Daily Archives: February 23, 2012

Devotional Studies Through the Bible, Proven Path Ministries

Following the Crowd or Christ

Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea,

and they went out into the wilderness of Shur;

and they went three days in the wilderness

and found no water.

Exodus 15:22

 

The children of Israel and the mixed multitude that just finished singing the praises of the great Redeemer have been three days now on their journey to the promised land. Moses has led them into the wilderness of Shur. Psalm 77:20 says, “You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” My friend, do not miss that it was indeed the Lord who led them into this wilderness.  

Three days into this wilderness and the people see no sign of water. Three days, a mere seventy-two hours, since the children of Israel, since the people who journeyed out of Egypt, witnessed the greatness of the arm of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Three days, no water in sight, then the people come to a place called Marah.

Marah in Hebrew means bitter. The people finally find water only to discover that it is bitter and not safe to drink. Now how do these people who witnessed the LORD turn the Nile into blood and then make it water again respond to this bitter water now? Do they immediately cry out in faith to God and ask Him to make the water pure?  

No, sadly they turn to Moses and they attack him with their complaints, “So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?” (Exodus 15:24). 

In Moses response to the people’s grumbling we see why he is the one leading these people. Moses does not attempt to fix the situation himself. He doesn’t begin grumbling with the people. He doesn’t crumble in the presence of the people or fall into despair at their complaints against him. He doesn’t pace about and scratch his head doubting his ability to lead these people. He has already been through that at the burning bush before God, and before his people and before Pharaoh. We read that he looks up and cries out to the LORD. The people look to Moses, but Moses looks to God. 
 

The Lord shows Moses a tree, and Moses throws this tree into the water, and the waters become sweet. Oh precious one this is a beautiful picture of the cross of our Christ. When Moses threw in this tree, the tree soaked up all the bitterness of the water and then the waters were sweet to drink. On the cross, on that cursed tree, Jesus Christ took upon Himself all our sin, all our hurts, all our failures, all our bitterness, “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24). 

The Scripture goes on to say in Exodus 15:25 that it was here at Marah that the Lord made a statute and regulation to the people. It is here that He begins to teach them how they are to walk with Him. It is here at the waters of Marah that the Lord tests them. My friend God does not tempt us, but He does test us. The test is not for Him, the test is for us, so that we may know our hearts and learn if we really trust the One we claim to serve? 

The Lord then says “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.” (Exodus 15:26).  

*If you write in your Bible, underline this verse for we have just been introduced to another name of our God, Jehovah-rapha, the Lord is our Healer.  

We also need to underline “if you will.” This goes back to the test and the question of trust in the Lord our Healer. For without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). And my friend let others say what they may, but our obedience to God’s commands proves our faith in Him. If we refuse to walk according to His Word, then we do not trust Him, and He is under no obligation to heal us of anything.

 Jesus tells us in John 14:23 “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word;…” In John 15:10, He says “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 that we are saved if we hold fast the gospel that has been preached to us. He shows us it is possible to believe in vain.  

Now how would we know if we have believed the gospel in vain? We cannot look into our hearts and see the seal of the Holy Spirit upon it. So how would we know, how could others know? Hebrews 3:14 declares, “For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.”  

It goes back to the test. It goes back to that very big word, if. “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” (1 John 2:3) Oh precious one, from Genesis to Revelation the message has not changed. If we trust Him we will obey Him, and if we do not obey Him, we never really trusted Him at all. We simply were just following the crowd. 

 

Oh Father,


I can look at these people who have just witnessed Your awesome acts and yet now fear death from lack of being able to see water and I could judge them for their lack of faith, but then I look at myself. I realize that I have responded the same way many times before. Forgive me for the times that I have grumbled in the moment of testing. How quickly we can forget all that You have done and doubt Your love and even Your very existance. Thank You, Father, for being a God who is longsuffering and has everlasting lovingkindness. You are the LORD my God, and when my times of testing come, may I respond in obedience to Your Word. May I show my love for You and prove to myself that I am indeed Your child and that I have not just followed the crowd. How thankful I am that proof is found in repentance not perfection.


My Jesus it is in Your name I pray,

Amen 

Confessions of a Christian Wife, Proven Path Ministries, Thirty-three Day Challenge

Accepted In Christ

 

 

The next few days we are going to focus on either discovering for the first time or reminding ourselves all over again who we are in Christ.

I am convinced that so many of us struggle with what we struggle with simply because we have not realized who we are in Him. It just has not sunk in. We just have not figured out how we could be so intimately and intricately loved by an almighty God that we can not physically see or touch or even audibly hear.
I pray that as we continue this challenge that you will become ever more convinced of His lavished lovingkindness and delight and  absolute sheer giddiness over you.
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Day Ten
Today our focus is to discover (or remember) that we are accepted in Christ.

In her book Shannon recommends that you print this list off and put it on your bathroom mirror and read it every time you enter. My challenge is for you to print it off and put it on your mirror and then print it off again and take it with you to work or school so that you have it with when you leave the house. Keep it with you until March 17th and read it everyday.

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I AM ACCEPTED IN CHRIST


I am God’s child

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

John 1:12

I am Christ’s friend

No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends,

John 15:15


I have been justified

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 5:1


I am united with the Lord and one with Him in spirit

But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

1 Corinthians 6:17

I have been bought at a price; I belong to God

For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body
1 Corinthians 6:20


I am a member of Christ’s body

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.

1 Corinthians 12:27


I am a saint

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,    To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:

Ephesians 1:1


I have been adopted as God’s child

He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

Ephesians 1:5


I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit

for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father

Ephesians 2:18


I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins

in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:14


I am complete in Christ

and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

Colossians 2:10

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How we see ourselves affects how we live and the decisions we make. If we see ourselves as weak, tempted beyond control, or needy, then that is how we will behave. But if that is what we still believe and how we still behave, then Christ’s death on the cross was in vain. He died so that His Holy Spirit could fill our emptiness, heal our hurts, and satisfy our every need.

~ Shannon Ethridge

Ladies, for the rest of this challenge study up on the truths of these Scriptures. Let God prove His Word to you. Open up your heart to Him and let His acceptance, His affirmation, His affection, flood your inner being and let the truth of who you are in Him overflow in and through your actions.

Oh precious one, never, ever forget who you are in Him and how very much He loves you…