Weird Command

WEIRD COMMAND

Part three of four in Trusting God series

Exodus 2:15-3:10

Exodus 3:5:  “‘Do not come any closer’ God said.  ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’”

 

            Killing an Egyptian defined Moses’ life in Identity in Crisis devotion.  After growing up conflicted between being a slave or royalty, Moses chose his real inheritance.  Moses knew that Israeli blood kept him alive. 

            And running for his life.

            Moses fled Egypt after Pharaoh wanted him dead. 

            He stopped running and sat down by a well in Midian.

 

Egypt - Midian distance is 10750 KM. Travel time is 268 hours by car.

            Drama followed Moses.  He had chosen a side.  No longer royalty as Egypt’s next pharaoh, could Moses “settle” for being another Israeli?  Seven ladies (sisters) showed up at the well.  They had come to water their father’s flock when shepherds arrived.  “Go away, we must water our sheep!” they demanded 

            Moses—hero of the underdog—mediated.  “They were already here.  You wait.  I’ll fill the troughs and water their flock FIRST!”  The ladies were very impressed.  So was their dad, a Midian priest named Jethro.  “Invite him to dinner!” he insisted. 

            Jethro gave Moses his daughter Zipporah as his wife.  In turn, Moses tended Jethro’s flock. 

            Meanwhile, the king of Egypt died.  Yet the Israelites remained enslaved. 

            God remembered his covenant with Abraham and was concerned for the Israelites.  One day, Moses brought the flock to Horeb (the mountain of God) where an angel appeared to him in the flames within a bush.  When Moses decided to check out why the bush didn’t burn up, God called out, “Moses!”  That’s when God spoke His weird command from the opening Scripture. 

            Clearly, God wanted Moses to be uncomfortable.  Now he’ll feel every pebble, every grain of sand in bare feet.

            The soles of the feet have nerve endings from the entire body and are super sensitive.  That’s why new shoes feel wonderful.   New shoes add spring to our steps and a smile to our faces.

Take Home Nugget

            God needed Moses to be super-sensitive now. 

            Why?  (See the lesson linked below).

            Moses was about to lead the children of Israel.  This enormous job would task Moses to the max.  These were God’s kids.  Moses was standing on holy ground getting ready to begin holy work!  

            All leaders risk being out-of-touch with the people.  They often enjoy luxuries where they assume entitlement.  “Don’t you dare assume that you’re entitled!  My children are precious,” we can almost hear God’s warning.

            Moses remained this sensitive to other’s needs until his death.

            Believers-in-Christ also serve the Lord on holy ground. 

Holy Father, Enable us to remain sensitive to meet the needs of Your kids, our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Amen. 

Adapted from “Take Off Your Shoes” by Rabbi Eckstein.  January 19, 2017.  www.holylandmoments.com

J.D. Griffith

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Identity in Crisis

IDENTITY IN CRISIS

Part two of four in Trusting God series

Exodus 2:12:  “Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.”

 

            The name Moses in Hebrew sounds like “drawing out”.  His Egyptian mother (Pharaoh’s daughter) named him how she found him—drawn out from the river.  Moses was pampered by two caregivers as he grew up in Pharaoh’s household. 

            His own Hebrew mother became his nursemaid.  She made sure that he knew his Israeli heritage; that Israeli blood coursed through his veins.  She raised him to love   the children of Israel. 

            Yet his very un-Egyptian-like attitude conflicted in someone who also was being raised as heir to the throne of Egypt!  He grew up a proud Egyptian.  As the only son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he had every opportunity.  He was educated Egyptian.  He ate the best foods and wore the most expensive clothes. 

            While his heart bathed in both Egyptian and Israeli cultures, outwardly, he looked like Egyptian royalty.

            One day, Moses was stopped in his tracks.  He watched an Egyptian unjustly beat an Israeli slave.  His heart recoiled.  He was confused, unsure how to react.   Until that moment, Moses’ buried conflicting emotions he processed while growing up surfaced with a vengeance.  

            Now, he looked “this way and that” seeing himself in neither identity.  Who is Moses?  Is he Egyptian or Israeli?  (Exodus 2:11-12).  

            He “looked this way and that” before deciding.  He looked first toward his Egyptian fellowman who rightfully beat a slave, then toward his kinsman being unfairly beaten—who screamed out for justice in Moses’ heart. 

            His compassion for the beaten man won.  He killed the Egyptian.  Finally, as a grown man, he was tested to choose which identity would decide his fate.

            His action not only decided his fate, but would also define his life.

            Moses chose his kinsman!  His identity was finally sealed as an Israeli.

Take Home Nugget

            There is an expression in Judaism, “In the place where there is no man, be a man.”  This means that everyone must choose.  Everyone must decide to either stand for what is right—or not. 

            If no one is doing what is right, we MUST assume that role. 

            Whenever we haven’t taken a stand on something, each of us must choose for himself an identity. 

            Eventually, everyone must choose a side.

            How will you choose that defines your life?

Holy Father, Life can be very confusing, and people can be so bitter toward one another!  Please help me to choose a side—the right side—where I can be sure that You’re right there with me.  Thank You, I pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Adapted from “Be a Man” by Rabbi Eckstein.  January 18, 2017.  www.holylandmoments.com

J.D. Griffith

 

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God's Silence Can Be Good

 GOD’S SILENCE CAN BE GOOD

Part one of four in Trusting God series

Exodus 2:4:  “His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.”

             

           

A Hebrew couple living in Egypt had a baby girl they named Miriam.  After several years, they also had a boy.  “He’s so fine!” they exclaimed.

            But the Egyptian Pharaoh had already ordered: “Every [Hebrew] boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.” (Exodus 1:22).    

            The baby remained a secret for three months.

            Mom formed a desperate plan to keep him alive and enlisted her daughter,   “Miriam, please help me.”    

            “Doing what?” Miriam asked. 

            “We’re going to try saving our baby boy, Miriam!”

            Miriam watched mom take a papyrus basket and coat the bottom with tar and pitch.  “That yucky black stuff stinks!” Miriam said, pinching her nose shut.  

            Her mom said, “I know that, but the tar and pitch will make this basket water proof.”

            “But why?” Miriam asked.

            “We’re going to float him on the Nile,” mom schemed.  “Maybe—by the grace of God—someone will find him and keep him safe.”

            They walked to the Nile’s river banks.  The baby boy was hidden underneath a blanket over his cradle that was nestled inside the papyrus basket.  Separating the tall reed stalks, mom kissed her baby boy—whispering a prayer for his safety—and gently floated him on the river. 

            Miriam watched in disbelief.  A tear trickled down her cheek.  “Mom!”

            It’s the only way, Miriam,” mom said.  “Watch him.  I can’t bear to stay—I’m going home to pray.”

            Miriam prayed, too.  “Yahweh, please let no Egyptian find him!”

            The daughter of Pharaoh came to the river to bathe.

            “Please Yahweh, don’t let HER find my brother!” Miriam pleaded.

            But she DOES find the basket and screeched to her attendants, “Help me get this basket!”

            Miriam gulped and prayed, Please Yahweh, make him appear ugly, so she’ll put him back!”

            But Pharaoh’s daughter heard him cry, and pitied him.  “He must be a Hebrew baby,” she figured, from the blanket design.  “He’s gorgeous!  I will claim him as my son,” she said.  Cradling him in her arms, she demanded, “Bring someone to nurse him.”

 

            Miriam, peering through the reeds where she crouched low to the ground, stood up.  She offered, “I know the perfect woman!”

            Pharaoh’s daughter said, “Get her for me!”

Take Home Nugget

            Miriam fled home.  “Mom!  You’ll never guess what?  Pharaoh’s daughter found my brother crying and told me to bring her someone to nurse him!” 

            Check out the lesson linked below to learn how things worked out for the baby boy.

Holy Father, thank You for Your silence to prayers when You’ve got something else perfect in mind! Amen. 

Adapted from “The Gift of Unanswered Prayers” by Rabbi Eckstein.  August 19, 2016.  www.holylandmoments.com

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Jealousy Rots

 JEALOSY ROTS

Proverbs 14:30:  “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” King Solomon and other wise men wrote the book of Proverbs

 

            We just learned the perfect weapon to defeat the Devil’s efforts at tempting God’s kids to sin in Refocus devotion.  All we have to do is think of something different from the temptation.  Refocusing our attention on another topic is easier than changing our minds. 

            Changing our minds on purpose is what this devotion is about.

            We rarely choose how to react.  Emotions spring up knee-jerk reactions to what we see or hear in a heartbeat.  All it takes is seeing a new car, new clothes, or someone having awesome talent to spark a fire of jealousy.  But the opening Scripture warns against jealousy. 

            Check out twelve hear old Cassie, who feels robbed: “Why can’t I try out to play the part of queen?” she asked Ms. Folkum.

            “Because Cheryl has already won that part,” was the reply.

            “I was absent that day.  I have those lines memorized now.  Please let me try out for the part,” Cassie insisted.

            “I’m sorry, Cassie.  Maybe you could try out for the evil sister part?”

            Cassie sighed.  She thought, I really wanted the queen part!  But I suppose that playing the part of evil sister is better than no part at all!  So Cassie changed her mind.  “Okay, Ms. Folkum, I’ll try out for the evil sister part.”

            The literal translation of “a heart at peace” in the opening Scripture is a “healing heart.”  A healing heart is a soft heart.  That person is accepting, forgiving, and is kind and generous.  Anyone who knows Cassie—whoever has followed her from fifth grade to seventh—knows that she is kind and generous.

            Whoever came up with the expression “eat your heart out” describing a jealous person is spot-on!  King Solomon’s “envy rots the bones” pretty much warns that jealousy eats people from the inside out.

            Jealous people only ruin themselves.  Yet, content and generous people bring peace and healing to themselves and others.  Soft-hearted people are naturally positive and peaceful.  Their bodies function properly.  No rot there—only the spread of peace and health to those around them.            

            But Cassie had to change her mind.

Take Home Nugget

            Being jealous is hard to admit.  Then we’re embarrassed because that means we don’t think we’re as good as someone else.  But God never compares one person to another.  We stand on our own and judged against no one. 

            So let’s simply be and do our best.

Holy Father, Help me develop a soft heart that brings life and happiness not only to me, but to everyone around me.  I’m praying this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Adapted from “Have a Healing Heart” by Rabbi Eckstein.  June 27, 2016.  www.holylandmoments.com

J.D. Griffith

 

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Refocus

 REFOCUS

2 Corinthians 10:5b:  “We … take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

            Twelve year old kids scrambled outside to board busses in the pouring snow.  Jeremy quickly gathered up enough to form a snowball and playfully threw it at his friend Brad. All classmates quickly joined in the fun. … Not Scotty.  He formed his snowball—packing it as tightly as he could—and threw it hard at a boy who was using crutches to walk.  That boy fell down.  He used crutches to walk because he had a broken leg.

            Another kid wanted to throw a snowball hard at a girl who wouldn’t sit with him during lunch.  But this boy remembered his manners.  He refocused on his mom.  She would frown at this attitude.  Instead, he threw his snowball as far as he could, then smiled as it crashed into a bus window.

            The second boy got it right.  The secret to fighting temptation is to refocus. 

            Whatever we resist, persists.  The Bible never teaches to resist temptation.  But it does teach resisting the Devil.  The secret to overcoming temptation is not to push back, but to change focus. 

            Whatever has our attention has us.  Temptation begins in our minds.  Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and it’s filled with many goodies.  Verses 5-6 says, “Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying Your decrees!  Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all Your commands.” 

            Whenever we think about God, (how much He loves us, for example), we’re not thinking about other stuff.

            It’s true!  Focusing on godly things pull us in that direction.  When we focus on stuff like scandals in magazines or on TV, we’re pulled in that direction.  Whatever we focus on gets our attention. 

            Whatever gets your attention gets you!

            Free will means that we can change our minds anytime we want to.

            Temptation follows a predictable pattern that never changes:  A), Attention.  B), Arousal.  C), Action.  Once one’s mind gets hooked—it can’t fight—and so we act.  Quickly changing focus as soon as we know that something isn’t right, stops it from taking hold.  That stops the action of sin.  The pattern changes from wrong behavior to right behavior.  

            No sense fighting temptation.  We can simply refocus. 

Take Home Nugget

            Taking every thought captive to Christ takes practice.  We rarely control circumstances; often we cannot control how we feel; but we ALWAYS control what we think.  Let’s turn God’s gift of free will into a weapon to defeat the Devil.

            It’s our choice.  Changing the way we think changes the way we feel.  Then the way we act is truly our choice!

Wandering mind, refocus!  Sinful thoughts, refocus!  God’s Word, FOCUS!   

Adapted from “You Can Change the Way You Think” by Rick Warren.  August 25, 2016.  For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, visit rickwarren.org

 J.D. Griffith

 

Click here for Interactive-Online-Lesson for Refocus

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The latest Christmas eBook by J.D. Griffith:  

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