And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain." (Exodus 3:12)
This promise was God's answer to Moses' question:"Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?"
Moses was apprehensive and did not consider himself eligible for the job God was calling him to do. He was no longer in any authoritative position; just living an ordinary life. Gone were the days when he weilded power as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Pharaoh was not on good terms with him anymore and Moses was fearful. He considered himself insignificant to do great exploits as God desired.
But God gave him a promise and a sign to go along with it. God promised," I will be with you" and also said, "when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain."
God is always certain of what he can do through us though we may think we are not up to the task at hand. That's because we look at the present and have not much idea of what is there in the future. But God knows the future and is certain that he can work in us to make the impossible happen because he is the one who is leading and guiding us.
What God promised, he fulfilled in the life of Moses and truly, the Israelites worshipped God at Mount Horeb later on.
Are you in two minds regarding the call that God has upon your life? Please do not look back. This day, the Lord says to you,
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. (Isaiah 60:1)
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Simple Thoughts On Promises- 324
He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. (Proverbs 21:21)
A proverb that came true in the life of Joseph, son of Jacob. He was a man who pursued righteousness. In distress, he did not accuse God, but waited for his deliverance. When pursued by sinful temptations, he chose to run away from it as is evident in the following verses.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, (Genesis 39:6-13)
Joseph could have lived in sin, but he chose not to give into the temptation. For pursuing righteousness, he landed in prison for 2 years because Potiphar's wife falsely accused him. It was not only righteousness that he pursued; he also pursued love, in that he forgave his brothers who had thrown him mercilessly into a pit and later sold him as a slave. God's watchful eyes were on him at all times and when God exalted him, the rewards were what we read in the title verse....life, prosperity and honor.
May it be so in our lives too. God bless.
A proverb that came true in the life of Joseph, son of Jacob. He was a man who pursued righteousness. In distress, he did not accuse God, but waited for his deliverance. When pursued by sinful temptations, he chose to run away from it as is evident in the following verses.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, (Genesis 39:6-13)
Joseph could have lived in sin, but he chose not to give into the temptation. For pursuing righteousness, he landed in prison for 2 years because Potiphar's wife falsely accused him. It was not only righteousness that he pursued; he also pursued love, in that he forgave his brothers who had thrown him mercilessly into a pit and later sold him as a slave. God's watchful eyes were on him at all times and when God exalted him, the rewards were what we read in the title verse....life, prosperity and honor.
May it be so in our lives too. God bless.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Simple Thoughts On Promises- 323
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. (Psalms 33:11)
No one can thwart the plans of God. He is Almighty. From the beginning, he weilds all power and everything, living and nonliving are subject to him. The Psalmist exhorts all in this manner:
Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. (Psalm 33:8, 9)
The Apostle Paul writing to the Colossians says this regarding Jesus,
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15-17)
Jesus said,
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)
As a believer in Jesus Christ, you must always remember that you serve an Almighty God. All authority in heaven and on earth is with Jesus. Even though circumstances in your life say otherwise, he can change everthing in a moment. He can change rules for you. He can make unyielding officials yielding. He can change governments for your sake. You are precious to him. If your plans are his original plans, he will make a way. It's only a matter of time. Hang in there. Keep praying. God bless.
No one can thwart the plans of God. He is Almighty. From the beginning, he weilds all power and everything, living and nonliving are subject to him. The Psalmist exhorts all in this manner:
Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. (Psalm 33:8, 9)
The Apostle Paul writing to the Colossians says this regarding Jesus,
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15-17)
Jesus said,
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)
As a believer in Jesus Christ, you must always remember that you serve an Almighty God. All authority in heaven and on earth is with Jesus. Even though circumstances in your life say otherwise, he can change everthing in a moment. He can change rules for you. He can make unyielding officials yielding. He can change governments for your sake. You are precious to him. If your plans are his original plans, he will make a way. It's only a matter of time. Hang in there. Keep praying. God bless.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Simple Thoughts On Promises- 321
And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. (Exodus 3:21)
God had planned to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and he didn't want them to go empty-handed. He told Moses that he was going to make the enemy be favorably disposed to them. And it did happen as God said.
The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians. (Exodus 12:35, 36)
God can touch the hearts of men to be favorably disposed to his chosen ones and here is an example.
So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. "Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. "Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams." When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said. "Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. (Genesis 37:17-22)
Later on.....Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed. (Genesis 37:26, 27)
God touched the hearts of Reuben and Judah at the right moments and so Joseph remained alive though his brothers had earlier planned to kill him.
If you are in a situation where others are oppressing you and not giving you what is just, take hope from the promise in the title verse. God is able to make the enemy be favorably disposed to you. The Israelites had suffered at the hands of the Egyptians; what was justly due to them as wages were withheld for quite a long time and now God wanted them to have what they had been denied earlier. God is just and he will see to it that those who have purposely withheld what is due to you, be favorably disposed to you and give you what you have asked for in prayer. Praise the Lord.
God had planned to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and he didn't want them to go empty-handed. He told Moses that he was going to make the enemy be favorably disposed to them. And it did happen as God said.
The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians. (Exodus 12:35, 36)
God can touch the hearts of men to be favorably disposed to his chosen ones and here is an example.
So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. "Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. "Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams." When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said. "Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. (Genesis 37:17-22)
Later on.....Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed. (Genesis 37:26, 27)
God touched the hearts of Reuben and Judah at the right moments and so Joseph remained alive though his brothers had earlier planned to kill him.
If you are in a situation where others are oppressing you and not giving you what is just, take hope from the promise in the title verse. God is able to make the enemy be favorably disposed to you. The Israelites had suffered at the hands of the Egyptians; what was justly due to them as wages were withheld for quite a long time and now God wanted them to have what they had been denied earlier. God is just and he will see to it that those who have purposely withheld what is due to you, be favorably disposed to you and give you what you have asked for in prayer. Praise the Lord.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Simple Thoughts On Promises- 320
O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever. (2 Samuel 7:29, 29)
King David was overwhelmed with the plethora of promises that the Lord gave him through the prophet Nathan and here he acknowledges God’s faithfulness and prays for God to bless him and his descendants continually. The promises given him were awesome. God told him,
1) I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth.
2) I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed.
3) I will give you rest from all your enemies.
4) I will establish a house for you.
5) When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
6) Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.
God is faithful in all that he says and does. As David says here, “His words are trustworthy”. He does not go back on the promises that he makes if we remain faithful to him. Many promises are conditional and require us to obey him in what he has told us. There are other promises that he gives and fulfills because it is his absolute will. Like here we see God proclaiming that David’s son would be the one who would build God’s temple and it was fulfilled by Solomon building it.
Another thing noticeable here is David repeatedly acknowledging that he is God’s servant. You and me, we too are God’s servants; put here on earth in our places to fulfill God’s plans through us. Shall we then be faithful in our callings, so that God may bless us and our families as he blessed David? Praise the Lord.
King David was overwhelmed with the plethora of promises that the Lord gave him through the prophet Nathan and here he acknowledges God’s faithfulness and prays for God to bless him and his descendants continually. The promises given him were awesome. God told him,
1) I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth.
2) I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed.
3) I will give you rest from all your enemies.
4) I will establish a house for you.
5) When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
6) Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.
God is faithful in all that he says and does. As David says here, “His words are trustworthy”. He does not go back on the promises that he makes if we remain faithful to him. Many promises are conditional and require us to obey him in what he has told us. There are other promises that he gives and fulfills because it is his absolute will. Like here we see God proclaiming that David’s son would be the one who would build God’s temple and it was fulfilled by Solomon building it.
Another thing noticeable here is David repeatedly acknowledging that he is God’s servant. You and me, we too are God’s servants; put here on earth in our places to fulfill God’s plans through us. Shall we then be faithful in our callings, so that God may bless us and our families as he blessed David? Praise the Lord.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)