Daily Archives: March 15, 2012

Devotional Studies Through the Bible, Proven Path Ministries

Coming to the Mountain

 

In the third month

after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt,

on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 

Exodus 19:1

 

The children of Israel have finally made it to the mountain. In Exodus 3:12 God spoke to Moses through a burning bush and told him, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” Now here they are camped at the foot of this very mountain. 

When Moses went to Pharaoh he asked permission for the children of Israel to be allowed a three day journey into the wilderness in order to go and worship their God. Three months later and many signs and wonders later, the people gather to hear from their God. It just hit me as I write this, that all that Moses did before this moment was by faith. The sign that it was indeed God who sent him to Pharaoh has just now occurred over three months later.

I wonder how many nights Moses lay in bed tossing and turning wondering if he had lost his mind, wondering if he was indeed a fool who had just brought millions of people out into the wilderness to die. I would like to think that he was this mighty man of faith, but the truth is, he was human like you and I. He was flesh, sinful, weak flesh. He was just a man. I love how our God does not hide the weaknesses and failures of His servants. It gives me hope that maybe, just maybe, God could use me too.     

In Exodus 19:3 we read that Moses has gone up to God and the LORD has called to him from the mountain with the message He has for the house of Jacob, the children of Israel. The message is:

You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians,

and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself.

Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant,

then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples,

for all the earth is Mine;

and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Exodus 19:4-6

This was God’s plan. This entire nation was to be a kingdom of priests to the entire earth. Every nation was to learn how to worship the One True Living Creator God, the I AM, through the house of Jacob, through the children of Israel. This was God’s offer to this people He had redeemed from under the hand of Pharaoh and the false gods of Egypt.

Moses came to the people and he delivered God’s message to them and the people responded, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do!” (Exodus 19:8).

Yes Lord, we agree to your offer. We accept it willingly. Their journey was just now about to begin. They had accepted an awesome honor, but with this honor come grave responsibility. To whom much is given much is required (Luke 12:48).      

Oh Father,

Our journey of faith does not really begin until we answer that call from You and say “Yes, Lord all that You have spoken I will do.” It is Your grace that comes to us and approaches us and it is Your grace that gives us the mustard seed amount of faith to say yes. It is then by Your grace through that given faith that we walk this journey. Just as You called Israel to be Your priest so You have called me to be in Christ. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

My Jesus it is in Your name I pray,

Amen

 

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

The Dating Game

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Let us remember that these last few days have been focused on equipping ourselves with some tools and answers for the icky questions for ourselves and others. Today we are going to look at the dating thing.

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Day Thirty-One

We live in a world that thinks you gotta try it before you buy it. A world where free samples are given out as an incentive to purchase the whole thing. A world where the newcomer receives all the perks and deals and the one that has been the faithful loyal customer is treated with contempt… and this is exactly how our world is viewing dating and marriage as well.

I am not a fan of dating. I don’t like it. I don’t think you need to “try” a lot of boys out before you decide if he’s “the one” and then you end up tied to the wrong one in the testing process while the right one walks on by and sweeps someone else off their feet while you cry in your pillow at night because you don’t know how to get out of this “trying out” one that you have just realized is going nowhere.

 

Let me share Shannon’s story from Dannah’s book-Shannon is in college. Dannah said she had a brightness in her eyes and a freedom in her spirit that set her apart from many of the other girls she had talked to. Shannon loves Jesus and she is a virgin. This decision has been costly for Shannon.

She sits alone in silence in class while those around her talk and laugh about what happened at last night’s party. She didn’t go and she chooses not to get involved in the conversation of those who did. Some of Shannon’s friends don’t understand why she doesn’t go, but Dannah shared how Shannon raised her chin a little and held her shoulders higher as she said, “… but I’ve never felt the desire to get into the party scene. And because of that, I feel I’m more in control of my life.” 

Dannah shares that Shannon is now studying art history abroad in Rome, having the time of her life. She is a contrast to many young women who are so worried about holding together a short-term relationship that they can’t even consider taking advantage of such opportunities. 

 

Like I said, I don’t like dating. I truly believe that God is capable of bringing your spouse to you right in the midst of you just being obedient to Him. Remember Rebekah and Isaac (Genesis 24). She was just out taking care of the sheep. Doing life. And God sends her Prince Charming to her. She didn’t have to go find him.

However, if you are going to date, I think you should date as friends.

Your relationship can really be tested as you get to know each other (not your bodies) and find out if you actually like each other and not the sex.

A dating or courtship relationship will tell you how well equipped a guy is to exercise the staying power of faithful love, both with you and with God.

 

Dannah shares another story about Kevin.

Kevin had fallen many times and learned his body was sometimes stronger than his spirit. He wanted to be known as a guy who protected girls, especially the girl he most loved. That meant he had to take even kissing off the table. It was too much for him. It created an override in his normally self-controlled character.

So, no kissing until “I do.”

The girl who would marry Kevin would know his past. His weakness. His hurt. And she’d share in it through self-restraint.

Dannah also shares about Lauren. Lauren was fifteen and a new Christian. You see her boyfriend had led her to Christ. Then he tried to lead her to bed. She said no and he broke up with her.

Then Lauren went to college.

Lauren ran into Kevin and Kevin shared his no kissing decision with Lauren and she laughed and said, “Good luck finding that girl!”

Kevin and Lauren had their first kiss before their family, and friends, and God at the altar, right after the preacher man said, “You may now kiss the bride”

May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine. 
“Your oils have a pleasing fragrance,
Your name is like purified oil;
Therefore the maidens love you. 
“Draw me after you and let us run together!
The king has brought me into his chambers.”

Song of Solomon 1:2-4

 

Are you crying?

I am!

As I write this I cry… this is what I want for my girls. This is what I want for my nieces and nephews.

Real love.

Real, true love.

Real, true, faithful love.

Staying love.

Love that is based on self-sacrifice not self-gratification. Love that is based on truth not emotion. Love that is faithful, true, and loyal not wishy-washy, false, and fickle.

My husband and I talk, and as we look back at our lives and our past, we wish we could go back and do things different. Oh how we wish we could, but we can’t. All we can do is forget what lies behind and press forward to what lies ahead.

Your challenge today is to do that. To press forward. God has not called us to live in the past, but He has called us to a future and a hope.

 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD,

‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 

Jeremiah 29:11

Maybe you did it all wrong… maybe you are doing it all wrong. It is not to late to stop living in the past regrets and present failings.

Stop.

And be still and know that He is God. He does love you with real, true, faithful, staying love. Trust Him.

 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect,

but I press on so that I may lay hold of

that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet;

but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind

and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 

press on toward the goal for the prize

of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14