reflection

Reflection on Exodus 20:1-20

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+20.1-20

Scripture

The people trembled with fear when they heard the thunder and saw the lightning and smoke coming from the mountain. They stood a long way off.

Observation

Moses comes down from the mountain and tells the people what the Lord aid to him. He tells them the ten commandments. Their freedom from slavery in Egypt was to result in a people who were holy, set apart for God.

The people trembled with fear hearing the thunder and seeing the smoke and lightning on the mountain. They did not want to go in and urged Moses to be their representative.

Application

Scripture tells us in several places that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Here there is not a healthy fear of the Lord but a terror of approaching the Lord. They could see the power of the Lord, but they missed His love.

On the other hand, Moses was drawn in, always seeking a deeper knowledge, a more intimate experience of God.

The people wanted to stand back at a distance, but Moses wanted to press in.

People put up all kinds of boundaries in order to try and control how close God can get in. They keep Him locked in a cage that they visit on Sunday morning from the safety of the back seat. They may have n intellectual boundary where God can only speak through a theological framework. Some have a prayer life that excludes all possibility of miracles.

God wants us to go “all in”, not holding anything back. It is scary to pull down all the barriers we have erected to contain the Lord. It may cost us everything we have. But it brings us into the very presence of God.

The life of total pursuit of the Lord is exhilarating. There is nothing like it!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, please show me the ways that I try to limit your ownership of my life. Help me to let go of those barriers and trust you to lead me in all things. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 21:22-46

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+21:33-46

Scripture

“I tell you that God’s kingdom will be taken from you and given to people who will do what he demands.”

Observation

Jesus continues to talk to the chief priests and leaders in the Temple area. He tells a parable about a landowner who plants a vineyard, builds walls and a tower as well as digging a crushing pit. He then rents it out and leaves.

At harvest time, the owner sends some servants to collect his share of the grapes. The tenants beat and kill the servants. The owner sends a bigger contingent of servants but with the same result. Finally he sends his son, thinking that they will respect him. But they kill the son as well.

Jesus then asks the priests and leaders what will happen to the tenants. They reply that surely the owner will kill then and find more suitable tenants,

Application

The religious leaders of Israel had lost track of their responsibilities to God. Over many years, they had killed the prophets who rebuked them. The parable suggests that they will treat God’s Son in the same way.

The warning to all of us is that if we claim to be followers of Jesus, we had better take this seriously. If we don’t, then the Kingdom of God will be taken away from us and given to someone else.

We must remain faithful and obedient to Jesus. That means reading the Word and putting it into practice. It means praying for people and asking Father God , “What do you want me to do for this person?”

God’s kingdom is not just about words but deeds. The sinner’s prayer is the starting point of discipleship not the finish line.

God is looking for a people who will die to every selfish ambition and live only for Christ.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, once again I give myself to you. Let my whole life be surrendered to you and your purposes. Amen.

Reflection on Philippians 2:1-13

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+2:1-13

Scripture

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as better than yourselves.

Observation

If we have received any blessing at all from Christ, we should be of one mind, sharing His love. Rather than working from selfish ambition or conceit, we should be humble, considering other as better than ourselves.

We should have the mind of Christ Jesus who, though He was God, did not cling to that status. He humbled Himself, being a slave and obeying the Father even to the point of death on a cross, Therefore God exalted him, raising Him to the highest place of adoration.

Application

The world is constantly telling us to put ourselves out there, to dream big and strive to make those dreams come true.

The world is all about selfish ambition and achieving our own goals. We believe in equality but push ourselves forward at every opportunity.

The way of Christ is about surrendering ourselves to Him. Just as Christ humbled Himself to the point of a shameful death, we must humble ourselves and obey even to the point of death if necessary.

My life is no longer my own to do with as I please. It is all in the hands of God.

I must surrender all pride and conceit to God, turning away from that way of thinking. Now I must learn to consider others as better than myself.

The heart of a christian is the heart of a servant, considering the needs of others ahead of my own needs.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, teach me how to walk in your ways, surrendering all conceit and selfish ambition to you. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 17:1-7

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+17.1-7

Scripture

Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not?”

Observation

At the Lord’s command the people move from place to place, eventually stopping at Rephidim. There is no water, so the people demand that Moses do something.

Moses cries out to the Lord who orders him to take his staff and strike a rock at Mount Sinai. When Moses does this, water comes gushing out of the rock.

Application

When we are going through difficult times it can be easy to lose sight of God. The Israelites grumbled because they were thirsty. In a sense that is understandable. On the other hand, they were receiving food twice a day at the hand of the Lord. Why would the God who provided food this way not give them water also.

We can grumble and complain against God from a place of faith. It is OK to cry out to God when we don’t understand what is happening. We also need to recognise that Scripture tells us to rejoice always, even in suffering.

There comes a point when we may cross the line from faith to unbelief, from lament to testing. I think the point is where we start to doubt that God is with us.

The Israelites tested God by saying, “Is the Lord really here or not?” They had passed from doubting God’s goodness to doubting God’s presence, despite a pillar of fire that travelled with them.

In a time of grief or despair we might wonder why things happen the way they do. We might wonder where God is hiding in the mess we are living through.

We need to be careful, though, of the temptation to doubt that God is here with us. That is the place where our unbelief leads us away from Jesus.

Prayer

Lord it is easy to believe when every day we see prayers answered. I ask for grace to believe when prayers seem to be rejected and when all I see around me is dark. Please help me to stay focused on you. Amen.

Reflection on Philippians 1:21-20

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+1:21-30

Scripture

For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

Observation

For Christians, continuing to live means fruitful labour in the lordship of Christ, but dying means we get to be with Christ. Paul was aware of this dilemma. He wanted to be with Christ but also wanted to help the Philippians grow in Christ.

The Philippians are encouraged to live in a manner worthy of the gospel. They should stand firm against their opponents. Their steadfastness is evidence of their salvation but also of their foes’ destruction.

Believing in Christ and suffering for Him are both privileges from God.

Application

Many Christians live with the values of the world not of the gospel. We get so caught up in the flesh that we lose sight of the spiritual.

This earthly life, with all of its joys and griefs and ups and downs, is just the beginning of our life. We will reign with Christ for ever.

Paul was torn between living for the love of the people he oversaw and love for eternal life with Christ,

We experience fellowship with Christ in this life, but how much more shall we be with Him in the next life. To live is Christ but to die is gain.

Death is not the end of life for the believer. It is a new birth, a transition to something even better.

Always our focus must be on the long-term goal of eternity as well as on the present.

This is the ultimate win- win situation. We live well in this life and get to do it for ever. We have fellowship with Christ now, as a preparation for even better fellowship with Him in eternity.

Prayer

Father please forgive me for the times I lose sight of who I am in Christ. Help me to live every day as preparation for the life to come. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 16:1-15

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+16.1-15

Scripture

As Aaron spoke to the whole community of Israel, they looked out to the wilderness. There they could see the awesome glory of the Lord in the cloud.

Observation

The community of Israel journeys into the wilderness of Sin. The people begin to complain against Moses and Aaron bringing them into the wilderness to starve. They make the ridiculous complaint that in Egypt they always had enough and sat around eating all day.

The Lord promises Moses that He will provide meat every evening and bread each morning. So each evening vast numbers of quails fly into the camp, and each morning a flaky substance which they call manna appears on the ground.

Application

Amidst the complaining and grizzling of the people in the wilderness, they could see the glory of God in the cloud.

Their fear and unbelief prevented them trusting the God who was gloriously present with them, shining from the cloud at the edge of the camp.

The issue was not that they doubted God’s presence- He was clearly visible to them. Nor was the issue that God was able to provide for them- they had experienced some awesome miracles in the previous few weeks.

The issue was this. Did God care enough to provide for their needs? Could they trust the Lord to bring them through?

This issue of the Lord’s love and our trust in Him is at the heart of all doubt, and indeed of all sin.

We don’t have the cloud of glory “out there.” We have the Holy Spirit in us, a far greater blessing than the children of Israel experienced.

This same question remains for us as we pass through our own wilderness experiences. Can I trust God in this wilderness?

Prayer

Lord I believe, help me in my unbelief. Help me to trust you in the wilderness times even more than in the good times. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 18:21-35

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+18.21-35

Scripture

“This is how my Father in heaven will treat each of you, if you don’t forgive each of my followers with all your heart.”

Observation

Peter asks Jesus how many times we should forgive our christian brother or sister- is seven times enough? Jesus replies that the real answer is seventy times seven.

Jesus then tells a story about an official who stole a huge amount of money from the king. The man could not repay this, so the king ordered him and his family to be sold into slavery in order to repay the debt. The official begged for mercy, and so the king relented.

When the official met a fellow employee who owed him a small amount of money, he had him thrown into jail. So the king, enraged by the man’s lack of gratitude, has the first official put into jail to be tortured until he repays everything he owed.

Application

Jesus says that if we refuse to forgive our brothers or sisters we will be like the official thrown into jail for neglecting the law of grace.

Does Jesus mean literally that unforgiveness destroys salvation? Does He mean that God’s grace is not unconditional?

I think that the point here is that if we hold onto bitterness against those who sin against us, then we have not really experienced God’s grace in the first place.

Salvation means that God rubs out a debt we could never repay and continues to do that. If we understand that we should be dancing in the streets and kissing strangers! Forgiveness should flow from us in a torrent of joy and grace.

We were on death row preparing to die, but at the last minute an appeal came through announcing we are innocent. How can we do anything other than forgive our brothers and sisters?

Prayer

Thank you for the gift of salvation, Lord Jesus. As you forgave me my many sins I will forgive all who sin against me. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 14:19-31

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+14.19-31

Scripture

And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

Observation

The Israelites are fleeing the Egyptians and have arrived at the Red Sea. The angel of the Lord and the cloud of glory move from the front of the Israelites to behind them, between the Israelites and the Egyptians. Through the night the cloud brings darkness to the Egyptians and light to the Israelites.

At the Lord’s command Moses stretches his staff over the sea, and the Lord sends a strong wind to divide the waters. The people of Israel go through the sea on dry land with the waters gathered up on either side of them.

The Egyptians pursue the Israelites, but the Lord throws confusion over them. The wheels of their chariots fall off. The Lord again tells Moses to stretch out his staff over the water, and it collapses back on itself drowning the Egyptian army.

In response to this display of power, the Israelites put their trust in the Lord and Moses.

Application

This is an awesome miracle, a demonstration of the power of God, and it brought to the people of God the ability to trust Him.

There seemed to be no way, but God opened a way. The future of the people seemed closed up, but God provided a new way, a new hope, a new future.

This display caused the people to put their trust in the Lord– for a few days .Later they would become hungry, and their praise would turn to grumbling.

Spiritual maturity comes when we learn to trust God in the tough times as well as in the excitement of miracles. Do I still trust Him when my prayers seem to go unanswered, or when enemies triumph at my expense?

I must trust the Lord in every circumstance.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to trust you in the good times and also in the tough times. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 16:21-27

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=book+ch.vs

Scripture

“Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

Observation

Jesus begins to talk seriously about His suffering and crucifixion. Peter takes Him aside and says, “This must not happen to you Lord.” But Jesus responds with, “Get behind me Satan!”

Jesus then tells the disciples that in order to follow Him, they must take up their own cross and die to themselves. To seek to save our own life is to lose it, but to lose our life for His sake is to gain life.

Application

Peter thought he had it all worked out. Jesus was the Messiah, and He would usher in a new kingdom of prosperity in Israel. When Jesus started talking about being crucified, Peter was appalled and started to rebuke Jesus.

Peter could not see that God’s plan was different and far greater than he could imagine. He was seeing from man’s perspective rather than God’s.

We find it hard to break out of our mental strongholds to see our life from God’s perspective. We are surrounded by a culture that is focused on the here and now and which often denies God’s purpose completely.

The thought of dying to ourselves to follow God is nice in theory. In practice we want one foot in the Kingdom and the other in the world. Like Peter, we are always hoping that Jesus will avoid the cross this time.

I need to learn to die to my plans and ambitions, my dreams and visions. Instead I need to follow Jesus day by day, step by step. I need to do this without trying to impose my agenda on Him.

Being totally subservient to the Lord’s plans is a tough walk in an age of self-promotion. This is the path we are called to walk.

Prayer

Lord please show me the parts of my life that are filled with the plans of men rather than the plans of God. Give me grace to walk in your ways. Amen.

Reflection on Romans 12:9-21

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+12.9-21

Scripture

Outdo one another in showing honour.

Observation

This machine-gun list of commands come down to the practicalities of living the christian life each day.

We should hate what is evil and love what is good. We should love other christians and contribute to their needs,

We are to extend that love to those who persecute or curse us. We must bless them and not curse. We must not seek revenge, but leave that to the Lord. If our enemies are hungry we must feed them; if they are thirsty give them something to drink.

Application

We must be people who not only live honourable lives, but also excel in giving honour to one another.

We live in an age where honour is conditional and limited. We honour sports champions as long as they keep winning. We honour political leaders as long as they are on our side.

Many people spend a life-time quietly and humbly serving their community, but are ignored or taken for granted.

Even churches are loathe to honour leaders and servants. Pastors are criticised rather than lifted up. Other churches and denominations easily receive criticism.

This week the city of Houston in the United States is being pummelled by a hurricane and the subsequent flooding. Some people were quick to criticise Joel Osteen for not opening his church building as a refuge. It turns out that they offered their facility to the city as a last resort because it was feared that it could become subject to flooding also. We can be so eager to assume bad motives to other people.

“Outdo one another in showing honour.” This must start with me. How can I express honour to the people around me, especially the one I don’t get along with?

Prayer

Lord may I become a person who builds up not criticises others. Show me how to honour my brothers and sisters, even my enemies. Amen.