>Devotions from Exodus Part One: Learning to Live in Freedom

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Introduction
 
The journey that we are about to take through Exodus, is both a fulfilled Word and a great foreshadowing of Word to be fulfilled. As we proceed through the first 20 chapters of this amazing book we must take careful inventory of our hearts. We must examine ourselves and check the condition of our own hearts as we examine the heart of Pharaoh, of Moses, and the children of Israel.  
 
The children of Israel had been enslaved for 400 years when freedom finally came. Now that they are out of Egypt, God has to get Egypt out of them.
 
We, like these children of Israel, are born in bondage to sin and enslaved to the world and the enemy of our souls. When in and through and by Christ we are set free, we like the children of Israel have to learn what all this freedom means. After we have been taken out of the world, God has to then get the world out of us.
 
Let us follow the Israelites through these first twenty chapters of Exodus as they learn to live in their freedom. May we take notes as we travel this journey with them and learn from the examples that God has recorded for us in his Word.  I pray your eyes and heart will be open to the Spirit of God.
 
 
MOSES MEETS THE I AM
 
Now a new king arose over Egypt,
who did not know Joseph.
 Exodus 1:8
 
Genesis 49:27 and Deuteronomy 10:22 along with Exodus 1:5 tell us that seventy persons from the loins of Jacob came down to Egypt. Of course Joseph first came as a slave. The rest of the family came after God had advanced Joseph to second in command over all of Egypt. Jacob and his family enjoyed many years of peace in Egypt, yet with a new king comes new rules. I believe even Joseph experienced bondage again.
 
In Genesis 50:24 Joseph is reminding his brothers of the promise given to their father Abraham, the promise of the land. He also reminds them that God will take care of them. Knowing us as people, I would say that the children of Israel are already experiencing hardship from this new king or Joseph would not be reminding them of this promise.
 
We as humans seem to be perfectly content wherever we are at, as long as things are going good. Like the eagle who has to make the nest uncomfortable so that the eaglets will attempt to fly, so God has to sometimes make where we are uncomfortable so that we too will attempt to fly.
 
Possibly the sons of Jacob thought that as they grew and multiplied and as Joseph reigned in command life would always be in Egypt. Most likely many began calling Egypt home, forgetting the LORD their God, the God of their fathers, but Egypt was not their home and God is now beginning to remind them of the promise of home.
 
We live in this world, yet this is not home. Jesus said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.”(John 18:36) If we have received Christ and thus entered into His kingdom, then we too are no longer of this world (John 15:19). God tells us in His Word that we are not to love this world nor the things in the world (1John 2:15-17), this world is passing away, and this world is not our home.
 
If we are believers in Christ our citizenship is in His kingdom (Philippians 3:20)  Jesus told us that in this world we would have tribulation (John 16:33), this tribulation stems from many sources, our on flesh, our enemy Satan, and the fact that this world is fallen and groaning for redemption itself (Romans 8:20-21). As believers our response to the pains of life should not be to grow angry at God, but simply to grow in our desire to be home.
 
Oh Father,
 
How easy it is to slip into a state of complacency and apathy in this world. Especially if you live in comfort. Here I am, never truly experienced hunger, never not had a roof over my head, always had a closet full of clothing, never experienced the tyranny of an earthly king, yet how often have I found myself in a heap on the floor with tears streaming down my face praying you would just remove my life breathe from me. How often have I felt overwhelmed by this world, by the things of this world, by the pains of this world. How easy it would be to grow angry at You and attempt to accuse You of not loving me, that is after all how the enemy of my soul wants me to respond, but oh my Father, I cannot. As Job said, “Thou He slay me I will hope in Him”(Job 13:15). This is what I know, I know I have peace with You through Jesus Christ, and because I do I can rejoice in all things, because I know that Your love is poured out on and within me (Romans 5:1-5). In You, my Jesus, this world is not my home, and any pains I suffer just remind me of that fact and cause my anticipation to grow.
 
My Jesus it is in Your name I pray,
Amen

>Fast Accountability

>Okay so it’s after midnight and I have been searching my blog posts for a post I am pretty sure I did on the subject of fasting while studying Isaiah… although that could be one that was a draft then deleted or something I posted somewhere else or could be something I wrote in a journal with actual pen and paper…

The reason I was searching for it was to back up my reasons for this post and also to see where I was in my thought process concerning fasting when I wrote it. I feel the Lord has called me to a fast. However I do not have a set reason… other than the desire to be completely and totally in His will and walking in it with full confidence. There are several areas in my life where I go “well I don’t know… maybe this… or maybe that…” There are some areas that I need solid assurance not wishy washy maybes… because I know my God is a solid Rock… He is not wishy or washy… and He has a plan… I need to be still and see if He is willing to give me the heads up on what that plan might be.

However when I even think “fast” my stomach starts growling and my head starts hurting… and the excuses begin and the compromises come. So this is my accountability. I usually try a secret fast. The don’t-let-the-right-hand-know-what-the-left-hand-is-doing fast, but for me it makes it too easy to compromise and take a big ole bite of whatever.

Here’s the thing.
I will be teaching on love from 1 Corinthians 13 this coming Sunday morning as I finish up a study on spiritual gifts and then I will be leading an adult small group study from the book of Job beginning the next Sunday.
This Sunday, after my small group, I will immediately go to teach our children at church on Bible prophecy through the book of Revelation. 
On Monday I will be back to teaching during our homeschool co-op chapel time on the names of God and I also teach a Zoology class.
I also am involved in a prayer wall ministry and will be speaking at a ladies retreat in March.
Then of course their is my writing.
And being a wife to my wonderful husband.
And motherhood and homeschooling my girls.
And all the other stuff in between…

So many times people ask me how I have the time for all that I do… and I immediately begin to try to make excuses and justify and defend and basicly apologize for my service… I have no clue why I do that.

The simple truth is that as long as I am doing what He alone has called me to do, my God, the Author and Finisher, the I AM, the Beginning and the End, the One not bound by time, space, or matter, He always manages to make enough time for me to accomplish whatever He has called me to do. It’s all Him. And I have no clue how He does it… He just does.

So my fast…
My fast is to make sure that I am serving on His time, in His time, for His time, with His time, so that I always have time. In His strength not my own. Not my will but His will be done. No wishy-washy maybe but only a sold rock of assurance. I like my face set like flint, fully focused on the prize of my Christ. Obeying His Word, His Way, His will.

F aith
A mplifies
S urrendered
T ime

Accountability: to help me keep my mouth closed and my heart open

It’s 1am now…
I’ll let you know how well this fast goes.
Hopefully I will not be defeated with breakfast…

Names of God – Jehovah-jireh

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It’s time for another post in the Names of God series. We have done a little study on the names Elohim, El Elyon, El Roi, El ShaddaiEl OlamAdonia, and Jehovah. Today we will discover more about the character of our God as we take a look at His name, Jehovah-jireh.

We first see this name of God in Genesis. To discover the meaning of this name of our God we go again to Abraham. We go to the day that an old man of great faith is asked by his God to do the unthinkable. We go to Genesis 22:1-14.

In Genesis 22, we go to the day that God calls out to Abraham to take his son… his son that he loves… and sacrifice him to Him. This is the first time the word love is used in Scripture. I think that has to be for a reason… don’t you? God has always tried to show us, to teach us, that love is about sacrifice.

 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering
and laid it on Isaac his son,
and he took in his hand the fire and the knife.
So the two of them walked on together.
Genesis 22:6
What a beautiful picture this was of our Savior. A small foreshadowing of what was to come. Abraham walked with his son, ready to be wholly surrendered in absolute committed obedience to his God. He walked on in faith. He walked on trusting in the promises of his God. His God who had given His Word that through Isaac he would become a great nation and all the nations would be blessed in him. So somehow he knew that his God would provide life for his son and life for those who were to come through the seed of his son… even though now He asked for his death.
They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out,
bearing His own cross,
to the place called the Place of a Skull,
which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.
John 19:17
Jesus walked to the place of His sacrifice and He carried the wood on His back and it was His Father that walked with Him. It was His Father who carried the fire and the knife. The difference in the story is found in this name we are looking at today… Jehovah-jireh, the LORD Will Provide.
Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked,
and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns;
and Abraham went and took the ram
and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. 
Abraham called the name of that place
The LORD Will Provide,
as it is said to this day,
“In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.”
Genesis 22:13-14
Abraham’s son was spared. God’s Son was not. The ram that spared Isaac… was a picture of the Lamb that would not be spared in order to not only spare Isaac, but to spare you and I. The Lord would provide the sacrifice that was needed. It would be God who would take His Son, His Only Begotten Son, His Son Whom He loved, and sacrifice Him… for us.
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29
***
For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son,
 that whoever believes in Him shall not perish,
but have eternal life. 
For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world,
but that the world might be saved through Him.  
John 3:16-17
It would be God who would provide the sacrifice for our sin. However the sacrifice for our sin is not the only necessity that our God has promised to provide.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Matthew 6:11
 ***
And my God will supply all your needs
according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 
Philippians 4:19
Our God promises to supply our daily needs. He knows what we need. He has promised to meet those needs according to His riches… according to His will… according to His way. He always provides what is best when it is best.
Last year I found myself clinging to a particular Psalm all year… over and over I would come back to the promises of my God and would hold on to them for dear life. That Psalm was Psalm 34. As I read threw this Psalm I noticed the repeating of the word “all”. It was this word that I clung to as I held on to this Word of my God, my God whose name is Jehovah-jireh.
 I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul will make its boast in the LORD;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
O magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.
 O taste and see that the LORD is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the LORD, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.
Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry. 
 The face of the LORD is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
The righteous cry, and the LORD hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.