Reliant on God

 “10. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:10-11, NIV).

    Moses was born a slave, placed in the river as a baby, and was found and raised by Pharaoh’s daughter.  Moses had quite the story right out of the gate.  After Moses had grown up (40 years old), Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew.  The short story is Moses killed the Egyptian.  Instead of cheering and thanking Moses, the Hebrews mocked him for killing the Egyptian and Moses ended up fleeing for his life. 

    The passage quoted today is 40 years later.  This is the moment where God spoke from the burning bush.  As this story unfolds we see that Moses did not feel worthy, or able, to answer God’s call on his life.  We see Moses runs out of reasons to avoid God’s call on his life, and he does go to Egypt.  We ultimately see, Moses is used by God to free the people from Egyptian control at the age of 80.  Moses gets to see God move in incredible, and miraculous ways for the rest of his life.

    What strikes me in this story, is that when Moses thought he was fit to accomplish things on his own, he failed, and ended up a long way from where he wanted to be.  However, when he felt unfit for the task, God used Moses in mighty ways.  God transformed Moses’s life when he completely surrendered to God’s will.

    How often do we try and take control of situations in our lives on our own?  How often do we try and rely on our own strength instead of His?  As we face each day, as we face each challenge, maybe we should think about one of the key points in Moses’s story.  It is when we realize we are wholly reliant on God, and uncapable in our own power, that God uses us most effectively.  Transformation happens when we surrender ourselves, and wholly let God lead.

Triumphal Procession

 

Triumphal Procession

Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. (2 Corinthians 2:14).

“The fragrance of the knowledge of Christ is spread in the earth through us.  To some it will be an aroma unto salvation; to others it will be an aroma that leads to death because they reject him.  Who is equal to the task of spreading that knowledge?  Paul tells us how to meet such a task; “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.”  Many scholars agree that Paul mixed his metaphors: the first half of the verse seems to deal with the Resurrection (the triumphal procession), and the second half seems to deal with the Cross (fragrance comes only through crushing).

            However, one day I found a paperback book on this passage of Scripture.  It was a doctoral dissertation, and the scholar had researched this verse and studied the Greek word thriambeuo, which is translated “to lead in triumphal procession.”  He found that it was an old Etruscan word, and the Etruscans had a very different triumphal procession from the Roman one that was led by the emperor.  The king who led the Etruscan triumphal procession through the city was the captured, defeated king.  He was spit upon and beaten, and at the end he was sacrificed to the Etruscan gods who supposedly had given the victory.  The conquering king brought up the rear of the procession.  So Paul had not mixed his metaphors.  He was picturing Christ not as the conquering King, but as the conquered King, the One who was to be the sacrifice. 

If Christ leads the procession, then he leads us to an alter of self-sacrifice, the Cross.  It is a triumphal procession because out of the sacrifice of self the fragrance of the gospel comes” (Kinlaw).

I trust this devotion has opened your heart and mind today.  Christ gave of himself sacrificially.  He literally gave His very life for you and for me.  He is the only One worthy of worship and praise.  As we follow Him, we are to put off the old self (or old man as NKJV states).  “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:22-24, NIV).  Our former selves are to be removed, sacrificed, so that our new identity in Christ takes hold.  Shaped and molded by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

As we read the following by Isaiah, let us reflect on what Christ has done for us and reflect on our own walk with the Lord.  Are we walking triumphantly?   “The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears; I have not been rebellious; I have not turned away. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign Lord helps me; I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me! It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me. Who will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up. (Isaiah 50:4-9, NIV)

References

Kinlaw, Dennis. This Day With the Master: 365 Daily Meditations. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002.

I Will Bless the Lord

    Today I wanted to share another devotional I read by Dennis Kinlaw.  In the following devotional we see that the Psalms are full of items that we can apply in our lives today.  I trust this will be a blessing to you, as it was a much needed reminder for me today.  "Psalm 34:1  I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips".

    "It is an exciting venture to take a particular psalm and guess what in the life of the author provoked him to write it.  First, read the psalm carefully to see what it says, and then try to read between the lines, relating different aspects of that psalm to life.  The question becomes, "What kind of human condition would cause a person to write a psalm such as this?"

    One of the things I have noticed is that if we study the book of Psalms long enough, we will find a psalm for every human situation.  For moments of difficulty, moments of exultation, moments of tragedy, and moments of praise; there is a psalm that corresponds to each personal story.

    Another thing I have learned about the Psalms is that many times the psalmists give their conclusion at the beginning, in contrast to the more familiar style in which a writer builds to a climax and then presents the conclusion.  The psalmist will give the solution, and then the reader must work through the psalm to see what the situation was that brought the psalmist to that answer.  Psalm 34 is one of those psalms whose conclusion is at the beginning, and what a conclusion it is! "I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips."  Wouldn't it be great if at the end of today that was the song on our lips?  Let us make that conclusion the answer to our problem of today." (Kinlaw).

As we face each day there may be times of trial or trouble.  Let us not forgot to praise the Lord in the good times and in times of trial.  "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good;  Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" (Psalm 34:8)

References

Kinlaw, Dennis. This Day With the Master: 365 Daily Meditations. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002.