Blogger’s Note: It’s about 4 am on 1/26/10 and I just completed the data on my 40 Days of New Year commitment and my devotional journal for today [below] for accountability and sharing on this date. However, I will likely not be posting online for a few hours because I’m not foolish enough to ask my nurse (my wife, Elly) to type this for me now. She has become, by default, my nurse, secretary, and chauffeur in the next couple of weeks following my shoulder surgery yesterday. So, please be patient with my online posting, as my rehab begins post surgery.
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Study from Exodus 12-15; Passage for Reflection : Exod. 14:13-14 … NIV
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today … The Lord will fight for you; you will need only to be still.”
My Journal for Today … Well, here in Exodus 14 we read what is probably the classic biblical lose-lose scenario. God had led Moses, who, in turn, had led God’s people to the beaches of the Red Sea. And here, with the sea at their backs, the Egyptian army was pursuing them from down out of the hills in front of them. So, death appeared to be ahead and also certain death behind, with no way to traverse the Red Sea. No way to go but to God; and that’s the best place there is to be when we don’t have a clue as to what to do.
And I’d almost bet you’ve had some raunchy, lose-lose scenarios in your life, haven’t you? One or two may have bubbled up in your consciousness right now. And many times they have to do with relationships, where no matter which way we turn it seems to lead to a bad outcome. As a kid you may remember a time when you had been bad and you just knew that your parents were going to “kill you” when you had to confess your wrong-doing. But here you are and they didn’t kill you, did they? And it can be like that for adults also.
Years ago I can vividly remember having to confess 12 years of habitual sexual sin and marital infidelity to my wife; and when I did, I just knew our marriage was over. But here we are, 27 years later and God saw fit to deliver us by walking us through the Red Sea of reconciliation, restoration, and renewal, taking us to a place within His grace where we can share our story of how our God is a God of the second chance.
Think of how God’s people, the Jews, now share the story of the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians; but so do we, the Gentiles. And now from the New Covenant, we Christians can share the ultimate deliverance story of how we were saved by God’s grace, by walking into freedom from the sure spiritual death of our sin nature, as Christ gave us the resurrection power over death through his shed blood on the cross.
Yes, that is the ultimate winner versus loser scenario, isn’t it? If we choose God’s way in Christ we become winners in heaven – FOREVER. But if we choose to reject God’s answer for sin, we will be losers in hell forever. Every day we can choose to follow our Savior, Who, by His enabling grace, gives us His power to walk free from sin. It is so often such a clear choice; but why, then, do we make it so difficult by choosing the selfish, sinful way rather than the satisfying, Savior’s way?
How about it, my friend? As Paul once said to the church in Corinth 1st Cor 11: 1, {my paraphrase} “You can follow me, because I follow Christ.” Well, I may not be the Apostle Paul, but I know that if you follow God’s way from His Word, as I try my best to do now in my life, He is going to lead us to life and away from death. So, come on dear ones, let’s do it!
My Prayer for Today : Lord, show me the way – Your way – and I will follow. Amen
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