Another week has flown by... wow!
I want to give you fair warning, some of the details of the next readings can seem a bit boring and unimportant. They will be VERY easy to skip. Please don't. Remember that nothing in this Book is unimportant, hard to understand maybe, but not unimportant. The details of God's instructions to the Israelites foreshadow our inability to maintain holiness without a Savior. The details of the Ark of the Covenant well, they are interesting. The details show the exactness of our God. (Did you notice Moses put manna in a jar that would later be put in the Ark?) So no matter how boring the details seem, press on my friends, we have a goal to meet and God has a story to tell.
My daughter is participating in an in-town youth retreat this weekend and my hubby has to work. It is just me and my little man hanging out. Wonder what we will do?
I love you all and can't express enough how privileged I feel to be studying the Word with you each day.
P.S. Keep checking back throughout the weekend. There will be something new in the sidebar soon. Smile
If you have time, visit some of my friends this weekend.
Karen Ehman is giving some stuff away.
Lisa Whittle and She Seeks is helping to support earthquake relief in Haiti.
Lysa TerKeurst is giving away a bible study set.
I want to give you fair warning, some of the details of the next readings can seem a bit boring and unimportant. They will be VERY easy to skip. Please don't. Remember that nothing in this Book is unimportant, hard to understand maybe, but not unimportant. The details of God's instructions to the Israelites foreshadow our inability to maintain holiness without a Savior. The details of the Ark of the Covenant well, they are interesting. The details show the exactness of our God. (Did you notice Moses put manna in a jar that would later be put in the Ark?) So no matter how boring the details seem, press on my friends, we have a goal to meet and God has a story to tell.
My daughter is participating in an in-town youth retreat this weekend and my hubby has to work. It is just me and my little man hanging out. Wonder what we will do?
I love you all and can't express enough how privileged I feel to be studying the Word with you each day.
P.S. Keep checking back throughout the weekend. There will be something new in the sidebar soon. Smile
If you have time, visit some of my friends this weekend.
Karen Ehman is giving some stuff away.
Lisa Whittle and She Seeks is helping to support earthquake relief in Haiti.
Lysa TerKeurst is giving away a bible study set.
42 Comments:
I couldnt sleep so I decided to get up and read your post for today. I became excited when I noticed the link that says Read Through The Word in the list above your post. When I opened it I found the link that says One Year Chronological Reading-NLT where I found the weekly reading schedule. I wish I had seen this at the beginning of the year. I'm excited because I can now follow along with the rest of you. I've been reading my Bible according to the order of the books but I still have been following your teaching each day. I'll get myself on track.
I live in D.C. and yesterday morning it started snowing for the third time in the past week. This is our second major snow storm for this winter. I don't remember the last time we had so much snow in one winter season. They are calling for 16 to 24 inches. It is also quite windy, brrr.
We have a new name this morning!!
Yahweh-nissi= The LORD our banner.
At one point in todays reading, I did get alittle, 'ah, they said this already.' Then I had to ask the LORDs forgiveness, because it went into how they put the Manna in a jar. I knew that they did that, but I had forgotten.
I think the thing I love the most out of todays reading was Ex. 19:4 You know how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.
I am soaring today on eagles' wings and being brought to my Father. I love that!!
Pray everyone has a blessed and safe weekend.
Happy Saturday All ~
Thank you, Wendy for a week in the Word-yes, it’s been a whirl-wind of a week for me, too! I’m sure you and your little man will be doing something centered around “wheels!” smile...
My current Beth Moore, Bible Study is parked right now where we are reading! We are “examining[ing] the most vivid portrait of God’s Son in the O.T.: the tabernacle.” We’ve been doing some background preparation, and next week we begin to break the ground as it is constructed. I remember from last year, it was difficult reading. Like Wendy said it is part of God’s Word. He is going to reveal BIG stuff to us; we just have to anticipate this. Beth told us that each day as we begin to read, to pray that we will expect to hear a fresh word from God. Remember God’s Word is "His Words," speaking to us! Every time we open up His book, we will have a fresh conversation with Him! As we read each day, we pray, “Lord, I want the mind of Christ, to comprehend the riches of Your Word.” He’s going to come through for us, sweet friends! Each of us will deeply enrich each other. Lord, open our minds’ so that we will have understanding as we read through the instructions for the Tabernacle.
I loved reading about the LORD revealing Himself at Sinai (Ex 19). What does He tell us if we are willing to (1) obey Him & (2) keep His covenant: we will be His “own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth” (Ex. 19:5). The KJV uses the word, “peculiar.” Strong’s states, “jewel, special, exclusive.” In His eyes, we are His jewel’s! Exclusively we each belong to Him. We are His special treasure’s! Don’t ya just love that? God uses this same word in the following verses:
De 14:2, 26:18, Titus 2:14, Ps 135:4, Ec 2:8 & I Pet 2:9
Thank you dear friends for blessing me this week. I wish each of you were in front of me so I could give you a big hug ---and, I’m just loving the new ones as they daily come on board! The Spirit is prompting you, and you are obeying His voice! Prayer’s coming your way, Lori
Hey GIG! Yay for the weekend!
Today I clicked with Aaron and Hur holding up Moses' arm when he got tired.
When someone we know is tired, worn out, cannot go on, do we, like Aaron and Hur, moved along side of them, helping them to rest and continue lifting their arms toward Heaven? It was such a nice visual for me as to what we need to do for and with others.
Regarding the manna placed in the ark for future generations to see; I wonder if that will ever be us? Where is the Ark? So intriguing.
Morgen
Morning GIG~
I focused on the same passage that Morgen did when they were fighting Amalek. I remembered from last summer in Beth Moore's Esther study her talking about Amalek. I love it when God will remind me of how all of scripture fits together, it is just the coolest to me :) Anyway, God says He will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven (Ex 17:8-16). When Saul was king they faced these same enemies and God asked him to totally wipe out ALL of them, all meaning all people, cattle, everything. Saul did not obey fully though, he only opened part way and captured their king Agag and plundered their best animals for sacrifices. God was not pleased with him and he lost his kingship as a result. See 1 Samuel 15:10-23 for the story. God wants our fully obedience and He knows the reasons why that we may not can even see. In Esther Beth traced Haman's family line and he was a descendant of King Agag. If you are not familiar with the story, Haman tried to annialate all the Jews and have them killed by passing a decree because one of them did not bow down and worship him. He passed a law to wipe all Jews as a result. God had a plan and He used a Jewish woman named Esther to fulfill His plan, but we can see how this whole thing unfolds all the way starting back here in Exodus. The stronghold of hate towards the Israelites was passed down generation after generation and I will stop there because that goes into what I read for tomorrow's reading and what God drew my attention to :)
You all have a wonderful Saturday!
Brandee, TN
PS Wendy saw the sidebar! Too cool!!! That would be awesome!!!
Ok, I just proofed my post..I meant he only obeyed part way not opened, lol. Result of talking to Will about Mario and typing at the same time :)
good morning GIG!
i am so full of joy and peace this morning! no one is yet awake, and i have been able to catch up on the last 3 days of readings/vlogs/postings that i missed when i was on call at the hospital... praising God for this gorgeous winter wonderland in PA.... awoke to 18 stunning inches of white snow, and the quiet peacefulness it brings... i am snuggly in my study, wool socks and fuzzy bathrobe over flannel jammies, postitioned in front of my computer with colored pens, notebook, Bibles, sticky notes, and You guys!! this is the BEST!! i love to study, and i love to study with this amazing group of God Girlfriends (and men!)
since i am catching up, i wanted to comment of commemorate/deliverance... i praise the Lord for my many deliverance experiences that define my life... a once barren couple is now a joyous family living for the Lord. i have a life's calling to serve His people via my medical career where i am able to minister to His people's needs daily. i have made it out of many scary situations by His grace (lawsuits, scary patient emergencies...) and KNOW on Whom i trust and rely for my very breath and existance. my children and husband serve and love God. i praise Him, I love Him, I serve Him....whoa, i'm pumping myself up!! :)
about a year ago i felt moved to 'remember' better...i put my praise reports on my computer in a file that i keep open/minimized at all times....then i update the list much more often and praise HIm and thank Him much more often, because i always have the little tab on my screen that says 'Praise'. i do the same for my prayer list, and do find i'm praying much more frequently too... do know that i have your names/intentions in these lists, as well as the Praise reports!! thank You Jesus!!
my family watched 'the 10 commandments: the musical" last night since we are in this portion of the Bible. it may sound hokey, but it is FABULOUS! val kilmer is moses, and the voices, songs, dancing is amazing!! i think it was from 2005, and was taped in L.A....it is available for $5.99 from amazon or christian book distributers. my kids watch it over and over and sing its songs which are Scripture based. i can't recommend it enough, and it is so entirely applicable to where we are now in the Bible! (as a caveat, my 11yo tess fell in love with the character joshua, who belts out beautiful songs to God. the singer/actor is adam lambert, who i wasn't aware is currently in the public eye. when she googled him to see if we could watch him do anything more current she saw his last year's american idol escapades, and was so saddened...she prayed for him to be delivered, and saved. then she decided that with his current notariety, if he was publically Saved, he'd bring all his fans to the Lord too!!! i love her heart!!)
thank you all for sharing this blessed morning with me! i love you and cherish this journey together!
amy jane
hi friends!
i just read brandee's post about her esther study, and it reminds me of another dvd well worth watching (can you tell we are 'visual' learners in my family?)
it is called 'one night with the king' and was created/produced by matt and laurie crouch of trinity broadcasting network, TBN, a 24hour Christian tv station that has satellites that broadcast around the world. we have it on at all times in our house, and when they create a media release, it is fantastic. one night with the king came out a few years ago and was briefly in mainstream movie theaters. the dvd is available at amazon and Christian book distributors, as well...
it is beautifully and grandly done, with some famous faces. the theme is 'one night with the King can change your life', that even an orphan can do amazing things for God', and of course, that we were 'born into the kingdom for such a time as this!!'
i just may re-watch it today, as we hunker down for a snowed in weekend...with snacks, of course!!
love you friends,
amy jane
Happy weekend all,
Before God provided quail and manna, He said He would test the Israelites to see whether or not they would follow His instructions.
(Ex. 16:4)
Explicit details were given about the food. Some people obeyed and some didn't.This seemed to be just the beginning for the Isrealites to follow God's instructions.What a little thing to do.
There were battles ahead of them. A lot of times God fought for them, requiring simple instructions to follow and obeying by faith.Perhaps they needed step-by-step faith progressing toward bigger things requiring bigger faith. Is it like that for us? Do we start out with baby seps of faith and progress to giant steps of faith? Sometimes I digress back to baby steps of faith. (My granddaughter's footprints in the snow are small compared to mine. However, mine are small compared to my husband's prints.)
Skipping to chapter 18, The Lord tells us to teach His decrees, instructions,and how to conduct our lives as leaders. What a responsibility.
Last spring, I had a wonderful experience of seeing an eagle fly over me outside my home. Its wing span was huge. Is.40:31 came to my mind, but now Ex.19:4 tells me He carries me on eagles wings and brings me to Him. What a picture!
Chapters 20 and 21 provide us with The Ten Commandments and laws to live by. Without them, would we realize our sinfulness and need for a Savior? The world wants to hide them, but can we?
Enjoy the snow y'all. Ours finally melted.
In everything give thanks.
Linda from Arkansas
Good Morning all! The sun is shining here, with just an inch of snow on the ground, but the temperatures are very cold, 19 degrees right now.
I camped out on 18:20 "Teach them God's decrees and give them his instructions.Show them how to conduct their lives." As adults we are still to teach other of God's laws, be it our children, nieces, or just the neighborhood group of teens.
Have a great Saturday, making ready for a day of rest.
Gaylene
Good morning all you GIGs with snow! I am so jealous-here in SC we have not had any this year!! Today's reading was a lot of familiar things to me but I still learned some things. The old for me was that God provided manna and then water from the rock when they were thirsty. This reminded me that God is our rock and provides for us when we need it but He provides the living water through Himself. My new was that Jethro - Moses' father-in-law came to visit and brought Moses wife and 2 sons with him. I did not remember Moses sending them away. Were they not there for the mighty Exodus? Then God reveals Himself on Mt. Sinai by a dense cloud of smoke through which he descended on the mountain in the form of fire! Wow! When God shows up He really shows up! How many times has He shown up in our lives but we don't see Him? My to do was to remind myself that God always provides and whatever our need is just trust, not complain and He will provide for us. I also need to stand still and watch the Lord for when I do and slow down I see amazing things being done by Him. But if I don't take time, I miss out on blessings and miracles along the way and I might even miss a divine appointment. Hope you all have a great week-end
Hello everyone! It has been another exciting week! The points that you made all week Wendy hit home for me. This is absolutely an amazing experience. I am learning so much from everyone.
God Bless everyone and have a wonderful weekend. More snow here in Missouri :)
Wendy
Happy Weekend! There was so much that touched me in today's readings.
1) heard in a new way; Exodus16:7 "He(God) has heard your complaints, which are against Him not against us (Moses & Aaron)" I need to be more aware of when I am being a 'woe is me' person & complaining about my state of life to friends & family. I am really complaining about God. I need to trust my Lord more & complain less. I need to praise the Lord, give Him glory in all things.
Exodus 17:10-13 Moses needs Aaron & Hur to help him hold up his hands. We too need family & friends to hold us up during trials in our lives.
2)did not know; Exodus 18:2-6 Moses had sent his wife Zipporah & two sons away. His father-in-law brings them back. Why did Moses send them away? Would they be a distraction? Or was Moses protecting them from what was to happened?
Exodus 18:13-27 Jethro, Moses's father-in-law gives good advise on how to govern the people. vs 23 Jethro says IF GOD COMMANDS YOU. Advice from anyone even if is good advice should be brought before the Lord 1st to makes sure it is what He our Lord wants in our life.
3)nugget; stop complaining, seek out others for advice, & ask God for conformation on our life situations.
Enjoy your weekend
Blessings & Peace, Mary
Hey GIG,
Our power went off last night at 7p.m. and has been off until 11am today. There are over 21,000 homes in Rockingham Co., NC that are without power. My husband and I went to a local restaurant for breakfast and everyone else did too.;) I just prayed that it would be on when we got home, and it was, but so many people are without...they're even opening our Eden YMCA this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon for anyone who needs to take a shower. I truly gave God all the praise as we walked in our house and the lights were on!!!!!
I want to comment on yesterday's scripture because it was so meaningful to me:
1. In Ex.13:8, it says to explain to your children, I am celebrating what the Lord did for me when I left Egypt. I have done nothing but celebrate and tell my family and others what the Lord did for me when He directed me to this Bible Study. This study is changing my life because at last I am finally in God's Word every day.
2. Ex.13:21 "The Lord went ahead of them..." How many times has He gone ahead of me and made my way ready-->guiding and protecting me.
3. My nugget for today and probably for a long time for me is Ex 14:13+22; "The Lord Himself will fight...Just stay calm. So, the the people walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!
You see, my friends, I realized in reading these verses that God Almighty has kept me calm through out the sickness and death of my moma and then my only daughter had to have a D+E two days after my mom was buried; she was in the process of losing the baby the day of my mom's funeral, and yet, God gave her the strength to speak about the joy that her grandma had brought into all of the grandchildren's life, and she read about the joy of the Lord from her Bible, that she told everyone, she had not opened in a long time. Halleluia!! I know my moma was shouting from heaven. Anyway, I saw God as parting those waters for me...I walked right through that difficult time with a calmness and a peace that only my Lord and Savior could provide...there was grief, sorrow, and sadness on both sides of me, but He kept me dry on His ground with His Love,Comfort, and Mercy. I also had to have a heart catherization on Dec. 21, where I ..Just stayed calm...only because of HIM!!
Thank you that you letting me share, even though it is a day late.
OH!!! I also found out who Matthew Henry is that my GIG,Grace and Peace,as well as others of you is always referencing; I'm so excited.
Love to each of you and have a great Sat.,
Jeanne, NC
Good Morning from Northern California...This the first time I have commented. I am learning so much from this kind of study..instead of just reading on my own...
God gave the Israelites just enough manna for each day as God gives me just enough of what I need for each day.
Ex 17:16 (The Lord will be at war with Amalek for generations) also reminded me of my current study of Esther. If we do not obey God we have no idea of the consequences.
Ex 18:17 Jethro suggests to Moses to delegate his responsibilities...something I should do more of
Sue
Happy Weekend GIG,
Today's reading was such an "aha" moment for me. I have read and watched this portion of scripture so many times, but today it was like I had never read it before!
My moments of "aha"
16:2 - Lord help me not complain about the lack or need in my life. Teach me to trust you for my Daily provisions.
16:20 - Half obedience is not good enough. They gathered according to the instructions but they saved left overs, showing their lack of faith in God's daily provisons.
Lord show me where I'm not trusting you for my daily provisions.
16:35 - The people of Israel had manna and quail the entire forty years while they were in the wilderness. So that means even when they asked for water, they had just eaten the manna and quail for that day. Even later on when they made the golden calf, that day they had eaten manna and quail.
The word of the Lord to me:
If I AM faithful to do "this", Why won't you trust me to do "that? What is your "this" and "that"?
Lord am I doubting you about this at the same time I am enjoy "that". Am I eating manna and quail, but yet complaining about not having water. WOW!!!!
17:9 Moses is beginning to trust what God has put in his hand.(The Staff) Without the Lord telling him to use the staff, he tells Joshua he will hold up the staff of God.
I do have one question:
Why was Moses protesting to the Lord in 19:23 about the "people coming up to Mount Sinai?
In 19:21 the Lord clearly stated "Go back down and warn the people not to break through the boundaries to see the Lord, or they will die.
I know this is a long post, but hopefully, someone like me who doesn't get to post that often during the week, will have a chance to read and respond.
Blessing to all of you!
Debbie - North Carolina
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Good day everyone. loice here from Melbourne. can anyone tell me what GIG means. As you American girls share your day today language, sometimes i get lost since we use different words down here and under. Other all is good, just remembering our black Saturday here in melbourne today. It was my Daughters birthday last year 09/02/2009 when all hell broke loose and fire reigned on us than anything we have ever seen or heard about. It reminds me how hell will be. Thank God today weather seems good and we can quietly remember our loved ones that we lost last year.
Back to our readings, my takings was
1. Exodus 16 29 They must realize that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you.
The Lord is reminding me the sabbath is actually meant for Me NOT HIM. i need to create a day of rest in my life when i can just reflect on Gods goodness and faithfulness over the years. Busyness seems to fill my life yet GOd has made a provision for a sabath for me.
2.10 “Praise the Lord,” Jethro said, “for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt! 11 I know now that the Lord is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.”
This is real to me, last year one of our big business competitors came against us with a lawsuit that we were stealing her copyright resources.
we are the small ones and we felt quite threatened and went down on my knees, 3 days of prayer and fasting asking the Lord to fight for us, This battle appeared too big for me to handle. I had a mole in that business who told me what happened everyday and one of the things this competitor swore every day was that she would make sure we closed down.
after the prayers and God seeking a month after that, this competotitor started having issues with the government regulators and as of today they are being shut down because of major irregularities in their business practices.
and today i say with Jethro
Praise the Lord,” ... “for he has rescued you(me) from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel(Loice) from the powerful hand of Egypt... our competitor.
Our God fights our batles for us so long as we remain faithful and obedient to HIM.
stand still and Know I am GOD.
Good day ladies, may God continue to increase and expand you as you soak in his word.
Pray for my daughter Kari who is 16 years today. Her attitutes and love for God all seems tobe headed in the wrong direction and i am asking the Lord to reverse this so that she may know him personally ant this early age and live to honour HIS NAME.
sorry for taking too much space.
loice
Here I go again!!!
Debbie in NC, if you get a chance, go to www.blueletterbible.com and read the commentary on Exodus by Rod Stedman. I was having the same question you had about Mt. Sinai and the people not being allowed to enter. I hope this helps. I read and read!!!
I loved 16:32 "...preserve it for your descendants..." I wonder if our generation truly thinks of the importance of what we ought to be preserving of God's for our descendents?
Morgen, I really appreciated your thoughts on the holding up of Moses' arms. I'v always loved that story, but I didn't see it as us helping someone else~thanks!
Gaylene, I thought of the other side of vs.19-24. I saw Jethro and Moses as being Godly leaders who were not being respected or listened to. I wrote that I wonder how many people have Godly counsel or teaching and yet reject it. This reminded me of the way that Anne Graham Lotz has been treated by so many who choose not to listen to her as she gives advice, teaches decrees, gives instructions, shows people how to conduct their lives, etc. I've just finished reading her book, Pursuing More of Jesus.
Love you all in the Lord,
Your GIG,
Jeanne
Loice: GIG = girlfriends in God!
Debbie - my take on 19:21 and 19:23 is that Moses was saying to God: "they already know about the boundary and that they cannot approach you, so why do I have to tell them again?"
Just a guess, but that's how I read his reply to God.
Have I said before that I just LOVE this Bible study?
Morgen
Loice,
GIG stands for Girlfriends in God. Girlfriends in God is the title of a devotional email that I receive; when we started this study, I just thought that that title fits us gals exactly.
I will be praying for your daughter as I can identify with a young daughter not having the desire to have a relationship with the Lord. We just keep praying and trusting Him to speak to their hearts.
Love,
GIG ,Jeanne
Good afternoon, GIG or maybe FIG (Friends in God to include the male population?)
My son and I just came home from an Impact Your World conference at our church. Gayle Erwin was the speaker. Perhaps some of you know him? Funny guy and right on point. Keep pointing people to Jesus. Have a servant heart and attitude. Have a face that shows grace (I said "ouch" on this because if you ask my son what my face showed during the last two days we were completing the California mission project, his answer would not be "grace.") And lastly, he prefers to be called "a follower of Jesus" instead of a Christian.
Brandee, I love what you said about Saul's disobedience and the consequence of it generations later. On the flip side, I learned from Chuck Missler that Mordecai was a descendant of Shimei. Remember Shimei was the one who cursed David? His men wanted to kill him but David spared him then? So, as Dr. Missler sums it up in Esther, Haman is a result of Saul's disobedience and Mordecai is a result of David's grace. It just goes to show the impact of grace and obedience not only in our lives but in the generations to come.
Jeanne, praise God for restored electricity! And I'm glad you finally found Matthew Henry. :)
Amy Jane, thanks for the recommendation re the 10 commandments.
As I was reading this last night my thoughts parked on Jethro's question to Moses on 18:34, "What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning to evening?" As a mom, we can all relate to this, right? I need to focus my attention on the really important things and not get all spinned around by the trivial matters. The most important thing being: to teach my sons to love, honor, and obey God.
Have a blessed Saturday, dear friends. My son's fever came back. He had it yesterday, too - after running 19 laps during jog-a-thon. The fever left only long enough for us to attend the conference this morning. I can't wait to see what God will do with my son's life.
Grace and Peace,
I highlighted that same verse along with "You're going to wear yourself out...This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself" (Exodus 18:18). I think you are right on as moms we try so hard to handle things on our own. I don't know about the rest of you, but I find that I do that as a woman as well. When I was coordinating MOPS my perfectionistic personality made it hard for me to let things go that were not done the way I would do them. But I could not do it all alone, just like Moses. You wear yourself out and others are not allowed to fulfill what God has gifted them to do if you try to do it all all the time. I think that is an important reminder for anyone in leadership. You have to let go of all your perfect expectations and encourage and let others spread their wings and fly.
Loved the rest of the background info G&P! I am going to add that to my notes on Esther.
Loice, praying for Kari. And your daughter too Jeanne.
Lots more to share tomorrow on Feb 7th's reading! Two passages really stood out to me. Talk to you all then :)
Hi Ladies!
I, too, loved Exodus 19:4 - "You know I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself." I read in my Women of Faith study Bible that female eagles fly below their young when they are learning to fly in case they begin to falter- What a beautiful vision of our God!
My nugget came from Exodus 16:18-
"Each family had just what it needed." I want to remember to be grateful to God for always providing just what I NEEDED- our wants do not always reflect what we really need in life!
Elizabeth
I am so excited about this weekends passages-so much to glean from todays reading!
I didn't realize that manna was saved in the Ark, and who knows when it will be revealed?! How awesome is my Lord!
I find it hard to believe that the Israelites continue to complain-no water, no big deal-you are not working for an unGodly master at least! I am afraid I am too much like that, tho, forgetting the great things to focus on the present unimportant things and not trust.
I found it interesting that the Amelikites were singled out here-anger and strife follow this group all through the ages (Esau's family), and the Lord 'will be at war from generation to generation' with them.
Praising God for safety through this storm, we have about 18 inches of snow here in north central WV, but power has been out for 12 hours. We don't expect it to come back until Monday-more than 125,000 without power here right now. Prayers being lifted for those who need it most today!
Have a peaceful night,
Karla in WV
FIG...It took me all day and evening to get a dial-up on my computer. I was afraid that I wouldn't get to "visit" with you all today.
I camped on 17:1-7, where Moses struck the rock...and talked about water.
In his book A Way Through the Wilderness, Jamie Buckingham says Spiritual thirst is a God shaped vacuum. There are 3 basic sources of water in the desert... cisterns, wells, and springs. Spiritual man does not need constantly flowing water in order to prosper. He prospers even when the skies are cloudless, and the land is parched. He prospers b/c his roots go deep into the sand and draw from the underground supply.
Neither cisterns or wells give a sure source of water. Only a spring where water flows affords certainty.
John 4:13-14 says that Jesus is the spring of water welling up to eternal life. He never talked about wells or cisterns, He always talked about springs. Religious people... the Pharisees...dug wells. The spring, like God's grace, bubbles up from underground of its own accord. You don't have to do anything to earn it...you don't have to labor for it. Like salvation it is a free gift to all who stoop to drink.
John 7:37 talks about streams of living water...which is the holy Spirit, who is never a cistern or well, but always a running, bubbling spring.
Did any of you catch it when God told Moses that He would stand in front of the rock when he was to strike it? Does that mean that Moses actually struck God?
Hubby wants the computer so I will have to quit.
Enjoying reading from all the newbies.
Jan TN
Oh My,
I'm late with today's reading, my normal wee hour reading took a back seat today (Sat) didn't get to my study time until this evening at 10pm, and as I add my comments, it's now into Sunday morning and in about 4 hours I'll be able to walk out on my patio and look out over the ocean into the sky and see a rocket launch off the coast of FL. Another one of Gods sweet little gifts. Thank you Father.
Amy Jane, I too settled down this afternoon to watch the 10 Commandment's, only mine was the 1950's version with C. Heston as Moses. This is an awesome Bible Study, seeking truth in so many different places. It was while re-watching this movie where the Queen of Egypt had gone to Moses's wife to warned her of Pharoah's plan to kill the first born sons of the Hebrews and helped her to escape before the Passover. So that's why later in our reading, Moses's met up with his wife and sons.
Gods continued Blessings on all our GIG and FIG as we continue to seek him daily.
slee in FL
Happy Sunday all (FIGs) from across the Atlantic in Switzerland! We do not have any snow here in Basel, but we do have light rain. It reminds me of the Pacific Northwest. We are reading and hearing about the blizzards that have hit the mid-Atlantic region and I am praying for you all there!
Today's reading was a challenge. But I wanted to start by claiming a promise:
Exodus 20:6 - I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
This promise I claim for my adult daughters who are also seeking. Many of you know that I have been praying for one of my daughters persistently for a long time. I continue to pray and I love how God reveals these verses when my faith is ebbing. Loice, claim this for Kari, and Jeanne, I hope it gives you comfort too.
I struggled with slaves today. I also struggled with slaves last year. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and I don't understand why they need these laws about slaves and proper treatment. Also it bothers my modern sensibilities to hear other humans regarded as property. But it is apparent that they did need these laws. And in them, if I get past my issues, I see that God is imbuing these laws with provision that "upgrades the standard" for treatment of slaves.
Since Hebrew slaves were only to serve for a few years (mostly to pay off debt), the Israelites needed to remember that these slaves were equally born to them, and in a few years would again be equal to them, so they needed to treat them with respect and fairness.
Bond servants were bonded of their own "free will" by professing that they loved their Master and their wife and children that were given to them by their Master. There are many references to this practice in both the Psalms, the Prophets, and the New Testament. Jesus is the Perfect Bond Servant to God; and we are bond servants of Jesus.
Exodus 21:10: The NLT reads "If he marries her and takes another wife..." which had me questioning this since God does not condone polygamy. The NIV reads "If he marries another woman...." which does not necessarily imply that he married the first (or gave the first as a wife to the son).
In context, females were sold into slavery to be the wives of the master or the son. If they decided not to honor that commitment, they were to treat her fairly or give her back her freedom. I still struggle with this, but I accept that these instructions were revolutionary for the times.
I again thank God from my freedom in Christ, that I am only a bond servant to Him, and for my freedom as a woman, that I am not considered property.
Looking forward to all your comments!
Karen, Basel
Hi GIGs from a relaxing weekend away with Hubby in Newport, R.I.
Having a Sabbath day every week! What a good idea, but how many of us can manage it with all our responsibilities?
This weekend away has been wonderful, as I've relaxed and gotten some perspective about some issues with my students. I need to pray for these young boys, and I may need to humble myself and go to the "Behavioral" person in our school system for some advice.
Loice & Jeanne, my 24-year-old, about to be married daughter does not walk with the Lord, and I was telling my most godly girlfriend how much it bothers me that God has not been invited to her wedding. My friend smiled at me and said, "Don't worry. He'll be there anyway!" What a wonderful reminder that He is everywhere, and with us all at all times. Some just don't realize it. I have hope that she will some day "open her eyes" and see God standing there with her.
Happy Sunday to you all, and bless you.
Michelle
Today we are introduced to the 10 Commandments. The Law. The plumb line that shows us our unholiness. Thank you God for Jesus! I fail so completely when held up against Your laws.
I remember last year really struggling with the slavery details in this reading. Wendy directed us to a commentary that told how slavery in biblical times was much different than the slavery we know today. No where in the Bible does God condone it; it is written about because it was happening. Most slaves turned themselves over to a master because of a debt they owed them. Once the debt was paid off they were free. Also, they were free to buy and own land and property while they were slaves. There is something noble about that; contrast that to today's world where too many people have an "I'm entitled" ideal, and they place no weight in what they may owe society or someone else.
Some of these rules seem "hokey" to us but we need to trust in their purpose for their time.
Happy Sunday all!
Morgen
Happy Sunday Everyone~
In today's reading I settled on two passages. One I am going to write about tomorrow on my prayer blog, the other was commandment two and how God says, "I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected-even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me." Something that has been on my heart the past half a year or so is family bondages and how we can pass down our strongholds to our kids. I have been in prayer a lot about my own strongholds and also the ones that God has revealed to me that my husband has in his life. I am praying that we will make the hard choices to change and walk with God to let Him change those things in us so that they will not be passed on to our son. I want to do the hard work of change not just for me but also for him so that he does not have to keep battling these things. One that I have has been passed down to me from three previous generations. I want to be the one that changes that and not pass that on to Will and him still have to battle this family bondage.
You all have a blessed Sunday. I am so excited to be going back to church after missing the past two Sundays from sickness and snow.
Blessings and Love,
Brandee, TN
Praying for all The GIGs and FIGs without power today. Lord we thank you that you alone are in charge of the weather. With all the human knowledge none of knows where the storehouses for the snow us. restore power back quick to our dear friends, keep them warm at this time of the year and may Your Name be lifted up in all these homes with no power today.
Love you Lord so much.
Love you all GIGs.
here we have rain in brisbane today with flush flloding all over.
Love
Loice australia
Good Morning all!
I love reading everyone's posts! It's so wonderful that each reading can speak to each one of us in so many ways. You all have already touched on many of my take aways for this weekend's reading. Key ones for me were:
The Sabbath is a gift.
Remember God's provisions and victories.
We shouldn't always do things on our own.
Remember Jethro's advice to Moses ... see what God has to say about it.
Complaining is against God. Ouch!
Did you notice in Exod 19 that Moses went up and down Mt.Sinai 3 times? Remember Moses is 80 years old. I googled Mt Sinai and found that it is a 2285m peak and that most people can make the climb in about 3 hours....not exactly a little hill. Ok, my take on Moses' comment in Exod 19:23 is "Again?" My next thought was "Wouldn't Moses have loved to have a cell phone to just be able to call Aaron to come join him?" But then this thought came to me, "It wouldn't have mattered; there wouldn't have been a signal anyway. :) It seems like a lesson in obedience...Moses didn't really understand why he had to go back down that mountain, but he did because God told him to. There are lots of lessons in obedience for the Israelites and for me. In my current study in John, we are in Chapter 13 and Jesus is washing the disciples feet. Peter protests and doesn't want Jesus to wash his feet because he doesn't understand. Jesus tells the disciples that they will understand later (with the coming of the Holy Spirit). Sometimes we are called to obey, even though it doesn't make sense and we don't understand.
It is my prayer that thru this study and being in the Word everyday, that I will be able to hear His voice and will be willing to follow where He leads.
Blessings,
Leslie
Good morning friends!
Okay…let me begin by saying this is soooooo long. I tried to chop it down, but couldn’t. I am sorry. For those of you who keep reading…I pray that God uses this in your life.
Last year I studied the Life of Moses and remember when I came across the week I spent on the Ten Commandments. Let me say, that week of study began a life change for me…
I have always struggled with keeping the Sabbath and truly understanding what God had in mind. I mean I grasp it for back then, but not in the 21st century. I mean, I can’t even get all “my stuff” done now with seven days in a week…how was I to do all of it with six.
At a Friday morning breakfast with a dear friend, I expressed my struggle with this area. She challenged me to think about what would a "Sabbath" look like to Linda? She could have just agreed with me that there is no way to get everything done in seven days and not to worry about it. But no… she encouraged me to push through and allow God to prod my heart along and seek His understanding. Argh….now I knew the work would begin!
My husband John and I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out what it would look like for the both of us to live with a Sabbath in our week? How could we do all that we do now and take a day away from our schedule? It was stressful just to imagine taking one day off! We prayed and ask God to give us the strength to be obedient in this area and to give us His vision for a Sabbath. So we set out to have a Sabbath in our week…
We attend church on Saturday evening, so we decided that when we left for church on Saturday, that would begin our Sabbath and it would go through sundown on Sunday. The first few Sabbaths, we spent sitting inside a movie theater seeing sometimes three movies in one day! It makes me laugh to think about that now! But we both knew each other well enough to know that getting us away from our laptops, cell phones, busy life within our home, etc. was going to be a monumental habit to break. Seriously making that life change was difficult for us…we both have demanding jobs, John was in his final few months of grad school, we had two teenagers under our roof at the time, etc. We didn’t trust ourselves one bit!
Within three to four weeks, we began to see the benefit of “resting” one day a week. We made adjustments in our six days in order to accommodate the seventh day of rest. There were some things that we would still do on the Sabbath, but we had a list of things that we knew God wouldn’t want us to do. Working on our laptops was not an option for us…too easy of a temptation to get “sucked” in to the trap of the world. We kept our cell phones off. We don’t clean, do the laundry, make endless trips running errands for the week, do chores around the house. We DO have a wonderful breakfast as a family in the morning, have the opportunity to have an extended time with the Lord, play games, eat a wonderful meal later in the day, take naps, go see a movie, etc. Our Sabbath has become a special family time we have all learned to embrace and enjoy the quietness of it.
We are now more prepared spiritually, physically and emotionally to handle the six days in our week. We all look forward to our Sabbath each and every week. There have been a few times when we have allowed something to creep in and take our Sabbath. But thankfully, we quickly return to our heart’s desire to live each week with one day set aside for rest.
It’s funny, I used to think how in the world could I live my life with a Sabbath. Now…I can’t imagine how I lived my life without a Sabbath. I love how God conforms me to His way of thinking!!
Ask yourself…what would a Sabbath look like for you in your life today?
Thank you Father for giving me your commands. I know You want only the best for me and I need to receive your boundaries as what is best for me. I appreciate your patience when I am slow to learn or when I refuse to obey. Thank you for taking me off the “treadmill” of life and allowing me to walk on Your peaceful path. I love you.
Happy Sunday to you All,
1)heard a new way; Exodus 20:1-17 the 10 commandments are given, Jesus made it simple, Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: `Love your neighbor as yourself.'All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."
Exodus 20:5b,'I lay the sins of the parents upon their children... even.. the third and fourth generations.' In Ezekiel 18:4 'For all people are mine to judge--both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins will be the one who dies.' Ezekiel 18:20 'The one who sins is the one who dies. The child will not be punished for the parent's sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child's sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own goodness, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.' The whole chapter is about how each of us will be responsible for their own doing good & evil.
Brandee your comment 'family bondage's and how we can pass down our strongholds to our kids.' I too worried that the sins of my past & the bondage of my present would affect my children. I worried that the sins & bondage's of my ancestors would affect me & my children. I know that I am saved. That God on the throne doesn't see my sins, He works in & through my bondage because they are covered in the blood of Jesus. However this verse (Exodus 20:5b) would haunt me. (this past summer God gave me Ezekiel 18, wow it has been a blessing on my life!) I saw that there are ways we deal with life that can be passed down. Both good & bad. I always tell my kids take the good things I did & make it apart of your life. Take the bad & change it! Make something new & good. Well that means taking bondage & or sin giving it to Jesus & allowing Him to change us. Not always easy!! I now pray Ezekiel 18 over my worries. I KNOW that God will judge us each on our own merits & that the blood of Jesus will be the saving grace of my salvation & my children too.
2)did not know before; Exodus 20:26 'And you may not approach my altar by steps. If you do, someone might look up under the skirts of your clothing and see your nakedness.' Not to do something that might seem innocent if it can make others sin.
3) nugget; Thanks you Lord I am not under the law any longer. Your blood that was shed for my sins now covers me & protects me. Your words in the NT show that there is a new order, a new way, the fulfillment of the law through You Jesus! Amen
Blessings & Peace Mary
Good Sunday, all!
Linda, thank you for sharing your Sabbath experiment. That would be something to consider.
Amy Jane, my 10 commandments: the musical dvd should be here by Tuesday. Amazon Prime rocks! :)
For today's reading, I also highlighted the generational blessing. It's good to know that God honors what we do and we can be the vessel of blessing for our children and future generations.
I'm going to park today on the 10 commandments. Being raised Catholic there were delineations of sin that I remember, mortal and venial. The venial sins are the little sins, white lies, being angry, etc. Those are harmless sins. The mortal sins were the Big 10. In my thinking then I made sure not to commit them so I would not roast in hell. By my own standards, I was a good Catholic girl. No stealing, murder, coveting going on in my life. I was also careful to not take the Lord's name in vain. Which at that time meant not using Jesus' name as a curse word. Boy, was I pleased with myself. Once I became a born again believer though, my eyes were opened and I realized that in God's eyes, sin IS sin.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
No one can keep the law. The law was given to us to expose our sin nature and our need for a Savior.
What was especially eye opening was what I learned from my KI class re commandment #3 "You must not misuse the name of the Lord...". Dr. Missler said, it is NOT about language but ambassadorship. I must admit, it was a lot easier when it was all about the language. But he's right, if we profess to be God's then we must represent God to those around us. Thinking back to the last couple of days, well, I did not do a very good job of being His ambassador. Yet another proof of our sin nature. The Holy Spirit indwells us, yet we let our flesh dictate our responses and reactions. Oh that we may always remember 1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Happy Sunday to all of you FIG.
Reading all your comments about how the sins of the fathers are visited on the 3rd and 4th generations. We might not be responsible for the sins of our great-great grandfather, PTL, but I have seen first hand how the
RESULTS of sin in a father can affect a later generation. Like alcohol...the behavior of the person drinking...or smoking or using drugs, or eating too much (ouch) can affect your children or grandchildren. They learn to do what they see done...or said (cursing?) Charles Stanley has a saying that says, "You reap what you sow, more than you sow, LATER than you sow"....later than you sow...our children and grandchildren. So...do I lead a life that is a good example for my kids and grand-kids? Will they follow my sin, or will they follow my Godly example?
Excuse me, I need to go read Psalm 51, (especially v.17) again and do some praying!
Jan TN
Jan, I think that is where my heart is. I see the effects of the particular sin that I was referring to has had on my father and his mother. I recognize the same tendencies in myself and I don't want to model that for my son. It is my job to change and not pass this down to him. I have prayed and God has opened up the generational things that are in my family that I need to keep praying over for both John and I. I want us to be the place that they stop. Us to be where we do the hard work of change so that Will won't have to fight the battles as hard. I know he will have his own battles to fight and I know that he will be accountable just as we all are. I can not blame my choices on my dad or others, I have to take responsibility. I do see where we are more prone to things are parents struggled with. I try to always remember that as I am modeling Christ to Will and pray for John to as well.
As I was pondering the laws today, understanding we FIGs are in a different age than Moses,I thought of how the laws apply to me. Many are about being responsible for what is our's and being responsible for what we do, such as our animals (dog, cat, horse, whatever), and digging holes or driving cars. It is about being responsible for our actions.
Loving the Lord and all of you FIGs,
Gaylene
I've struggled with the Sabbath issue, too. I taught for several years after getting married and for one year after our oldest was born, and it was terrible! I worked non-stop and never slept - literally. My husband did the housework and we ate terribly. When I quit, we totally reworked our schedule. It's getting easier as our kids have gotten older, but we've decided that basically we need a change of schedule from our normal routine. For me, the freedom to settle down on the couch with a book while the kids sleep on Sunday afternoons; for my husband, the freedom to flip amongst the sports channels to his hearts' content. We usually eat cinnamon rolls for breakfast - a treat! - and eat simple things for supper. I don't really cook on Sundays, and we'll often watch a movie as a family or play games. We're very low key, but we love that time together. It's hard to establish but very important!
Repecting and honoring parents was huge in today's reading. It reminds me of just how important that is and how often it's missing in today's society.
The snow's all melting!
Well, what a reading for today!! All I can say is, "halleluia, that I did not live back then, and that I was not a slave. I even spent time reaing what Matthew Henry had to say, and I still couldn't get it all in. :)
Karen, thank you so much for giving Loice, Michelle, and I the encouragement from God's Word for our daughters. I know that the four of us want to see our daugters walking with God; I just keep praying that her heart will truly come back to Him and that He will use her in a mighty way. Now we are a team of sisters lifting our gals up to God. I know it is all in His time.
Loice, thank you for that prayer... my daughter, Laura, and her husband just got their power back on tonight.
My computer is messing up...
Jeanne
Well, by this time, I suppose that all of you are asleep. I messed up with the keys on the comp. and had to spend TIME going to filter keys, or something like that.
The devil does not want me to post this, but I am determined.
Concerning Ex. 20:6, I knew that I had studied this verse, and , yes, it was a Beth Moore study on "Breaking Free" about 5 years ago. She asks," How many generations suffer from the sins of the fathers? 3rd + 4th How many generations benefit from one who loves God and is obedient to His commands? 1000 We tend to characterize God as harsh because of His alllowances to the 3rd + 4th generations of those who are unfaithful, but look at His blessings on future generaton of the faithful!!! Not much comparison between three or four and a thousand! God is clearly more gracious in His blessings than He is stern in His chastisements. Do you realize that your walk with God could affect great numbers of future generations?" She also states that John 14:21 is consistent with Ex.20:6
Brandee, I thought of you:
She states:* Every gen. has a new opportunity to exert positive influence. No matter what atrocity has taken place in your family line, God can raise up a new gen. and turn the wheels of the cycle in the direction of Godly seed. Your great g.pa could serve a lfe sentence for murder and your g.child could serve a life sentence of faithful evangelism through which thousans come to know Christ! A certain link lies between the unfaithful and the faithful.
*second fact. Between every unfaithful gen. and faithful gen. is one person determined to change.(Brandee) My friend, you could be that link." Beth goes on, but I thought this would encourage you.
I'm glad this concern for us came up on this particular verse as I will enjoy going through this workbook.
Evidently, God wants us to have an understanding of this verse!!!! ;)
Goodnight, GIG and FIG,
Jeanne
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