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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Saturday, 4 January 2025:
Exodus 7:5 – “The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.”
God had a plan that was much bigger than just helping the Jews – He intended to glorify Himself to those who did not know Him, to the whole world and for all future generations. The Jews saw circumstances from their self-centered perspective and complained, but God had a much greater good in mind. Understand that God has a plan for your life that places Him at the center, even at the expense of your comfort and desires. However, also understand that though God’s plan might call for discomfort in your life, His plan is always best for you too, the product of a perfectly loving God. If you see life from your personal, limited, self-centered perspective, you will only be frustrated and joyless. If you keep God in the center, seek to understand God’s will, and truly pray the Lord’s Prayer in your heart – “Thy will be done….” — you will find peace and joy in the midst of any circumstance and you will be in a position to be used mightily by God.
Exodus 7:6, 7 – Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them. Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Moses and Aaron had come to a place in their lives where they were willing to obey God despite the apparent impracticability of the assignment or the apparent cost; it took over 80 years for them to get to that place. How long will it take before you are willing to do “just as the Lord commanded”? Then, you will be very usable.
Exodus 7:11-13 – Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
World philosophies claim to be just as powerful as Christianity, claiming to produce the same results in your life as God. The world will point to many philosophies for relief of mankind’s problems, which at first, appear to produce results. However, these false Gospels only mislead people from the Truth, Jesus, and all lead to death. Christians point only to Jesus Christ. Just as in the time of Moses, we are in a contest of beliefs. Our mission is to help guide people to the Truth. So, be careful not to adopt and repeat any of the false narratives out there which suggest that salvation can be found in human effort and human institutions. We are ambassadors for Christ, not for current philosophies, moralities, or parties. Stay true to your calling to proclaim Christ alone. Ultimately, the Gospel will consume all other philosophies.
Exodus 7:19 – …there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.
It is comical how historians attempt to find natural causes for God’s supernatural work. In the modern movie “Exodus,” the Nile turns to blood because of rampant crocodile attacks. Here we see that the Bible points out that all water turned to blood. Hollywood doesn’t mention that. When science becomes a person’s religion, they leave no room for supernatural power beyond what can be observed and explained by the human intellect, as if the created thing could ever fully conceive of that which created it and as if the Creator of everything couldn’t do anything He desires within His Creation. When these humanists see the unexplainable, they have to create a false narrative, a false science, a pseudo-science, an explanation that cannot be proven but must be accepted as truth through faith, faith in the superiority, even infallibility, of man’s intellect and reason. Then, anyone who doesn’t accept the false truth must be condemned as ignorant, superstitious, and closed-minded. To deny mankind’s humanistic pseudo-science is to blaspheme the “church” of self-righteousness and self-glorification. The truth of Christ is unacceptable to the church of man, and the humanist will seek to silence the messenger of Truth, the ambassador of Christ.
Exodus 7:23 – Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart.
Pride is a dangerously powerful thing. Pride is where learning ceases. “Pride goes before destruction.” (Proverbs 16:8) Despite Moses’ pleas and all the miracles Pharaoh witnessed with his own eyes, he didn’t change his mind (repent). You cannot convince a prideful person, through reason or miracles, to accept Jesus Christ because their heart hasn’t been humbled by the Holy Spirit. However, our job is to proclaim the Gospel to all creation, regardless of the response. You never know what seeds you are planting. Proclaim the truth to all, but don’t argue with the scoffers.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 4 January 2025: Live a Christ-centered life and proclaim to Gospel to all, regardless the immediate consequences, trusting that the Lord is at hand working all things out for a greater good than you could possibly imagine. Wait upon the Lord, and don’t miss out on what He can do with a faithfully obedient life.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 