6:11-16: Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” 13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” 15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” 16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”

Questions to Consider

What was Gideon doing when the Lord appeared to him?
Why did God appear to Gideon? What did He say He would use Gideon to do?
What was the guarantee of Gideon’s success in God’s mission?

Notes

Gideon was working. He was beating out wheat, which was an ordinary task. He was hiding in a winepress due to the fear of the Midianites, but still the Lord appeared to him in the midst of the mundane.
God appeared to Gideon in order to invite him to be a part of God’s mission to rescue Israel from the Midianites. God said to Gideon, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do I not send you?” Though Gideon would be the unexpected hero, God appeared in order to set in motion a plan to use Gideon in a great way. Thankfully, Gideon eventually did get on board with God’s plans.
When God appears to us and invites us into His plans, He does not simply then send us off to figure it out on our own, saying, “Don’t worry, you got this.” No, he goes with us. Gideon asked how he would know that he could actually do what God asked of him. God responded by saying, “I will be with you.” That was the guarantee of Gideon’s success. We have the same promise, as Jesus said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).

Evening Reflection

Have you felt the Lord inviting you to partner with Him in some way? Perhaps you have recently felt a desire to serve in some capacity at church or maybe there is a friend or coworker you have felt led to share the gospel with, or maybe there is something else on your heart. Take time to say “yes” to God and commit to doing what He is inviting you to do.

February 11, Monday

The AMI QT Devotionals for February 11-17 provided by Doug Tritton. Doug, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, is currently serving as a staff at Symphony Church (Boston), while pursuing a M.Div. at Gordon Conwell Seminary. He is married to Cindy and they are proud parents of Audrey and Benji, who was born this past December. Congratulations.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“The Lord Appears” (Part 1)

Exodus 3:1-2

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.

Imagine this scene: You are at your workplace – let’s say it is a normal corporate office building—and you are sitting at your desk. You get up to pick up something you just printed. But while standing by the printer, suddenly, you hear a voice calling to you. You look and it seems the Lord has appeared to you out of the midst of a plant in your office. How would you react? What would you do? Can you imagine this even happening?

This seems comical at face value, because it’s difficult for many of us to imagine this ever happening. Even as a pastor, I have a hard time imagining God visibly appearing to me when I am at our church office. But this is what happened to Moses. He was basically in his workplace, out in the wilderness keeping his sheep, which is what he did every day. He probably had a hard time imagining the Lord appearing to him while he was out keeping the sheep. His routine seemed too ordinary.

Maybe the Lord wants to meet with you in your workplace today—perhaps your office, your classroom, or wherever you work will be holy ground. Yet oftentimes it’s in the ordinariness of our daily routine that the Lord wants to appear to us. He might not appear to you out of a plant, but He may speak to you. But are you ready? Do you have ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to respond? Or are you too distracted with your work that you would not even notice God’s appearance. Henry Blackaby says in Experiencing God, “One of the greatest tragedies among God’s people is that, although they deeply long to experience God, they are encountering Him day after day but do not recognize Him.”

Today, keep your eyes and ears open to the Lord. I believe He does want to meet with us. So often we get so distracted at work that we leave the office having not even thought about Him once. Pray this morning for an attentive heart to the Lord. Even our workplaces can be places we meet God and see Him work.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for being a God who meets us where we are. We do not have to come to You to find You. There is not a temple where we need to visit to meet with You – the whole earth is Your temple and that even includes our workplaces. May we believe that You can meet us today. Give ears and eyes and hearts that are ready for You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 48

Lunch Break Study

Read 2 Kings 6:15-17: When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Questions to Consider

Why was the servant of Elisha afraid? What did he see?
What did the servant not see?
When you think about your work, in what ways are you seeing from a worldly perspective rather than from God’s perspective? How can you see things the way God sees?

Notes

The servant only saw an enemy army and this army was massive. In any worldly sense, Elisha and his people had no chance. They were a defenseless city against a large army. Naturally, the servant was terrified and could only see defeat.
Though from a worldly perspective, Elisha and his people were far less than the army of Syria, there was another army present that the servant did not see. This was the army of the Lord and this army was surrounding Elisha and his people to give them protection. From God’s perspective, there was no reason to be afraid!
Pray and reflect on this question before resuming your work for the afternoon.

Evening Reflection

Jesus said to his disciples in Luke 10:23, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!” Ask God tonight to give you eyes to see God and what He is doing. Only God can open our eyes. Pray that tomorrow would be a day that you see God and see what He is doing around you.

February 10, Sunday

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“God of All Comfort”

Exodus 2:23–25 (ESV)

“During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. [24] And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. [25] God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.”

We tend to do everything we can to avoid suffering and risk. And though we may invest a great deal in protecting ourselves and those we love, we fight a losing battle because we live in a world ruined by sin. We know this but we are still tempted to believe in our own strength and ability to control our lives. So when suffering and grief inevitably come, we are caught off guard. In our confusion, grief can be so severe that we find ourselves unable to even put our experience into words. We can only groan before God and weep.

In our passage this morning, the people of Israel are enslaved in Egypt. They suffer for 400 hundred years and they groan because of their slavery. Certainly they pray to Yahweh, but their suffering is such that they cry aloud indiscriminately, pleading that someone—anyone—might save them. And as Israel despairs under their oppression—God remembers, sees, and knows.

God remembers His covenant, the commitments that He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He remembers His promise to make them into a great nation, to bless them, and to bless all the families of the earth through them.

God sees His people. He is the Almighty God of galaxies but His people are always on His heart and mind. He is constantly concerned and at work for their welfare.

God not only sees, but He knows their suffering. Jesus is a high priest who sympathizes with His people.

Following a particularly difficult season of ministry, I was thankful that God gave me strength to get through it, but I had a lingering fear that He would bring me into something even more challenging and painful for my good. I saw God as helpful, but not very compassionate. Some time later, God spoke to me in prayer. He invited me to acknowledge how hard that season had been for me, and more importantly, He assured me that He was there and that He saw me and understood my pain.

If you are going through a difficult season, you are not alone. Your Father remembers His promises to you and He is fulfilling them. Your Father sees you. He has not forgotten you. Your Father knows the depth of your suffering. His heart is filled with compassion for you and He works for your future joy. Go quickly to the God of all comfort.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that You are more than a dispassionate engineer in my life, worried only about the mechanics and results. You are my Father, who loves me. Give me not only strength, but comfort as well that I may put all my trust in You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 47