Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God. Exodus 2:23 NASB Cried out– Do you suffer from the Egyptian disease? Does the Church in the…
And Job died, an old man and full of days. Job 42:17 NASB Full of days– What is the result of a life devoted to God? In Hebrew thought, it isn’t getting to heaven. It’s living out the full purposes of God’s design here on earth. In other words, it’s experiencing a life “full of days.” …
Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. Exodus 3:16 NASB Indeed concerned– Frankly, this translation is pathetic. I don’t mean it…
“Go near and hear all that the Lord our God says; then speak to us all that the Lord our God speaks to you, and we will hear and do it.” Deuteronomy 5:27 NASB Speak to us– Israel stands at the mountain of God. The whole territory shakes. Lightning. Thunder. Thick darkness. And the voices. Yes, that’s right, it is plural—Exodus 20:18, “All the…
Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” Genesis 41:51 NASB God has made me forget– One of the peculiarities of the Joseph account is how infrequently God is mentioned. Joseph doesn’t pray to God before interpreting visions. He doesn’t mention God during his captivity. He…
And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Luke 22:19 NASB Do this in remembrance of Me – Once we move in the direction of reading the Bible as if we were the original audience, then…
“…but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” Mark 3:29 NASB Blasphemes– [Today’s Word has been written by my friend, Matt Woodward] Have you ever wondered what it means to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit? If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard several sermons, teachings, or even…
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Hebrews 11:3 NIV By faith – “by faith.” So, what does that mean? Does it mean that I simply take a leap into the non-rational and “believe”? Does it mean that I don’t…
Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. Genesis 32:24 NASB Left alone – I just can’t get past Jacob. Maybe it’s because years ago when the financial collapse happened that started this written journey of recovery, I was tempted to think I was kind of like Job. You know, innocent. Not deserving the…
One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed. Proverbs 19:17 NASB Repay – When does God repay your generosity to the poor? You’ve been touched by the plight of homeless children. You’ve felt the heart pains of the world’s starving, the misery of the afflicted, the helplessness…
