Stranger Danger – Exodus 22

21"Don't abuse or take advantage of strangers; you, remember, were once strangers in Egypt.

– Exodus 22

Stranger Danger

Do you remember the you that you were before the you that you are become you?  C'mon . . . you can do it . . . think hard and take a trip down "Bad-Memory-Lane" . . . it'll just take a second or two for you to realize that you were a stranger living a strange life in a strange land.  But if you're like me . . . you're MUCH better now!

Sometimes, especially if we've been Christians for a while, we can forget what it was like to be a cussing, cheating, smoking, lying, thieving, carousing, I'm in it for me, kind of "normal" nut case.  OK, OK, at first-glance not all non-believers are nut cases.  But if you remember the normal that you thought was normal before you understood the difference between God's normal and the world's normal, well . . . I think you'll agree that the world's normal is down-right nutty and twisted.  So . . . we can forget what it was like, and if we're not careful, we can be pretty judgmental and even look down in that Holier-than-Thou, self-righteous, religious, not-very-Christ-like attitude towards the people who need our help the most.  We can become one of THOSE Christians that cause non-believers to RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY, like a character from a Monty Python movie.

So in this scripture, God is on Mt. Sinai handing the Israelites His list of Do's and Do Nots, and He tells them to remember . . . remember their burdens, remember their chains of captivity, remember the things that kept them in bondage, and especially remember how it felt to be living as an un-welcomed guest in the land that most of them were born and raised in.  He wanted them to remember that feeling of never measuring up, and having to avert their eyes in shame; having to watch as the upper class enjoyed the finer things in life while they struggled to make sense of their lives.

God wanted them to be mindful of their past because He was about to bless them as His chosen people, but He also knew that people are fickle, and that pride is a tricky thing.  It causes us to look down when we should be looking up; to thumb our noses when we should be lending a helping hand; to make snide remarks when we should be edifying and exhorting and praising God for His grace and His mercy.  As His people we need to be especially mindful of the strangers in our midst – those who don't know the Lord, or who are seeking but uninformed.  We need to show the love of Christ, not the condemnation of religion so that we can attract people to the faith instead of making them shake their heads in unbelief.

So remember your chains!  Remember the sheer weight of them and the feel of them dragging behind you.  Remember, so that you can show compassion.  Remember so that you can appreciate your normal now.  Remember them so that in you, Christ is revealed to a stranger who needs so badly to see Him in the midst of the nut-case normal they're trying to live . . . without Him.

Prayer

Father thank You for reminding us to remember where we came from.  Help us to always be mindful and thankful of the life that we now have in You.  Forgive us for  the times when we let religion and pride control us.  We go forward with You and in You so that through You we can reveal Your love to someone who really needs to know the beauty of Your normal.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

Listen Up Man! – Exodus 18:24

24 Moses listened to the counsel of his father-in-law and did everything he said.

– Exodus 18

Listen Up Man!

Sometimes we can get so busy doing work for the Lord that we get over-committed and over-worked, and if we're not careful, the work we are trying so hard to do well, becomes ineffective and a whole lot of effort produces very little fruit.

In this story, Jethro (Moses' father-in-law), saw that he was working way too hard and that he was taking on too much responsibility, so he says to Moses:  "Dude! Are you nuts?  Get some people to help you or you're going to burn out!"

I'm sure this was difficult for Moses to do because after all, HE was the one who God called out to from the burning bush; HE was the one who was God's hand in convincing Pharaoh to let the Israelites go; HE was the one who led over a million people through the red sea (on dry ground mind you), and HE was the one who was supposed to be the leader of the whining, complaining, gossiping masses.  It was HIS responsibility, not anyone else's, and I'm sure, even though he cherished his time with God, he also hated the magnitude of the responsibility.  But Jethro had a good plan . . . Delegate!  Get help!  Share the burden!  Grow the ministry and at the same time, grow the people!  The Bible says that Moses listened and then he did EVERYTHING his father-in-law suggested.  Moses was a wise old dude!

There's a great lesson here for us.  Sometimes, in our desire to please God, we can get so wrapped-up in wanting to do things a certain way and we end up shutting people out of what God is doing.  These are the very people that God has placed before us to help us and to show us that collectively, we can be two of His hands instead of just one of His fingers (usually the left thumb).  We need to learn to delegate . . . to let-go . . . to trust and to allow people to make mistakes.  We need to learn Grace, and Patience, and Forgiveness, and most of all . . . we need to learn that it isn't about us.  What?  Whoa there buddy!

I know, I know . . . the work we are doing is about God and doing work for Him right?  But . . . by letting our pride dictate our ownership of God's work, it becomes about us and not so much about Him.  By insisting on controlling every song, or every communion service, or how the bulletins are distributed, or how the ushers do their ushing, or how and when the men eat their breakfasts or the women drink their tea, we are limiting God's ability to move throughout His body.  We are actually robbing other people from realizing their gifting and ministry calling.  We are in essence, telling God, "I know what's best!"  And that's not what pleases God at all.  Our earnest desire to serve Him ends up being a self-serving homage to ourselves.  And believe me, I'm preaching to myself here more than to anyone else.  This one hit me right between the lookers!

So let's take stock at the way we are doing things.  Let's take advice from an old dude named Jethro . . . let's listen to his wise council and then put that wisdom to practical use.  Look around and find some good, God-loving, faithful people to take some of the burden that we've been carrying ourselves.  Let's become effective ministers of the Gospel, doing things God's way, and then stepping out of His way and allowing His people to grow, and to learn, and to become awesome servants of the Most High God.  I think the God whom we are trying so diligently to please, will sit back, breathe a sigh of relief, and nod His approval in our direction.  And we? . . . well, we will be able to watch Him grow our little ministry into an amazing soul-winning machine ( and maybe we can finally have the time to get away for some much needed R&R).  That's what it's all about anyway isn't it?  His people, doing His work, His way.

Prayer

Father thank You for reminding us that we don't have to do it all ourselves.  You have given us a vision, but You have also placed the resources before us to help complete that vision, and You expect us to make use of the talents You provide.  Help us Lord, to recognize when we need help and to set aside our pride and our controlling ways.  Help us to become servants of others who are serving instead of always wanting things done our way.  Help us to be effective ministers of Your Love, and Grace, and Forgiveness.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

When God Makes You Thirsty – Exodus 17

1 Directed by God, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn't a drop of water for the people to drink.

– Exodus 17

When God Makes You Thirsty

Directed by God . . . and there wasn't a drop of water for the people to drink.  Wow!  I don't know how I've missed that one before.  This is so important in helping us to understand how much God loves us.  He created us with questioning spirits and in-the-moment allegiances so He knows that in order for us to learn how to appreciate great blessings, we first have to go through a desert or two (or three or four).  He takes us on long walks through barren lands so that we can see how utterly futile life would be without Him – and then He does something crazy (to our imaginations), and has someone hit a rock with a stick (so to speak), and all of a sudden we see the greatness of God and our journey takes a turn for the better and He is glorified.

Some of the time, the problems we've walked in to – the bad doctor's report; the unexpected layoff in a bad economy; the inability to pay the mortgage; the sudden and uncalled-for betrayal of a loved one – whatever the "desert" we find ourselves in the middle of, can actually be directed by God.  He puts us there so that we can learn how to rely on Him . . . ALL THE TIME!  Not just when things are peachy and life is good, but every minute of every day.  He wants to get us to a point where He can be God in our lives.  

Do you really get this?  HE IS GOD!  He's not our genie.  He doesn't grant wishes.  He's not here just when we want something or to make our lives easy.  He is God and we are HIS people – we serve Him, not the other way around.  Sometimes we lose sight of that and we expect God to serve us and to make our lives easy.  How sad that must make our Creator, the One who holds our very breath in His hands.

So next time you find yourself in the middle of a crisis, instead of asking God WHY? . . . ask Him HOW?, and WHAT?, and WHERE?.  HOW can you serve Him better?  WHAT can you do to get closer to Him?  WHERE can you serve Him by serving His children (everyone else).  Start looking for the proverbial rock and stick so that He can show you how to spring forth a river that will reveal His great Love and Mercy, not only for you but for everyone you have influence with – your family, your friends, your coworkers, the checker at the grocery store, the guy in the car next to you, pretty much everyone you see and who sees you throughout the days of your life. Let God direct you and then watch Him use you to be an oasis in a dry and thirsty land.

Prayer

Father, Thank You for directing our paths in and out of the desert.  Forgive our grumbling and our bad attitudes during the times when You are trying to reveal who You really are to us.  Help us to understand and to be willing to sacrifice and to be shaped by You because You are our God – You are our Creator – You are our Source of all life and we desire to grow closer to You and to become the servants You desire us to be.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

Will You Pass the Test? – Exodus 16

4 God said to Moses, "I'm going to rain bread down from the skies for you. The people will go out and gather each day's ration. I'm going to test them to see if they'll live according to my Teaching or not.

– Exodus 16

Will You Pass the Test?

God hears our prayers.  He listens, and He considers, and He knows just what to do in order to bring us closer to Him (which in turn, will be the solution to our problems). The great thing is that He finds creative ways to test us – to see if we're really in-tune, to find out where our heart is.  In this case, God heard the grumbling and complaining of the Israelites who were running out of food and longing for those "glorious" days of bondage and slavery, when their bellies were satisfied (even though their backs were striped from the taskmasters whip).  So God, being the Creative Creator He is, picked out the perfect test for these whining people – He would supply them with enough food each day so that no one would be able to complain about being hungry again.  It's a good deal right?  Hmmmm.

So as it turns out, for 40 long years, God supplies enough quail meat and honey crackers for each person – every day, every morning, every evening, the same meal . . . . . . . for forty . . . . . long. . . . . monotonous . . . . . chicken & crackers . . . . . . years.  

It was a blessing to be sure, but more than that, it was a test.  You see God had a plan.  A plan of success and blessing; a plan to prosper – to lift up, to make these people His people, and to let them see, and feel, and know of His Glory, and His Love, and His Forgiveness and Grace.  He needed them to know that He was in this for the long haul.  He would be patient and He would work things out for them, and even though the ones who started out on this long journey would never realize the fullness of His promise, their children, and their children's children would experience the fullness of God.

So when you cry out to God; when you need His help and you pray in earnest, know that He hears you, and understand that He has a plan to supply you with the strength and the means to get through it.  But at the same time you need to be prepared, because His provision will come with a test.  A test to see how much you really trust Him; how much you really believe in Him; how much you are willing to sacrifice the things that this world has to offer you in order to really press in to Him.  He wants you . . . He wants us, to seek Him above all other things, with every fiber of our being, and as we do, He will be there giving us the strength we need to do it; to pass the tests each and every day; to learn how to love, and to forgive, and to see people as He sees them, with love, and compassion, and joy.

If we can learn to appreciate the testing, then one day we'll look up, and we will find ourselves on the other side of our problem.  The testing will be over (for now).  The promise will be realized, and our relationship with the Living God will be stronger than ever, and we will be able to face things we never could before.  We will be champions of the faith . . . a faith in The Strong God . . . who Loves us so very much.

Prayer

Father, I thank You for the times of testing because I know that it's in those times that You have put together a creative solution.  Help me to stand strong and to be faithful during those times.  Help me to see beyond my immediate need and to seek You with all that I am.  Help me to find myself victorious on the other side of my problems as I press in to get to know You.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

Just Sing baby! – Exodus 15

1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. 

– Exodus 15

Just Sing baby!

There is an episode of the Cosby Show that I will always remember . . . Bill was in charge of getting the kids ready for school and instead of giving them a "normal" breakfast, he gave them big slices of chocolate cake.  Of course, the kids were delighted and as they ate, the sang this song:  "Dad is great! He gave us chocolate cake! Oh, Dad is great!"

I so enjoy this silly made-up song because it so clearly illustrates the way I used to be – the me that has gotten lost somehow in the responsibilities, stress, and seriousness of adulthood.  But that spur-of-the-moment, rejoicing spirit is who God created us all to be.  The ability to express ourselves in spontaneous joyful singing is one of His gifts that as children, we unwrap and use pretty much every day (usually at the top of our lungs).  We need to get that joy back – I think it would please God and we would benefit from the daily release of jubilation as well.

Moses and the Israelites just witnessed God defeat Pharaoh's massive and mighty army in a way that was so awesome, and unbelievable, and I'm sure it absolutely blew their minds.  I can just picture them all standing there with their collective jaws gaping wide open in disbelief, and it probably took several minutes of silence after it was all done for someone (probably a teenager), to yell "Wooo-Hooo!"  That started a chain-reaction of jumping, and screaming, and yelling, and laughing, and crying, and dancing crazy jigs of joy.

The laughing turned to song . . . "God is great! He helped us all escape!  Oh-Oh-Oh, God is G-R-E-A-T!"

Then one-by-one, everyone started adding their own verses and doing little "Jed Clampett" jigs – the gift and spirit of creative joy taking over and creating an overwhelming atmosphere of "Wooo-Hooo!"  I bet even the most staunch, stuffy, prim, proper, and reserved Israelite was at the very least, tapping a toe or two.  It was improv at its best - singing, and celebrating with no rules, no structure . . . just letting the Spirit of the Living God lead them in rejoicing and praising because of the wonder and the goodness and the grace of God.

When was the last time you sang a song of rejoicing to the Lord?  Not an established song out of a hymnal, or someone else's radio-played rendition, but a true celebratory, spur-of-the-moment expression of gratitude and love, accompanied by a crazy whirling-dervish of a jig, or at the very least a jump or two with arms raised high.  I bet God misses the silliness - the pure joy - the total abandon to the Spirit of laughter as an expression of thanksgiving to the God who has saved you, and raised you, and delivered you.  A gift of Joy to your heavenly Father who holds your very breath in the palm of His hand.  An expression of love to the One who Loves you so very much!

So what are you waiting for?  Get off that couch; step away from that desk; put down that mouse, or laptop, or tablet.  Raise your arms high, put some air between your feet and the ground (at least an inch), and let the gift of joy escape from deep inside you.  Let God know that you know – that you understand that He is highly exalted, and that this "Woo-Hoo" moment is for Him!

Prayer

Woo-Hoo!

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

Just Zip-It Will Ya?! – Exodus 14:14

14 God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!" 

– Exodus 14:14

Just Zip-It Will Ya?!

We are a fickle people aren't we?  Especially in America, as the privileged, entitled, spoiled, incredibly blessed people we are, we try to control things so that everything happens just the way we want.  Even when we are being helped with something that is way out of the scope of our understanding and capabilities, we try to add our two-cents instead of letting the expert (who we called in to help in the first place), handle the situation.

We even do this with God.  We enter in to a problem or a time of trial in our lives, we pray to God for help, and then we try to jump ahead and "fix" things on our own.  Why do we do that?  God must get tired of having to hear our cries for help, only to shut Him out of the process, then we make a bigger mess of things.  It all comes down to faith – or our lack of it – as well as our lack of trust that God even wants to help us.  How sad!

I love this scripture because it is simple, clear, and to-the-point: God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!" 

It gives us a clear directive on how to handle the battles we face.  God – our God – our Father (who loves us so much), is willing to fight our battles for us.  He wants to show us how very big He is.  He desires for us to fully and completely understand who He and what He's all about.  But He needs us to let Him work.  He doesn't need our input or suggestions on how He should do it, or when He should be completed by.  He has a plan – His plan, His way, and in His timing.  We just need to keep our mouths shut and then watch in wide-eyed wonder as God fights the battle for us.

God wills to fight our battles . . . so let's just zip it . . . and let God be God.

Prayer

Father, thank You for Your willingness to take care of all our needs – to fight the small battles and the Big wars.  Forgive us for always wanting to do things our own way.  Help us to have faith – to truly believe – to really trust – to fully understand, who You are. Thank You for reminding us that You don't need our help.  You are The STrong and Might God . . . Our God . . . and we love you so very much.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

Happy New Year! – Exodus 12:1-2

1 God said to Moses and Aaron while still in Egypt, 2 "This month is to be the first month of the year for you."

– Exodus 12:1-2

Happy New Year!

When God does a new thing in your life He does it in a landmark way!  He knows the old year you were having and all the struggles that you had to go through, so when it's time – His time – He gives you a glimpse of the future so you can have hope.  Then He puts on His hat, blows His horn, and shouts Happy New Year!  God is so good!

The hard part for us is that when we get our first glimpse that things are about to change, it's usually when we are knee deep in "Egyptians" holding us back, tying us down, and/or ripping us a new one.  Oh yeah, it's just when we think we can't take it anymore that God shows up, in the middle of our desert, and says "guess What?  This month is to be the first month of the year for you!"

So fi you are facing a big ugly "Egyptian" and he's making you manufacture bricks with no straw, keep your eye on the lookout; check your rear-view mirror; listen for that still-small-Voice, because God's getting ready to pay you a visit.  He's going to walk right in while you are still in the middle of whatever muck you're in, and He's going to calmly say in that great-big-Booming Voice of His, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Prayer

Father, thank You for visiting us during the hard times of our lives.  Thank You for seeing, and for the plan that You have to create a new year for us, a new beginning; a new way to show the world how awesome You are.  Thank You Father, for loving us so much!

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard