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Home » Monday Meditations » Page 2

Something to think about as you start a new week

Monday Meditations are quick posts designed to get you thinking about God. They provide a fresh perspective as you jump into your routine.

 

Exploring Exodus: Testimony

By Paula Wiseman

Exploring Exodus Testimony title graphic

“You shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ Exodus 13:8

Israel was taught to tell the story
Of what the Lord had done.
The exodus was never meant to become dry history.
It was vibrant and personal.

It is a testimony.
You shall tell.
You shall say,
“It is because of what the Lord did for me.”

Things used to be one way
“I was a slave.”
The Lord intervened.
Now things are different.
“I am free.”

The exodus was amazing and miraculous.
It was God’s direct action.
His mighty hand.
There was no doubt, no question
He saved His people from bondage.

But the exodus is a type.
We were held in bondage to sin.
Through God’s direct action,
His mighty hand.
Jesus Christ saved us.

I was lost.
Jesus intervened.
Now I’m saved.

Now, that’s a testimony.
Vibrant and personal.

Do we tell it?

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: Exodus, Exploring Exodus series

Exploring Exodus: Mixed Multitude

By Paula Wiseman

Exploring Exodus Mixed Multitude title graphic

And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. Exodus 12:37-38

A mixed multitude
These were not descendants of Jacob
But they saw the miracles
The mighty hand of God
And they wanted to be counted with the winning side.

Later in Numbers
Wandering in the wilderness
They were among the first to complain
About God’s great provision
And they spread discontent among God’s people

It still happens today.
People attach to body of Christ
They say the right words,
They want to be on the winning side,
But they spread discontent among God’s people.

Through the parable of the sower,
And experience itself,
We know that when things grow difficult,
When the way leads through the wilderness
The mixed multitude will be the first to walk away.

Don’t join them.

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: Exodus, Exploring Exodus series

Exploring Exodus: See Through

By Paula Wiseman

Exploring Exodus See Through

Pharaoh retorted, “The LORD will certainly need to be with you if I let you take your little ones! I can see through your evil plan. Exodus 10:10

In Exodus 10, Moses is just doing as God instructed.
He is courageously confronting the Pharaoh.

Pharaoh’s advisors are tired of Moses
They’re tired of the plagues, and the destruction and the suffering.

But when Moses asks one more time to let the people go,
Pharaoh responds with sarcasm and mockery.

Not only that, he accused Moses of the worst motives.
Pharaoh believed he was a living god,
And that he could see exactly what was going on.

So don’t be surprised, or insulted, or scandalized,
If, when you’re just doing what God said,
You meet with resistance and opposition,
Sarcasm, mockery, and even false accusations.

Instead, know that God is at work.
Stay faithful.
Because God is the only one
Who sees through the plans and schemes
And He sees us through as well.

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: Exodus, Exploring Exodus series

Exploring Exodus: After the Respite

By Paula Wiseman

Exploring Exodus After the Respite title graphic

But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said. Exodus 8:15

A respite is an interval of rest or relief.
Granted, Pharaoh was a pagan,
But he had asked Moses to pray
That God would remove the frogs

God did.

But Pharaoh’s response
was not one of thanks
Or relief
Or even acknowledgment.

He hardened his heart.

How do we, God’s people, respond
When He answers our earnest prayers
For help, for rest, for relief
For respite?

Honestly.
Are we entitled?
Do we demand more?
Do we complain about His timing?

That is, do we harden our hearts?

Hardheartedness is not just for pagans.
Let’s guard against it.

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: Exodus, Exploring Exodus series

Exploring Exodus: Fear under Pressure

By Paula Wiseman

Exploring Exodus: Fear under Pressure

(Sometimes when you explore, you discover things you might not have noticed before. Other times you find a new appreciation for the familiar. Exodus has both kinds of treasures.)

But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. Exodus 1:17

There is tremendous cultural pressure
Pressing down on us
Constantly
From all sides–

Pressure to accept
To assimilate
To allow.

Other times, there’s pressure to violate our commitment,
To conform,
To consent.

Sometimes it’s pressure to deny
To distance
To downplay.

The midwives faced a pressure
From the pharaoh himself–
Kill the boy babies.

But they feared God
MORE than they feared the pharaoh.

Under pressure it’s nearly impossible
NOT to give in to your fear.

But FEAR OF GOD
Gives us COURAGE TO STAND
And SPEAK OUT
Especially when cultural pressure demands
We sit down
And shut up.

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: Exploring Exodus series

Worship Him: Your Savior

By Paula Wiseman

Worship Him Your Savior title graphic

They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt. Psalm 106:21

This is a cautionary tale.
The exodus is an object lesson.
God delivered Israel from Egypt
He delivers us from the bondage of sin.

But after the rescue,
After the Israelites were saved,
Other things competed for their attention
Situations made them doubt God

They forgot God their Savior
They forgot what He done.
They ignored what He was doing.
They discounted what He would do.

We must remember what God has done.
He loved us.
He sent Jesus to die for us
To save us from the consequences of our sins.

We must recognize what God is doing right now.
He loves us.
He sent His Spirit to live within us.
To teach, guide, comfort and confirm us.

We must rejoice in what God will do.
He will love us with an everlasting love.
He will send Jesus for us
To consummate our salvation in eternity with Him.

Forgetting is easy.
It is passive.
It requires no effort.

Worship is active.
It is intentional.
We must do no less, though.

Worship Him! God your Savior!

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: Psalms, worship, Worship Him series

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