Exodus 4:31 – “The people believed God…”

God’s guidance and provision are your promise in Jesus.  He Never fails!  Several things challenged my heart as I read, prayed, and pondered. 

In Exodus, as God was issuing His promise of deliverance to a hopeless and abused people, He released Moses to begin the deliverance.  Moses hesitated and questioned in the wilderness.   Then, he yielded and believed the promise and went back to Egypt.

Moses shared with Aaron all that God had said, and with excitement and anticipation, they told the people that deliverance had come.  Exodus 4:31 tells us, “The people believed God.”  Of course, they were hoping hopelessly for this.   Moses had returned after 40 years with a revelation that deliverance was now.  They broke out in praise and worship.  They had been given a good word.  They expected it to be easy and would be for that moment in time!

It Was Not!  Things got much worse, so they turned on the messenger and began their pity party on steroids.  In Exodus 5:21, they spoke a curse on Moses.  They said, “You did this. Why? “The Lord spoke to my heart.  Proverbs 24:10 –  “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.”

Also, we must never cast away our confidence in God. 

The promises of God are seldom without opposition and difficulty.   The devil is unwilling to see us prosper and thrive without challenge.    We dare not forget that our enemy seeks to devour.  In 1 Peter 1:13, Peter says an amazing thing – “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind…”  Who is to do that?  We are!  From the loins flow life or reproduction.

In 1 Peter 2:5, he makes another revelatory statement: “You (who? You!) as living stones, BUILD UP YOURSELVES and BECOME spiritual temples and Holy priests…”

God’s promises require our endurance and confidence in God.  We lose hope if we allow what we see to be in control.  We are to live by or in faith, not by what we see or perceive.

Israel believed UNTIL…

• Until Difficulty came. 
• until Persecution came. 
• Until it was no longer easy. 

Remember, being Easy is not the determiner of God’s Promise.  Job – “Though He slay me, I will trust Him.”  The 3 Hebrew children, “God can, but even if He doesn’t, we will not compromise or faith.”  When he knew the law had been signed, Daniel prayed, knowing his fate.   Paul, “I’ve fought the good fight, finished my race, and kept the faith.”

God Can Not and Will Not Lie!  Therefore, No Matter What, we must trust Him.  We must gird up the loins of our minds and retrain ourselves to agree with God.  He will not fail.   We will reap if we do not quit.  What we see is less real than what God says. 

We have a choice.  Will we believe what we see or what God says?  Victory is within our reach.  The outcome is dependent on enduring until.   We need to relearn or learn how to see, stop looking AT our problems, and begin looking to His Promises.   He Is the Living God!

May God equip and inspire you to trust Him fully and pursue His purposes with abandon!

2 Corinthians 11:3 – “But now I’m afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s clever lies, your thoughts may be corrupted, and you may lose your single-hearted devotion and pure love for Christ.”

A fundamental problem in deception is a wrong self-image. In the text, the apostle Paul expressed the concern that deception steals the peace and simplicity that comes from a pure and single-hearted devotion to Christ.

In 2 Corinthians 10:12, he warned against opening that door of pride by comparing ourselves with others.   What another has or does is not the measure of who we are.  Our measure is only our obedience and devotion to Christ.  It is not what we do but our devotion and obedience that God looks at. 

The Law of Reciprocity works in every area of life.  The harvest does not flow out of our great exploits but our love and willing obedience.   God gives us seed to sow and bread to eat.  Every grace abounds in the obedient and enables us to give.  We give what we have, and that is often other than material things.

In 2 Corinthians 6:6, he speaks of unhypocritical love.  What is that?  How can love be hypocritical?  Agape cannot be, but Phileo or Eros can.  Maintaining the sincerity and purity of our devotion enables us to walk as Jesus walked.  Jesus said, “I only do what I see the Father doing.  I only say what I hear the Father saying.”   That expressed His complete obedience as being the basic requirement of a relationship with the Father.   Singular devotion is essential.  Unhypocritical love is the key.

My prayer is, “Lord, help us never look at others as a comparison, but to see their need and pray about it and be generous in helping them.  Help us to have ears to hear & eyes to see.  Help us willingly allow the Holy Spirit to guard our minds, ears, hands, and mouths.   Transform us.  Amen.”

Today, I urge you to examine your hearts and eliminate any comparison to another person. Your standard is not someone else; it is the purity and sincerity of your devotion to Jesus. If He is FIRST, relax. You are where you need to be at this moment. Do not get stuck or complacent, but another’s gifts, abilities, blessings, or labors are not your concern—your heart is your concern.  

Just relax and be.  God will work His purposes in and through you in His time and way.  Just be!

May the Lord bless and keep you in my prayers!

Matthew 6:1 – “Examine your motives…”

Today, the Lord challenged me with challenging thoughts, and out of that, some powerful encouragement arose in my heart and mind. What was the challenge and encouragement?

Motives are possibly more important to God than acts—the why more than the what catches His eye.   In the matter of prayer, Jesus brought to light the reality and need to be simple, concise, and real.

Recently, I heard the LORD say, “Just talk to me. Don’t beg Me and try to manipulate Me. Just talk to Me.”  In Matthew 6, Jesus instructed us on the pathway to effective prayer. Some think that if they repeat a prayer, phrase, or declaration enough times, it influences God. Not according to Matthew 6.

Jesus said, “Follow this example of prayer…”

• Acknowledge God and His sovereignty.
• Make God the center or foundation out of which all we think and do streams.
• Invite God’s presence into our lives and situations.
• Embrace His purposes in our lives and open our hearts to His kingdom realm and authority.
• Acknowledge with Thanksgiving and Gratitude His provisions daily.
• Forgiveness – from Him to us and from us to others.   EVERYTHING!
• Release others from the chains of our judgment and release our judgments to God.
• Ask for and expect God’s deliverance in EVERY TRIAL, TEST, or TROUBLE.
• Recognize and verbalize God’s Lordship and power.  Bask in the reality of who He is.

Then, to remind us of the key element in effective prayer, He adds vv. 14-15 – “And when you pray, make sure you FORGIVE the faults of others SO THAT your Heavenly Father in heaven will also forgive you. 15 But if you withhold forgiveness from others, your Father withholds forgiveness from you.”

• What do we want most? 
• What is most valuable to us? 

Is it God and His purposes or our desires and preferences? This will reveal the motive of our prayers and our actions.

Matthew 6:22 is revelatory, “The eyes of your spirit allow revelation-light to enter your being.  If your heart is unclouded, the light floods in!”

What clouds the heart?   Anything that is elevated above or detracts from God and His purposes.  

The Golden Rule of Matthew 7:12-14 is critical in achieving peace, purpose, and power in God.

Matthew 6:12 – What we call the Golden Rule is not a stand-alone verse or truth.  It is connected to verses 13-14: “Enter through the narrow gate (treating others the way we want to be treated and following the precepts of God’s Word).  The wide gate to destruction is (living selfishly and mistreating others).” It says, “…nearly everyone chooses the crowded road (the road of self).  The narrow gate and difficult way (treating others the way we want to be treated and forgiving) the road that leads to life – so few find it.”

The way, the truth, and the life are ours, as is the promise that effective prayer moves mountains.   We have been called to be citizens of the kingdom and empowered to demonstrate it in this world.  

May the Spirit of the LORD guide you into the pathway of effective prayer and overwhelming victory in Jesus!

Exodus 4:30-31 – “And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had said to Moses, and performed the signs in the presence of the people.³¹ And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had remembered the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they knelt down and worshipped before the LORD.”

God’s guidance and provision are your promise in Jesus.  He NEVER fails!  In Exodus, as God was issuing His promise of deliverance to a hopeless and abused people, He released Moses to begin the deliverance.  Moses hesitated and questioned in the wilderness.   Then, he yielded and believed the promise.  He went back to Egypt.

Moses shared with Aaron all that God had said, and with excitement and anticipation, they told the people that deliverance had come.  Exodus 4:31 tells us, “The people believed God.”  Of course, they were hoping hopelessly for this.  Moses had returned after 40 years with a revelation that deliverance was now.  They broke out in praise & worship.  They had been given a good word.  They expected it to be easy and right then.  It Was Not!

Things got much worse, so they turned on the messenger and began their pity party on steroids.  In 5:21, they spoke a curse upon Moses.  They said to him, “You did this. Why?’   That causes me to remember the words of the LORD in Proverbs 24:10, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.”   It is vital that we never cast away our confidence in God. 

The promises of God are seldom without opposition and difficulty.   The devil is unwilling to see us prosper and thrive without challenge.  We dare not forget that our enemy seeks to devour.  In 1 Peter 1:13, Peter says an amazing thing – “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind…”  Who is to do that?  We are!  From the loins flow life or reproduction.

In 1 Peter 2:5, he makes another revelatory statement: “You (who? You!) as living stones, BUILD UP YOURSELVES and BECOME spiritual temples and Holy priests…”  [Emphasis mine]. God’s promises require endurance and confidence in God.  We lose hope if we allow what we see to be in control.  We are to live by or in faith, not by what we see or perceive.

Israel believed “until” difficulty came.   They were okay “until” persecution came.  All was good “until” it was no longer easy.   We must never forget that easy is not the determiner of God’s Promise.  Remember the words of Job, “Though He slay me, I will trust Him.”  The Three Hebrew children understood this principle and said, “God can, but even if He doesn’t, we will not compromise our faith.”  When he knew the law had been signed, Daniel prayed, knowing his fate.   Paul, “I’ve fought the good fight, finished my race, and kept the faith.

God Cannot and Will Not Lie!  Therefore, No Matter What, we must trust Him.  Gird up the loins of your mind and retrain yourself to agree with God.  He will not fail.   We reap if we do not quit. 

Always remember that what we see in the natural is less real than what God says.  It is our choice; will we believe what we see or what God says?   Victory is within our reach. The outcome is dependent on enduring “until.”  We need to relearn or learn how to see and stop looking AT our problems and begin looking toward His Promises.   He Is the Living God!

Go in the peace and grace of God and enjoy the Victory and confidence that God Never Fails.

Exodus 17:8-16 – “Then came Amalek to fight with Israel at Rephidim.⁹ And Moses said to Joshua, Choose for yourself men, and go out, fight with Amalek tomorrow; and I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.¹⁰ So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and he went to fight with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.¹¹ And it came to pass, when Moses lifted up his hand, Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hands, Amalek prevailed.¹² But Moses hands became tired; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat upon it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, the one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.¹³ And Joshua defeated Amalek with the edge of the sword.¹⁴ Then the LORD said to Moses. Write this for a memorial in a book and place it before Joshua; for I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.¹⁵ And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nasi: ¹⁶ For he said, Behold, as the LORD has sworn, the LORD will fight with Amalek from generation to generation.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered this morning, I was reminded of a key to victory in Exodus 17.

The Bible has many types and symbols that are revelatory for our Christian walk and spiritual development. 

• Amalek is a type of flesh, and one of the first wars Israel fought in the wilderness was Amalek. 
• The wilderness is preparation for obtaining the promise and fully functioning in the kingdom.   There, Amalek opposed them. 
• The flesh (carnal nature) continually seeks to impede spiritual progress.   We yield too often.

As Joshua led the army into battle, the battle went back and forth.  It appeared that Israel would win, then that Amalek would win.  It was constantly drifting back and forth.   Doesn’t that sound like life for most of us?

The key to victory is revealed in the actions of Moses, Aaron, and Hur. 

• Aaron represents the priesthood.
• Hur the congregation. (Corporate – prophet, priest, people) working together.

The lifting up of the hands is a dual symbol.  It is Prayer and Praise!  There is a third element that should be included (that is surrender with expectation).  As long as Moses’ hands were up, supported by corporate prayer and praise, Joshua defeated Amalek.

The flesh (carnal nature) is defeated and overcome by personal and corporate prayer and praise.  If those elements are diminished, Amalek (the flesh) prevails.  The flesh is defeated or held in check if those elements are strengthened.

In 2 Peter 1:4, Peter reminds us that through God’s promises, which include God inhabiting us via praise, we become partakers of God’s divine nature.  That means the carnal nature is defeated if we partake of the divine nature. In that condition, we operate in authority and confidence.  We know who and whose we are.  We expect God to do and be Who He says He is and will do.

If something is holding you back, examine the activeness of prayer, praise, persistence, and surrender in your daily life.  You can overcome the flesh.  You are in the kingdom, and in the kingdom, there is no defeat.  Victory belongs to you – Shout it!

May you experience the overflowing victory of God through Prayer and Praise today! 

Exodus 23:20 – “Behold, I will send an angel before you to GUARD you on the way AND to bring you into the land which I have prepared.” [Emphasis mine.]

As I read, prayed, and meditated today, a promise of God to Israel resonated with me.   Since God is without partiality, if He would do that for them, He surely will do it for us.

Reflecting on Exodus 23, I said, “I receive it for myself.”  Then Psalm 23 and Psalm 91 arose in my consciousness.  As I relished the deep comfort and truth of those Psalms, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind the Truth of “Lifestyle Persistence,” as is revealed in 1 John.

What do I mean by “Lifestyle Persistence?”  John gave some incredible revelations and guidance regarding our daily lives, worship, righteousness demonstration, and interpersonal relationships!  He spoke of a lifestyle of sin and a lifestyle of righteousness.

I do not mean having both, but one or the other.  If we practice sin, not just stumbling occasionally but developing a lifestyle of disobedience, we experience God’s disfavor, which separates us from God. On the other hand, if we practice righteousness, we find God’s favor.   I do not mean to imply that we can earn it.  It is an outworking of our heart’s true condition.

1 John 3:9-10 – “Whoever is born of God Does Not commit sin Because God’s seed is in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God.  10. In this, the children of God can be distinguished from the children of evil; Whoever Does Not Practice righteousness and does not love his brother does not belong to God.”

• Lifestyle and not a singular moment or act.  Practice is the key.

What almost seems like an aside but isn’t is 1 John 5:14-15: “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask Anything according to His will, He Hears us; for If we beseech Him to hear us concerning the things that we ask of Him, we are assured that we have Already Received from Him those things that we desire.”

1 John 5:18 – “We Know that Everyone who is born of God does not sin; for he who is born of God Guards himself, and the evil one does not come near him.”

• If We Practice a lifestyle of righteousness, obedience, and love, the angel guides and guards us.

We are enabled and emboldened to resist the devil, and he has to flee!  It is time to exercise our authority in Christ over every facet of our lives.  You and your house are part of the promise.  If Jesus is the same past, present, and future and no respecter of person – Why Not Now?  It is time to Claim Your Promises!

May the Incredible Creator of All Things Empower You to Be Who He says you are!

Ecclesiastes 4:6 – “Better is a handful with quietness than both hands full with toil and vexation of spirit.”

Ecclesiastes 5:10 – “He who loves money shall not be satisfied with money; and he who loves wealth shall not retain it…”

The more I study, pray, and pursue God, the more I am reminded that we need each other and that our only true source is God.

That reminder helps me focus on God, who is and must be my All-In-All.  My focus is not just on money, position, or power but on God.   Ecclesiastes 6:9 says, “Better is the sight of the eyes than the wanderings of desire…”   Spiritual sight is ten million times better than fantasy and unrealistic expectations or dreams.  Seeing God guides our steps, and He guards, guides, and provides.

Back to how much we need each other.  Something captivating leaps out in Psalm 141:5, and I am musing on that and will be chewing on it all day: “When one of Your godly ones corrects me, or one of Your faithful ones rebukes me, I will accept it like an honor I cannot refuse.   It will be as a healing medicine that I swallow without an offended heart.  Even if they are mistaken, I will continue to pray.”  

If we allow correction and encouragement to come through the strength of unity, we discover the enormous power of tandem.  Two are far better than one, for two working in harmony gain the strength of a third.

Others encourage us.  They help us to make the right choices, and their love and fellowship keep our hearts warm and our commitment strong.  As fellow believers strengthen us, we are propelled into an attitude of praise.

Let me offer something I received today.

Psalm 147:1 – “Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord!  How beautiful it is when we sing our praises to the beautiful God, for praise makes you lovely before Him AND beings Him great delight!”  

Wow!  Praise, genuine praise makes us lovely in God’s eyes.  It also gives Him pleasure!  The Psalmist said in Psalm 144:9 that the harp inside his heart would continually make music to God.  In 145:9, we are reminded that God’s tender love is blended into Everything He does.

In Psalm 145:18-21, we are reminded of what it means to have God as our source.  Those who call on Him, He draws near.  The result of a Near God is v.19 – “Every godly one receives even more than what they ask for.  For You hear what their hearts really long for, and You bring them your saving strength.”

God is our source, and other believers’ input keeps us strong and on the right path. Even if their observations or corrections are mistaken, their love and caution give us insight and encouragement to seek God continually. Praise transforms us in God’s eyes. He never just meets our needs but fulfills the heart’s desire when the heart is His.

Know this: God’s words will never fail.   Psalm 147:15 – “He sends out His orders throughout the world; His words run as swift messengers, bringing them to pass.”  

Today’s victory depends on our recognition of our true source and our membership in the body of Christ.  

May you walk in total victory today and every day in Jesus!

Isaiah 5:13-14 – ”Therefore My people are gone into captivity, BECAUSE they have no knowledge: AND their dead are multiplied BECAUSE of the famine, and have been overcome with thirst.  14 THEREFORE, Sheol has enlarged itself without measure: AND the glorious men, the honorable men, and the mighty men shall descend into it.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated upon the Word, the value, power, illusiveness, and availability of wisdom kept reverberating in my mind.  Isaiah 5 leaped off the page into my heart, mind, and spirit.

Amos 8:11-12 speaks of this a famine of hearing the Word of God.

Proverbs 1:1, Solomon urged his sons and everyone to embrace Kingdom revelations and words of wisdom, which equip and empower them to reign in life.

Proverbs 1:7 – “We cross the threshold of True Knowledge when we live in obedient devotion to God.” 

Kingdom wisdom that empowers comes through total surrender to God.  Faux wisdom comes through human efforts.  True wisdom comes from God as a gift.

Proverbs 1:21 – “Yet wisdom’s song is not always heard in the halls of higher learning.”  

Proverbs 1:22 indicates that earthly acquired knowledge can result in becoming cynical coffers who fight facts. 

Proverbs 2:1-2 – “My child, will you treasure wisdom?  Then, and only then, will you acquire it. AND ONLY IF you accept my advice and hide it within your will, you succeed.   2 So train your heart to listen when I speak and open your spirit wide to expand your discernment – then pass it on to your sons and daughters.”

Proverbs 3:11 counsels against taking God’s directives lightly and against getting frustrated by His chastisement.  Proverbs 3:21-22 are potent words of guidance.   Do not drift off course from life’s two goals – live under the tutelage of wisdom and discover your life assignment.   They empower us with strength, inspiring us to do what is right.  They energize, refresh, and heal.

God desires His children to see, hear, and know Him, that their words are His words or rooted in His Kingdom revelation and wisdom. 

• Facts, truth, and true knowledge empower our words. 

Proverbs 18:20 – “From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied; With the produce of his lips, he will be satisfied.”

• God desires us to be wise with His gift of wisdom and Kingdom revelation. 

Proverbs 3:16 – “Wisdom extends to you long life in one hand and wealth and promotion in the other.  Out of her mouth flows righteousness, and her words release both law and mercy.”

Proverbs 2:22 is a staggering revelation.  Living outside the righteousness and wisdom of God following the way of the flesh causes one to “lose not only what they could have had, but even their own souls.”  

God’s expressed desire is to give us the kingdom.  Therefore, if we reject wisdom, correction, and righteousness, we cost ourselves The Blessings (what we could have had) and our eternal souls.   Both are horrific thoughts.

But the door stands open, the invitation awaiting our RSVP to enter in.  So, enter in!  The Kingdom is yours, not because you deserve it, are good enough, or have done enough, but because He decreed it.  Today would be a great day to embrace God’s promises and pursue wisdom like a treasure.   God’s wisdom will liberate and empower beyond anything imagined.   It is ours for the taking, so take it!

May God best be yours each day, and may you know His fullness free from captivity!

Proverbs 8:34-35 – “If you wait at wisdom’s doorway, longing to hear a word for every day, joy will break forth within you as you listen for what I’ll say. 35 For the fountain of life pours into you every time that you find Me, and this is the secret of growing in delight and the favor of the Lord.”  

God has a plan for you—a plan that is peaceful, powerful, and productive. His words reveal truth that enables us to reign in life and walk in the Finished Work of Jesus (Proverbs 8:6, TPT).

I love the wisdom and promise of Proverbs 8:34-35 – “If you wait at wisdom’s doorway, longing to hear a word for every day, joy will break forth within you as you listen for what I’ll say. 35 For the fountain of life pours into you every time that you find Me, and this is the secret of growing in delight and the favor of the Lord.”   That is amazing!

Proverbs 10:5 resonated powerfully with me today. “Know the importance of the season you’re in and a wise son you will be.  But what a waste when an incompetent son sleeps through his day of opportunity.”

The seasons of life are constantly flowing.  We move from one season to the next.   Each season is a time to grow and develop in God.  Each season allows us to expand our understanding, ability, and faith.  

Jesus spoke of knowing the time of our visitation, and James said of being strengthened in trials and tests.  Our season may be filled with adversity, but revelation knowledge is entwined in that season, producing wisdom that releases power to BE!

Proverbs 9:11 – “Wisdom will extend your life, making every year more fruitful than the one before.”  9:12 – “So it is to your advantage to be wise.  But to ignore the counsel of wisdom is to invite trouble into your life.”

What is your season now? 

• There are seasons of warfare and seasons of rest and recuperation.  
• Seasons of learning and seasons of teaching (dispensing the knowledge).
• Seasons of life all have a definitive purpose. 
• Knowing your season enables you to progress and possess the fruit or reward contained therein.

Therefore, if you do not know your season today, pray for revelation to know, then pursue your purpose with all your heart, mind, and soul.  Victory is for the taking. Proverbs 8:18, speaking of Wisdom, says, “Unending wealth and glory come to those who discover where I dwell.   The Riches of righteousness and a long, satisfying life will be given them. “

Knowing our season and following God’s wisdom produces peace and power beyond our comprehension. What is your season?  Not what you want it to be, but what is it?  Know it, recognize it, embrace it, and become transformed through it.

May the Grace of God guard you and the Power of God protect you!