February 24, 2014--Exodus 7-9, Military Support; When You Can't Think Straight, You Remember

PRAYER

Daddy,

It is Military Monday, and I’m concerned about our military. I am concerned about the government’s lack of respect for our military. Right now we are in election season, and I ask you to put men and women in office who support our military. I ask you to put leaders in all areas of care and policy that truly want to serve our military men and women.

 Daddy, our military sacrifices so much for us. I ask you to stand for those who stand for our military and stand against those who don’t. That simple. You said you would bless those who bless me and curse those who curse me. Anyone who does not supply and support the military you have put in place to protect and serve my family curses me and my family. I ask you to keep your word and stand against them. On the other hand, for those who support our military, fight for their benefits, see to serve them and get them care they need, bless my family. I ask you to bless them. Do what you need to do to take care of our military and their families.

 Thank you for being a warrior God who loves our warriors.

Amen

 BIBLE READING

Exodus 7— First of all, telling people what they don’t want to hear, even when you know it is God, is not the easiest thing. And second, why in the world would you make more blood when it was already everywhere and the whole land stunk from it? This is insane to me!

Exodus 8—Seriously?! Get rid of the frogs TOMORROW?! Right now!!!

And making more gnats? Speechless.
“NOW pray for me.” It makes me giggle that Moses said, “No problem. The flies will be gone TOMORROW.”

Exodus 9—The truth is, it is easy for me to skim these chapters because I know the stories, but it took me a few readings to realize there are things I didn’t know. The point when these really started to make sense to me, though, was when  I started thinking about it from an Egyptian perspective. The slave labor going away and the change it would cause. The devastation to the land. Seeing it destroy Egypt but not Goshen. What was it like for the Hebrews? They watched God take on every “god” of the Egyptians and destroy them. So why did they worry in the desert? And I think Pharaoh was crazy, but he believed he was deity. He believed somehow he was going to come out on top, and even if he didn’t win, he couldn’t afford to lose.

 It seems ridiculous, but it makes me slide to my knees and ask the Lord, in my life, when do I stand against you because of my pride, my tradition, my refusal to let go of something I want? Do I ever know I can’t win, but I am too arrogant to lose?

 MEMORIZATION

 Head cold wins this one. I’m even writing down times when I take my meds, but this I know:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (or a really annoying cold) you are with me.

You comfort me.
You provide for me.
You are preparing the victory for me.
I lack nothing.
Psalm 23, paraphrased from memory.

BIBLE STUDY/JOURNAL

The point of memorizing scripture is to hold on to what you know when you are too sick or tired to learn something new. A broad base of verses is good because then no matter what comes, you have a place to stand firmly.

 
Copyright 2014 Jerri Kelley Phillips

February 23, 2014--Exodus 4-6, It was Never About What Moses Could Do, Luke 6

Still letting my body fight this head cold. It isn’t my favorite thing, but I am amazed at how much less miserable I am now than I was three months ago before all the oral surgeries. It has not been an easy road. Truth be told, multiple times along the way I wondered if I had made a mistake, if I had chosen badly, but the truth is there was no other choice. It has left me pondering…

PRAYER

Daddy,

Thank you for taking me through hard times of healing so the rest of life is better. Thank you for your mercy, even when I hate the pain. You are good.

Amen.

BIBLE READING

Exodus 4 —God got mad at Moses. Do you have any idea how much the idea of making God mad because I refuse to be and do what He asks scares me? This has been a scary thought for me my whole life. God wasn’t mad because Moses killed an Egyptian or because he ran away into the desert. He was mad because Moses refused to be obedient. Sin isn’t just doing the wrong thing. Sin is not doing the right thing.

Um, so God was going to kill Moses. Yeah. I got nothing on that one.

Good news is all the Israelites are ready to pack and go. That’s good. Right?

Exodus 5—Well bother. I don’t think anyone hears, “God is for you and is going to save you,” and expects things to get WORSE, but they did, and I can understand the Israelites dressing down Moses and Aaron saying, “You said you were going to help, and look what you’ve done!” And poor Moses. Can you imagine how confused he was? He was supposed to be helping, and instead, his people are suffering worse conditions and being beaten. I can fully understand why he went to the Lord and said, “I’m not understanding this, and this does not look like what you said it would.”

It didn’t look like what God said.

And I think if I were Moses, I would be confused, too, and maybe even hurt. Plus, he didn’t even want to do this gig, but he is, and instead of getting better, it’s worse.

I’d be confused, too.

Exodus 6—As hard as it is to imagine, Pharaoh exerting his power was necessary. The people needed to see Pharaoh at his worst. They needed to see him act against them because it was the only they could truly understand the power of God working for them.

Okay. Never got this before. Prior to this, God was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. NOW, He was going to be the God of the entire nation. He wasn’t just promising one person, He was promising them all.

And still, Moses wasn’t getting it. “Why would Pharaoah listen to me?” He still didn’t know. It wasn’t about him. It was about God.

 

MEMORIZATION

Luke 6

27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 
28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  

Heavy blog coming on this one. I’ll let you know when it is up.

BIBLE STUDY/JOURNAL

It was never about Moses and what he could do. It was always about God and what He said He would do.

Copyright 2014 Jerri Kelley Phillips

February 22, 2014--Exodus 1-3, Standing in What We Don't Know

PRAYER

Daddy,

I can’t think clearly enough for eloquence, so let me just lay it on the table. Israel is your people, and I am asking you to lay their enemies low. I am asking you to bring down the enemies of Israel with a mighty hand. Bring them down like mountains into dust. I ask that anyone who has the audacity to set themselves up against your people see your hand of judgment raised against them. Be with your people and bless them.

Amen

BIBLE READING

Exodus 1—So everybody we used to know is dead, including the nice pharaoh. Fear has come into play, and we try to control or get rid of what we fear. One of the things I love about this chapter is that the midwives feared God and He gave them families of their own. Gotta love God. J

Exodus 2—I cannot imagine how terrifying it was for Moses’ mom to put him in that basket and leave him in that river where wild animals were and who know what would happen to him. I don’t know if she was a woman of faith or a woman of desperation, but that took tremendous courage.

So life is cushy in the palace, and Moses sees an Egyptian hitting a Hebrew, and he snaps. Next thing you know, he’s in a desert getting married and having babies. Do you wonder if Moses ever sat in that desert and wondered if he had blown it? Did he know he was the deliverer for the Hebrews? Did he think he had blown it beyond redemption? Just wondering.

 Exodus 3—Okay, so let me get this straight. If I am Moses, I am thinking, “You want me to go to Pharaoh, the same Pharaoh I made really mad by killing one his men, the same Pharaoh who tried to kill me, and tell him that this God he can’t see wants him to let all the slaves go, and I will know this is you AFTER we are safe on the other side?”

 And I love this. Moses asks, “Who am I to do this?”

 God does not reply with anything about Moses. He answers concerning Himself. “I will be with you.”

 Simple enough. This is NOTHING about you. This is ALL about me. Not hard.

 Except, it is hard, and people sit there and mouth about Moses’ lack of faith, but really, I think I can understand. God is going to be with him, but it’s not like he can take this non-burning bush around with him to prove it, and not only will the Israelites have their doubts, but Pharaoh is going to be difficult and need miraculous proof.

 “And who am I supposed to tell them told me to do this?”

 “I Am that I Am.”

 I mean seriously. Think about this for a moment. Just…yeah, I can see why Moses is a bit hesitant.

 MEMORIZATION

Muddled minds don’t memorize well, so today I’m reading. For reasons I will blog about later, I am reading Proverbs 31. And her Husband shall rise up and call her blessed. So let it be for me, Lord.

BIBLE STUDY/JOURNAL

I am pondering Moses and how easy it is to stand in what we can see instead of walking in what we can't.

 

Copyright 2014 Jerri Kelley Phillips