Unfulfilled dreams remind us just how tiny we are. We sense a call and decide it’s time to take action. We put one foot in front of the other as we step toward obedience, but we end up stepping in a hole and rolling an ankle—maybe that’s just me! The sense of independence and strength flies away like a flock of birds at the sound of a shotgun. We stagger to our feet only to wonder, “Is this really what I was meant to do?”. Whether it’s marriage, parenting, ministry, or fill-in-the-blank, most people have faced a moment where life doesn’t seem to make sense at all.

However, God does some of His most powerful work when we realize we are powerless. Jesus made this point when He told His disciples, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Moses and Aaron learned this early in their redemptive ministry, and we need to learn it in our everyday lives as well.

The LORD at Work
After Pharaoh outright rejected Moses and made him a stink to the Israelites, Moses cried out, asking God why He made things worse instead of rescuing the Israelites. Things had gone from bad to worse, but God had a plan: “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand, he will send them out, and with a strong hand, he will drive them out of his land” (Exo. 6:1).

Moses and Aaron were instruments in the hand of the redeemer, but YHWH is the hero of this story, and He made that clear early on. Four times we read “I am the LORD” (Exo. 6:2, 6-8). YHWH is here to take action. The covenant-keeping God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob remembered His covenant—though He had never forgotten it—and came to give the promised land to Israel. “I will” reverberates throughout God’s speech with unspeakable power and glory (Exo. 6:6-8). I will deliver you from slavery! I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment! I will take you to be my people! I will be your God! I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I will give it to you—I am the LORD!

Slow down and re-read those words. Let the power land on you. The Almighty God, El Shaddai, is now making Himself known as YHWH. He is not only the powerful, discerning, law-giving protector. He is also the self-existent, covenant-keeping, redeeming God. As Boaz came and bought Ruth and Naomi’s freedom when they had no next-of-kin, so YHWH came to be the redeemer (Heb. go’el) who would carry the burdens of poverty-stricken, sin-sick people like us (Ruth 4:9-10, 13). In all of His redemptive work, He had a clear purpose: to make Himself known (Exo. 6:2, 7). Jesus came and redeemed us with the same glorious goal in mind (John 17:3).

Weary People
We might expect that such words be met with a hearty amen and awe-inspiring worship. Yet, how often do the burdens of life keep us from reverent awe and joy? Perhaps even now as you peruse the contents of this devotional, your heart isn’t singing with praise to God. Maybe you’re too burdened, too distracted, or too worn down to fully appreciate the LORD’s words to Israel. The Israelites struggled because their broken spirits and harsh slavery were too heavy (Exo. 6:9). Perhaps like the Israelites, you struggle to believe God’s Word simply because you’re beaten down and worn out.

There’s good news for you. Christ came for weary, heavy-laden people (Matt. 11:28). Even when we meet God with apathy, fear, and unbelief, He doesn’t stop working. Just as God told Moses and Aaron to keep going and not lose sight of their mission, so He sent Christ to rescue His sinful enemies to reconcile us to God (Rom. 5:6-11). Weary saints, come to the cross of Christ! Lay your burdens down at His feet and rejoice with genuine hope that you are freed from bondage to sin and death. In Christ, you can truly say, “Pharaoh No! You cannot hold me back!”

Pastors and church leaders, there’s a specific lesson in the lives of Moses and Aaron. Many days we are overworked. Our labor is often overlooked. Our burdens are forgotten. Our frustrations and failures are broadcast for all to see. Yet, God is relentless in carrying out the plans He has for His Kingdom. 

When we are at our wit’s end, we stop relying on our own knowledge and lean on the wisdom of God. When we are ignored, we recognize that our eloquence is unable to change hearts (1 Cor. 2:1). When we feel that our lips are “uncircumcised” and wonder how anyone would listen to us, God has us right where we need to be (Exo. 6:30). In these moments, we can rest in two powerful words, “I will”. When we can’t do what God has called us to do, His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Leaders, we must strive to be people who find power in God’s sufficient grace. He will establish our ministries and give us the validity we need to be effective (Exo. 6:14-30).

Reflection Questions

1. Is your relationship with the LORD growing and thriving? Or is it shriveling and languishing? How is God at work in your struggles? 
2. How has Exodus 6 encouraged you to trust the LORD in your trials? 
3. How can we pray for and support our leaders in the challenges they face in ministry? What are some gospel encouragements you can offer our leaders this week?

Prayer Points

1. Confess your prayerlessness to the LORD. Ask Him to give you a greater desire to know and trust Him, even when times are stressful and difficult.
2. Seek God's perspective on your trials. Beyond asking Him to deliver you, ask Him to show you specific ways He is at work in you and your circumstances.
3. Worship God for His power and promises. Celebrate His power over the world and our leaders. Rejoice and receive His gracious promises. Thank Him for being the faithful, covenant-keeping God of His people today and of our forefathers in the faith.
4. Ask God to strengthen our leaders for ministry. Specifically, pray for our pastors as they prepare to preach the Word, lead the congregation, and guard us from evil influences. Pray for their devotional lives and their families, knowing that they can't faithfully minister to us if they don't first know the LORD and lead their homes well.

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Pharoah’s response probably would have been the same, but it seems that Moses’ approach added fuel to the fire (Ex. 5:2). Pharaoh’s arrogant, sinful, and bewildered response seems to have made Moses change his tune, but it was too late (v. 3). Even in his correcting his request, Moses adds to God’s words the threat of pestilence and sword. Pharaoh remained unfazed.

The Burden Worsened

Pharaoah, annoyed and angry, convinced himself that the Israelites were “idle” (v. 4-8). To counter this so-called laziness, Pharaoh increased the Hebrews’ labor by forcing them to find straw to make their bricks. This meant that the Hebrew slave force had to do more work in less time. In it all, Pharaoh’s wicked and unmerciful response didn’t catch God off guard (Ex. 4:21).

Pharaoh’s persecution meant that the Hebrews were “scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble and straw” (v. 12). This brings to mind Acts 8:1 where “there arose…a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles”. In Acts, the scattered church spread the gospel. In Exodus, the scattered Israelites were loved by God and perhaps given an avenue to later plunder the Egyptians (Exo. 12:35-36). Man meant evil, but God meant good.

Pharaoh unflinchingly placed the blame on the Israelites and their desire to go and sacrifice to the Lord (v. 17). The Israelites were “in trouble”, and the elders rebuked Moses and Aaron, saying, “The LORD look on you and judge because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us” (v. 19-21).

The Call In Question

The consequences of Moses’ actions reached the people of Israel, and they were deeply grieved because their lives were endangered. Moses, too, fell flat on his face—or so it seemed. Hadn’t he told God this wouldn’t work? Didn’t he tell God that the Pharaoh wouldn’t listen to him? Why on earth would God set him up to fail like this?! 

Moses and Israel were on the brink of a major breakthrough.

In this moment, Moses accused God of “doing evil” (Heb. ra) to the people who were “in trouble” (Heb. ra) (v. 19). God sent them to Pharaoh, and Pharaoh immediately began “doing evil” (Heb. ra) to them (v. 22-23). Moses used the same Hebrew word, ra, to accuse both God and Pharaoh of harming the Israelites. In Moses’ mind, he had shown up and done what he was told, but Israelites were further from freedom than before he left Midian. In the face of tribulation, Moses acted like Adam, his forefather: “The command You gave backfired, and now everything is worse!” (see Gen. 3:12).

We ought to see a reflection of ourselves in Moses. We feel the pressing need to be a better parent, spouse, or employee. We sense that God calls us to engage our loved ones, friends, and neighbors with the gospel. We eventually step out in faith to do what God commands, and we end up flat on our backs like Charlie Brown trying to kick Lucy’s football. We reason with ourselves that we should’ve stayed in our comfort zone. We vow that if God wants us to risk our comfort, security, and sanity again, He’ll have to send an angel in a dream. We blow our tops and blame Him for messing everything up. 

All of this happens because we have the wrong definition of success. 

Faithfulness Is Never Failure

Instead of punishing Moses in His just wrath or answering him in a fierce storm (see Job 38:1-7), God answered more gently and mercifully than Moses deserved. We don’t hear God’s tone, and we don’t get a full sense of His outward expression in the conversation, but God’s tenderness shows up profoundly in HIs gracious response.

Instead of thundering at Moses in a frightening display of glory, “God said to Moses…”. God spoke. He said, “You shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land” (Exo. 6:1). God reserved His strong hand and punishment for the idolatrous Egypt and their leader, not Moses. Pharaoh wouldn’t only let the people go, he would drive them away after seeing what God’s acts of judgment. God already told Moses that success wouldn’t happen on day one. Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened and He would do signs and wonders, even the killing of his firstborn of Moses’ household (Exo. 4:23).

When we define success on our own terms, nearly all suffering and resistance will derail us. We need God’s definition of success, and that’s found by looking to His promises. We need to constantly behold the cross where hardship and holiness met to bring ultimate success to the Son of God as He came to free His people from sin and death once and for all.

Reflection Questions
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• How do you respond when situations don't work out as smoothly as expected? Do you get anxious, angry with God, or have another response? Why?
• What is your definition of success? How does this definition confirm or conflict with God's definition? What are some biblical passages that can help you better understand God's definition of success?
• How can Christ's finished work on the cross shape our view of success in the face of suffering? How does our future hope of eternal life empower us to press on in the faith even when we feel like failures and want to quit?

Prayer Points
 

• Worship God in your suffering. What areas of your life seem out of control or make you feel like a failure? Before you lament or ask God to change your circumstances, worship Him in it. Proclaim His goodness, faithfulness, and holiness.
• Ask God to teach you His definition of success. Whatever your general or specific callings are, ask God to redefine your definition of success. Pray for the Spirit to prompt you with Scripture passages to help you do this.
• Glory in the cross. Reflect on the work Jesus did for you on the cross. Praise God for His mercy and patience toward you in your sins, fears, and shortcomings. Worship Christ for His faithfulness to die on the cross for your sins. Glorify the Holy Spirit for giving you spiritual eyes and ears to see and believe the gospel.

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Children remind us of our human weaknesses. From a child's perspective, a chore that should only take five minutes seems to take fifty minutes. Instead of just starting, they agonize in paralysis. This always makes things worse. I've seen the same struggle in my heart when God is calling me to simple yet costly obedience. After some whining, debating, and griping, God patiently stirs me to obedience. Rarely do I find instant success, but I always find freedom in obedience. Even after moving forward, I find that I often still need to be prodded in the right direction. A Divine nudge is often just what I need to stay on track. Moses found himself in a similar place near the end of Exodus 4.

Fits and Starts (v. 18-23)

Moses spent a lot of time excusing himself from doing God's will before he took the first step of following God. Moses spoke to his father-in-law Jethro about taking his family back to his brothers to “see if they [were] still alive” (v. 18). Jethro sent Moses forward in peace, perhaps not knowing the full extent of what Moses would be doing there. Whether this was due to cowardice or not, Moses took the first step in obeying God.

Upon leaving, Moses 'took the staff of God in his hand' (v. 20). The LORD reminded him of the “miracles” in His power (v. 21). This miraculous power would not change Pharaoh's heart or make the mission easier, but it was a tangible reminder of God's power for the mission. Moses would request that Pharaoh let Israel, God's firstborn son, go to serve and worship Him. However, God planned to harden Pharaoh's heart and eventually pour out His just wrath on Pharaoh's firstborn son.

Sometimes God doesn't make a difficult calling easier for us. We grumble, whine, and retort, and He graciously says, “No, child. You're going to do what I sent you to do. My presence and power will be with you.” We see difficulty and think there's no way out. Yet, as Samuel Rutherford (1600-1661) wisely reminds us, we should “think not much of a storm upon the sea when Christ is on the ship.” Despite our feeble faith, when we go forward with the presence of God, we have no reason to fear. The mustard seed of faith is enough, and God moves the mountain for us. Oh, how sweet it is to follow God's call in full faith!

Partial Obedience Is Disobedience (v. 24-26)

In Exodus 4:24-26, we encounter one of the most perplexing passages in all of Scripture. It's as if we had a bumpy takeoff, the flight gradually smoothed out, and now a storm threatens to send us pummeling into a cornfield somewhere in the Midwest. A jarring phrase grips us and demands our attention: “At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met him and sought to put him to death” (v. 24). After all we've just worked through, why on earth would this be happening? It seems that Moses refused to circumcise his son.

As we've often seen in Exodus, God used a woman's actions to bring forth His glory and move His mission forward. Moses, the “bridegroom of blood”, isn't the hero in this situation (v. 25-26). This is the mercy of God. When Moses didn't step up to the task, Moses' Midianite wife circumcised his son and spared his life instead. This, too, is the mercy of God. Despite an intense encounter with the Holy God, God spared Moses's life—or perhaps the life of his son. God dealt graciously with Moses, and He often does the same for us. God shows us mercy because Jesus is a “merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God” who accomplished forgiveness on our behalf (Heb. 2:17).

Moses' half-hearted obedience to God met the wholehearted grace of God. Lamentations 3:33 reminds us of this truth: “[God] doesn't afflict from His heart or grieve the children of men.” He doesn't delight in casting off or causing grief, and He loves to show compassion to those whom He grieves through discipline. God's pruning is painful, but He binds up our wounds with care. When He restores us, He “rejoices” in doing us good and brings restoration with all His heart and soul (Jer. 32:41). Remember that you're a dearly loved child of God when you are under His disciplining rod.

Fear is a False Prophet (v. 27-31)

God had prepared Moses to obey Him even in the small details, and now He was pleased to move the mission forward. He called Aaron to meet Moses at the mountain of God, and Aaron gladly met Moses with a brotherly kiss. In contrast to Moses' back-and-forth, Aaron readily listened to all that God commanded Moses to speak to him. Next, they gathered Israel's elders, and Aaron spoke the words the LORD gave him through Moses. The elders then witnessed the signs of God—the serpent staff, the leprous hand, and the bloody Nile water. Upon seeing these miracles, 'the people believed' (v. 31). Upon hearing that the LORD came to rescue them and indeed saw their affliction, they 'bowed their heads and worshiped' Him (v. 31).

What a powerful scene! After all the wrestling, debating, and questioning, Moses was wrong after all! God said, “They will listen to your voice” (3:18), but Moses’ fear said, “They will not believe me or listen to my voice” (4:1). So often, fear proves to be a false prophet! We envision a future reality based on a present fear, and God repeatedly proves us wrong. We need to listen and trust our faithful, covenant-keeping God far more. We need to heed the words of David Clarkson (1622-1686) who said, “If [God] is willing to promise, he is willing to perform.”

There is far more ink spilled laying out Moses’ fears and inadequacies than on the receptive meeting with Israel’s elders. What an overwhelming picture of success and God’s faithfulness! We should always be quick to remember this as we go forward both in our general and specific callings. Jesus said, “I will be with you always until the end of the age” (Mat. 28:20), and He won’t back down on that promise. God cannot lie, and He never fails. 

Reflection Questions

1. When faced with tasks that seem overwhelming, how do the gospel and the faithfulness of God help you move forward in faith?
2. In what ways have you experienced God stirring and guiding you towards obedience, even when you initially question His call?
3. Where do you see fear showing up in your life? How can you confront and overcome the false prophecies your fear lays in front of you?

Prayer Points

1. Thank God for stirring you to obedience. Thank God for the numerous times He has stirred you to obedience. Ask Him to give you a heart that is sensitive to His Word.
2. Confess your half-hearted obedience. Confess and ask for the grace to repent of half-hearted, faithless obedience. Pray for the faith to obey God fully.
3. Seek God’s peace in your fear and anxiety. Cast your anxieties on the Lord and ask Him give you the peace which surpasses understanding. Acknowledge to God that this doesn’t mean your situation will be easy, but that you’re willing to rest in His presence and power.

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As a father of four girls, chore time comes with its fair share of groaning and complaining. Far too often, chore time turns into, “It’s too much! We can’t do it!”. My logical side kicks in, and I tell them to do one thing at a time, and eventually the whole room will be clean. That’s met with more excuses. I then say, if you start cleaning, I’ll help you. Even that’s met with more excuses. Eventually, the chores get done, and the excuses vanish into thin air 5-10 minutes after they put for the effort. 

Excuses, Excuses…

After receiving his calling from the LORD, Moses had many valid excuses—from a human perspective at least. Let’s look at his first excuse: “[The Israelite slaves] will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say 'The LORD did not appear to you'" (v. 1). Forty years prior, some Hebrews rejected him after his heroic attempts to take justice into his own hands. What would change forty years later? If you’re a close reader, you probably noticed back in chapter 3 that God said, "... and they will listen to your voice" (3:18). Like Eve in the face of the serpent, Moses had heard and believed the exact opposite of what God clearly spoke.

His next excuse hits a lot closer to home for many of us: "I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue" (v. 10). He's basically saying, "God, I'm not a great public speaker... and I have a heavy tongue." Whether Moses had a speech impediment or simply didn’t feel up to the task, he expressed that God had chosen the wrong man. Some scholars even think Moses criticized God when he said, "I've never had a good mouth, not before or even after we've spoken" (v. 10; paraphrase). If God knew Moses wasn't a good speaker, why would He choose such a guy for this massive task?!

His final excuse isn't quite an excuse but rather a plea to get out of the situation altogether. Depleted and weary, Moses finally gives up debating and dialoguing with God and kindly asks the Lord to send someone else" (v. 13, emphasis added). Despite God's signs and sovereign power, Moses just can't seem to accept this weighty task God has given him.

If we look closely enough, we might be peering into a mirror as we read this passage. What is your greatest fear as a Christian? Are you afraid to evangelize because you'll be ridiculed in front of a friend or family member? Do you fear taking a bold stance because you'll be canceled and shut down by the influential people in our society? Are you fearful of persecution? Is failure in ministry what keeps you up at night? Like Moses, we all have fears, and they make us feel inadequate for the work of God. We, too, wrestle with God and tell Him what we can or can't do. Oh, that we would trust Him more!

Extravagant Mercy

God had every right to take the call away from Moses and give it to someone else, but in light of all his excuses, God poured out His infinite mercy on Moses. When Moses questioned whether the people would listen, God gave Moses three powerful signs. These signs foreshadowed the power He would display in the presence of Pharaoh. Moses' staff turned into a snake, his hand became leprous, and the Nile's water turned to blood. The LORD was powerful over the dangers we fear in this life—especially things that could harm us, like deadly animals, disease, or lack of clean water.

When Moses's weak speech made him feel inadequate, God responded yet again with mercy! As he did with Job, God questioned Moses: "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?" (v. 11). In other words, God said, "I know your mouth because I made your mouth!" Then, in Great Commission fashion, the LORD told Moses, "Therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak" (v. 12; compare this with Mat. 28:19-20; Joh. 16:12-15). Instead of punishment, God promised Moses His presence!

After this, Moses ought to have surely trusted God, right? He didn’t. Instead, he asked God to please send someone else. At this, "the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses" (v. 14). God was perfectly and righteously angry with Moses. At this moment, He could have poured out His full fiery wrath on Moses' unbelief and arguing. Instead, God brought Aaron, Moses' well-spoken brother, with a glad heart to assist Moses in fulfilling this mighty call. God would still teach and speak to Moses, but now Moses would be "as God to [Aaron]" (v. 16). Aaron wasn't Moses' replacement, for Moses still kept the staff (v. 17). But Aaron would prove to be both a mouthpiece and a menace in Moses' life and ministry (Exo. 32:1ff).

As it was with Moses, so it was with David, Jeremiah, Peter, and Paul. God calls weak men to His work, and He shows them the mercy and grace they need to press forward on His mission. The man God uses isn't the one with the most grit, bravery, discipline, or zeal. The woman God uses isn't the woman with the most industrious, witty, nurturing spirit. Rather, God uses weak people to shame the strong in order for His glory to shine through (1 Cor. 1:27). We see this vividly in the story of Moses and Israel as God frees them from Pharaoh's grip.

Mercy for Us

Thanks be to God that He showed mercy to Moses. And we owe Him more thanks for showing mercy to us, too! As we've already seen, we stutter and stammer. We argue and debate with God. We hide behind our fig leaves as we fear failure. We wait for the big shots to come and speak for us. Yet in it all, God has new mercies for us every morning (Lam. 3:22-23). His steadfast love endures forever. His grace powers our lives as we live out His mission.

The greatest mercy we have ever seen is found in these few short words: "I am with you." The LORD said it to Moses (v. 12). Our Lord said it to the Church (Mat. 28:20). The Holy Spirit applies it to our hearts (Tit. 3:4-8; Rom. 8:9-11). God is with us because of His mercy, and He displayed His love and desire to walk with us and our neighbors by sending His Son to die on the cross. What a glorious picture of our merciful God!

Reflection Questions:

• What excuses do we often make when faced with God's specific calling or general calls to obedience?
• How does the gospel help us overcome our doubts and trust in God's promises and power?
• In what areas of our lives do we need to rely more on God's mercy rather focusing on our inabilities?
• How can we support and encourage other believers who struggle with fears and reluctance to live out God’s mission in their lives?
• What steps can we take to build a deeper relationship with God and rely on His presence in our lives and mission?

Prayer Points

1. Confess your fears to God. As you reflect on things you’re afraid of, confess them to God and ask Him to replace your fears with faith in Him.
2. Rejoice in God’s mercy. Spend a few moments celebrating and rejoicing in God's mercy toward you. Rejoice not only in the mercy shown through the gospel but also new daily mercies God is giving you.
3. Seek and follow God’s call in your life. As you read the Bible, pray, and reflect on Moses’s calling, ask God to show you clear, specific ways He wants you to live out the great commission. Even if you don’t sense a response or a profound sense of calling, pray for specific ways to obey God’s Word today.

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There is currently a mutiny underway in Russia. The Wagner group, which once offered protection, is no longer trustworthy in supporting the nation's leadership. Russians in the path of the Wagner group are in a tough situation. Should they trust this militia to take over the government and bring positive change to the nation? Or Is this a power-hungry group looking to step in and usher in a reign of terror worse than Putin's? There is a great level of uncertainty about who will come out on top and ultimately rule Russia. Russians can only wait and see.

The ancient Hebrews found themselves under a similarly abusive regime, though redemption was like a distant fantasy for them. Egypt oppressed the ancient Israelites and they often lofted deep cries of grief up to God. An answer would soon come, but could they trust that it was truly a work of God? Could an Egyptian mutiny spring up that would change their lives for the better? Or could an uprising only make their lives worse?

The God Who Is

After God met Moses in the burning bush and received his call to redeem Egypt, he had a question for God: "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" (Exo. 3:13). Despite Moses’ “if”, this is a valid question. There may have been a hint of fear or hesitation, but there also seems to be some humility in the question. Did Moses genuinely want to know the name of God? Was he showing humility in realizing that he needed a higher authority than himself? We may never know.

God patiently answered Moses in a loving yet revelatory way: "I AM WHO I AM" (v. 14). He told Moses to relay to the Hebrews that "I AM" sent him. Moses should tell the Israelites that "the LORD (YHWH) the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you." (v.15). YHWH comes from the same Hebrew root as “I AM”, and is commonly written as Yahweh or Jehovah in English. The Old Testament writers wrote YHWH throughout the Old Testament at least 5,000 times, and our translations use LORD to indicate when YHWH is used.

Though Moses asked for God's name, it isn’t necessary to assume that the Hebrews didn't know God's name. We have reasons to believe that the Israelites knew the name of God, for they "began to call upon the name of the Lord" all the way back in the days of Seth (Gen. 4:26). This would make Moses’ question much more genuine. Yet, even if the people didn't know the name of the Lord prior to this revelation to Moses, they soon would call on the name of the LORD. YHWH is God's name forever, and He chose to be remembered by that name throughout all generations (v. 15).

What's In a Name?

Names carry less weight today than they did in times past. A name captured the essence or heart of a person, and knowing God's name was vital in a culture full of pantheism and polytheism. Puritans like Matthew Poole, Lewis Bayley, and Thomas Boston found much significance in the name "I AM WHO I AM":

• "I AM" points to the reality of God's being. He simply "is". He was what He was. He is what He is. He will be what He will be. But He always will be.
• "I AM" also reminds us of the necessity of God. It is necessary that God exists in order for everything else to exist.
• "I AM" draws us to the eternal nature of God. He has always existed and He will always exist.
• "I AM" directs us to the certainty of God's nature. He will never change, nor will His promises or His words ever fail to come to pass.

YHWH in the Flesh

As we look further in the Scripture, we also see the name and essence of YHWH applied to Jesus. Here are only a couple of examples:

• Jesus called Himself "I AM". Jesus said to His Jewish opponents, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am" (Joh. 8:58). This caused his opponents to pick up stones to kill Him because they felt that He was blaspheming God's name.
• The early church taught that Jesus is "I AM". The author of Hebrews explcitly taught that Jesus is God, especially in Hebrews 1. One passage he cited to teach us about the deity of Jesus is Psalm 102, which repeatedly addresses the LORD (YHWH), His throne, and His work in creation. This passage is directly applied to Jesus to show that He is one with YHWH in His creation, rule, and reign.
• John the Apostle saw the eternal Christ in His vision. In Revelation 1:8, we don't see the name YHWH, yet we see Jesus say, "I am the Alpha and the Omega... who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty". This is the meaning of "I AM WHO I AM". In His essence, Jesus is YHWH.

The unity of God is on full display as we see Jesus at one with His Father and the Holy Spirit.

The Faithful, Living God

After God revealed Himself to Moses, He called Moses to rally together the elders of Israel. God commanded Moses to let them know that the faithful, covenant-keeping God of their forefathers—YHWH—had seen what they were going through and came down to rescue them and bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. This land was currently a full of different people groups who worshiped other gods and were soon to receive the just judgment of God for their idolatry.

God would soon send Moses and the elders with a message: "The LORD... has met with us; and now please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to our God" (v. 18). Keep these words in mind for later. God also reminded Moses that Pharaoh would harden his heart and refuse to listen. The LORD would work signs and wonders to force Pharaoh to let the people go, and on their way out, the women of Israel would plunder the Egyptians as they moved on toward freedom. YHWH would crush the greatest nation in the world through a weak yet faithful man, a group of women, and no military violence. Only He can get the glory for something so incredible!

Reflection Questions:

1. Why is it significant that God revealed His name and HIs essence to Moses and Israel? How can our knowledge of God’s name shape our private and public worship today?
2. How does the meaning of God's name, "I AM WHO I AM," impact our worldview? In other words, what are some ways that having faith in a living God can set us apart from people who worse false gods or profess no faith at all?
3. How have you struggled to desire God’s call to evangelize and spread the gospel? What are some of the “If I...” questions you ask God when you’re fearful or reluctant to obey Him?
4. How can the lessons from God's intervention in rescuing the Hebrews and choosing a faithful but weak leader like Moses help us see the work God can do through us? How have you seen God use other weak people for His glory?
5. How does the knowledge that Jesus is intimately and eternally one with YHWH help you trust Him more? How can that knowledge of Jesus be useful in evangelism and in answering objections or questions about the gospel?

Prayer Points:
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1. Pray for God to remind you of His name and essence (v. 13-15) Pray that God would give you a deeper appreciation for who He is and has revealed Himself to be. Thank Him that He has given us intimate knowledge of Himself through His Word.
2. Ask for faith in the Word and promises of God (v. 16-17). The ultimate promise of God is that He will rescue all who trust in Christ. Pray that God would help you believe the gospel more deeply every day. Ask also for the Spirit to prompt you of other promises of God as you go throughout your day.
3. Confess disobedience and pray for a submissive heart toward God (v. 18-22). Like Moses, God has laid out His plans and His way for us. We should confess times when we pursue our own way or attempt to do God’s work according to our preferences and standards. Ask for a heart that submits to the rule and reign of Christ in any and every aspect of life.

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Too often, we try to take things into our own hands. We see a leak, grab the wrench, and four hours later, we're calling the plumber or our father-in-law to come and fix the problem. What could've been a quick fix for the right person becomes a frustrating nightmare of a problem that costs us time, energy, and more money than we'd like to spend.

Some of you learn quickly not to get in over your heads. Others of us have to keep hearing the same lecture over and over again because we're hard-headed. Moses can resonate with those of us who are slow to learn. His first passionate outburst is on full display in Exodus 2:11-15.

Moses' Passion
At forty years old, Moses decided to go out to his people and look upon their burdens. Imagine the grief he must've felt to see his flesh and blood relatives subjected to the horrific evils of Egyptian slavery. As he watched, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew who was "one of his people" (v. 11). The English doesn't fully convey it, but the Hebrew root word "nakah" carries with it the idea of beating someone to inflict injury, sometimes even to death. In what seems to be a mixture of passion, justice, and rage, Moses looked one way, then another, and he "struck down" (nakah) the Egyptian in defense of his relative. To cover up what he did, Moses buried the man's body in the sand.

For centuries, biblical interpreters have debated whether Moses was in the wrong or not. Opposing Moses' actions, Alec Motyer, a well-known scholar and lover of the Old Testament, says, "Humanly speaking, we would say Moses promptly got it all wrong and set God's [program] back by forty years." In defense of Moses, John Calvin said that he "was armed by God's command.” Acts 7 sheds light that at least Moses' motives were to "defend the oppressed man" and avenge him (Acts 7:24-25). Hebrews 11 seems to show that Moses did this to "be mistreated with the people of God" rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin and the treasures of Egypt (Hebrews 11:24-26).

It seems that Moses' desires were good, but his actions went too far. Yet, even if we take the stance that Moses was justified in the killing, we ought not to take it as a command or example for us to follow. Rather, Paul later calls us to "never avenge yourselves but leave it to the wrath of God" (Rom. 12:19). His "heart" (Acts 7:23) was set on forsaking his Egyptian rights to suffer with Israel, something that points to Jesus forsaking the riches of heaven to become poor for those who trust in Him (2 Cor 8:9).
 
Moses' Detour
The next day, Moses saw two of his Hebrew brothers fighting, and he asked the one in the wrong, "Why do you strike (nakah) your companion?" (v. 13). The Hebrew aggressor then asked, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" (v. 14). Uh-oh. What Moses thought was his big secret had already spread and would soon have Pharaoh coming for his neck—something he'd already escaped once! Moses was afraid because his murder had been made known, and he fled to Midian after hearing that Pharaoh was after him.

What a mess Moses was in! Yet it's hard to fault him for his passion

.As a black man, it's tough to fathom what it must've felt like for a free slave to see an enslaved African in America. Oh, what grief and anger a Jew must've felt toward the Nazis! The consequences of Moses' violence led him to a forty-year detour. Unlike Joseph, his actions got him in trouble, but just like Joseph, God was up to something.

God meant it all for good. In Midian, Moses found a wife, Zipporah, and had two sons. He found a father-in-law, Reuel (also called Jethro). He learned to shepherd as he dwelt among a people described by Philip Ryken as "a tribe of desert nomads." If you look ahead to Exodus 3, you'll even see that God used the wilderness in Midian to prepare Moses for his next season of ministry in the wilderness with Israel. What gracious providence God was working out in the life of Moses during this forty-year wilderness detour in Midian!

God's Preparation
Zooming back out, we see that in those forty years, the king of Egypt died. The people of Israel still groaned under slavery, and they cried out to God for help! Close your eyes and imagine a mother and a father crying out to God as their young children slave away making pyramid bricks for a wicked king! They needed rescue.

As always, God was at work behind the scenes, preparing His hero to lead Israel out of Egypt. Their cry came up to God, and like a father who rushes to rescue his injured, God rushed in to save the day! The covenant-keeping God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob "saw the people of Israel—and God knew" (v. 25). He didn't just know factually. He knew intimately.

Just as God knew the suffering of Israel under the weight of the harsh Egyptian taskmasters, He also knew our suffering under sin. We were under a cruel master who controlled our hearts and actions, but God came down to us through His Son and made a way for us. By His Spirit, we received new hearts and a new master, one who is gentle, lowly, and righteous! The God who heard is the God who hears today. The covenant-keeping God of Israel keeps His new covenant that was ushered in by the blood of Christ. Cry out to Him for help! He knows.

Reflection Questions

1. How have you seen righteous passion in your heart spill over into unrighteous actions?
2. Do you think Moses was in the right to avenge the Egyptian for his actions?
3. How have you seen God work behind the scenes in your life despite some big mistake you’ve made? How did you feel while you were in the midst of the situation?
4. How does the gospel remind us that God truly knows our sorrows?
5. How does the deep knowledge and care of God help you love and trust Him more, especially in moments of trials and suffering?

Prayer Points

1. Pray for eyes to see. Ask God to help you recognize the oppression occurring in the lives of people in your community. Weep with those who weep as they face the burden of injustice.
2. Seek both zeal and self-control. Pray that God would grant you zeal for righteousness and justice, while also providing you with self-control. When you experience righteous emotions, pray that Satan would not exploit them for evil purposes.
3. Express gratitude to God for His grace, despite your shortcomings. Thank Him that even when you fall short, He is merciful and gracious towards you. In His presence, reflect on times when you deserved punishment and suffering but received mercy instead.
4. Pour out your heart to God. If you are weighed down by trials, sin, or hardships, cry out to God. As you pray, acknowledge God's faithfulness to those who are in Christ. Be still and know that He is God.

Every great story introduces a protagonist. Often, the protagonist proves to be the most heroic and memorable character of the story. In God's big story, the main character shows up in shadows and types long before we meet him face-to-face. We've already seen His shadow once in the person and work of Joseph. We're about to get another glimpse of the Hero in the face of Israel's heroic leader.

A Hero is Born (v. 1-2)
Our hero (lowercase, of course) shows up in a sticky situation. He's a "fine" child from the tribe of Levi, and his mother loved him so much that she couldn't bring herself to kill him. Instead, this brave woman and her husband chose to hide the precious child. For three months, the baby went undetected, and we can only imagine how he was cherished during those three months!

The child's parents were people of faith, and hiding this baby was the fruit of their trust in God Almighty. Hebrews 11:23 gives us some insight into their reasoning for hiding him. One reason, of course, is that he was a "beautiful" child. Yet there was another, much deeper reason they hid the baby. By faith, they were not afraid of the king's edict! It would have been foolish to have the baby boy out in the open for everyone to see, but even hiding a baby for three months was risky business!

Who would have known that their faith would lead to the salvation of their nation and pave the way for the world's Hero several thousand years later?

A Hero is Rescued (v. 3-6)
Though our hero has shown up, he too needed a Hero. That's precisely how his story start. Many elements of his life foreshadowed Jesus, whose story we constantly sense as we read the history of redemption. The child's sister even got a firsthand glimpse of God's powerful working. Imagine seeing your parents' faith answered by God in such a tangible way!

The baby was hidden in a "basket," but don't miss the glorious Hebrew connection here. This same Hebrew word was translated as "ark" in Genesis when God called righteous Noah to rescue his family and the animals. The ark was covered in pitch (also on Noah’s ark!) and sent down the Nile River where he would be rescued by none other than Pharaoh's daughter, who showed "pity" for this Hebrew child. It was God's amazing plan to send this Egyptian girl to part the reeds and rescue this child, and one day God would part the "sea of reeds"—the literal Hebrew translation of the Red Sea—to rescue Israel!

Just as Noah's ark foreshadowed the rescue of this dear child, so this baby's rescue foreshadowed another water rescue—one that would take place in a much greater body of water in a much grander way in a few decades! By God's powerful hand, this baby boy was rescued by the daughter of the king who would one day try to destroy him and his people.

John Piper says, "God can do more in five seconds than we can do in five hours or months or years," and it's because God is always at work behind the scenes in millions of ways to get His glory. We pray and trust God because we know that He is always at work for our good and His glory.

A Hero is Raised Up (v. 7-10)
After this water rescue, our hero's brave sister suggested that his mother nurse him. What a brilliant plan—and it worked! This allowed the child's own blood family to raise him and it even provided additional "wages" for his mother. This small reward for faith is a subtle hint that God would later plunder unsuspecting Egyptians. Being with his family also meant that the boy grew up as a Hebrew among Hebrews, perhaps hanging out with Aaron and Miriam for a few years.

Our young hero's parents passed down their faith, and it eventually became his faith, too. Hebrews 11:24-26 reminds us that by faith this child would grow up and refuse to be an Egyptian. He was so aware of his Hebrew lineage that he chose to be reproached by his adoptive family rather than seek comfort. He passed up the "fleeting pleasures of sin" that could have given him an easy life (v. 25). He left behind the treasures, wealth, ease, security, and royalty of being a child of the world’s king to suffer alongside Israel and be a child of Christ the King. 

Why would he do such a thing? Wouldn't it have been wise to seek a position in Egypt like his great uncle Joseph? Couldn't he have done more for Israel if he had fought their oppression by gaining status, becoming king, and legislating change? Perhaps. But that wasn't God's plan! He "was looking to the reward" of his faith—God Himself (v. 26). We too must set our eyes on things above where Christ is rather than on the things of this earth (Col. 3:1-2). Only then can our upward and forward-looking faith bring us to seek God's will, even if we must lose comfort and security for His name's sake.

What’s His Name?
If you’ve read this story, you already know. If you haven’t, you’re probably chomping at the bit! The child God rescued and raised up was named Moses by his Egyptian mother. His name is special because it has two unique meanings. In Hebrew, his name sounds similar to "draw out”, and in Egyptian, his name meant "born." Moses was the baby who should have died, but God had plans for him to escape abortion and be drawn out of the water so he could be used to draw Israel out of Egypt! 

What a glorious picture of God's faithfulness! No matter where you're at in your story, God is up to something good. Even when we are weak and helpless, the Lord is our help (Psa. 46:1).

Reflection Questions:

1. How have you seen God at work behind the scenes in your life during a difficult trial? How did it impact your faith?
2. How does the faith of Moses’ family remind us of the importance of our faith and the impacts it can have on future generations?
3. What are are some ways we can live by faith in everyday, mundane situations?
4. How does the foreshadowing of Jesus in Moses' story help us see the biblical storyline and plan of redemption more clearly?
5. In what ways does Moses' courage and willingness to leave behind worldly comforts and security encourage us to do the same? In what ways do you struggle to do this?

Prayer Points:

1. Ask  for faith to follow God rather than people, even in situations that can remove our sense of comfort, ease, or security.
2. Pray for a heart that looks to God as our greatest reward rather than the treasures and rewards of this life.
3. Worship God for His good and faithful working behind-the-scenes for our good and His glory.

​Today, as in times past, we are prone to forget the accomplishments and people who came before us. C.S. Lewis dubbed this forgetfulness as "chronological snobbery." Whether we are debating LeBron and Michael Jordan or Tom Brady and Joe Montana, we can also be prone to view our time as greater than times past. Recently, a living pastor was called the greatest preacher since the apostolic age—beyond Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, and even Charles Spurgeon!

We see chronological snobbery in the opening chapter of Exodus, too. The new Pharaoh "did not know Joseph" (v. 8). He didn't know the contributions of Joseph and his family back in the old days when Egypt was in a famine. He didn't know how a Hebrew boy ended up ruling the world after tragedy and triumph. All he knew was that there were some non-Egyptians in the land, and he was a big shot who didn't like it. The combination of pride, fear, and power proved deadly for this unnamed "new king," and it led to the slavery of God's people (v. 8).

Enslaved by Pharaoh, Empowered by God (v. 10-14)

The king made life horrific for the Israelites. Notice how their plight is described:

• Affliction
• Heavy burdens
• Oppression
• Ruthlessness
• Slavery
• Bitter
• Hard service

It’s not hard to imagine that they felt alone in their suffering! Like the chattel slavery in America’s past, we see cruelty and hatred bound together in forced labor with no present path of escape apart from divine intervention.

Yet even in times of oppression, God is not silent. He never sleeps nor slumbers. He's always at work in a million ways that we may never see on this side of glory. With Israel, "the more they were oppressed, the more they spread abroad" (v. 12). God's people are like the garden weeds that have thousands of seeds that spread most when they're agitated by wind, animals, or unsuspecting gardeners! The more persecution presses us, the further we spread.

God was with Israel in their suffering, but He was relatively quiet in His working. So He is with us sometimes. God's withness doesn't fade just because our circumstances are tough. Christ and the Holy Spirit are interceding for us (Rom. 8:26, Heb. 7:25). The Father is ready, willing, and able to help us, though His help may come at a time and in a way we least expect it.

God's Mission Would Not Be Aborted (v. 15-22)

Abortion is one of the most grievous evils of our day. Some in our culture have tried to rebrand it as "reproductive freedom," but we all know it is murder. Pharaoh's tactic to slow down the increase of the Israelites began with abortion—well, close to it. He commanded that all the male children be killed at birth. This sounds horrendous, and it should! Murdering the most helpless and innocent males in the society would indeed prevent the Israelites from joining Egypt's enemies and escaping the land (Exo. 1:10). However, God's plan for His people could not be thwarted by baby killers!

Two Hebrew midwives, probably the lead nurses of a group of midwives, are used by God to save these babies! The unnamed king wanted death, but Shiprah and Puah—whose names will be remembered forever for their faith—cherished the glory of God and made His name known. These two women "feared God" and disobeyed Pharaoh. They didn't fear man who kills the body but rather God who can destroy both body and soul in hell (Mat. 10:28)!

Did they lie to Pharaoh? Many scholars and commentators say they did. Were they shrewd with the king who dealt shrewdly with their people? Perhaps they were repaying the evil king for his shrewdness. Did God give the midwives more vigorous births to prevent the death of the infants? Some speculate this possibility, as well. Regardless of whether they deceived Pharaoh or whether God truly made the Hebrew women more vigorous (remember that God has power over the womb!), He "dealt well" with the midwives, gave them families, and continued to multiply Israel! When you break open a spider's egg sac, hundreds or thousands of tiny spiders will come running out. It was the same way with God's people when Pharaoh tried to break apart their families! God was with them. The serpent who deceived Eve was again at work against the Israelites, but God was making the way for the Serpent Crusher to bruise the serpent’s head. 

Pharaoh's last-ditch effort was to kill the babies by drowning them in the Nile. As we will soon see, not even this could stop God. The greatest kings on the planet have no power to thwart God's plans. This gives us hope today. There is not a president or world leader who can thwart God's plans for His Church. Psalm 2 calls every leader to "kiss the Son or perish" (v. 12). This applies to every president, governor, mayor, or law enforcement officer—whether Democrat or Republican—to submit to the rule and reign of Jesus. They may try to stomp us out, but the more they press, the more we will spread across the globe. Let us go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations because Jesus is with us until the end of the age.

Questions for Reflection:

• How does "chronological snobbery" impact our appreciation of historical accomplishments? Have you noticed this mindset in your own life?
• How does the faith of Shiprah and Puah inspire you to fear God and stand up for what is right?
• How does God's work through the Hebrew midwives offer hope for everyday people like us?
• How do power, fear, and pride in leadership affect the lives of ordinary people today? Have you witnessed the impacts of such leadership in your community or personal life?
• Compare this scene in Exodus to the spread of the gospel in the book of Acts and the early church. How does faith in God's power lead to growth among His people?

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Prayer points:

• Pray for softened hearts for our government leaders, that they may fear and honor God rather than succumbing to pride, fear, and abuse of power.
• Pray for those who are facing oppression, abuse, and suffering due to corrupt and unjust leaders today.
• Give thanks to God for His faithfulness and pray for increased faith, especially in times of fear and trouble.

Most people love a good story. Opening lines draw us in and hook us quickly. Captivated by the story, we eagerly follow along as more details emerge. The heroic leader and distressed damsel arrive as the villain vainly plots to seize the day. The suspense builds, and our hero must show up and save the day—yet we know it won’t come easy! First, the hardship, then the satisfying victory. We breathe a sigh of relief or shed some bitter tears as the story eases to a close. Oh, how we love a good story!

The Bible is God’s magnificent narrative, and Exodus is a story within the story. Broadly, Exodus is chapter 2 of the Bible's majestic history. We see the connection to chapter 1 with the first sentence: “Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob…” (NASB). "Now" is an important word—though it’s not apparent in most of our English translations. It signals to us that the story is continuing. What God started in Genesis continues in Exodus.

Zooming in, Exodus is the history of a young nation upheld by the promises of God. From the opening sentence, God displays His great faithfulness. The Israelites came to Egypt with Jacob. Who is Jacob? He is the Son of Abraham and the father of Joseph, the Hebrew who saved Egypt and Israel from a great famine (See Gen. 41). Now the story of Abraham’s promised seed is unfolding in Egypt. God previously told Abraham:

“Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.” (Gen 15:13)

The four hundred years were almost finished, and God’s covenant people were on the way out the door. This is where we meet Israel, God’s people. Here we also meet Moses, God’s leader. Most importantly, in Exodus, we meet YHWH (known as Yahweh or Jehovah)—well, we at least learn His name and more of His identity as the covenant God of Abraham. What an amazing opening to an incredible story!

Exodus is the History of God’s Covenant People

Pharaoh and the Egyptians enslaved Israel due to fear and ethnic pride. Pharaoh wanted to control Israel so they wouldn’t get too large, wage war against Egypt, and leave the land (Exo. 1:8-10). The Israelites cried out to the God of heaven, and He listened (Exo. 2:24)! The living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob remembered His covenant, heard His people, and “knew” them deeply (Exo. 2:25).

Exodus is the story of God’s rescue. Not only did God hear, but He also acted on their behalf (Exo. 3:8). As God rescued Noah and his family in the ark, so He first rescued Moses in an ark to prepare for the rescue of His people. Not only did God bring Noah and his family through water for salvation, but He also brought Israel through water—on dry land—in order to rescue them! God showed up!

Through this heroic rescue, God’s people were redeemed by God. When God poured out His just judgments on Egypt and their prideful leader, He spared His people from the same judgment (Exo. 12). How did He do this? By providing blood as a covering for His people as they dwelt among the Egyptians in the land (Exo. 12:13). We see a red thread that points straight to Christ, our Passover Lamb (1 Cor 5:7).

Exodus is the Church’s History

Though the book of Exodus is about Israel’s history, it’s also a story about the Church—God’s chosen people throughout all of history. We see echoes of the Exodus story throughout the whole Old Testament. For example, as God parted the waters in Exodus, so He did for Joshua, Elijah, and Elisha (Jos. 3:5-17;4:1-18; 2 Kgs. 2:5-9; 2 Kgs. 2:12-15). As God brought plagues to Pharaoh, so He plagued the Philistines in the days of Samuel (1 Sam. 4-5). As God raised up a leader to rescue His people from Egypt, so He later rescued His people by the judges and kings. Let this sampling of the countless echoes of the Exodus in the Old Testament inspire you to explore more of this narrative in God’s Word!

We also see echoes of Exodus in the New Testament. As Moses was born under government persecution and escaped, so was Jesus spared from being killed by Herod. As Moses fled from the hand of Pharaoh, so Jesus fled from the hand of Herod (Mat. 2:13-18). As Israel was baptized and brought out of the Red Sea (1 Cor. 10:2), so Jesus was baptized and brought out of the waters to begin His ministry (Mat. 3:13-17). As YHWH gave Israel the Law on a mountain, so Jesus gave the authoritative and full teaching on the Law in the Sermon on the Mount (Mat. 5-7). As Israel was a chosen race, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation, so is the Church (1 Pet. 2:9).

In the last days, we see echoes of Exodus too. Just as Egypt was judged with plagues, so will the unrighteous God-haters be judged in the last days. As the people of God were persecuted by idolatrous Egypt and finally rescued, so also the saints of God are persecuted and finally rescued when Christ returns for His bride. What glorious echoes we see throughout the whole of Scripture!

Exodus is Our History

Exodus is not just a story about Israel; it’s a story for us. Like ungodly Egypt, we deserve to be punished for our sins, and we need to be in a relationship with God. Like Pharaoh, our pride and hard hearts were once set against YHWH, the all-powerful Creator of the heavens and the earth. Like Moses, we are weak, fearful, and make excuses. Like Israel, we doubt God and grumble against the people who were sent to lead and deliver us. All in all, we too are sinful people in need of a Rescuer. We need a Hero.

Through Christ, God rescued us from ourselves. As Israel was God’s firstborn son (Exo. 4:22-23), we were adopted as children of God (Rom. 8:15). Instead of leaving us as slaves to our sins, God sent a Savior and heard our cries of confession and grief as we realized our sinfulness. When our hearts were pierced by the message of the gospel, we believed in Christ Jesus, the Lord, and we were no longer under the cruel and wicked master we call sin. As God’s children, Pharaoh will never reign over Israel again, and neither will sin, death, or Satan rule over us ever again!

How did He do it? Through the blood of Christ, our Passover Lamb. God redeemed us—He bought us with a price—and cast away our cruel master (1 Cor. 6:20). The blood of Christ is on the doorposts of our souls, and Christ looks upon us and says, “Mine, mine! You can never have them again because I paid for them!” We used to make bricks upon bricks to build the kingdoms of idols and idolaters, but now we glorify God in our bodies and build His imperishable kingdom.

Saved for God’s Glory
An inescapable reality about great stories is that the protagonist—the leading character—receives the spotlight and praise. If we aren’t careful, we can mistake the protagonist in Exodus. Is it Israel? Is it Moses? Is it us? Far from it! From start to finish, the Hero of the story is God. From the opening line to the final words, we see the power, patience, and providence of God on full, glorious display. In the words of Leland Ryken, “...the theme of Exodus is very simple—so simple it can be expressed in four short words: saved for God’s glory.” That’s it. That’s the theme. That’s the focus. Rescued and redeemed for the glory of God.

I often feel like an asthmatic Christian. I’ll be struggling for air, but I won’t open my airway to breathe in. Once my lungs fill up with the cold, dry air of busyness and self-reliance, I start gasping for air. Ole Hallesby, a Norwegian theologian from the 1900s, wrote that “prayer is the breath of the soul, the organ by which we receive Christ into our parched and withered hearts.” When I am not praying, I’m not breathing.

When I am physically dealing with asthma, I have to slow down, find my inhaler, and catch my breath. Spiritually, though, I will often ignore the warning signs for far too long. I’m either too stressed to think straight, or I think I’ve got my life under control. I’ll either feel as though the world is caving in on me, or I’ll live as though I’m the cornerstone keeping it all together. Prayer keeps me from either extreme, and Jesus’s words in John 15:5 often reverberate through my thoughts when I’m in either place. Apart from Me you can do nothing. Despite my head knowledge of this reality, sometimes my heart just simply doesn’t keep up. More often, my lifestyle and habits crowd out time for prayer. The cares of the world grip my throat like a fierce opponent trying to keep my from taking another breath.

I want to live, and I know that through dependent, earnest, and thankful prayer I can continue to breathe and not starve my soul of its oxygen. On this journey to pray more fervently and more often, I am learning to pray through the Bible. As I reflect on the books, articles, and examples from the Christians in my life, I’ve found at least 3 helpful methods for praying through Scripture. I want to share them in hopes of helping you find more joy and life in your prayers.

Pray (nearly) the exact words of a passage. 

The most straightforward way to pray the Bible is to open to a passage and pray straight through it. The benefit of this method is that we’re praying God’s words back to Him. For example, you could pray Psalm 1 back to God as you reflect on your desire to follow the blessed man, Jesus. Perhaps you could pray through Ephesians 2:1-10 in the first person, starting with, “And I was dead in my trespasses and sins…” and so on. This is a great way to talk to God using His words and His desires for us.

The Psalms are great for praying directly through a passage because many of them are actual prayers penned in Scripture for us to read, sing, and pray back to God. You may need to replace some of the circumstances with your own spiritual or physical circumstances. For example, you may not be under physical threats of violence, but you can cry out, “You are my shelter, my portion in the land of the living… listen to my cry, for I am very weak. Rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me…” (Psalm 142: 5-6). The Psalms give words to our worries and pleas for our problems.

Other written prayers throughout the Scriptures are great for this style of praying, too. We can reflect and strive to get our hearts in line with God’s Word as we pray truthful and powerful words from saints throughout biblical history from Moses to the saints rejoicing in the new heavens and earth.

Pray your own words with the Scripture as your guide. 

Another way to pray through the Bible is to allow the Words of Scripture to be your guide.  When Jesus gave his disciples the model prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), He provided a model for prayer. I learned how to pray through the Lord’s prayer from writers and preachers throughout church history. They taught me how to pray through this prayer in a way that could nourish my soul daily and bring my heart in line with God’s will. Rather than just praying through it from rote memorization and mouthing the words, they teach that we can let the various petitions guide us into themes and topics to pray for. 

For example, when we start the prayer “our Father in heaven…”, we can slow down and pray about the fatherhood of God. We can thank God that He is indeed our Father in heaven, greater than any earthly father. If we’ve been living as spiritual orphans, we can pray that we would view God as the Father He is and thank the Holy Spirit for being the Spirit of adoption in us. We can thank Christ that He gave His life for us in order to be brought near to God.  We can pray to be better parents in light of the fatherhood of God. We can even pray evangelistically that God would be the Father of the unsaved people we know and love.  After praying through the fatherhood of God, we can continue by praying that God’s name would be hallowed. Piece-by-piece, then, we work through the prayer until we have reached the end. This can be a short 5-minute time of prayer, or it can extend much further. 

Most of the words in Scripture are not prayers but narratives, wisdom, poetry, prophecies, and epistles. These passages are still useful in prayer, but they may be more useful as prayer prompts than direct prayers. We can pray through these Scriptures, letting the words of Scripture prompt us to pray in light of what we’ve just read. Donald Whitney advocates for this method of praying in his book Praying the Bible, and it has been helpful in my life as well as the lives of thousands of Christians who desire to spend more time praying and seeking the presence of God. 

Pray the broad themes of a passage of Scripture.

If you’re reading through the Bible in a year or walking through narrative passages, you get to enjoy reading through larger sections of Scripture each day. Sometimes those longer sections, especially narratives, parables, or prophecies don’t lend themselves to word-for-word prayer. It might be a little odd to pray, “When the boys grew up, Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman” (Gen 25:27).  In the rest of this paragraph, however, we see Esau nearly starving to death, Jacob selfishly requiring a birthright in place of bread and lentil soup, and Esau’s folly in a moment of desperation. You could reflect on this passage and notice the themes of wisdom, selfishness, deceit, and desperation (Gen. 25:27-33).

After making a note of these themes, you could pray for yourself and others. In reference to Esau’s folly, you may want to pray for God to give you the wisdom to navigate this life according to His will and not the will of flesh. You might need to repent of selfishness that you’ve seen in your heart lately and thank Christ for His selflessness in going to the cross for you. You could lament the deceitfulness you’ve seen in the world, and ask God rescue a family member who has recently been deceived by false teaching. Finally, you can praise God for being self-sufficient and never desperate like Esau was. You may be drawn to then ask for Him to keep you from despairing of your life so much that you’d give up your faith or making a foolish life decision. 

This method allows you to take the broad themes of the Bible and pray through them as you see their relevance in your life. This pulls more of God’s Word into your prayer life and keeps your prayers fresh.

We Don’t Have to be Bored or Distracted in our Praying

Sometimes our prayer lives are weak and boring because we’ve built a habit of praying poorly. We know how to cry out to God when things are tough. We’ve figured out how to thank God for meals. We can toss up a quick thanksgiving to God when something good happens. But when it comes to digging deeper in prayer, we just can’t seem to figure it out. Jesus’s 12 disciples felt the same way and asked Jesus to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1)! Without direction, we can expect to feel like we’re saying the same old things all the time. Perhaps our prayers become boring, bland, and repetitive because we come to God without His Word and His purposes in mind. Donald Whitney puts it like this: “the problem is not that we pray about the same old things; rather, it’s that we say the same old things about the same old things.” 

Let the Word of God refresh your prayer life. Try praying the Scriptures the next time you spend time alone with God.

What are some tips or strategies you’d share with people desiring to grow in prayer?

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-blue-dress-shirt-praying-6860411/

I’m sitting in my comfortable chair, sipping some warm chai tea, and reading Acts 7 on this cool winter morning. This morning I’m fascinated by the way God orchestrates the small details of my life for the good of my soul. One of my closest friends sent me a text of his Bible reading thoughts on Genesis 12, and it read, “what faith it would take to just up and leave to go where God calls you.” He was writing about Abraham leaving the comfort and safety of his home to follow a God he had never known or worshiped. What a powerful testimony of faith! Stephen preached about this same faith in his famous sermon in Acts 7.

The connection between my friend’s Bible reading and my personal bible reading reminds me of a powerful truth from the first psalm. The blessed man delights in the law of the Lord and on it he meditates day and night (Psa. 1:2). Through the everyday habit of daily Bible reading, God brings me genuine delight. The year has just begun, but God has been meeting me here and bringing me joy.

I’ve recently experienced a blend of lament and rejoicing, and I hope to help someone out there who is struggling to read and enjoy the Bible consistently. You have hope, and God is holding out the promise of delight to all who seek Him and meditate on His Word. The God who spoke the Bible works in the hearts of believers, drawing us to His Word and giving us unexplainable joy.

Lament: I Let Life Steal From Me

Adrian Rogers once said, “If Satan can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy”. In C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters, one demon wrote of humans: “Whatever their bodies do affects their souls. It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality, our best work is done by keeping things out”. For over a year, God’s Word was mostly kept out of my daily habits and routines, and my soul paid dearly for it. 

I started a new job in early 2021, and work was pretty busy. I often found myself gravitating toward health and wellness podcasts rather than the biblical episodes I used to download. Instead of reading Christian books during the cracks and breaks throughout the day, I read books on sleep and diet. Too often, I gave myself extra time for sleep, jumped straight into a coffee shop meeting or exercise, and then jumped straight into work. Rather than pursuing God and His presence to strengthen my soul throughout the day, I gave myself to working, googling things, scrolling social media, reading weather blogs, and chasing anything else that would distract my soul. C.S. Lewis’s words proved true for me. I was caring far more for my body than my soul, and God’s Word ended up being pushed to the side.

The scariest part about my year is that I hardly noticed that I was starving my soul. My body was languishing. I gained 17 pounds, got COVID, found out I had undiagnosed sleep apnea and insomnia, dealt with intense anxiety, and developed a skin abscess. I truly felt the weight of physical struggles and ailments in 2022, and these struggles took up a lot of my focus because they made my life difficult. But what about my spiritual difficulties? 
 
Last year, I had several spiritual highs which gave me a false sense of spiritual depth. I attended the final T4G conference, served faithfully as a pastoral resident, and took steps toward church planting. Those times were extremely fruitful and good for my soul. God was gracious in them all. He gave me the diligence to preach, teach, and lead in ways that are impossible without his help. 

Despite these blessed times, I lacked the devotional rhythms and ongoing communion with God necessary for the valleys that came between the peaks. I spent far too little time with God. I often neglected time for prayer, Bible reading, writing, fellowship, worship, and discipleship to do less important things. 

Rejoicing: God Gave Back What I Gave Up

God didn’t leave me last year, but He allowed me to starve my soul on a diet of junk food and quick-fix supplements for much of the year. By the grace of God, I finished out the year with a God-given desire to care for my soul in 2023 (Phil. 2:12-13). He got my attention and reeled me back in with a different perspective. Despite my being distant and distracted, Christ was always here. He didn’t let my soul shrivel up like chaff and throw me into the fire. Rather, my Good Shepherd struck my back with His gracious rod of correction and led me back to green pastures and still waters—the Living Water to be precise (Ps. 23:2). He knows more than any earthly parent how to give good gifts to those who ask Him, and I was desperate for His help (Mat. 7:11). 

I spent a short season praying for delight without pursuing it. God graciously sparked my hunger for communion with Him in ways that I couldn’t have imagined at the time. As my soul hungered for the Word, God drew me to the path of delighting in Him. Here’s what God did:

1. God used the Redeeming Productivity Academy. Near the end of 2022, Reagan—the founder of Redeeming Productivity Academy—and several users in the academy posted articles and tips for starting Bible reading plans in the new year. These posts and articles helped me get focused on growth in 2023. 

2. God used year-end reflections. I reflected on 2022 and lamented the state of my soul. After reflecting on my complete failure in setting and keeping the 38 goals and interventions I set last year, I decided to forgo my annual goal-setting and opt for emphasizing daily habits that would help me live the life I need to live in 2023.
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3. God used some of my closest friends. At the end of 2022, three of my closest friends committed to using Bible reading plans—one convinced me to read the M’Cheyne with him again this year. Another close friend stopped using drugs a year ago and began reading several pages of his Bible every day. His life is a testimony of devotion to God. Another friend, who is busy with a full undergraduate load, read the whole M’Cheyne plan last year. These men spur me on daily to read and seek God’s face in His Word. 

A Journey: I Haven’t Arrived

What does all of this have to do with reading Acts 7? I wouldn’t have been reading that chapter without God helping me cultivate the spiritual habit of daily Bible reading. 

He drew me back into the daily spiritual disciplines I had so quickly forgotten. For some, the word discipline screams legalism, danger, and red flags. For others, discipline feels like a spiritual straitjacket that robs people of their true freedom. I view the spiritual disciplines as the gutter guards at the bowling alley. I have a destination, and without discipline, I end up in the gutter. In the words of Don Whitney, “discipline without direction leads to drudgery, but discipline with direction leads to delight.” I thrive when I have discipline and direction because I can find delight in the right place—God Himself.

I want to reiterate that I haven’t arrived. I’m writing this on January 10th. I have 355 days to keep striving in Christ’s strength to commune with him.  I also have 355 days to lose focus and either follow the disciplines for fleshly reasons or lose sight of them altogether. My hope and prayer, however, are that God continues to teach me how to delight myself in Him. Only then will I truly have the desires of my heart (Ps. 37:4).

What about you? Are you delighting in the Lord in this season of life? What is holding you back? How is God at work to draw you back to Himself?

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I have often uttered the phrase, “New year, new you” in early January. I love it because it’s catchy, and it captures the idea that when the clock rolls over into a new year, I have a new chance to put off bad habits and put on new better ones. I love to plan and set goals, so the notion of a new me in the new year is exhilarating.

As I reflect on the previous 365 days (or 366 on leap year!), I often look back with sadness and negativity. Some people view the world through rose-colored glasses—not me. It’s not that I’m a complete pessimist who can’t see the good in a situation or season. It’s that I often battle seasonal depression, and my year end reflections are often grey and cloudy like the December skies I see when I peer out the window.

Far more often than I’d like to admit, melancholy and self-deprecation haunt my year-end reflections and stimulate me to pursue radical change going into January 1. Have you figured out yet how this could be destructive for me moving into the new year? Self-examination is vital for the Christian life, but only when the gospel is in full view and the lens we use is accurate (2 Cor. 13:5).

Deadly Resolutions

New year goals and habits are deadly when the gospel is missing.

Don’t breeze too quickly past that last sentence. Let me lean in, look you in the eyes, and say it again.

New year goals and habits are deadly when the gospel is missing.

When we only give lip service to the gospel, we may say that we create our goals and resolutions for the glory of God, but if we actually achieved them and stayed true to our words, who would get the credit first in our hearts and minds? Would attaining your goals in the next 365 days cause you to celebrate the goodness and grace of God more?

I’m hoping your answer is that God would get the credit first and foremost. I hope that would be my answer too. But if you’re afraid it won’t be, the Word of God has some encouragement for you today:

”…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.” -Philippians 2:12–13

Work Out Your Own Salvation

At first you may be wondering, “Where’s the hope in this?! If I have to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling, I better get to work!” However, don’t miss the gospel bomb in the passage: “For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.”

When Paul says, “Work out your own salvation”, he isn’t calling for Christians to save themselves. Some scholars argue that Paul is calling the Philippians corporately to work out their salvation by pursuing unity. Other scholars argue that the call to work out your own salvation emphasizes the individual call to pursue godliness. The big picture seems clear: putting on the mind of Christ and caring more for others than ourselves is a powerful way to work out our own salvation (Phil 2:3-4).

This is a call to radical obedience. To love others is to fulfill the entire law of Moses (Rom. 13:10, Jam. 2:8). It is the call to love our neighbors as ourselves—the second greatest commandment (Mat. 22:39). It means refusing to be irritable or resentful toward others (1 Cor. 13:5). The call to put on the mind of Christ and forfeit our desires, preferences, and opinions for the good of others is a monumental task.

Who is fit for this work? God is.

God is at Work

As a man who has been able to dunk a basketball since I was in 9th grade, it has been painful to reach my early 30s and not be able to bounce like I used to. I now have fight to get a clean dunk, and if I go a few months without working out, it will take me several weeks of training to be able to dunk again. Yet for many, slamming a basketball through the rim has never been attainable, and no amount of strength or willpower can get them to the rim. Hearing “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” is like trying dunk at 5’2 with a 30-inch vertical.

Not only is it impossible for us to work out our salvation on our own, but we reach the frustration point pretty quickly when we try. Paul knows this because when his eyes were opened to the gospel, he realized that his pharisaical ways were futile with regard to true righteousness. We can only be right with God in and through Christ. He reminded the Galatians that as our faith walk began with the Spirit, it must also continue by the Spirit. We are not perfected by the flesh but by the Spirit (Gal 3:1-6).

Therefore, Paul says to the Philippians, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling… for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2: 13). Christian, our great hope is that God will work in us to both will and work for His good pleasure! This doesn’t mean that we sit back and relax, waiting for the impulse to do good. Not at all! Rather, we strive with all of Christ’s strength to live fruitful and godly lives (Colossians 1:29). Yet, we give Him all the glory because it is He who works and wills the good that we do! This is encouraging and exciting!

For His Good Pleasure

Let us not move too quickly or we will miss a key phrase in this passage: for His good pleasure. God stirs up desires and brings fruit from those good and glorious desires in us for His good pleasure. Far too often, when the road gets rough we can feel as though God is against us rather than for us. Compare this mentality with Romans 8:31.

Our Bible reading plan gets to Leviticus and Numbers and the New Year’s energy has worn off. We yawn and doze as we try to our work our way through the passages. Then we hear the self-pity and mockery. You lousy person! How can you call yourself a saint when you can barely wake up and read the Bible each day! You’ll never reach your goals because you might not even be saved. God despises you because you don’t delight in Him or His Word!

Yet what does our text say? When we are pursuing the love of God and the love of others, it is God who is at work in us to will and to work for His good pleasure. This includes our Bible reading and prayer times! He is pleased to see us complete our Bible reading plan. He welcomes us to the throne of grace in prayer. He rejoices to see husbands love their wives. He gets glory when fathers love and lead their children. He delights to see His saints worship together.

When we believe that God works in and through us for His good pleasure, we have wind behind our sails that allows us to keep pushing when the going gets tough. When the days are hard and we don’t feel like working out our salvation with fear and trembling, God is still at work in us for His good pleasure. He’s not helping us begrudgingly, either! He is ready and willing to help us because our sanctification brings Him glory from start to finish.

God’s Grace in the New Year

In light of Philippians 2:12-13, here are three ways to glorify God as you plan your year and fight to meet your goals:

1. Prioritize obedience to God over personal preferences and goals. Setting goals for our jobs is good if our aim is to work heartily as for the Lord and not for men (Col. 3:23). Developing an exercise habit glorifies God if we are caring for our temple (1 Tim. 4:8). However, if you’re neglecting the time needed to cultivate love for God and others, you should consider prioritizing your spiritual goals first and foremost. It’s not that the others are unimportant. Rather, we are called to work out our salvation with utmost seriousness and reverence for God. Let today’s habits be reasons for rejoicing a million years from now.

2. Pray frequently and fervently for God to work in you. Too often we fail to reach our goals and keep our habits because we simply don’t pray. He have not because we ask not (James 4:2-3). We need to be often asking God to strengthen in order to persevere in our goals and habits. And if He is not granting us success, we may need to search our hearts, goals, and habits to see if God is truly at the center of our plans for the new year. James 4:2-3 says, “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” Let us ask for help, and seek God’s help for the right reasons.  ​

3. Praise God regularly when you see success in your life. If we aren’t diligent in developing hearts that look often for opportunities to praise God, we will find ourselves excited as though we achieved righteous works in our strength. Jesus is clear that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). By reflecting on our goals and achievements, we are able to see successes and failures. When we see failures, we can draw near to God in humility and earnest prayer. When we see successes and check off all the boxes, we can draw near to God in praise for His transforming and empowering grace.

As the new year begins, don’t neglect to establish good goals and habits. We are called to make the best use of our time (Eph. 5:18). Set grand goals! But in this new year, fight to obey God, rest in His power, and give Him the glory in your successes! And never forget that He’s working in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure and glory (Ps. 115:1).

As a pastoral resident, I've been very busy with ministry this spring. I was blessed with the opportunity to preach the gospel on Easter Sunday at Grace Church. If you're interested in hearing the sermon I preached on Easter Sunday, I pray it can be a blessing to your soul. 

You can listen or download the file here.

​Photo by NO NAME: https://www.pexels.com/photo/sunset-over-snow-covered-mountains-66997/

10 Tips for Stressful Times

A close friend of mine was recently going through a rough time. Having been through stressful times myself over the past couple of years, I thought it may be helpful to offer some biblical and practical help to overcome anxiety. Here's what I sent him:

1. Pray and cast your anxieties to the Lord.
   • “...casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Pet. 5:7)
   • “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.” (Ps. 55:22)
2. Get some sunlight. Spending 30 minutes in the sunlight does a lot to lift your spirits and sync up your 24-hour rhythm.
3. Do some relaxing but engaging activities. Some examples are:
   • Read the Bible or a good book
   • Watch a good show or documentary
   • Play games with your kids
   • Warm bath or shower
4. Spend time with other believers. Fellowship can provide encouragement and a shoulder to lean on.
   • “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42)
   • “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2)
5. Break a sweat. Getting some exercise—especially in the sunlight—can help you feel better by increasing the feel-good hormones in your brain and getting rid of some excess energy.
   • “...for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Tim. 4:8)
6. Limit stimulants. Sugar, caffeine, and simple carbs (like white bread, crackers, and chips) can have a stimulating effect on the body. It’s best to limit these comfort foods when you’re dealing with anxiety and depression. They promise to make you feel better, but they often leave you feeling worse.
7. Eat good food! Eat colorful veggies, berries and other low-sugar fruits, and nuts and seeds for good fat. Throw in some brown rice, quinoa, or oatmeal to add healthy grains in the mix, too. Eat good quality, lean meats to keep your protein up and get more nutrients.
   • “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.” (Genesis 9:3).
8. Breathe. Taking 3-5 minutes throughout the day and before to take slow deep breaths can help you calm down. Try breathing in through your nose for three seconds and out from your mouth for six seconds. These breaths can be very calming.
9. Talk with your doctor about supplements to help with stress and sleep.* Adaptogens and nootropics can really help with anxiety and depression. L-Theanine, Ashwagandha, and Tulsi (Holy Basil) can also help stressed out adrenals. B vitamins, 5-HTP, and St. John’s Wort have also been shown to help with both anxiety and depression. Melatonin, GABA, and magnesium (glycinate, l-throenate, etc.) can help with restless sleep. Again, always talk to your doctor when starting new supplements, especially if you’re already taking other prescription medications.
10. Rest in the Lord. Sometimes we just need to rest. We don’t just need physical rest. We need soul rest too. When Elijah was depressed and wished he would die, God fed him and allowed him to get some sleep before carrying out the rest of his ministry (1 Kings 19:5-18). Rest is a gift from God.
    
    What are some of the ways you navigate stressful seasons in life? Let me know in the comments!

*DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.​

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At the end of each year, I like to think through priorities, goals, and habits as I prepare for the upcoming year. Over the years, I've stumbled over articles and sermons about Jonathan Edwards's Resolutions. Written when he was approaching his twentieth birthday, these resolutions reflect areas of focus and spiritual growth for young Edwards. As a young-ish guy (I'm 33rd birthday!) I want to be "making the best use of the time because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16), so I decided to embark on a more thorough study of Edwards's lifestyle and resolutions. In God's providence, I stumbled upon Matthew Everhard's Holy Living: Jonathan Edwards’s Seventy Resolutions for Living the Christian Life. Everhard is a pastor with a popular Youtube channel detailing his study methods, reviewing Christian resources, and sharing information from his scholarly studies on the life and ministry of Jonathan Edwards.

A Bit of Tension
As a black Christian in America—and yes, my Christian identity trumps my racial identity—I often wrestle with the tension of early American Christianity and slavery. There is clearly nothing deficient about the gospel or biblical ethics. Unfortunately, the rich theology proclaimed in Christian books and sermons from that era didn't always move from head to heart to hand—especially when those hands held slaves. Sadly, Great Awakening heroes like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield were guilty of supporting slavery either vocally or silently through their actions. I'm not trying to spark the discussion of how slaves were treated by Christian slaveholders, whether they were just products of their time, or if these men were genuine Christians. These are complex discussions that ought not be handled lightly via social media or blogs. For what it's worth, I hope to see both of these men in heaven worshipping the Lord alongside Africans and people from every other tribe, tongue, and nation (Revelation 7:9).

In Holy Living, Everhard doesn't shy away from this tension of slavery in Jonathan Edwards's life. In fact, he mentions it a couple of times in the opening chapter. I want to zoom in on one specific section where we see Edwards's disciples build upon his blind spots:

"Following his death, Edwards’s legacy continued to rise sharply. His disciples carried on some of his ideas, applying them more courageously than he had in areas of social concern, especially his concept of “benevolence to being in general, ”which meant a love for God and humanity. His son Jonathan Edwards Jr. and his disciple Samuel Hopkins applied their concept of “disinterested benevolence” to race relations and slavery, working toward the abolition of that horrific institution. Like their mentor, they were way ahead of their time. (p. 15; emphasis mine)"

Not Far Enough
Jonathan Edwards thought and wrote deeply on the concept of Christian love and the fruits it bears in the lives of believers. He also taught that all people were created in the image of God—even African slaves. He wrote of the "benevolence of being in general" which emphasized first love for God and then love for other people. Though this teaching didn't shift his practice of slaveholding, it did move and his congregation to receive black and Native American members into their congregation. He would eventually give his life to mission work among Native Americans before passing away from a smallpox inoculation. Though his views and action regarding race and slavery were likely countercultural for his day, we know that Edwards didn't go far enough in renouncing slavery and racism in word or deed. He failed. His whole life wasn't a failure, but he failed to defend the image of God in people who didn't look like him. Like Peter's ethnoreligious blunder in Galatians 2, we could easily say that Edwards's action was "out of step with the gospel" (Galatians 2:14). Perhaps this was a blind spot that was obvious to many in his day and nearly everyone today.

In God's remarkable providence, Jonathan Edwards was an abolitionist—Jonathan Edwards Jr, that is. At least with regard to Edwards's doctrine of benevolence, Jonathan (the younger) and Samuel Hopkins applied the rich theology of their mentor in order to fight against "that horrific institution" called slavery. I imagine young Jonathan looking at Venus, on of the family's slaves, with confusion and perhaps pain in his heart. Perhaps he had wondered why his father taught of benevolence toward all while keeping Venus locked away like a caged bird. Maybe he looked at the society around him and grieved at the atrocities faced by millions of Africans simply used as domestic and agricultural machinery by wealthy Americans. This, of course, is mere speculation. But it is clear that Edwards Jr. was driven by his inherited theology to fight against the ills of racism and slavery.

God is Gracious When We Can't See
Where does this leave us today? I can't speak for others, but I am willing to learn from Jonathan Edwards's life and ministry. I'm willing to learn from both his successes and diligence as well as his frustrations and failures. I'm becoming more willing to bear with the blind spots and folly of pastors and scholars today, too. This doesn't mean that we shouldn't acknowledge sin and unwise action where we see it. It definitely doesn't mean compromising sound doctrine in order to fit in with today's culture. Rather, I want to be more willing to see the good in someone's life and teaching despite being blind in areas that are easy to see. 

Most importantly, I'm reminded that I have my own blind spots. If King Solomon could be blinded by luxurious living and numerous wives, how can I expect to get everything right? If Jonathan Edwards kept most of his seventy resolutions but turned a blind eye to slavery, will the blue light from tiny screens blind me to the distraction and debauchery of our day? If those men can fail, so can I. But there is grace for those who stumble. It is God alone who can keep me from stumbling. He alone can prevent my spiritual legacy from being tarnished by my blind spots and weaknesses. God is light and in Him alone is there no darkness at all.

For more information on Jonathan Edwards and the complex issues of race, see Matthew Everhard's Article "Jonathan Edwards’ Complex Views on Race"

Affilliate Disclosure: I sometimes use affiliate links in my content. This comes at no cost to you and helps me keep writing. Thanks for your continued support! 

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Temptation often meets us in our weakest moments. Maybe you're exhausted from a rough night of sleep, and your spouse says something that triggers a volcanic eruption of anger in your heart. Perhaps you both caught COVID while caring for your newborn child, and there's a civil war brewing in your home. Maybe you're on your phone past midnight and pornographic images begin flooding your thoughts and screen as you scroll. Perhaps you've been wronged by a close friend and feel the need to air your grievances about the situation. The combinations are endless, but you get the point. If we ask the Spirit to open our eyes, we'll see more temptation than we've ever realized.

What do you do in moments of temptation? Many times we are too oblivious to see Satan's snares as we dive headlong into sin. Other times we notice the temptation but simply lack the energy or the desire to fight against it. Still other times we grapple with the tempter seeking to win the upper hand before tapping the mat because his chokehold seems just too fierce. As we grow in our faith, though, we increasingly recognize the temptation, remember our armor, and put sin to death. How is it that we should fight temptation to sin?

No Confidence in Ourselves
Until we are saved, we don't have the new life required to put sin to death "by the Spirit" (Romans 8:13). God may have graciously restrained our sin or given us the natural temperament to abstain from certain sins when we were unbelievers, but we didn't have the power within us to truly fight sin to the glory of God. In fact, we were slaves to sin (Romans 6:17-18). Once we are saved we still sometimes still succumb to sin, but we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to actually put it to death. We are given the full armor of God by which we fight the spiritual enemies in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:10-20).

We all have two choices when we face temptation. We can face it in our own strength using our own resources, or we can be imitators of Christ and fight temptation by the Spirit using the Word of God and prayer. The choice is obvious, but it's not always easy. When you think of fighting temptation, do you think of white-knuckled willpower or prayer-saturated warfare? Thomas Manton reminds us that we fight sin by faith which "[shows] us the truth and worth of heavenly things, and taking God's word for its security, masters our desires and carnal affections."¹

Let's look at two very different scenarios of temptation in the Bible. 

Cain Relied on Himself
Cain was a lot like his mother, Eve. He knew the rules but didn't have the heart to follow through. He heard the truth loud and clear, but the lie held more sway over him. When he and Abel had been making offerings to God, his offering was met without regard. Some speculate that his offering didn't have blood and therefore wasn't acceptable. That may be true. But it's also possible that instead of giving from the first fruits of his crop, he gave God leftovers whereas Abel gave the "firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions" (Genesis 4:4). Regardless of our speculations, one thing is certain: "by faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks" (Hebrews 11:4). Cain lacked such faith in God. Perhaps this is why he gave a lesser gift, and it's certainly why his gift was not regarded.

Cain's face fell, and he was exceedingly angry. At this crucial turning point, he had a choice to make: trust God and do well or flee from God and do evil. We can either run to God and heed His voice or run from Him. God gave Cain a solemn warning: "sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it" (Genesis 4:7). At this point, Cain could have repented of his anger and sought the grace to love Cain. Instead, he chose to harbor sin in his heart. Matthew Henry, commenting on this passage in Genesis 4, said, "If sin be harboured in the house, the curse waits at the door, like a bailiff, ready to arrest the sinner whenever he looks out"². In other words, carrying sin in our hearts is like hiding a wanted fugitive in our homes with the S.W.A.T. perched outside waiting to break the door down. God urged Cain to put the sin out of his heart through repentance and faith. He urged him not to listen to his sinful desires and the serpent's crafty lies like Eve did. But he refused to put his anger to death and killed his brother instead.

Jesus Relied on the Word of God
Any casual reader of Scripture will notice that Jesus's encounter with temptation went much differently than Eve's and Cain's (See Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12,13, and Luke 4:1-13). It would be easy to throw our hands up and exclaim, "He's Jesus for crying out loud! Of course the Son of God would do better than Eve and Cain!". However, it's still wise for us to look to Jesus' example as we face temptation of our own. He was alone and hungry after 40 days and nights of fasting—that ought to catch our attention!

Let's look at how Jesus responded to the tempter. Twice Satan questions Jesus' identity, and finally Satan offers him the world if Jesus will bow down and worship him. We aren't given many details, but I am confident that Jesus didn't ponder whether he was really the Son of God. He was sure of His identity and had many Scripture to verify it. I don't envision Jesus pondering whether he would actually bow down to Satan in order to gain something that was already His (John 1:1, Hebrews 1:10-12). He did everything to glorify His Father. Rather than ponder the words of the tempter, Jesus pulled from the storehouse of Scripture in his heart and replied three times with "it is written...". His delight was in the law of the Lord and on God's law He meditated day and night. His confidence was in the Word and worship of His Father. His food was the will of God as revealed by the Word of God. He beat Satan because He wielded the greatest weapon.

How Do You Fight?
If you don't have a weapon how will you fight? As we face temptation day in and day out, we have the Spirit of God at work in us (Romans 8:11). We have the living and active word of God as our sword (Ephesians 6:17). We have the "wartime walkie-talkie" of prayer at every moment (Ephesians 6:18). You can be confident in your victory over sin because God has warned you through examples like Cain (1 Corinthians 10:6). He has placed His Holy Spirit within you to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). As you fight sin, you can cling to these promises. Cling to the gospel hope that He who has begun a good work in you will bring it to completion. Proclaim boldly that God has a way of escape for you when you're tempted to sin!

Are you feeling defeated by sin today? Are you in a season of fierce and unrelenting temptation? Remember the Word of God. Remember the power of prayer. Live by the Word. Eat the Word. Drink the Word. Hide the Word in your heart. Strike the enemy with the Word. Pray at all times in the Spirit. Devote yourself to prayer. Keep fighting and don't give up! Do it all for His glory by His grace! God is with every one of His people in their time of need! 

Footnotes:
¹ The Works of Thomas Manton Vol. 2, p. 149; text slightly modified into modern English
² Henry, M., & Church, L. F. (1961). Matthew Henry's commentary: Genesis to Revelation. Zondervan Pub. House.

​Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels

Merry Christmas! Today is a joyous day of celebration for Christians around the world. For us, Christmas is far more than a winter festival fit for exchanging gifts, feasting together, and enjoying the company of friends and family. Certainly these are blessed aspects of our celebration, but we have something far deeper and more eternity-shaping to rejoice in this morning.

This Advent morning, let's reflect on the love of Jesus for his people. There is a striking truth about Christ's first coming found in John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends". At first glance it would seem that this verse has little to do with Jesus' first coming, but that is far from the truth. The very truth of Christ's payment of sin (atonement) through His death necessitates His first coming. For how can one die who is not first born?

In order to show the " greater love", which is truly the greatest love, Christ had to be born and come to die. As I ponder this truth about Jesus's love for his people, I am reminded of a very powerful reality of Jesus’s first coming: Jesus came to die. He knew that if he would show the greatest love the universe has ever seen he would have to take on human flesh and give His life on behalf of sinful people.

Who could show such love? "No one". While the example he gave seems to point to the noble act of a person giving their life for another, even this is no comparison to the work of Jesus in the salvation of sinners. I can give my life to physically rescue my friend from death and still do it from a sense of pride or another false motive. Even with the right motive, I can give my life for a friend, but I can never ransom his life from the wages of sin (Romans 6:23, Psalm 49:7). Jesus's death for sinners is on another level.

He calls us his "friends”. There is nothing in us deserving of friendship with Jesus. In fact, while I was Jesus’s enemy, He died for us—ungodly, wretched sinners deserving of death (Romans 5:8,10). Yet, he calls us His friends, and that’s exactly who we are as children of the Most High God and Heavenly Father. All of this is through Jesus Christ. We have received life and adoption because He came and died for us. But to come and die, He first came in the flesh. 

This Advent morning we don’t just celebrate a man who was born. We celebrate God in the flesh—Jesus who “will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). 

Prayer points:
1. Ask for grace to reflect the love of Christ by sacrificing your comforts and preferences for others.
2. Ask the Lord to teach you to rest in the love and work of Jesus for your eternal hope and joy (John 15:11).
3. Rejoice in the grace and love of God for sinners like you and me.


Image credit: ​Photo by David Bartus from Pexels​

Jesus, The Eternal Son Of God
December 1: Jesus, the Creator (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-3)
December 2: Jesus, the Eternal Word (John 1:1-18)
December 3: Jesus, the Foreknown Savior (Acts 2:23; Acts 3:18; 1 Peter 1:17-21)
December 4: Jesus, the Son of God (John 1:29-34; Luke 1:35; Matthew 14:33)
December 5: Jesus, the Bread of Life (John 6:22-56)

Sinners In Need Of A Savior
December 6: The Fall of Man (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-19)
December 7: The Effects of Sin (Genesis 6:1-8; Psalm 14:1-3; Psalm 53:1-3)
December 8: The Wages of Sin (Romans 6:23; Psalm 49:7; Romans 3:23)
December 9: The Requirement of Justice (Proverbs 24:12; Job 34:10-15)
December 10: The Forgiveness That Counts (Mark 2:7; Matthew 9:1-8)

Prophecies Of The Messiah
December 11: Jesus, the Headcrusher (Genesis 3:14-15; Romans 16:20; Hebrews 2:14-18)
December 12: Jesus, the King (Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 2; John 18:33-38)
December 13: Jesus, the Forsaken (Psalm 22:1; Psalm 22:14-18; Matthew 27:45-56)
December 14: Jesus, the Risen (Psalm 16:8-11; Acts 2:24-32)
December 15: Jesus, the Light of the Nations (Isaiah 49:6; Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8)

Themes Of Immanuel
December 16: Joy in Christ (Romans 15:13; Philippians 4:4-7; 1 Peter 1:8-9)
December 17: Hope in Christ (Psalm 39:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5)
December 18: Peace in Christ (Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 4:4-7; Ephesians 2:11-22)
December 19: The Sacrifice of Christ (John 15:12-13; 1 John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 8:9)
December 20: The Presence of Christ (Matthew 1:23; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Revelation 21:3)

Unto Us A Child Is Born
December 21: Mary, the Virgin Mother (Luke 1:26-38)
December 22: Mary, the Joyful Mother (Luke 1:39-56)
December 23: Joseph, the Obedient Earthly Father (Matthew 1:18-25)
December 24: John, the Forerunner (Luke 1:67-80)
December 25: Jesus, the Savior, Is Born (Luke 2:1-38)

For a printable version of this guide, click here.

Apathy at Advent

The Christmas season is upon us. For many Christians, myself included, Advent is a season of excitement and joy as we celebrate the incarnation (putting on flesh) of the Son of God. While it's easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of gifts, food, family time, and fun, there's another subtle distraction that can keep us from enjoying Christ during the Advent season—apathy.

Who could be apathetic during such a joyful time of year? I can't speak for anyone else, but I know I tend to struggle with apathy. It's a sneaky little thought that creeps in every year: "I've read the Christmas story a million times. There's nothing more to get out of it. A virgin birth. Check. Shepherds. Check. Three wise men. Check." Some years I gloss over these magnificent and eternity-altering words without even a spark of excitement or joy. I can hear John Piper exhorting me to "LINGER....LINGER...LINGER!!" 

You may be thinking that Advent and Christmas aren't even biblical holidays, so we shouldn't even be worried about lacking holiday joy. You're right in saying that the Bible doesn't command Christians to celebrate Advent or Christmas. I've had some friends make a huge fuss about this, but you can't convince me that it's sinful to celebrate the Son of God coming in the flesh. However, I am fully convinced that there's something wrong with my heart when I don't get excited about Jesus.

The Gift of Gifts

I'm ashamed to admit that I get excited about lesser things. If you turn on a UK game, I'll find myself drawn to the screen. If you buy me a new tech gadget, I'll spend a day or two getting it set up and playing with it. If you hand me a new book, I'll spend some time flipping through the table of contents and reading the opening chapters. If those things bring me excitement, why doesn't Jesus?

Part of my problem is that I let lesser gifts capture my attention. Flame, a Christian rapper, once said that we are like a pig in a pin who will pass up a steak to eat slop. C.S. Lewis said we settle for mud pies. I don't want pig slop or mud pie faith. I want the joy of the Shepherds and the Magi who dropped everything to celebrate the Life and Light of men who burst on the scene to save His people from their sins and be with them. I want to rejoice in the God who came to be with sinners in order to save them.

For me, Advent is a time to be lifted from the miry bog and set on the firm ground. I find myself distracted more now than ever. Too often, my eyes have been set on this earth below rather than on the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Advent is a time to grab my Bible, a great devotional, and a notebook to feast on the glory of Christ. He is the greatest of all gifts.

6 Ways to Meet With God During Advent
​
This year, my Advent plans are to:

1. Read The Dawn of Redeeming Grace by Sinclair Ferguson and the relevant Scriptures in the book.
2. Study some passages about Jesus' incarnation.
3. Eat dinners lit by oil lamp with my family on several evenings as we read a family Advent devotional and the Bible.
4. Help my kids set up Advent Blocks that will help us remember various aspects of Jesus' first coming.
5. Meditate and jot some short and quick prayers in my journal to stir up my affections for Jesus.
6. Listen to biblical, Christ-centered Advent playlists (along with my Christmas jazz playlist, of course!). 

I'm not doing every one of these things every single day. None of this guarantees that I'll be happier this Advent season. None of it earns me a spot closer to God. However, I want to do most of these on most days because they're simple ways to connect with God.

​I want to saturate my heart with Christ more than I saturated my mind with Covid-19 variants and social issues. I want to discuss the glories of Christ and His coming in the flesh more than I scroll social media. I'm not saying that any of those things is inherently wrong to think about and discuss, but it is wrong to be consumed by them, and we need seasons to stare at the glory of Christ and be transformed in that beholding of our Savior. Advent will be a much needed time to enjoy the Lord.

What are your Advent traditions? How will you celebrate Advent differently this year than other years?

If you need an Advent reading Guide, check this one out! 

I couldn’t breathe…

Another black man killed on camera. Yet, I was supposed to keep my mouth shut. With a knee on his neck—or maybe his back—I was told to pipe down and wait for the facts. Yet, I was gasping, unable to catch a deep breath. But I’m still alive.

More riots. More violence. I didn’t condone it, but I did believe our lives matter. I still do. Yet when I speak my mind, I’m slammed flat on my back, the wind is knocked out of me again, staring at my teammates who don’t seem to want to help me up. 

I couldn’t breathe.

With an angry heart and clenched fists, I was determined to speak my mind. I shouted. I yelled. I screamed.

Until I was out of breath. 

Yet my anger didn’t produce righteousness. As I looked at the carnage of strained relationships and hurtful words in the aftermath of my EF5 anger, I realized that I, too, was part of the problem. “They won’t listen to me!”, I screamed. God’s voice thundered, “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger”. “They don’t love me as they should!”, I cried. The Lord spoke again, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself”. 

Again, I was breathless.

This time I felt like Isaiah. As I beheld God in His glory, I was in utter silence. Though I was wronged, I had no reason to wrong others. Though I was hurt, I wasn’t justified in hurting others. Though I was angry, I had no right to sin in that anger. It was then that I remembered that in order to become more righteous, I needed to value Someone greater than the man in the mirror. The only way to be transformed is to keep beholding the Son of God in His glory, not by baling up my fists, furrowing my brow, and holding my breath.

I can breathe again. 

I hope to never see another breathless black man whose life has been ripped from him through injustice. But if I do, Lord willing, I will know how to catch my breath.

Just breathe.