When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” ~Exodus 32:1
Today’s verse tells us that the Israelites were impatient and reluctant to trust that Moses would return to them from Mt. Sinai. The people begged Aaron to make gods for them. Aaron agreed to grant their wish, this act angered God, God wanted to destroy them, meaning all in the camp save Moses because he was with God on the mountain, and Joshua, who was waiting on the mountain for Moses to return. But Moses sought the favor of God, God relented and Moses went down from the mountain and “When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.” ~Exodus 32:19-20
Moses knew the “power” of God. Moses spoke on behalf of all the Israelites to spare their lives before God. It is easy for us to read this story and point out the mistakes of the Israelites, but if we honestly look at ourselves “do we have idols that we have made for ourselves?” We live in a world of proof and imagery, we departmentalize God. We try to define God in terms that we can understand, we often try to limit God, and we even try to say what God is. We want something tangible to represent God, in other words “an idol.” Something that has helped me in not limiting God is to be very aware of God’s fluidity. God is not contained in a building, such as a church. That’s not to say God isn’t present in the church, I absolutely believe He is, but He is also outside of the buildings in which we try to contain God. For me, God is everywhere and is available anywhere at anytime. It’s not for me to know how God is everywhere, I just need to trust and have faith in God. Our world is based on “time” but God exists outside of time. I love this sentence from the author of the pamphlet I’m using, “Our job is to open ourselves up to the reality of a God that is beyond our wildest dreams.”
She also writes this, “God cannot be defined by our words, images, or thoughts.”
“I Am Who I Am” ~Exodus 3:14
Do you have a favorite image of God? What is another image that you might pair with it to keep expanding your understanding?”
Here’s mine:
Breath Prayer: God open my eyes. Help me tear down my idols.
“Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field; they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland.” ~Jeremiah 12:10
[The Book of Jeremiah, also called The Prophecy Of Jeremias, one of the major prophetical writings of the Old Testament. Jeremiah, a Judaean prophet whose activity spanned four of the most tumultuous decades in his country’s history, appears to have received his call to be a prophet in the 13th year of the reign of King Josiah(627/626 BC) and continued his ministry until after the siege and capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Many of his oracles concerned the turbulent events of his times.]. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Jeremiah
Today’s verse refers to the Israelites and their actions towards God and the gifts God had given them since they had been rescued from Egypt. After God rescued them, God invited them to be His people. It was by the power of God and not their own that they conquered the land that was promised to them and where they made their homes. The Israelites enjoyed the land that God had given to them, they worshipped and honored God, for a time. It was not long before the Israelites forgot the instructions that God had given to them, they were tempted by the powers of others, they forgot God. Then, God brought judgment on the people and humbled them. Nations and rulers came into the land, they conquered and lay waste to the people. God was returning the Israelites to the wilderness, where they would be called to repent and worship God again.
The Israelites were drawn to something that seemed to be powerful and was pleasing to them, so much so that they fell away from God. They were distracted by shiny things and cunning conversations, their egos and their pride. As I read this story and others like it from the Bible, I see reflections of my own life. There have been times when my ego and pride enticed me to do things that were in direct conflict with God and people. I say this not as something I am proud of, I am rather ashamed of these actions. So there’s definitely no room or place to point fingers or make accusations or even compared the behaviors and actions of the Israelites as better or worse than anyone else’s. Don’t get me wrong, I’m human just like you and I’m tempted to point out the severity of someone else’s “sin” in comparison to my own. It is a futile battle to wage, sin is sin and separation from God is never good. I’m reminded of a few bible verses that I learned and memorized when I was in high school, my understanding of them has changed through the years and especially during this Lenten journey. They are:
Matthew 7:5, “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Basically, when I have no sin in my life, then I can point out sin in someone else’s. I will always be blinded by the plank in my own eye and unqualified to remove my brothers speck in his. We are all sinful, we all sin, we all need to repent, we all need forgiveness…we all need God.
Just as the Israelites returned to the wilderness, we too need to return to the wilderness, to fall on our knees and seek forgiveness and return to God, so we can once again fully worship God and allow His glory to flow through us. As the night brings restoration to our bodies , each new day is an opportunity to start anew, leaving the troubles and sins of yesterday at the feet of Jesus as we repent and seek reconciliation with God. Live for today, not yesterday and not for tomorrow.
In closing, I would like to share some personal insights. The words I type out in this space are heartfelt and from personal experiences. I believe the things I write and trust God to bless the readers. Starting each new day with no regard to what happened yesterday…that…WILL NOT BE EASY, but it will be so WORTH IT, TO TRY!
FORGIVENESS AND SALVATION ARE FREE…sincerely and honestly seek God AND His forgiveness AND His Will for your life!
Positivity produces POSITIVE results!
Always look for the good in everything and everyone. I coined a phrase today at work, at least I think I did(?). I knew I would be hearing some news that would directly impact me and my work environment, I typically do not like changes but I’ve decided to be more optimistic as part of my Lenten journey so, I decided whatever news I receive, it would be a “win/win” for everyone involved. And you know what, it is and will be! We can always choose how we react to life. So, first and foremost thank you, to God for His unending patience with me and secondly, I am sincerely overwhelmed by the people I work with and their level of compassion, understanding, professionalism and mostly their friendship! Everyday I am becoming a better person, better employee and better friend because of the caliber of their character that they present and express on a daily basis. I am blessed and extremely lucky to be able spend time with them. However long it is, it will be too short.
As we continue our journey through the wilderness, are there things in your life where God is working to humble you?
“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” ~Matthew 4:8-9
I love that song by Jeremy Camp and the lyrics paint a very clear picture of the ultimate power, the POWER OF GOD! So far this Lenten journey we have talked and read about “The Wilderness” and “Mortality, A Liminal Space, Hunger, Divine Testing and this week Power.” The pamphlet I’m using closely relates these subjects to Jesus being tempted in the wilderness by the devil as well as mirroring our journey through Lent. As we continue on our journey of meditating on the things that Jesus endured during His forty days in the wilderness and we reflect upon our own lives as believers in Jesus Christ during our forty days. Today’s verse is one we looked at during the week of “The Wilderness and Hunger” and again in “The Wilderness and Divine Testing.” The author gives us a personal point a view today describing her feelings towards the devil as he attempts to tempt Jesus, offering to give Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, if Jesus will bow down and worship him.” She says that when she reads Matthew 4:8-9, she “immediately feels righteous indignation.” As the devil has no authority to give kingdoms of the world and glory to anyone.” Everything that was made is from God, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” ~John 1:3. In fact, the devil forgets that he exists because God created him. The devil is a fallen angel. *For additional resources for the devil click the link under “References” below.
The word “power” holds a plethora of visual images when we think of earthly power; we have the power of the pen in journalism, we have men and women that are power-hungry, even abusive with power, civilizations have been eradicated because of too much power, as well as governmental and states powers. Power in and of itself is neither good or bad, it is the motivation and character of the individuals with power that causes the arm of justice to swing too heavily in one direction.
Life can be confusing and debilitating especially when we listen and take our instructions from the “world” and not from God. This happens when we allow ourselves to conform to this world and not to the Will of God. Just like the Israelites, we fail to follow God’s rules and commandments. We often think we can handle things without God. None of the powers in the world compare to the Power of God. In 2 Peter 1:3, Peter writes this “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.”
Who are you listening to; the world or God?
Breath Prayer: Jesus, all Power and Glory are yours alone. ~Amen
POWER (Merriman-Webster)
noun, often attributive pow’er \ˈpau̇(-ə)r\
often attributive
1a (1) : ability to act or produce an effect (2) : ability to get extra-basehits (3) : capacity for being actedupon or undergoing an effect
b : legal or official authority, capacity, or right
2a : possession of control, authority, or influence over others
b : one having such power; specifically : a sovereign state
c : a controlling group :establishment — often used in the phrase the powers that be
d archaic : a force of armed men
e chiefly dialectal : a large numberor quantity
3a : physical might
b : mental or moral efficacy
c : political control or influence
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,” ~John 3:14
If you have read a few of my posts during this Lenten journey I’m sure you’ve noticed that the music videos I have posted are different than my usual contemporary songs. I love old hymns as much as the new contemporary songs. Thank you for your support of this blog and my hope is that you strengthen your relationship with God or you meet God and decide to follow Him.
If you have the pamphlet I am loosely using for this format, “The Sanctuary For Lent 2018 by Katie Z.Sawson” today’s text is filled with a lot of information/examples that to be honest is a little overwhelming. In case you don’t have the pamphlet the author gives examples of the movie “The Matrix” specifically the character “Neo” along with the movie plot of the world being a constructed reality and humanity is plugged into a vast network and being used as batteries. *Video posted below under references. She also mentions “Nicodemus” speaking with Jesus in the cover of night. ”Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” ~John 3:1-2. Our verse for today comes later in the same chapter of John in verse 14; Jesus reminds Nicodemus of the Israelites when they were in the wilderness and how God dealt with their sinfulness as they spoke against God and Moses, *(Numbers 21) God sent poisonous snakes and many died and brought many to their knees in confession. The Israelites had not let go of their old lives that they had in Egypt when they were slaves to Pharaoh, God had a wonderful plan for them they just could not see it. God used the snakes as punishment and for healing because after the Israelites repented God did not remove the snakes, He made a way for them to be healed when bitten. “Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.” ~Numbers 21:6-9. The snakes were seen as a sign of healing.
This past week has been reading about the wilderness (ours and the Israelites) and divine testing. We have read about the devil tempting Jesus in the wilderness; the Israelites demanding God to act when they are complaining about eating the same food day after day, they were bored and tired of the same ole same ole and tested the Lord. We looked at our own lives and our actions of testing God. We looked about Jonah being defiant about going to Nineveh as God had commanded, he eventually went to Nineveh, probably smelling “fishy” but he did do as God had commanded. We also read about the Jewish leaders at the temple trying to test Jesus asking him “The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” ~John 2:18.
Believe it or not there is a common theme in all these stories and it is about accepting Jesus and obeying what He commands. No finger pointing, we are all guilty maybe some more than others but sin is sin…no hierarchy. The Bible tells us, “Do not test the Lord your God!”
Luke 4:12
Deuteronomy 6:16
Matthew 4:7
When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are new and we are to put our old self away. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” ~2 Corinthians 5:17.
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” ~Ephesians 4:22-24.
As this week comes to a close on the study of “The Wilderness and Divine Testing” I am reminded of Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross, we are to lift Jesus up; His crucifixion, His resurrection and His ascension. We can discover the power and strength to live a new life in God. I have learned this week that “testing” and “trusting” are very powerful action words and the importance using them appropriately. I have also reaffirmed that life is hard sometimes, I also know that I am never alone. Jesus is always with me. Asking for forgiveness is not easy, if it were more people would be doing it. It’s hurts and is very painful to admit our faults. It’s uncomfortable and yet the feeling of releasing the vile truths about ourselves is so very healing. Peace and strength and yes forgiveness can all be found in Jesus when we humble ourselves and seek forgiveness and repent of our sins. My prayer is that you experience God in your life today.
How does experiencing Jesus lifted up help you to live a new life?
Breath Prayer: Jesus, open my eyes. Jesus help me see you lifted up! ~Amen
“Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” ~John 2:19
Divine testing has been the topic of discussion for this week, we have read about the devil tempting Jesus in the wilderness; we have read about the Israelites attempting to test God as they wondered in the wilderness, we have read in Luke about Jonah of the Old Testament and today in John we read about Jesus clearing the Temple as they were selling animals and exchanging money in His Father’s house. The Jews said to Jesus, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” ~John 2:18-19
Jesus was speaking about himself, although they did not realize or understand it at the time; Jesus was speaking of his own death and resurrection. Jesus was fully aware of the His purpose to be a ransom for all sin. He knew that salvation could only be done through His own death and that He could not ask the Father to intervene. Death would be conquered once and for all. “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.” ~Romans 6:10
One of the first Bible verses I memorized was John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” It’s also one of the most familiar verses in the Bible that many people know. I was several years into adulthood when I really truly understood the depths of this verse. I grew up in church and attended a Christian high school and College yet the magnitude of what Jesus did for all people did not fully hit me until I saw the movie “The Passion of the Christ” by Mel Gibson. Jesus suffered for us, He took our place…it is unimaginable the pain and the suffering He endured. Nothing can comparable to what Jesus willingly did for me and you, and every single person! As I continue my Lenten Study and I appreciate and invite you to follow along. My purpose for doing this daily blog and discussion is two-fold, first to grow closer to the God of all creation and secondly, to share God’s love with everyone that reads my blog. It is tempting to get caught up in seeing how many views I get or how many likes I get for my posts and I have remind myself that this is much deeper for me than mere statistics. Don’t get me wrong I love seeing people reading and liking my blog but the most important thing for me is sharing the love of Jesus, to be a stepping stone and not a stumbling block. I pray that your Lenten journey is life-giving and life-sustaining. Thanks for journeying with me.
What does it mean to you that Jesus willingly gave His life for you?
“He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” ~Luke 17:6
The author of the pamphlet I am using as a guide makes an important statement about Christianity, evidence of it, our questions, our doubts and our faith. She stated, “If we waited until we had all the answers about Christianity, we would never actually be Christians.” Following and believing in Jesus does not mean you have all the answers. What is required is faith! Just as the verse tells us faith the size of a mustard seed is extremely powerful! We could spend years trying to validate ourselves and the Bible but to what end(?). Salvation is here now, free to everyone who puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus called His disciples, “Come follow me!” ~Matthew 4:19
I read an interesting article while researching today’s verse and commentary. It is called, “What’s the Difference Between Doubt and Unbelief?” by Colin Smith. I will post the link below under references for you to view if you are interested. The article provides an outline of four separate views/perspectives about “doubt” and “unbelief.” They are:
1. You can’t have faith without questions.
2. You can only doubt what you already believe.
3. Doubt and unbelief are different.
4. You can help someone by discerning the difference.
God created us all unique and individual. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
God gave each of us a specific purpose.Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
God loves us so much, He sacrificed His one and only son so we could be redeemed of our sins once and for all. Romans 6:10 “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.”
Take the leap of faith! God is there waiting for you with arms opened wide.
Breath Prayer: Jesus, I believe, help my unbelief.
“As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” ~Luke 11:29
Quick fixes! Our culture and generation often looks for the fastest way to do things and the fastest ways to get to places. Life is 24/7/365…there’s always something happening, always something to watch on TV, endless activities to fill our lives with stuff, random empty stuff. The issue is we are never truly satisfied, we place band-aids on things that require additional and extensive attention. The scripture passage for today reminds us of Jonah’s story in Jonah 3:10
“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.”
The full passage of Luke tells us this, “As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here.”
Luke 11:29-32 (https://www.biblegateway)
Jesus calls us to REPENTANCE in both scripture passages, he didn’t use a “flashy” miracle in Jonah and He is not giving us one today, He wants our hearts, souls and minds to be transformed through our repentance and devotion to living a life pleasing to God.
Our transformation is not a single session of Sunday morning church, it’s taking the Sunday morning church message and living into throughout the week and sharing the Good News of Jesus every day. *Sunday morning church is not the message, some are unable to make that service due to work responsibilities and such, wherever you get your message from, (TV; internet; bible study…etc) it is in receiving that message that God calls us all to put into practice in our daily lives. We are called to practice our faith every day.
What is one way you can put the message you receive into your week?
I am so blessed to be able to talk freely about my faith and to speak the name of God with friends and coworkers. It is a natural flow in ones conversations when God is an active part of your life. God is an intrinsic part of me so I don’t try to exclude or include Him overtly into conversations because He’s a part of me, with God I am nothing and incomplete.
I learned this Breath Prayer today at bible study and wanted to share it with you: Breath Prayer: Jesus Christ son of God *inhale
Have mercy on my soul *exhale
“Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”. ~Matthew 4:7
I am a big fan of C.S.Lewis and this quote is from a favorite book of his, “A Grief Observed.” I have read it twice since 2012 after my mother passed away. I found much comfort in reading his words about losing someone special. When going through difficult times and nothing really makes sense the natural thing to do is asking a lot of “why” questions. When I was a child and did not really grasp the relationship between God and humans, I look back at moments in my life when I was completely “clueless.” I can remember a kind of “bartering” with God, asking God to help my softball team play well, asking God to help me play well and in exchange present some trade for “good behavior.” What a truly sad way of approaching life. I thank God for His continued “Grace & Mercy & Forgiveness” of my youth and misguided relationship with God. God is not a “fairy godmother” granting wishes. Prayer and a healthy prayer life is so much more than making requests of God, prayer is an opportunity to go before God and seek guidance and to gain knowledge. Bad things happen to good people as well as bad people; we are all God’s children, His creation and He loves each and every one of us. Sometimes it takes difficult situations for us to understand the depths of His live for us. I can tell you that I have a deeper appreciation and love for my mom now that she’s gone. Not that I didn’t appreciate her while she was here with me, I did! She was an amazing woman and I hope she knew just how much I loved her. I have learned so many lessons since losing her and grown in ways I never thought possible. A key factor is “trusting” God instead of “testing” God.
“God has not been trying an experiment on my faith or love in order to find out their quality. He knew it already. It was I who didn’t. In this trial He makes us occupy the dock, the witness-box, and the bench all at once. He always knew that my temple was a house of cards. His only way of making me realize the fact was to knock it down.” ~C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed
Today as you go about doing whatever it is that you do…take time to speak with God, speak from your heart and be open and receptive to the Spirit. And if the words are difficult just say “Jesus.” Take time to be “Holy.”
“Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.” ~Deuteronomy 6:16
IF THOU BUT TRUST IN GOD TO GUIDE THEE (Lyrics)
If thou but trust in God to guide thee,
With hopeful heart through all thy ways,
God will give strength, whate’er betide thee,
And bear thee through the evil days.
Who trusts in God’s unchanging love
Builds on the rock that nought can move.
Only be still, and wait God’s leisure
In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whate’er thy Keeper’s pleasure
And all-discerning love hath sent;
No doubt our inmost wants are clear
To One who holds us always dear.
Sing, pray, and swerve not from God’s ways,
But do thine own part faithfully;
Trust the rich promises of grace,
So shall they be fulfilled in thee.
God never yet forsook at need
The soul secured by trust indeed.
The pamphlet that I am using and the scripture verses covered have been telling us the story of the Israelites, following them from enslaved people in Egypt to God leading them to the Promised Land. Over and over we read stories of the Israelites testing God and complaining about their situation, even wishing they were back in Egypt under the rule of Pharaoh. We have read that God provided food for all the Israelites daily, free manna from Heaven and providing water to drink. And yet, the Israelites continued questioning and testing God.
When you are faced with doubt, what is a story of God’s faithfulness that you can turn to?My faithfulness story is Joseph. (Genesis 37-47)
“Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ” ~Matthew 4:5-6
Photo credit: slideplayer.com (Google Images)
There are times that words cannot adequately explain or tell a message but music can. I hope you find hope, strength and purpose through the songs/music I have included today. There is a paragraph from the guided pamphlet I am using that I want to share with you, it held great insights for me and I sincerely wanted to share it with you. The quote is taken from page 21 of “The Sanctuary For Lent 2018” written by Katie Z. Dawson. “Some doubts lead us to ask questions and engage deeper, and some doubts erect barriers. In the wilderness test, the devil’s statement drips with the second kind of doubt. The tempter is asking Jesus to prove God’s Word is true by forcing God’s hand. There are always conditions to this kind of faith.”
Breath Prayer: Jesus open my heart to hear your Words. ~Amen
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