"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14) There are moments when time seems to stand still, aren't there? When the sun slowly descends below the horizon. When a heavy blanket of snow covers a forest of unrelenting pines. When a parent holds a newborn child for the first time. There is an inexplicable mystery in those moments where God's ... [Continue Reading]
The One Who Changes Hearts (Exodus 10-12)
(The Lord made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.) (Exodus 11:3) God is the one who changes hearts. Period. It's remarkable to me that this side note even exists in Exodus. The purpose for Moses including it in the account is clear: the reasons the Egyptians (other ... [Continue Reading]
A Sign From God (Exodus 7-9)
But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. (Exodus 7:22-23) When I was a kid, I used to pray that God would give me signs for things. I remember once I asked God to ... [Continue Reading]
Life’s Unknown Paths (Exodus 4-6)
Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” (Exodus 4:1) I have come to the conclusion that God does not reveal the paths that lie ahead of us for the simple reason that we’re not fully capable of welcoming them with open arms. The rational part of my brain likes to examine everything in minutiae, and such ... [Continue Reading]
Greatness Forgotten (Exodus 1-3)
Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. (Exodus 1:8) Every time I read Exodus 1 I am reminded that Joseph, even though he was one of the greatest leaders in the Bible, was forgotten when his days were over. He died, Pharaoh died, and a new government took over: a government that didn't recognize Joseph or his accomplishments in saving Egypt ... [Continue Reading]
I Know This World It Ain’t My Home (Genesis 47-50)
Then he gave them these instructions: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave... which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial place... There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah." (Genesis 49:29-31) The end of Jacob's life should serve as a reminder for ... [Continue Reading]
Uncontrollable Joy (Genesis 43-46)
Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there. (Genesis 43:30) Yesterday I wrote about limited vision - how we often can't see the end of a situation when we're in the middle of it. From our perspective, all we know is what we're dealing with in the moment... and it seems like ... [Continue Reading]
Limited Vision (Genesis 41-42)
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.” (Genesis 41:39-40) When life gets the best of us, it's easy to think that we'll never get out of the depths ... [Continue Reading]
Guardrails (Genesis 38-40)
And though [Potiphar's wife] spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. (Genesis 39:10) Have you ever been driving on a road and seen a guardrail? You can look at it in two ways: it's a restriction or it's a life-saving device. The purpose of the guardrail is to protect cars from driving off the road and into sudden danger - in ... [Continue Reading]
Dead End (Genesis 35, 37)
All [Jacob's] sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son [Joseph] in the grave.” So his father wept for him. (Genesis 37:35) There comes a point in time when you realize that the decision you made is really just a dead end. It seemed like a good idea in the beginning, but over ... [Continue Reading]
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