The stars call out
Praise to our God
The sun and moon
Adore Him
The birds of the air
Sing glorious hymns
And all creation
Bows down to the King.
Your word O God
Is finer than gold
You reveal yourself
Unmask the sins of men
You show the way to salvation
And lay out the path of holiness
I will praise you
With all my strength
And worship you
Scripture
Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
Observation
From the holy mountain, the Lord gives Moses the ten commandments. These commandments are to be the foundation of all relationships in the land.
The laws were not given capriciously. Some come with blessings for obedience or curses for disobedience. There are consequences that flow from living in covenant with the Lord.
The people see the smoke and lightning and hear the powerful sounds of God’s presence and they are afraid. They ask Moses to speak to them on God’s behalf. Moses exhorts them to seek God’s presence for themselves but they refuse.
Application
It is right to be afraid of God. He is the one who can destroy not just the body but the spirit also. We must always remember that God is holy- very different to us.
It is important also to recognise God’s immeasurable love for us. The people saw the manifestations of God’s holiness and they were afraid to draw close to Him lest He kill them. But Moses pressed in, attracted to God’s holiness and love.
Holding back from God out of fear holds no blessing. Pressing in, regardless of the cost brings awesome relationship with our Lord.
Prayer
Today Lord I choose to press in, to draw closer to you. I bring my worship, but also my body and spirit, laying myself before you as a living sacrifice. Amen.
Let go
Don’t grasp
Clinging to your rights
And your “dignity”
Clawing for respect
In a world of scorn
Your King
Jesus
Emptied Himself
Humbly living a man
Beaten battered
Dying for you
He rose
Glorious
Living forever
Reigning with Father
Sharing life with all
True followers
Scripture
So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.
Observation
The Israelites move on at the Lord’s command. They camp at Rephidim but there is no water there.
The people complain against Moses and demand that he supply them with water.
Moses goes to the Lord who tells him to take his staff and use it to strike the rock at Mount Sinai. Moses does this, and water comes gushing out of the rock.
Application
The people move through the wilderness at the clear direction of the Lord- cloud during the day and fire at night moving ahead of them. They are fed daily by God’s miracles. They escaped Egypt miraculously.
Despite all of this, they never seem to get the message that God is with them and will supply all they need.
Even when we have experienced the provision and bounty of the Lord, we often forget He is wonderfully kind and supplies all we need.
We need to keep on reminding ourselves of all that God has done in the past to remind us to trust Him in the present.
Prayer
Father, thank you for all that you do in my life each day. Please help me top trust you in all things. Amen.
Scripture
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Observation
Jesus tells a parable about a man who employs labourers for his vineyard at different times of the day, promising to pay each one the same amount.
When the time comes to pay them, he arranges for the last employed to be paid first. The men who worked all day are outraged that they receive the same as those who worked just one hour.
The owner points out that they received what they agreed to. As the owner he can do what he pleases with his money.
Application
Grace can be annoying, especially when other people receive it. We think it’s fine for God to forgive us, but struggle to cope with the idea that God might also forgive paedophiles, murderers, sex traffickers and other really bad people.
This is the scandal of the cross- Jesus pays it forward for everybody.
Is it fair that some mass murderer confesses on his death bed and gets into heaven scot free?
Of course it’s not fair, and that is just the point. It’s not fair that God chooses to overlook my sin in the same way.
It has never been about justice. It’s all about God’s extravagant love.
Prayer
Father, your grace is truly amazing. I deserve nothing from you, but you give freely. Thank you. Amen.
Scripture
For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.
Observation
For Paul the choice between living and dying is equally weighted. To live means achieving more for Christ. To die means to be with Christ.
He encourages the Philippians to live their lives in a manner worthy of the gospel. They are to be united in mind and spirit, contending for the faith.
God has granted them the privilege of believing and also suffering for Christ.
Application
The high point of faith is to have the attitude of Paul that whether we are in this life or the next, Christ is all in all.
Too many christians can only see what is happening in this life and so become discouraged or confused when things don’t work out the way they expect.
For Paul this is all in God’s hands. He desires to be with Christ, but in the meantime he will do all he can to serve Christ.
It is this attitude of Christ at the centre of all we do that makes for a person of faith and maturity.
Prayer
Lord Jesus. It is so easy to take my eyes off you and become distracted by the world. Please help me to put you at the centre of all things. Amen.
Scripture
As Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked towards the wilderness and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
Observation
The Israelites move out of Elim and into the wilderness. There, the people complain against Moses and Aaron, already longing to return to Egypt. They forget the hardship and the forced labour and look nostalgically to the “good old days” which were far from good.
The Lord promises Moses that He will provide food for the people each morning and each night. Moses and Aaron summon the people, and as they are talking, the glory of the Lord appears.
From that day, the Lord provides manna each morning and quail in the evening.
Application
Change can be difficult. At times we are tempted to resist what God is doing and go back to the past. Sometimes we will even lie to ourselves about how much better things used to be.
As hard as change is, we can look forward to God leading our ways and providing what we need. Bread and meat every day! Supernatural guidance!
The hard part is that we have to be prepared to yield control to God. We want to make our own path and secure our own provisions. It is only when we follow God’s path and really really trust Him to work it out (with no Plan B’s, just in case He doesn’t come through) that we find the miracles.
Prayer
Lord, please help me to place all of my life into your hands and to trust you for the way forward. I yield all my Plan B’s to you. Amen.
Scripture
“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
Observation
Peter asks Jesus how many times he is required to forgive someone who sins against him. He suggests seven times, but Jesus says “Not seven times but seventy times seven.”
Jesus then tells a parable about a man who is forgiven a huge debt by a king. The debt is so big that nobody could ever expect to pay it off, but the king forgives him. The man finds another servant who owes him a few thousand dollars and refuses to show the same grace that he has received. The result is that the king rescinds his previous decision and has the man thrown into prison.
Application
Forgiveness is at the heart of the gospel. Firstly God forgives us of our entire catalogue of sin. Then he expects us to live out the same grace in our daily lives.
To harbour resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness is to show that we have not allowed the grace of God to deeply penetrate our hearts.
Forgiving other people is hard work. It goes against our human nature to do this. Most of us want to keep a record of wrongs to justify ourselves. The deeper the hurt we have suffered the longer it will take to move to the place of letting go.
God’s commandment is that we must love our enemies, and His kind of love keeps no record of wrongs.
Prayer
Father please help me to respond to your forgiving grace by forgiving those who sin against me. Rescue me from all forms of bitterness. Amen.
Scripture
Christ died and rose again for this very purpose- to be Lord of both the living and the dead.
Observation
We should accept other believers who are weak in their faith and not argue about issues that are not important. Whether we elevate one day above others or refuse to eat certain foods it doesn’t matter.
What is important is that we accept that other believers are free to honour God in their own way. We must not judge or condemn the servants of the Lord.
We do not live for ourselves or die for ourselves- it is all for the Lord’s glory.
Each person must give an account of their own lives to the Lord.
Application
There are many controversies and disputes among christians, and the internet just exposes us to more ideas that we had not considered previously.
There are people who say that christians must worship on the Jewish sabbath and those who reject any organised gathering of christians. There are those who refuse to eat meat and others who warn against Halal certified products.
This is all very well. As Paul says, each group makes choices out of a desire to honour Christ.
When we condemn other believers because they don’t agree with our choices, or look down upon them as inferior, then we pass from grace to legalism.
It is not up to me to judge the disciplines and practices of other believers. What is important is that I seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness in all things.
Prayer
Lord help me to walk in your ways and to not judge brothers and sisters who follow rules that I disagree with. May we all extend your grace to one another. Amen.
Scripture
“For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”
Observation
If another disciple sins against me, I should go privately and point out the offence. If this does not bring reconciliation, I should seek the help of another believer, and when all else fails take it to the whole church.
The sins we forgive on earth are forgiven in heaven. The sins we hold on to will also be held in heaven.
Whenever we meet together and pray in agreement, Jesus is with us and the Father will hear us.
Application
I am often amazed at Jesus’ commitment to unity in the church and our lack of interest in the same topic.
We often approach the Matthew 18 process as a means of punishment rather than a means of genuine reconciliation. What Jesus is getting at here is not so much a pathway to justice as a pathway for forgiveness.
Is this issue that offended me important enough to confront, or should I just let go of it? Do I want to escalate the conflict or will I forgive? Is this really important enough to take to the whole congregation or will I be called out for lacking grace?
When a brother/sister offends me and I can meet with him/her and pray with them with one heart, isn’t that the prayer that moves the Father?
This passage is not just about getting our prayers answered. It is about pursuing love in the church.
Prayer
Lord forgive me for holding on to petty offences and raising my imagined right to be offended above your command to forgive. Amen.
