Lent 2020 Day 19 “Not So Easy Street”

Daily Scriptures: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=26

Exodus 17:1-7
17:1 From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
17:2 The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?”
17:3 But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?”
17:4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
17:5 The LORD said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
17:6 I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
17:7 He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

Not So Easy Street

 Have you ever longed for something and finally got it only to find out the work needed to keep it wasn’t calculated in the wish to have it? Have you ever found yourself admiring the grass on the other side of the fence without thinking about the fertilizer it took to keep it up? In other words, have you ever wanted for something and not known what to do when you got it? The mindset of wanting often breeds more wanting and that is a bottomless pit. The more time we spend wanting the better we become at wanting and when it doesn’t satisfy we want something different. Soon we may find out that wanting to be on easy street is not so easy after all?

The Israelites in our text are in the wilderness on the way to the promised land. The land they have longed for. The land they have dreamed of, yet the pathway to the promise has perils and pitfalls. During the enslavement in Egypt, YWHW was experienced by many as a fairy tale of fanciful thinking and not a true deliverer and provider. When Moses comes and they are delivered physically the mental chains are still clinging. Their bodies were free but they were still a bit skittish when it came to trusting GOD and Moses. While on the pilgrimage to the promised land one of the challenges was water. The Israelite community here in Exodus is thirsty. They are unsatisfied. They are naturally concerned about their ability to survive without this essential element. And so they go back to old behavioral patterns of wishing and wanting. They wish they had some water. They wish they never left. They wish somebody would do something for them. They begin to wonder “Is the LORD among us or not?”

How often do we when met with challenges that seem insurmountable begin to wonder if we’ve been abandoned by YHWH? We feel like if YHWH were truly with us then the struggle would be less arduous. Why would we ever have to deal with thirst or running out of anything, if GOD were with us? What we may miss is YWHW always knows where we are and is always able to make provisions for our problems. YHWH tells Moses to go ahead a little farther and strike a rock. Moses does and voila, water gushes forth. If we get stuck and stop moving forward we may miss the blessing that is just ahead.

On this 19th day of our Lenten consecration, I encourage us to keep pressing to the blessing. We may face hopelessness and despair, problems and pitfalls, but YHWH has opened doors we may not see and they are just ahead.  Instead of wishing, keep walking and watching for YHWH to work it out. Keep the faith and know that wishing and wanting only breeds more wishing and wanting. Whatever we feed grows. Feed YOUR faith.

Point to Ponder: What have YOU been wishing for? What will the cost be for receiving it? How will YOU avoid complaining when YOU are straining to survive? How can YOU lift others as YOU climb?

Lent 2020 Day 18 “Sabbath Quarantine”

 

Daily Scripture: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2095;%20Exodus%2016:27-35;%20John%204:1-6

Exodus 16:27-35

²⁷ Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. ²⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you^[a] refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? ²⁹ Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” ³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day. ³¹ The people of Israel called the bread manna.^[b] It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. ³² Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’” ³³ So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come.” ³⁴ As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law, so that it might be preserved. ³⁵ The Israelites ate manna forty years until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan. 

Quarantine

Stay where you are. Your mobility is being monitored and as much as YOU want to go about business as usual, YOU cannot. What will you do? How will you handle this time in seclusion? Many people have become addicted to moving. We resonate with the rapper Rick Ross when he says, “Every day I’m hustlin’. This is not the DIVINE plan for the children of YHWH. We have become humans doing forsaking the call to be human beings.

Our text in Exodus 16 continues the discussion on trusting GOD to provide. The word sabbath here is from the Hebrew word shabbat meaning “to rest from labor”. Rest is so important to humanity that YHWH builds it into the ten commandments. The Israelites have violated once again the plan of GOD. They have gone out and tried to gather manna on rest day. GOD admonishes them to not only not work but to not even go out. Essentially Sabbath is a weekly quarantine.

Rest requires trust. As we grow through this Lenten season and as we experience a pandemic that is forcing a quarantine upon us I encourage YOU to rest. So much potential has been buried within us because we haven’t slowed down long enough to listen to the still small voice of GOD. We have trusted in ourselves and many of us don’t know what to do with unscheduled time. Quarantine is not always a bad thing. Get to know YOUR family better. Play some games, read a book. Do yoga. Sanctify this time and KNOW that GOD will provide.

Point to Ponder: How do YOU celebrate not just tolerate sabbath? Spend some time being creative. Reconcile with an old friend. Remember quarantine may not be as bad as it seems.

Lent 2020 Day 17 “Release Your Yesterday”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2095;%20Exodus%2016:9-21;%20Ephesians%202:11-22

Exodus 16:9-21

⁹ Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” ¹⁰ While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of  the Lord appearing in the cloud. ¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹² “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’” ¹³ That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. ¹⁴ When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. ¹⁵ When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer^[a] for each person you have in your tent.’” ¹⁷ The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. ¹⁸ And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed. ¹⁹ Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” ²⁰ However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. ²¹ Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.

Let Yesterday Go

I’m exhausted. How does a good GOD let all this happen? Why does this have to be so hard? Why do I have to go through this desert of despair? Am I asking too much? All I want to do is take it easy. Haven’t we been through enough? If YOU have ever uttered these words YOU may be responding to echoes of the past and carrying around extra junk in YOUR trunk. One of the greatest challenges to our overall mental health and spiritual growth is the inability to build bridges and get over a scarcity mentality. Grumbling is born from judging what we are experiencing as bad or undesirable. We grumble when we cannot appreciate our present moment. Unfortunately complaining and grumbling leads us to play the blame game. Rarely do we see our role in our condition. In an effort to move forward I encourage us to let yesterday go. When I say “let yesterday go”, I am saying we cannot do anything about our past but we can make determinations about moving forward.

In the text from Exodus 16, The Israelites are mumbling and grumbling. Freed from their external captors they are still in bondage to their brokenness and addicted to complaining. All the while they were enslaved they complained. Now they are free and they complain. Sometimes you get what you want but don’t know how to handle it. Other times you get what you want but the responsibilities are more than you imagined. Due to their complaining, GOD responds by sending manna from heaven. Manna is hard to describe but it can be understood as a daily provision of just enough. GOD instructs the Israelites to get all they wanted but don’t store any for the next day. But like many of us who don’t trust easily due to past pain, we try to get while the getting is good. Past programming says the future is unpredictable so I better hold on to what I have. They stored some manna and it made them sick. The message here is to trust that the LORD will provide. By attempting to store manna it was trusting more in the provisions of yesterday than the provider of every day. When GOD gives an instruction we must trust that there is a plan. We may not see or understand the plan but that doesn’t mean its not there.

This Lent as we come face to face with ourselves, let us enter each day with a renewed awareness that GOD will provide. Let us trust the provider more than the provision. Manna was known as what is it. We may not have a name for how the provision is made but there is no doubt who the provider is. OUR GOD never runs out of creative ways to bless us.

Points to Ponder: What are YOU clinging to that is impeding YOUR progress? What is your image of GOD? How can YOU cling to an abundance mentality after a history of scarcity?

Lent 2020 Day 13 “Impatience”

 

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20128%3B%20Numbers%2021%3A4-9%3B%20Hebrews%203%3A1-6&version=AMP;NIV

^{NUMBERS 21:4} They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea,^[a] to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; ⁵ they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

⁶ Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. ⁷ The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

⁸ The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

Impatient

Any parent who has ever driven on vacation with a young child is very familiar with the following mantra, “Are we there yet”? “Are we there yet”? The more exciting the destination or long the trip the more the question gets asked. Many of us as children of GOD have been in a similar situation with GOD. We like the child on a long ride start to get anxious. We want what we believe has been promised to us to come and come quickly.

The Israelites in our text are in the wilderness on the way to the promised land. What an exciting destination. The challenge is the way to the promised land is through the wilderness. Going through the wilderness is more than a notion. The wilderness is often dry, untamed land. Rugged and rocky. Going through the wilderness requires strength, dedication, hope, and perseverance. To top it off sometimes you have detours and delays in the wilderness. While in the midst of a detour they grow impatient and grumble. They start giving GOD and Moses the attributes of Pharoah. It is Pharoah that would have them die and GOD has promised abundance. The Israelites lose focus and their faith falters.

One take away for us today is knowing the way to our most desired outcome may be through the wilderness. There is no instant success. The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. The wilderness helps us to work through our delusions of self-reliance and inspires us to trust in GOD even when we cannot track GOD. This Lent we may be desiring closeness with GOD and we may have to feel alone and deserted to get there. Every snack we forsake or soda we give up is a sacrifice that we do in hopes of reaching the promised land of more intimacy. And we may grow impatient when it feels like GOD is farther away than when we started. I encourage YOU to not give up on GOD because GOD has not given up on YOU. It takes hot water to get the best flavor out of tea and it may take a wilderness to get the best out of YOU. Keep the faith.

Point to Ponder: Would YOU sacrifice freedom for security? Is death better than bondage? In what areas of your life are you growing impatient?

Lent 2018 Day 28 “A Way Out”

Numbers 20:1-13  (NIV)

Water From the Rock

20 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried. ² Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. ³ They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! ⁴ Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? ⁵ Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!” ⁶ Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ⁸ “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.” ⁹ So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. ¹⁰ He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” ¹¹ Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. ¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” ¹³ These were the waters of Meribah,^[a] where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.

1 Corinthians 10:6-13 (NIV)

⁶ Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. ⁷ Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”^[a] 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.⁹ We should not test Christ,^[b] as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. ¹⁰ And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. ¹¹ These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.¹² So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!¹³ No temptation^[c] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted^[d] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,^[e] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

A Way Out

Your back is against the wall. Options have run out. You’re frustrated and now you are looking for someone anyone to blame. There are times in this life when most people have to face critical moments which will reveal their true character. A couple is in crisis. Days of marital bliss have given way to leaving without a kiss. The thrill is gone. Now every sacrifice is counted and arguments break out over simple things like, who ate the last piece of chicken?, Who forgot to wash dishes, who left the socks in the floor, who doesn’t cook like momma or fix stuff like daddy? Life can bring us to some dry desolate places where little or nothing satisfies and many people when faced with this harsh reality start pointing fingers. It’s your fault we are broke. Why did I ever leave home and marry you? You acted like prince charming when we met and now I wake up to the  Dawn of the Living Dead. We get frustrated and discombobulated when we look around and can find no easy way out. I say today sometimes the only way out is through.

In our text found in Numbers 20, the Israelites are in a funky, nasty, and desperate mood. They have been delivered from bondage only to find themselves bombarded by barren landscapes filled with dry rocks. They had imagined stew, they got stones. They wanted something better but what they saw made them bitter. Moses and Aaron bear the brunt of this dissatisfaction. NOw if you are a church leader reading this you can imagine how Moses and Aaron felt. You were hailed as champions only to be turned in to chumps. AS leaders we do the best we can to say and do what GOD leads us to say and do and in similar ways to the people we get disappointed. We teach and preach the word that feels inspired and the people, the moment it gets rough, the moment they can’t see where this is going start to turn their backs on us. Oh the pain. The Israelites blame Moses and Aaron and thought, death in the past would have been better than life in the present. The wilderness can break you down.

In response to the criticism, Moses and Aaron go and fall facedown in the presence of the LORD. They are broken and bowed. I have been there and done that. Even though they were beleaguered they bowed and got blessed. They hear from the LORD and receive yet another affirmation that GOD is still with them, even when they may not feel like it. They go back, but the residue of frustration is still on them. Sometimes people are our triggers and seeing the grumbling Israelites triggers frustration and Moses forgets to follow the plan GOD gave. GOD said speak to the rock and Moses struck the rock, not once but twice. I can imagine he said, “Yaw’ll want water? I’ll show you water, you ungrateful….” As a result of their disobedience Moses and Aaron will not be able to lead the community into the promised land. They will look but not touch. Leadership is costly.

As we go through this Lent and we hear from the LORD, I encourage you to listen and follow instructions. GOD has a way out. We only run out of options when we run out of creativity. As long as we have the breath of life there is a way out. We will not be tempted beyond what we can bear. Whatever it is GOD allows you to go through it is intended to help you grow through it. You can’t go around the desert. You have to go through it. Don’t turn back. Keep pressing to your blessing there is a way out, It is called Through Street. LIVEBIG.

Points to Ponder: Who have you blamed for the failures and disappointments in your life? How have you handled the criticism of others? What has motivated you to keep going? What issues are you striking that you should be speaking?

Lent 2018 Day Nineteen “Rules and Regulations”

Exodus 20:1-17
20:1 Then God spoke all these words: 20:2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 20:3 you shall have no other gods before me. 20:4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 20:6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. 20:7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 20:9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 20:10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work–you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. 20:13 You shall not murder. 20:14 You shall not commit adultery. 20:15 You shall not steal. 20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Psalm 19
19:1 The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. 19:2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
19:3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; 19:4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, 19:5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. 19:6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hidden from its heat. 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple; 19:8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes; 19:9 the fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb. 19:11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 19:12 But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults. 19:13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock, and my redeemer.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25
1:18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1:19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 1:20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 1:22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 1:23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 1:24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1:25 For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

John 2:13-22
2:13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2:14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 2:15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 2:16 He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” 2:17 His disciples remembered that iatot was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 2:18 The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 2:20 The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” 2:21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 2:22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Rules and Regulations

In this house there are rules and regulations. I cannot tell you how many times I heard this line from my parents. They were usually spoken after I had tested the boundaries and found them undesirable. After such a transgression, my parents felt it necessary to reinforce, the rules of the house and then let me know as long as I lived under their roof these rules would be followed or there would be….thats right, consequences and repercussions. I did not know it at the time but they were merely following the lines of the DIVINE PARENT.

In our Exodus text DIVINE PARENT gives instructions to the children of Israel. These instructions are vital because they are in a new location and with this comes new expectations. When you enter a new situation it is important to get an understanding of how to act. This is especially true when you have been in bondage to a person, lifestyle, or way of thinking. The Israelite’s had been recently granted an answer to their prayers and the prayers of their ancestors. They are in unfamiliar territory. One of the greatest fears in humanity is fear of the unknown and there was a lot of unknown in this scenario. “How will we eat? What do we do from day to day? Who is this GOD? What does GOD want from us? Have we traded Pharaoh for another task master just as ruthless? So many unknowns, with fear and its residue was all over them the recently emancipated are being ensnared from within. DIVINE PARENT knowing this. “as parents seem to know things” makes clear the rules and regulations. Half of the rules deal with the vertical connection between GOD and humanity and the other half deal with the horizontal relationships of dealing with each other.

Lent has the opportunity to bring about new revelations and new destinations. With the newness it will be important to know how to act. Knowing how to act will always have its start in keeping the connection with the CREATOR strong. Staying spiritually focused, especially when we are tested and tried by the unfamiliar nuances of the next level. We must not trade the GOD of now with the GOD of then. When I write this I mean the Israelites ultimately were afraid of GOD and not in the reverence type of way. This was a conditioned response from years of life under the rule of the Pharaohs who fashioned themselves as gods. They carried the god of then (past) into the GOD of now. This transference of attributes caused them to see GOD like they saw Pharaoh. As you pursue all that DIVINE PARENT has for you, remember the rules. Love the LORD your GOD  with all your heart, mind, soul and strength: and love your neighbor as yourself. We must caution ourselves against stinking thinking, shackled to yesterday trying to live today. Essentially trying to drive forward looking in the rear view mirror. I read a quote, “If the past comes calling, let it go to voicemail because it has nothing new to say. LIVEBIG

Points to Ponder: Are there any memories that are keeping you from embracing where you are? Do you view rules as liberating or restrictive? What will you do today to share the rule, love one another?

 

Lent 2018 Day Eighteen “Mountains”

Exodus 19:16-25  (NIV)

¹⁶ On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.¹⁸ Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain^[a] trembled violently. ¹⁹ As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of GOD          answered him.  ²⁰ The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up ²¹ and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. ²² Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.” ²³ Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’” ²⁴ The Lord replied, “Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out against them.” ²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them.

Mark 9:2-8 (NIV)

The Transfiguration

² After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ³ His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.⁵ Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” ⁶ (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) ⁷ Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” ⁸ Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

Mountains

Mountains can be majestic. When beholding the sheer size and beauty of mountains, ancient humans would often feel that they were standing in the presence of something… godlike. As a result of this feeling the belief systems of many ancient cultures, felt that mountains were something spiritual – either serving as the home of the gods, a result of their actions, or a place to get closer to God. Judaism and Christianity are no different. Mountains serve as a central feature of the faith. Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Peter, james, John, and  Jesus all have mountain experiences. Mountains are an enduring sign that the earth has a volatile past and has yet endured.

In both of our texts today mountains are at the center. Because of their height and the sense that GOD lived in the heavens, mountains were viewed as closer to GOD. Moses climbs the mountain to commune with GOD and get instructions for the people. The people are to consecrate themselves before entering the presence of GOD. In the Mark text we have another mountain scene and a transfiguration occurs. This was so impactful the disciples want to stay.

This leads me to my central understanding for today, as we consecrate ourselves through fasting and sacrifice, we may experience a deeper and closer attachment to GOD. This attachment which may occur away from the crowds can be so real and pleasant we want to remain. Who wouldn’t want to remain in the midst of the MOST HIGH. The mountains seem like the perfect place to stay. The challenge with this is we can grow attached to the sign and not the source. When we believe the whole earth is the LORDS then every place becomes sacred. The mountain is not meant to be a landing strip where we stay but a launch pad from which we take off and soar. The experience we may have on the mountain must help someone in the valley. With a renewed sense of purpose and zeal we are intended to take the SOURCE with us. This spiritual life is a journey and we are like a vehicle. The mountain is like a gas station where we refuel for the work.

As we live through Lent today, I am sure we are having some life-enhancing interactions with GOD. From these interactions, we are tasked like Moses and Aaron to instruct the people. Whether we get to climb the mountain or simply absorb its essence from the base, may we know the creator of the mountain also created us. We are powerful like the mountains.

Points to Ponder: Reflect on an experience with GOD where you were so into you didn’t want to leave. How has that experience shaped your life today? Mountain climbing is not easy, think on how willing you are to work for the depth of relationship with GOD desired of You.

Lent 2018 Day Seventeen “Coming Out of Hiding”

Exodus 19:9-15  (NIV)

⁹ The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said. ¹⁰ And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes ¹¹ and be ready by the third day because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹² Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. ¹³ They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.” ¹⁴ After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵ Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.”

Acts 7:30-40 (NIV)

³⁰ “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. ³¹ When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say: ³² ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’^[a] Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.

³³ “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. ³⁴ I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’^[b]

³⁵ “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness.

³⁷ “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’^[c] 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us.

³⁹ “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. ⁴⁰ They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’^[d]

Coming Out of Hiding

Have you ever felt like you were meant to be doing more than you are doing? Have you ever felt unsatisfied going through the motions of life? Deep inside you know you have settled for less than your best. You could have a family, have a job, have friends, and still there can be that feeling gnawing deep within you, that this just isn’t enough. When you think about it, it appears the truest part of you is in hiding. You are a shell of the person you know you can be. The pathways to hiding can be many. Rejection, fear, Failed prior attempts. Whatever the cause, you are longing for the fire and desire to come out of hiding.

Moses is described in the Acts passage as being away from Egypt for forty years, For forty years he has been away from family and familiar places. For forty years he has sought to satisfy and soothe his hurt from rejection. Moses was in hiding from the Egyptian authorities and also in hiding from himself. In the midst of hiding, his curiosity is piqued and he sees a burning bush that isn’t consumed. Being drawn to this he hears the LORD say, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’^[a] Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.³³ “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” GOD sends Moses back to finish what he started.

As you read this you may be reflecting on some areas of your life where you have been hiding. You may like Moses need to go back and finish something you started. I believe you cannot erase what you will not face. The sense of being on holy ground and removing his shoes inspires me to know, let the past stay in the past. You can not bring old habits into new seasons.

Lent is a time to identify holy ground. It would be a shame to end Lent the same way you entered. To fast and pray only to pick back up your fears and follies. GOD is calling us to come out of hiding through a burning bush. A fire that won’t go out. You have felt it. Now, address it and let GOD be GOD. Take off your shoes. Release the past, knowing that you are anatomically designed to move forward. Even if the way forward is the way back. Somebody needs you to go back and get them even though they rejected you when you tried. You are born to LIVE BIG and anything else will be to die small.

Points To Ponder: What fears have caused you to go into hiding? What fires/passions are driving you out of hiding? What if the people you put your neck on the line for, let you down again?

 

 

Lent Day 7 Blessed Despite Our Mess

 

^{Deuteronomy 9:5-6} It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. ⁶ Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.

It’s day 7 of our Lenten journey. For one week of our lives we have been focused on drawing closer to GOD. Hopefully we have been a blessing to others as we have journeyed on. Becoming more aware of the presence of GOD in our daily lives and not translating that awareness to the benefit of others, I believe would be to miss the mark. The text today is from Deuteronomy 9:4-12.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+9%3A4-12&version=NIV

This text serves as a reminder to all of us, that the blessings of GOD we may receive are not because we have been so much better than everyone else around us. Now this can be a bitter pill to swallow for those of us who have grown up in a competitive culture. We have been taught things like, “to the victor goes the spoils” and “Nobody remembers who came in second”. Conditioned by this mindset we assume that when good things happen to us,we have in some way done something to earn this favor from GOD. Our text spoken by Moses to the children of Israel as they were preparing to enter the promised land was a sobering reminder to the Israelites that they, “weren’t all that”.

GOD instructs Moses to tell the soon to be possessors of the promised land not to get cocky and think their victories were because of their righteousness or their integrity. I believe this is an important lesson for believers of any and every age. As we look introspectively during our 40 days of Lent, we must keep it real with ourselves. Keeping it real we must acknowledge that we have been the recipients of grace. We have a tendency to be naughty by nature. We have fallen too easily, quit too readily, and strayed too obliviously. And yet in spite of it all GOD is willing to grant us another chance to experience more than we deserve. GOD is willing to bless us in spite of us. Along with this GOD is willing to give us a warning. This warning for me is implied in the text, that if you are being blessed to dispossess nations greater and stronger than you because of their wickedness, and you recognize there is some wickedness in you, then if you don’t check yourself, you could end up in the same situation.

We are blessed, and there are more blessings in store, but we must not become lackadaisical in our spiritual disciplines. Knowing ourselves and how easily we can make a golden calf to satisfy the selfish longings we have, we must remain intentional. Our ability to maintain the blessings after we have received them, depends on our spiritual discipline.

Today I am grateful for grace. I am so glad that we cannot be so bad GOD stops loving us. Conversely we cannot be so good that we don’t require grace. On the way to the promised land, the greatest enemy may be the “inner me”. Knowing this be steadfast unmovable, always abounding in the work of the LORD.

Hebrews 3:1-11

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+3%3A1-11&version=NIV

John 2:12-22

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+2%3A13-22&version=NIV

Prayer: LORD help me to recognize the gaps in my life. Those places where I may have been seduced into a false sense of self-righteousness. Forgive me of all my sins. Please deliver me from the evil within myself, and the evil all around me. Cleanse me of sins residue, so that I will give you all the glory, and remain humbly committed to doing your will. AMEN.