God did as He said; Moses & Aaron did as God commanded.

The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them. Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them.
Exodus 7:5-6

God pretty much sketched out the process of the Exodus to Moses and Aaron before it all happened. He explained to them that they would make multiple appeals to Pharaoh. They would deliver God's demands to the Egyptian king. But Pharaoh would respond with a hard heart, unwilling to let Israel go even though God's miraculous power would be demonstrated throughout the land of Egypt. Eventually God's monumental judgment on Egypt would lead Israel out of their slavery.

The reason that God told Moses this in advance was to demonstrate His sovereign purposes. This is the encouragement Moses and Aaron needed just before they entered Pharaoh's court for the first time. And even though the king refused them, he knew they were talking for God. And even though Pharaoh did not know or acknowledge God, he could not deny that supernatural events were occurring right before his eyes... events over which he had no control.

Two things stand out here. First, God did exactly as He said. The events of the book play out exactly as we expect given this prophetic outline. And God is shown to be true not only in the events themselves, but in His exact statement of them beforehand. Secondly, Moses and Aaron did just as God commanded them. They were leaders who were obedient to the command and the demand of God. Yes, it was a process for them and God was patient with their struggle. But they obeyed God and God used that obedience to deliver many.


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like a child

"Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
Mark 10:15

she comes to me
only trusting
just knowing
her father loves her

she asks a question
faith showing
she's knowing
I will answer

my child
will trust me
implicitly
asking believingly

Jesus said to have a child's capacity
to trust implicitly will take us to eternity

I come to You
sometimes with doubt
trying to figure out
if You're even there for me

I am filled with questions
unbelief is showing
hardly knowing
if You will answer

not a child...
I struggle
defiantly
not on faith relying

Jesus said to humble myself childlike
so the kingdom could be found in my life

it begins with... "Father?"...

unity & variety

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7

God takes each individual believer as a unique personal creation and molds them into a special place in the larger artistry of His church. There is a wild, mosaic beauty to the Body of Christ. Each person as themselves is a work of art, but when placed into the Church, an even larger work of greater art can be known. God creates unity from the variety. It's beautifull!

Having lived my life within the church, both as member, and as a supportive, serving leader to the Body of Christ, I have seen this firsthand. And as my viewpoint broadens, the observation increases! I travel to a new spot on the globe, meet Christians there, worship together, and see yet another scene in the mosaic God is making come together. The variety displays a certain God-designed unity. We exist and worship and shine the light of God's glory in the gospel of Jesus Christ to this world together. It is amazing.

Perhaps, just perhaps, one reason so many denominations of Christians exist is so that this picture can be seen in its individual pixelization. We are not cookie-cutter people who are all identical. But with One Savior, we have the ability to group around a common bond that lets the unity of our common salvation be known. And God knows the world needs to see the beauty of Christ's Bride. But will we see it in ourselves? Only if we stop narrowly focusing on individuals and our own favorite groups.

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idols: delusion and death

Every man is stupid and without knowledge;
every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
for his images are false,
and there is no breath in them.
Jeremiah 10:14

Our idols make us stupid. They betray to the world our lack of real wisdom and knowledge. Idols will shame us for they are ultimately unsustainable. They will let us down... hard... in a ruinous crash of lies and the death of our dreams. Such is our lot when we abandon God for the delusions we make with our own hands and worship with all our hearts.

Jeremiah had to watch the citizens of Jerusalem neglect the worship of God. In a rush to try the "latest and the greatest" they turned to the worship of every false god and goddess of the pagan nations around them. Now Jerusalem was filled with idols while God's temple was abandoned. Families invested their worship energies on the maintenance of household Baals. But very soon the impending curses of the covenant that they had forsaken would bring their lives all to a collapsing heap of rubble. And when the dust settled, all that would be left would be the numbing experience of death and delusion.

This is still the end of anything we put in the place of God. We may deceive ourselves with a false sense of pride or the appearance of joy, but when the lies catch up to us, our idols will fall. You cannot live a life of delusion and find any kind of blessing. In mercy, God crashes through our paper deities and brings us to an awareness of Him. And in that frightful moment, hope also can come. Worship can be found coming out of the ashes of our burned idols as we walk away from the lies and embrace the grace and truth found in Jesus.

not without hope

For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off,
when God takes away his life?
Job 27:8

Job's question burns in his constant dialogue with his accusing friends. It is based on his insistence that he is committed to righteousness and the love of God. He knows that he has real hope. But what about the person who does not believe in, trust, and follow the Lord? Job sees such a person of devoid of any hope. They come to a sad realization and a life of ruin and pain.

Part of Job's comfort in all his loss and sorrow is that despite his intense physical and emotional suffering, he still has hope in God. That is the kind of thing only a righteous man can find. Job is clear that his integrity has kept him. And he will hold to what he knows about God. He has hope and comfort because he is not a godless man. Even if his circumstances led to his death, he would die in confident hope.

And yet he suffered with questions. He did not question God's righteous ways or integrity. He just wanted to know "WHY"! And really, Job never got that answer, eventually being fine with the fact that God was bigger and wiser and more holy than any human ever could be. He just kept trusting God, fearing God, and believing God. And that hope kept him going. It is one of the ways a righteous man will thrive, even in many troubles. Trust in God delivers us from ultimate despair. Not even death can take it from us! Amen! That is hope!

Tell the good news!

I have told the glad news of deliverance
in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
as you know, O LORD.
I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.
Psalm 40:9-10

When God does great things, His people must tell it and the world must know it. God is not a quiet presence hiding behind the working of natural forces in our world. He is not the unseen neglectful watchmaker. He is engaged with His world. He works by His grace to save humanity. He loves us. We know it and should proclaim it every chance that we get.

This was the motive that pushed David to praise the Lord when the nation was convened for worship. Any time that God's people gathered for worship, David made a point of telling about God's deliverance. It was part of what it meant to properly serve the Lord. He did not hide his story of salvation by God from the people around him. He let it be known. It was a wonderful and powerful story. It defined him. He was quick to praise and tell the good news to all.

Worship should attend our telling of our testimonies. And testimonies should attend our times of worship. When I feel "dry" coming to God in worship, how can I stay complacent and unmoved if I consider His great love in saving a sinner like me? Contemplate Calvary's love, and my soul must repent of its hardness and sing a song of thankful praise! Praise God for the deliverance Christ has brought to me! Tell the good news in worship and praise!

sling and stone

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.
1 Samuel 17:50

With a sling and a stone
the weapon of a shepherd boy
God delivered His people
continuing redemption's story

With a sling and a stone
David ran near
to the giant who mocked
fighting with faith, not fear

With a sling and a stone
David faced an enemy
without even a sword
or a strong army

With a sling and a stone
God's deliverance was done
as David felled Goliath
the victory was won

With a sling and a stone
and a faith undeterred
David fought for Israel
and heeded God's Word

With a sling and a stone
in my own life
unpleasant circumstances
need not cause me strife

With a sling and a stone
and the power of God here
I can trust God to work
and always be near


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