Week 31 - August 23 - Dan Swartz

Psalm 31

I am, at first, amazed at how David moves between praising God for his goodness in one breath (verse) and then lamenting his life circumstances in the next and begging for God's favor. I say "at first" because when I'm honest, I do this more often than I'd like to admit as well. And as I think about it a bit more it makes some sense. When one has experienced God's blessing and favor in life, and then life circumstances change such that we experience loss, fear, etc., it should be only natural that we cry out to God for rescue. The key is to remember where our blessing comes from in good times, and know that our loving God is in control even during hard times in our life. Then we can "be strong and courageous, all who put your hope in the Lord!"


Exodus 11

This chapter details with God's final plague on the Egyptians - the killing of every firstborn male (even animals). As with some prior chapters, this one reminded me of the importance of keeping my heart soft (as opposed to becoming "hardened" like Pharaoh). I sometimes pray that God would hit me over the head with a spiritual 2x4 (metaphorically speaking, of course), since I can sometimes mis-prioritize life. My prayer is that our nation's heart would not become hardened as well.

Exodus 12

This chapter details God's requirements for the Passover and his deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. As Pastor Doug Weincoff relayed in a recent sermon message, 430 yrs seems like a long time for an omnipotent God to act, but God's time is not our time. I need to be patient for God's time, especially when his answer to some of my prayers is "wait" or "not now". I found it interesting that "A rabble of non-Israelites went with them. . ." v.38 NLT Apparently, not all of the Egyptians were hard-hearted. The entire Passover ceremony foreshadows Jesus' perfect sacrifice for our sins. The lamb represents Christ. Its blood saved the Israelites from the angel of death (Chapter 11); Christ's blood saves us from eternal death. There are also similarities to the celebration of the Passover and the celebration of communion. Both are done in remembrance of God's great work in our lives: saving the Israelites from the angel of death and delivering them from Egypt (Passover) and delivering mankind from our sins so we can have a restored relation with our Creator (communion). God limited the Passover to Israelites and foreigners who were circumcised (converted); He limits communion to believers (the converted - those who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives). Both were meant to be celebrated in community. Both involve baked goods and beverages (similar to many of our remembrance celebrations such as birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, etc.).

Week 30 - August 16 - Taylor Hays

Exodus 9-10
These chapters document the remaining “10 plagues” that God brought upon Egypt, except for the final and most devastating plague of death on all the firstborn. The story is amazing for many reasons. I can’t imagine some of the sights that were witnessed by the Egyptians… hail, boils, locust, dying livestock and darkness so thick “no one moved.” What is more amazing is the repeated conversation between Moses and Pharaoh. With each successive plague Pharaoh seemed more inclined to let the Israelites go but always reneged. The passage says he was “stubborn” and “hardened” and refused to submit to God’s plan. Here is one lesson I took away from this passage… I am at risk of becoming so hardened against God that I can’t be moved by him even in the face of life’s “plagues.” It takes a long time to become that hard in heart, but it begins by refusing to listen and obey God’s best plan for me.

Psalm 30
David was a guy who had been through it all… life’s highest highs and its lowest lows. There were times he felt near to God and times he felt far away. Through all this he always was able to hang onto hope in God. In this psalm he expressed one of my mother-in-law’s favorite verses for hard times… “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Dark times always end so hang on to the sure hope… God’s faithfulness.

Proverbs 30
This chapter is full of warnings about avoiding some of life’s deepest potholes (don’t lie, don’t slander’ don’t dishonor your parents, stay away from adultery) and some unusual observations about life, like this one…
18 There are three things that amaze me— no, four things that I don't understand:19 how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, how a man loves a woman.

I think what he was saying through all this is that God owns truth. He is the source of all truth and when we see things that are true or illustrate truth it is because God made it that way. His bottom line is this…
5 Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.

Acts 9
Saul’s conversion experience has become proverbial. We call it a “Damascus road experience” when someone experiences a radical conversion in their life. Depending on the context, it doesn’t always refer to a religious conversion. It means someone finally “saw the light” (now you know where that saying came from!).Sometimes our experiences with God can be dramatic, but most of the transformation in my life has come in a much quieter way. Usually when I am going through a hard time, a loss, a tough decision—I experience God’s closeness the most. The important idea is that God wants to radically change us, just like he changed Saul, later named Paul. To get there we must do what Paul later advised the Galatian Christians to do… “5:16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.” This is the daily “walking” in the Spirit… reading the Bible, praying, serving, having fellowship with believers, sharing our faith with others. We may never have a Damascus road experience but our lives can be changed as radically as the change Paul experienced.

Week 29 - August 9 - Doug Weincouff

Exodus 7
When I read chapter 7 of Exodus I was again reminded that God chooses to work with us. When Moses did not feel confident in his speaking ability, God gave him Aaron to be his spokesperson. He did not change his plans. He continued to use Moses to set the Israelites free. I am thankful for God’s mercy and compassion when we have such little faith in our abilities or His power, he does not become frustrated or angry. God brings us along in our weakness to see His plan and power. When do you find yourself doubting God or your own abilities and worth?

Exodus 8
God is not random. When God chose the plagues there was purpose and meaning in each one. The choice of frogs was intentional because it represented the Goddess Heqt. Heqt was responsible for childbirth. Remember that the previous Pharaoh had put all the baby Israelite boys to death. God having the frogs overwhelming the land of Egypt was a reminder that He was greater than their Gods. Pharaoh could not stop God’s plans. I am encouraged by the story of Exodus because it is a reminder that God’s promises and plans always come to pass. It gives be encouragement when tough events occur or I am surprised by events, I know that God will be faithful.

Psalm 29
How do you most often describe God? Loving, compassionate, merciful, patient How often do you describe God as powerful, holy and majestic? Psalm 29 was written by King David. David had see God’s power majesty and holiness first hand. In our western Christianity we tend to focus and picture God as a gentle warm and fuzzy being. The thought of “fearing” God is a very remote concept. We can become casual in our attitude toward God. It is important to remember that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are the same. He never changes. God continues to deserve our worship, and praise. I need to be careful to give God the proper respect and praise that He deserves while appreciating His love, mercy, kindness and patience.

Proverbs 29
Verse 11 caught my attention, “A fool gives full vent to anger, but a wise person quietly holds it back”. When I was growing up I seldom saw my Dad lose his temper. When other fathers would swear or yell he always used a calm steady voice. I know there were times when my Dad was angry but he was always able to keep control. I saw how his conduct often softened and brought volatile situations to good conclusions. This proverb is one worth memorizing!

Acts 8
Acts chapter 8 reinforces the point that God’s plans come to pass. Before Jesus left the disciples he told them to preach and teach in Jerusalem and to all nations. In Acts it appears that the disciples and the early church had become so focused on reaching the Jews that they were not expanding their ministry to “all nations”. They had become comfortable. God did not create the persecution of the early church but he used it to spread out the believers so that they would reach all people. Sometimes I need God to nudge me out of my comfort zone. God has always promised the he would bring us comfort but he never promised being comfortable. Are you experiencing God’s comfort or your own personal comfort? Where is God nudging you?