Keep Your Derriere in the Chair

Exodus 24:12; 15-16; 18
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands so you can teach the people."

Then Moses climbed up the mountain, and the cloud covered it. And the glory of the LORD settled down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from inside the cloud.

Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He remained on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

Lord, it seems obvious that there are times when you make us wait to hear from you. Moses had to wait for six days. He had clear direction from you to go up the mountain and stay there. I can only imagine the doubts Moses must have had during those six days of waiting. I have some of those same doubts when I sit down to read your word and don't immediately get something from it.

I wonder if you are training me to be disciplined enough to stay there until I hear from you. Perhaps I need that discipline so that eventually I can climb higher up the mountain with you.

You also want me to show you and myself that I am fully committed and place my highest priority on hearing from you. Being willing to take that time to stay there and ignore all the other activities and entertainments that call to me takes a sacrifice on my part. It's yet another way I must die to myself so I can live for you.

Proverbs 3-5

Cry out for insight,

and ask for understanding.

Search for them as you would for silver;

seek them like hidden treasures.

Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD,

and you will gain knowledge of God.

Keep your derriere in the chair,

until the Lord meets you there!

MEMORY VERSES

All Have Sinned

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:23

All Have Sinned

All Have Sinned

Isaiah 53:6

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:6
All Have Sinned

The LORD Himself Will Fight For You

Romans 12:1

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Romans 12:1

Romans 1:16 (NIV)

I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Romans 1:16 (NIV)

Exodus 14:13-14

But Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm."

Lord, you had already been fighting for them. Just like a ravaging army, your plagues had decimated the land of Egypt. You even had the Israelites plunder the Egyptians before they left! The Israelites asked for and the Egyptians willing gave them their gold, silver and other valuables.

This battle at the Red Sea was the final rout of the Egyptians. And you, LORD, did it all. The Israelites had only to trust and obey.

The Israelites could do nothing for themselves anyway. While they were still in Egypt, they were so sorely oppressed that they were completely unable to defend themselves. At the Red Sea they were trapped. Pharaoh's army could have easily defeated them. But YOU were fighting for Israel.

Romans 8:31

If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

Lord, I thank you that even in the times when my enemy seems to have beaten me so down that I have no strength left to defend myself, YOU fight for me! When it seems that I am trapped and there is no way out of my difficulties, you will make a way where there was no way. My part is just to trust and obey. In Jesus Name, amen.

 

Fellowship in the Midst of Serving

Deuteronomy 33:26

There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor.

Deuteronomy 33:26

Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way, walk in it."

Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

Romans 1:16 (NIV)

I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Romans 1:16 (NIV)

Luke 41-42 (NIV)

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

I can imagine Martha thinking that men just don't understand the many details that need to be attended to when you are not only having a group of people for a meal, but also staying with you. I don't think the point was that those things didn't need to be done. Of course they needed to be done or the meal would never be served and sleeping arrangements never made. But Martha didn't need to be getting so worked up over them. She was allowing herself to miss out on fellowshipping with Jesus even as she served.

I think there are times to sit quietly at Jesus' feet and there are times to fellowship with him even as we serve.

Perhaps Jesus had Martha sit down and calm down for a bit as he spoke. And then he could have gotten up and gone to the kitchen with her to help prepare and serve the meal. I love this picture of Jesus helping, no, showing us how to serve with a sweet attitude after we've spent time with HIM.

Lord, please help me to serve my family with a sweet attitude. Help me to know when it is time to just sit quietly at your feet and when it is time to fellowship with you in the midst of serving. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Still in the Dungeon

Genesis 40

The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph, he forgot him. 
Genesis 40:23

Who can command things to happen without the Lord's permission? 
Lamentations 3:37 NLT

Joseph was eager to get out of a difficult situation. Who can blame him? He'd done nothing to deserve prison. I can imagine his excitement thinking, "Soon the cupbearer will mention me to Pharaoh and I'll be taken out of this dungeon." But then his disappointment when day after day no word came for his release.

Little did he know that God was working behind the scenes, not just for his release, but for the release of many others. The time was not yet right for Joseph's release. If the cupbearer had mentioned him right away, then he perhaps would never have gotten the opportunity to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, ultimately saving his whole family.

How often do I beg and plead with God to take me out of a painful situation when he just might be working behind the scenes to bring about not just my release, but also a release of others who are in bondage to sin? As Christians we are God's servants to use as he sees fit. He wants to use us to bring as many as possible to a redemptive relationship with him.

Thank you, Lord, that the painful times in my life are not wasted. Unbelievers are watching me and how I respond to these times. I pray that with your help, Lord, I would respond in ways that bring glory to you! amen

I wrote this before heading to church this morning. During worship we sang this song and it went so well with this that I had to add it in.