2009 - Day 54 - Feb. 24 - Shrink-wrapped Salvation

2009 – Day 54.Feb.24 – Shrink-wrapped Salvation

Passage of the Day: Exodus 2: 14 – 25 … 14 Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” So Moses feared and said, “Surely this thing is known!” 15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well. 16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 18 When they came to Reuel their father, he said, “How is it that you have come so soon today?” 19 And they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock.” 20 So he said to his daughters, “And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” 21 Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. 22 And she bore him a son. He called his name Gershom,[which in Hebrew means “stranger there”] for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.” 23 Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.

My Journal for Today: Swindoll, from today’s Exodus 2 passage reminds us of our tendency to seek out a “shrink-wrapped” salvation product. We, who call ourselves “Christians,” can easily fall prey to the cultural paradigm that with salvation comes a product free of worry, heartache, and hard work. There are Christians out there, some very prominent in the world, who would like for one to think that being a Christian will automatically produce wealth and happiness and a care-free life. There is a good old common theological term for such a concept; and it is “BALONEY!”

In today’s passage we see Moses acknowledging the truth of his heritage and moving from the top of the heap to a place in what the Egyptians of his day would consider a pile of dung. He went from Pharaoh designee to a lowly shepherd in the wilderness; and just having returned from seeing the lands where he dwelt with the Midian sheik, Reuel, and his family, it was easy to see the rigorous process God would use to hone the edges off this man the Lord would use to change the course of history for God’s chosen people.

Somehow we need to come to see the truth that being – or rather “becoming” – a Christian is no stroll in the roses, coming pre-packaged with what the world would call “success.” Oh, for sure, the ultimate outcome of true Christianity will be a spiritually fulfilling and successful life; but buying into God’s process of transformation takes surrender and discipline to realize who we are as Christians. Like it was for Moses, we need to recognize and realize a process of learning, by life, how to deny who we are in the world and to become who God intends for us to be.

It took 40 years for God to shape Moses to the top of the world; and then it would take 40 more years for this man of God to become a Godly man. And in the process Moses struggled in the wilderness, learning to become God’s disciple; and then as we’ll see, he became prepared to find and to carry out God’s plan for his life.

How about you? Are you seeking the worldly, shrink-wrapped, package of salvation and “christianity?” Or do you realize that the challenges you face in life are for God’s purpose in shaping you (and me) into an image which allows others to see Godliness in our lives? I often have to make choices in life, realizing the truth of Paul’s writing in Romans 8: 28; and I hope you know that one by heart by now; … that “All things work together for those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose.”

Shrink-wrapped “christianity” is Satan’s package deal; and if we pursue it, we are pursuing him. Our Savior has presented us with the opportunity to become like Him by buying into the truth, which is a package-deal which will produce eternal peace and rest; … but it is also a life which must be lived as described in Luke 9: 23, a life of self-denial, hard work, and a life of submission to God’s ways, not our own. And when we can live it God’s way, He will lead us to Himself in glory.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, I seek Your package. Help me to avoid Satan’s. Amen