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Exodus, week 2 Reading
Exodus 1:8
Day 1 Dismissed
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
Thought - Is this the end of the beginning? The Joseph way has come to an end as has the way and value of his actions. How quickly focus changes and how forgotten we can feel. Do people always have to remember and be grateful for our actions and presence? The past is quickly dismissed as power is transferred, BUT GOD remembers. How helpful is the principle to do everything as to the Lord, for He misses nothing, remembers all our love and service and makes every end a new beginning.
Prayer
Lord, what will I do with today? Help me to know there is no one in power anywhere that is not subject to you? Lord you raised up Joseph for his time, make me able for mine. Redraw the lines around my life and let them fall as your Word says, “In pleasant places,” write between them and create a story worth telling. I praise you, I stop still before you, I breathe deeply of your Spirit not Egypt’s. I go out today and live with purpose and passion, alive because of you. Amen
Day 2 Reading
Exodus 3:14-15
Discover
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.'" 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. ESV
Thought - Have you heard it said, ‘Tell me how you spend your time and money and I will tell you who you are’? One of those maxims which tend to help know where we are and help fight of the demons of uncertainty. What similar words have an effect on your life? I wonder if Moses could hear his mother or teacher occasionally. Now at the burning bush another voice speaks with a different perspective on life, ‘… I Am has sent you’. Here is a means to assess what and how I am doing with my life, where the lines of success and failure are drawn; I am doing this for God. A new authority has come, a name, God’s name and with that name, the possibility of discovering how to live my life and why. The Lord has sent me here; by following Him I can make a difference, find a peace in the chaos and walk free of some of those old sayings which do affect me.
Prayer
- Tell me Lord, why do you seem to be so at ease with yourself when you seem to spend your time with people of dis - ease? What is it that when I speak your Name, your ease and peace come to me? Please Lord let me step onto your ground through this day so I can remember I am doing it for you and because the environment of life affects me so much. I am only awake five minutes and I can feel it rising and where can I find a place of peace and sense of what should I do. I call on your Name now Lord, your name which means you will be who you are with me and carries storm stilling and demon freeing authority. In your Name I pray, Amen
Day 3 Reading Exodus 14:13-14
Divided
And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." ESV
Thought - Division, separated from Egyptian enemies, that has to be good but sometimes it is from those I love and that is not so good. How often life requires we have to decide between sides, and how often we really do not want to chose. How hard to stand still and watch for God, will He really fight for us? Would He really work for me? Sometimes just to hear ‘don’t be afraid’ is the only sound my longing heart understands as home.
Prayer -
Lord your word says, “Give me an undivided heart to fear your Name.” Will you do that for me, will you pull my heart together for yourself and everyone else. Never leave me, please make two become one? With my divided heart I have walked out on my old life and am ambivalent crossing into the new, I stand with fear and faith, hoping my heart will become one. Tell me again Lord, tell me again, ‘Do not be afraid.’
Day 4 Reading
Exodus 19:3-6
Mountains
......while Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel." ESV
Thought - How do you feel about climbing mountains? Would you become excited about the challenge, ambivalent about your abilities? Would you long for the heights, or think you are safer where you stand? Do you ever think ‘Oh no not another mountain? Yet there is a sound in our hearts calling us to ‘come on up.’ There is a picture in our minds, a
misty view from the top ‘come and see what I see!’ In the Bible the ones that climbed up the mountains seem to find the Lord. The people camped at the foot of the mountain it was Moses who went up to God, Elijah told Elisha if you see me when I go you will receive… Mountains are there to be climbed and God is there to be met if we are prepared to break camp.
Prayer -
Lord Moses went up, help me not to set up camp, help me to climb as I sense the need to draw near to you, your call. You know what I love about you Lord, not only do you give me a challenge, you are also prepared to take on a challenge, you come down to us. You left heavens glory and came down, taking the form of a servant and experienced death for us, for me. There are times when climbing down is a much bigger issue than climbing up, thank you for being a God who knows and is willing to do both and asks no more or less of me. Amen
Day 5 Reading - Exodus 25:8-9
Building
Let them construct a Sanctuary for me so that I can live among them. You are to construct it following the plans I've given you, the design for The Dwelling and the design for all its furnishings. THE MESSAGE
Thought
- God will provide all the material required to build for Him, if we insist in
putting in more and adding to the plan we become responsible. Often we incur responsibility and burden our hearts because we introduce into our lives things which would not be there if we had been content with God’s plan. These words are repeated on four occasions in this section. Building our lives according to His plan always includes a place where He dwells with us, let us stick to the pattern he gave.
Prayer - Dear Lord let me this day keep to the pattern of your ways. Forgive me for adding what I think should be there without consulting you first and the tendency to feel I know best. In my life, work, friends or family help me build a place for you. Thank you for your plans for me, providing me with a pattern and coming down and pitching your tent among us. Amen
Day 6 Reading -
Exodus 33:20-23
Disappointments
But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." And the Lord said, "Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen." ESV
Thought - Moses meets God on the mountain, the people witness it. God gives him the 10 commandments and the pattern for worship and approaching God. He comes down the mountain and the people are worshipping a gold calf. God says He has had enough, Moses
intercedes for them and God relents. How the heart grows as we meet with God, it is one thing to work for Him another to know Him. Now Moses asks to meet face to face and see God’s glory, God allows the request and places him in the cleft of a rock, it was the only safe place from which He could look on God. Christ is our Rock and John tells us we have seen in Him the Glory of God. This whole passage is remarkable insight into God’s relationship with His servants.
Prayer - You are holy, the Lord Most High, the only God and your ways and acts amazing. You are our Father, you are good, you are wise, and you are love. You are just and gentle and kind and protector and guardian and redeemer and saviour and cleft in the rock and our hope. You are our wonderful Lord. Pass by me today and go with me wherever I go. Amen DAY 7
Reading - Exodus 36:3-5
Generosity
Moses gave them the materials donated by the people of Israel as sacred offerings for the completion of the sanctuary. But the people continued to bring additional gifts each morning. Finally the craftsmen who were working on the sanctuary left their work. They went to Moses and reported, "The people have given more than enough materials to complete the job the Lord has commanded us to do!" NLT
Thought - The people of Israel did not see themselves doing a work for God, rather yielding themselves as willing partners. Some could have suggested the way things were being done could be organized more efficiently and withheld their support. On this occasion the people were of one heart and mind in the task, this was a work for God so they contributed with time, talents and wealth. The result, those serving came to Moses and said, “We have more than enough, tell the people to stop.” Generosity is a characteristic of God, He gives us more than enough even when He may have good reason for withholding. His abundant provision for delivering and redeeming Israel is evident throughout this book.
Prayer - “Lord isn’t your creation wasteful? Fruits never equal the seedlings abundance. Springs scatter water. The sun gives out enormous light. May your bounty teach me greatness of heart. May your magnificence stop me from being mean. Seeing you a generous and openhanded giver let me give unstintingly like a kings son, like God’s own.” Amen Archbishop Helder Camara, Brazil