Tag Archives: Moses

Manna

manna

And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over until morning.” But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it until morning, and it became wormy and rotten. Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed, but when the sun grew hot, it melted. Exodus 16:19, 21

When I went grocery shopping this week, I wondered how long what I had bought would last. We as humans like to plan ahead, to get things ready for the future, to do what we can to make life easier for ourselves at some later date.

That’s when I think about the Israelites and the manna God gave them. It came every day. They had just enough for that day, and if they saved any for later, it spoiled. What was God telling them (and us) by providing manna in this manner?

To me, it says that God wants us to live for each day and not over-plan ourselves. We are not in control of what will happen. Only God is. He provides us every day with as much as we need, and he does not want us to think beyond that when it comes to our basic human needs. God has got us covered.

So each morning, let us celebrate and enjoy the food we have in the pantry, the clothes we have to wear, the roof we have over our heads. This is God’s manna to us, his daily provision. Let us savor and be grateful for what we have and not wish for more. What God has given us, whatever it is, is enough, and we can trust that what he provides to us day after day will always be enough.

Moses and the Prophets

Moses and the prophets

[The rich man in hell] said, “Then I beg you, father, to send [the poor man Lazarus in heaven] to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them” (Luke 19:27-29).

In this modern world, we now have more access than ever through the internet to amazing and wondrous acts that talented people have done. We almost become numb to videos that show us flawless stunts and inspiring feats of strength. So it does make me wonder if anyone would even notice if poor Lazarus rose from the dead to warn the world of the torment to come to those who do not repent of their sins and believe in Jesus.

Abraham tells the rich man in hell that his family has the words of Moses and the prophets to turn them from their unbelief. We still have the words of Moses and the prophets to share with those who are searching for meaning or unaware of the power of God over sin or skeptical of Jesus as our Savior. It is our role to put those prophetic words in front of people so that they may see the true wonder that awaits us in heaven. Consider sharing the following words of Moses and the prophets today:

Moses said to the people, “Remember this day on which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, because the Lord brought you out from there by strength of hand“ (Exodus 13:3). The strength of the Lord brings us out of our slavery to sin to this day.

The prophet Isaiah said, “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus is the Child sent from God to rescue us from all danger to life everlasting.

The prophet Jeremiah said, “Thus says the Lord: The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness” (Jeremiah 31:2). We have a God who provides us with grace when we need it most.

The prophet Zephaniah said, “The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). We have a God who loves us and wants to be with us.

Let these words amaze and inspire us to live out our faith here on earth with an eye toward the glory to be revealed.

Holy Ground

holy ground

“Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” —Exodus 3:5

When Moses came to the brushing bush, God told him that he was on holy ground. He took off his sandals and he listened to what God had in mind for him—to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let God’s people go from Egypt. This was a special moment, a sacred space, a monumental experience for Moses. On that day heaven touched earth and God’s presence and will were made known.

We, too, stand on holy ground at significant times in our lives—at the birth of child, at the deathbed of a loved one, at the altar when we become a husband or wife, when a perfect job opportunity is placed before us, when we decide to move to a new location, when a Bible verse alters our approach to living. These times do not come along every day and that is why we savor them. While we do not need to take off our shoes when we recognize that we are on holy ground, this is an instance when we need to sense more deeply with our whole being what is happening, fully feeling God’s mighty presence come down to earth.

When we have stood on holy ground, our lives change forever. Our will and way tie in with God’s. Our purpose and plan take on a new form. Our dependence on God comes to the forefront. We know we cannot do the holy work before us on our own, so we put our trust in the Holy One who can empower us all with his strength. Stay grounded in the holiness of God, in which he has allowed us to stand.

Stay Strong

stay strongI found this prayer in a booklet I wrote long ago and it was one of those times when it felt like my past self was talking to my present self and saying, “Listen up!”

Here is the prayer:

I am feeling weak. But you, O God, are strong. And you give strength to your people. As you gave strength to Abraham, so keep me strong in my faith. As you gave strength to Moses, so keep me strong over the long haul. And as you gave strength to David, so keep me strong in the face of giant obstacles.

This prayer helps me to remember that I am not alone whenever I feel weak. Our great patriarchs felt weak in their lives, and God gave them strength. Abraham in his old age (and Sarah in her old age) were promised a son but it didn’t happen right away. But God gave Abraham strength to have faith in the promise. And Isaac was born in God’s time. God even gave Abraham the strength to be willing to sacrifice that son until an angel stopped him from going through with it. That same strength from God keeps me strong in my faith in him no matter what the promise or test.

I think of Moses, too, who felt weak in leading the Israelites out of slavery, saying he didn’t speak well. But God gave him strength to lead his people out of Egypt and guide them on a 40-year journey through the wilderness to the doorstep of the Promised Land. That same strength from God keeps me patient and confident in the extensive journeys through my life and through any qualms I may have of not being capable of completing the plans he has for me.

Then there is David, who as a young shepherd boy, seemed to be no match to the giant Goliath. But God gave David strength to fling his slingshot with a stone and fell that foe. God gives me that same strength against the giant foe of the devil that I may defeat his slings and arrows with the Word of God in my arsenal. I may be small in the grand scheme of things, but I am mighty in the presence of the Lord. Let me never forget that.

 

 

Cairns

cairnsWhen I was hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park and other places like it, I noticed stones stacked up into little towers along the way. I now know that those collections of rocks are called cairns and they are placed there by hikers to guide future hikers along the path to show them where to go. Over the centuries, cairns have also been used as landmarks and memorials.

I got to thinking that cairns of sorts were used in the Bible by Abraham, Moses and Jacob as altars. Check out these verses:

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. —Genesis 22:9

Abraham built this altar to acknowledge that God is God on his journey through his life, and he was saying through this cairn that he would obey God’s will. Of course, God would send an angel to stop Abraham from sacrificing his son. But later, God would sacrifice his own Son, Jesus, on the altar, the cairn, if you will, of the cross, which was erected on a rock hill called Golgotha.

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Speaking Out

MosesIn the May 2017 issue of Living Lutheran, President of Bread for the World David Beckmann talked about the role of the Church in combating hunger.

In the article he noted, “God did not send Moses to Pharaoh to take up a collection of canned goods, but rather to insist that he let the slaves go free” (Living Lutheran, May 2017, p. 12).

I found that interesting and motivating. Sometimes we as the Church are called to stand up for the rights of the hungry, the thirsty, the downtrodden. We must do what we can to get to the root of the problem and not just put a Band-Aid on it.

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