February 12, 2024
February 12, 2024
Read Exodus 35-37, Psalm 43
What topic or area of life seems to get you downcast more than any other? Is it an injustice that you see often? Is it a person or group of people that can easily bring you down? Several years ago, I made the conscience decision to stop watching the 24/7 news programs. I catch 5-7 minutes of news each day and then I move on to other things. I saw the difference this change in my habits made to my own good after several months had past.
The author of psalm 43 seems to struggle with the ungodly nature of the men and nations around him. “Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men” v. 1. His response is to ask God to direct and guide him, “Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me;” v. 3. He knows he needs to be near God and in His presence, “let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell” v. 3. If something frequently causes us to struggle in our walk with God, not only do we need to distance ourselves from it, but we also should replace it with a stronger relationship with the Lord. The psalmist writes, “Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God” v. 4. Finally like the psalmist does, we need to remind ourselves, to trust in the Lord and not on the temporary earthly things that we see around us. “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” v. 5.
How can you remind yourself to trust God in the day to day when you are tempted to lose hope and despair? Do you memorize and quote Scripture? Do you start each day reading God’s Word? Do you spend time in prayer each day for yourself and your situation?
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, themes, or phrases stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 11, 2024
February 11, 2024
Read Exodus 32-34, Psalm 42
Today is the super bowl. I read a story last week about three men who have made it to all 57 Super Bowls. The men will sit together and cheer on their teams. Thousands of other people will gather around the stadium and millions more will watch the super bowl on TV tonight. Sports fans are devoted to a game they love. So are the “Swifties” who enjoy Taylor Swift. The things that most people care about or are devoted to can change over time. Sometimes rather quickly.
In Exodus 32-34 we read a little about devotion. Moses was at the top of the mountain talking with God and receiving the 10 Commandments on stone tablets. During the forty days he was up on the mountain the rest of Israel got bored and worried that something might have happened to him. Their solution, they go to Aaron and ask him “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him” v.1. Aaron without question decides to collect gold from the people and then he fashions a gold calf image that they will worship. “Then they said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt’” v. 4. Moses and God had become silent for a short time and the people had to find something to worship. God informs Moses of what they have done and tells Moses to go down and take care of the incident. God calls them, “stiff-necked people” v. 9. In other words, they are stubborn or slow to learn. We might be tempted to scoff at their actions. “What! Don’t the Israelites know who God is? Don’t they realize what He just did to help them escape from Egypt?” But remember to us, it is just a few short pages in the Bible, but much more time had passed. And if we are honest, we might see a little bit of ourselves in this passage. We are all “prone to wander, prone to leave the God I love” as the great hymn describes it. It is very easy to get out of the habit of spending time with God. There are always distractions and temptations that want to steal away our devotion to the Lord.
Psalm 42 is one of my favorite psalms. The popular song in the late twentieth century “As the Deer” comes from this psalm. The author desires to be in the house of the Lord and cannot go. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” vv. 1-2. Here you have the opposite effect occurring. Being cut off from God’s people, being alone and away from the Lord. If brings a strong desire for the authors to desire to back at a place where they were before. “These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng” v. 5.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your comments below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 10, 2024
February 10, 2024
Read Exodus 29-31, Psalm 41
Do you understand what it means to consecrate yourself before God? To consecrate something or someone means to dedicate them as sacred or set apart for formal purpose to serve. In Exodus 29-31 you will read about the priest who were consecrated for service to God and the objects that would be used in the sacrificial offerings. “This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so that they may serve me as priests” v. 1. Exodus 29 describes the special garments (the tunic, robe, ephod, and breastplate) that the priests would wear as they served. Exodus 30 describes the altar, basin for washing, the oil and incense, that was to be used in the sacrifices by the priests. If describes how specifically to make them. There is a warning in Exodus 30:37-38 for Israel not to make them for their own personal use. “Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the LORD. 38 Whoever makes any like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from his people.” Exodus 31 describes the two craftsmen that God has selected to do the work with their skills.
Even though we might not be a priest, especially in the Old Testament time, we do need to think about the idea of consecration before the Lord. I believe we are set apart to serve God as his disciples. It might not been in a role of a pastor or church leader, but I do believe that God has a purpose and plan for all of us to fulfill. Do you know what calling or purpose that God has for your life? It might be something as simple as to be a godly influence on your family and children or grandchildren. It might be to serve God as a faithful member in a church where you teach or serve along side others. It might be to be a faithful witness of your faith to others at work or in your routine daily life. If you are not sure what God has consecrated, you to do my encouragement is to pray that God will show you this and for God to prepare you for what ever task he has called you to.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you? Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 9, 2024
February 9, 2024
Read Exodus 26-28, Psalm 40
When has there been a time when you have been on shaky ground? I’m not referring to an earthquake but rather a time when things in your life were not as solid as you would have liked them to be. Maybe it was a time of transition in your life when things were changing around you. Maybe your shaky ground was centered around a relationship with someone that brought turmoil into your life. None of us like to be in these places in our lives, but being human means having times in our lives when things are shaky.
Psalm 40 is a psalm of David where we could identify with him being on some shaky ground. David starts the psalm with, “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” vv. 1-2. David knew that the only firm place for him was with the Lord. This is true for us today. There might be things that temporarily seem like sure ground, but they will not last and give us the rock on which to stand. How many people think by achieving financial success, the right job, power or fame, or the right relationship will solve all their problems. All we have to do is look to those that have reached these goals to see that they are still living in turmoil and struggling with circumstances just like we all do.
David saw that his relationship with God brought him the ultimate joy in his life. “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods” vv. 3-4. I read a survey not to long ago that said the “nones” are growing. The “nones” are those who do not identify with any religious group. They typically are atheistic or agnostic about many things in life. 29 percent of America claims to be a “none” according to this 2023 survey. Along with the beliefs of this worldview comes a natural order of events. Our beliefs dictate our actions. If I believe there is no God, I am forced to take the view that I am a cosmic accident, created with no purpose. The only purpose that I can grab hold of is the one I create for myself. It’s no wonder so many in the two youngest generations say that struggle with mental illnesses and according to a 2023 Barna survey 75 percent of Gen Z say that they have no purpose in life.
I just want to highly encourage you to hold on to the rock of faith in Christ in your life. If you are checking into who Jesus is and what he taught I hope that you know that you can reach out to me and ask any questions.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 8, 2024
February 8, 2024
Read Exodus 23-25, Psalm 39
Justice is a word that is added to a lot of other words in our culture today. Climate justice, trans justice, reproductive justice, racial justice, and on and on. Do people think by simply adding this word it makes something right or “just?” I heard a pastor say once that “anytime you add another word in front of justice you are perverting justice in some sense.” Justice should be the right thing to do regardless of any circumstances of a particular subject or area. In Exodus 23 we see just how independent justice is from everything else. Justice is independent of; popular opinion – “do not follow the crowd” v.2, economic status – “do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.” v. 3, If you don’t like them – “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him.” v. 4, If they don’t like you – “someone who hates you” v. 5, Any personal benefits – “Do not accept a bribe” v. 8, citizenship – “Do not oppress an alien” v. 9. Justice is dependent on God and his nature.
In Exodus 24 God renews the covenant that He made with Israel (Exodus 19) but this time it is just Moses, a couple of key leaders, and the 70 elders that represent the families of Israel. God reminds them all to carefully pay attention to his law and to follow it closely. He warns them not to worship other gods, participate in their religious practices, and not to make any covenants with the other gods or nations. The people all agree and reply “we will do this!” God then calls Moses up the mountain to receive the stone tablets with the law. What I find fascinating is that Moses goes up the mountain and the Scripture says, “When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud” vv. 15-16. Moses waited for six days for God to speak. Finally on the seventh day the Lord speaks to Moses. I wonder how impatient Moses was during those six days? We live in such a microwave society today, if we were Moses, would we have turned around and walked back down after a few short hours? When God gives us instructions, we must patiently wait on him for when he will take action.
Psalm 39 is a psalm that has a lot to do with our mouth and our words. David records how hard it was to keep his mouth from speaking in a sinful manner. He knows it is the just thing to do, but he finds it hard to hold in his flesh. “But when I was silent and still, not even saying anything good, my anguish increased” v. 2. In the end of the psalm David finds that he can take his words and direct them toward the Lord. “Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping” v. 12 Instead of crying out against the wicked, David will cry out to the Lord and call for help. It was a choice that David made with his words. We have the same choice today. Which will you choose?
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 7, 2024
February 7, 2024
Read Exodus 20-22, Psalm 38
Everyone has a top ten list. David Letterman, YouTubers, every blogger or writer known to man has probably composed a top ten list about something in their lifetime. God has a top ten list too. In Exodus 20 we read the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses on Mount Horeb. They are often broken down between Commandments toward God (1-4) and then Commandments toward other people (5-10). God gave these basic ten commandments to Israel for them to live by. It is for the good of themselves and for those around them. Because these might be familiar to you, I encourage you to read them slowly and notice things that maybe you thought were something else. For example, many people say “you should not lie” but the command is actually “you shall not bear a false witness” which involves lying but is slightly different. Others will say “The Bible says not to kill” but it is really more accurate to say, “You shall not murder.” All but one (the Sabbath) of the ten commandments are repeated and emphasized in the New Testament.
Exodus 21-22 are other laws that flow out of the ten above. I will warn you. Several of these laws in Exodus 21-22 can sound harsh and cause many questions to even the most learned pastors. My advice is to read slowly, read more than just one verse when you come across a sentence that you might struggle with. Many time the Bible will iron out the rough spots for you if you keep on reading. The subjects of servants, injuring a pregnant woman, selling your daughter as a servant are in these passages. It’s easy for the world to grab a verse and make it into something that the Bible doesn’t intent. My suggestion, talk to someone who has spend time looking at this or find a book on these passages and they will help you understand them without calling into question the character of God or His Law.
One factor in reading God’s law is that it brings conviction to us. It helps us know when we need to seek forgiveness and when we need to change our behavior or speech. That’s what we find when we read Psalm 38. David has a humble attitude asking God not to rebuke him in his anger. David has a keen awareness of his sin and just how much it affects his own life. Do we avoid God’s Word because it convicts us or do we have a attitude of running toward God’s Word so that we can be conformed to what God desires for us to be?
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes, stand out to you? What questions do you have about some of the hard verses that are in these chapters? Add your thoughts or questions below. I will be glad to give you some thoughts if you have questions.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 6, 2024
February 6, 2024
Read Exodus 17-19, Psalm 37
Ever have a time when you need to get away from something? Maybe it’s a situation or maybe it’s a person(s). It might be both! In chapter 17 you will read about Moses who fielded complaints from the people. God tells him to walk on ahead of the people, take some elders (leaders) with him, and take his staff with him. God was up to something. He was going to have Moses tap the rock and bring forth some water to provide for the people. Maybe this would stop their complaining for a little while. I bet Moses enjoyed the time away from everyone else. Maybe he enjoyed the silence or lack of complaints. We all do it from time to time. I am guilty!
Ever think about what life would be like if there were no complaints? If no one complained then that might mean we got everything we wanted, had all our needs met, and didn’t lack anything. Sounds a lot like Heaven. Don’t miss something in this chapter. Read verse 1 slowly. “The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.” So, God led Israel place to place, where He wanted them to go. And the place that God led them was a location with no water. Hmm… why would God do that? Maybe, it was so that we would turn to Him and seek his help for our needs. Do you think that maybe God wouldn’t give us everything we need, or think we need, so that we might rely on Him? I do.
Exodus 18 is one of my favorite chapters in Exodus. Here we meet Jethro! Jethro is Moses’s father-in-law. Jethro comes for a visit and observes how Moses is busy sunup to sundown acting as judge before the people. Jethro tells Moses, “What you are doing is not good” v. 17. Moses had a choice here. He could say, “Hey Jethro! God put me in charge of these 2 million whining people. I get to make the decisions here.” Or Moses could do what he did in the Scripture passage. He listened to his father-in-law and took his advice. Moses wasn’t threatened by Jethro or felt the need to go on a power trip. When he listened, everyone benefited from it. We may find ourselves in positions of leadership from time to time, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stop and hear people out when they come to us. A wise leader surrounds himself with people that are smarter than themselves. They are threatened by someone else’s ideas or skills.
Psalm 37 is a great psalm that contains many song lyrics from modern Christian music, and it is encouraging to read. The psalm encourages us to wait and trust in the Lord no matter what others, especially the wicked may be doing. Face it, we live in a world where it’s easy to think that evil is winning. David had this same mentality, but it was 3,500 years ago. Things do not really change much do they?
As I read this psalm, I was reminded of the childish sayings I said as a kid to the other kids we got in verbal battles of name-calling. “I’m rubber, you’re glue, bounces off me and sticks to you!” We might have said the silly things like this to push back and let the other person knew we weren’t fazed by their trash talk. God is not worried about the evil that is done by the wicked, He knows their day is coming. “But the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming” v. 13. Verses 14-15 say, “The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. 15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.”
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you? Is there one verse that just hits you with a dose of truth serum as you read? Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 5, 2024
February 5, 2024
Read Exodus 14-16, Psalm 36
When you are trying to do your best to be obedient to the Lord sometimes it requires us to make a choice, take an action, or start down a path. Other times we only need to be still. We must be careful to not take one situation in Scripture as a prescription for how we respond to everything we face in life. Just because God commanded someone in the Bible to do or not do something does not mean that it is the right means for us to follow. I think our natural tendency is to want to take action and put ourselves in the drivers seat. This doesn’t mean that it is always the right thing we should do. We find this to be the case here in Exodus 14. Moses led the Israelites out to the Red sea, and then they look behind them to see the Egyptian army flanking them from the rear. They cry out to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?” v. 11. Moses’ response was this, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” vv. 13-14. God was about to do the one of the most miraculous works in the entire Old Testament by parting the Sea for Israel to walk through. Being still or waiting is not a neutral gear. Just like acting, it requires trusting in the Lord to not move. Waiting does not mean we are inactive either. When we wait on the Lord to act, we can be busy doing what he has already called us to do. What is God calling you to do… or not do right now? How can you exercise faith and confidence in the Lord while you wait or stand still.
It’s hard to imagine eating the same thing every day, even if it was one of your favorite foods. Exodus 16 is the narrative of God providing manna and quail to the Israelites daily. They were to collect it everyday but the Sabbath. The day before the Sabbath they could collect a double portion to sustain them for two days. These strict rules about how much they could take were not for nothing. They were to teach Israel to rely on the Lord daily for their needs. This is where Jesus connects himself to the Old Testament. He calls himself the bread of life (John 6:35) and when he teaches the disciples to pray (Matthew 6:9-15) he prayed “give us today our daily bread.”
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you? Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 4, 2024
February 4, 2024
Read Exodus 11-13, Psalm 35
What traditions do you enjoy? Are there special things you do during the holiday season or throughout the year that you look forward to participating in? What are some traditions you might take part in and not know exactly why you do them? I heard a story about a family tradition where the children passed down a recipe for a dish that instructed them to cut the end of the roast off. This was repeated over several generations until someone asked why they cut the end of the roast off. It was discovered that the originator of the family recipe did this because they didn’t have a big enough pan to roast the meat!
In Genesis 11-13 we have the instructions from God about the final plague that God would send on Egypt. Unlike all the others, this one would involve much preparation from Israel in order for them to avoid its consequences. The plague of the first born was going to be so impacting that it would cause Pharaoh to release Israel from 430 years of slavery. The Passover would be a special time that Israel would observe each year.
The instructions for observing the Passover were very detailed and for good reason. The Jews were to pass on this remembrance to their children going forward. It would have even greater significance when Jesus would come as “The lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). They are to use a year-old male lamb without defect. They are to roast it at Twilight. Consume all of it. – “head, legs, and inner parts” v. 9 Why no leftovers? – The Messiah was one body broken for all. Passover would be replaced by the last supper (See Matthew 26:26-29). The blood was to be put on the sides and tops of the door frames of the homes. They are to eat it with bitter herbs and Bread without yeast, which would symbolize the haste in which they were to exit Egypt. The manner in how they eat the Passover meal is symbolic. v. 11 “cloak tucked into your belt,” “sandals on your feet,” and “staff in your hand.” These are again signs of a quick exit for Israel.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stick out to you? Write your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
February 3, 2024
February 3, 2024
Read Exodus 8-10, Psalm 34
Has the Lord ever gotten your attention with something that you have seen or experienced? Maybe it was a close call with a vehicle, a poignant conversation that hit you right between the eyes, or maybe you were caught in a sin but given some grace to repent and change. In Exodus 8-10 we find God trying to accomplish something similar with Pharaoh with the plagues. God told Moses to go before Pharaoh and give him a chance to let the Israelites go or he would bring about plagues that Egypt would face. God knew what it would ultimately take, Pharaoh losing his own first born. He told Moses this ahead of time. (Exodus 4:23) Back and forth Moses and Pharaoh would go, each time Pharaoh would change his mind and not allow the Israelites to leave. Several of the plagues seem to be a direct attack on an Egyptian god, but not all ten plagues specifically describe an Egyptian god as they were known. God seemed to be sending Pharaoh a message I am greater than the gods in Egypt that you worship. Do you that God would do something today to get your attention like he did Pharaoh? Could it be when we are out of our relationship or walk with God that He would try to get our attention and bring us back under his will? Take your time as you read through the chapters. Some of the plagues the Egyptian magicians could replicate, some they could not. Some of the plagues affected all of Egypt and some only affected the Egyptians and God protected the Israelites from harm. One interesting fact that stands out to me is when Moses asks Pharaoh when he would like the frogs to go away. Pharaoh’s response is “tomorrow” v. 8:10. Why not right now or yesterday? Had Pharaoh become accustom to them or was he just willing to put up with them? It makes me wonder. What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
DId God Really Say... 