EXODUS IS A STORY ABOUT GETTING OUT:

Moses, born to die, was saved “out of the water” (Ex 2:10).
He fought the Egyptians, and got kicked out of the palace (2:15).
God met him and said, “I AM holy, take out your sandals” (3:5).
“Get my people out of Egypt, I will get you out of trouble.”

But Moses had more serious getting outs to face:
Fear, self-doubt, "I'm not ready", "No way";
Yet, as God had promised - nothing went to waste -
They got out of Egypt, through ten challenges, ten plagues.

The book of Exodus is about getting out –
Of bondage, fear, low self-esteem and doubt.
From death to life, from trapped to free
From reluctance to "Here am I", from “You're kidding!” to “I can see.”

What do you need to get out of today
To live God's plan for you, and claim His promise?
Your fluffy dreams? Your huge sand-castles?
Your defense? Your excuse? Your corner? Your office?

God’s power is often shown in the Sea, the wilderness,
Where "I AM Who I AM" is our only confidence;
Want to live your life? Then stop saying, “Not now.”
Obey. Have faith. Get ready for miracles. Get out.

BE NOT AFRAID WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE MUCH

Reflections on I Kings 15:8-22, 2 Chron 16:7-14
The life of King Asa never fails to puzzle me. How did the king who reformed become the one who rebelled, I wondered many times:

King Asa, young and fearful, “did what was right” –
Reforms, revivals, removal of idolatrous sites.
For 38 years, he ruled in peace;
His only war cry, “Lord, help me please!”

Then Baasha attacked on the 39th year,
And Asa befriended Aram out of fear;
“I’m not a child, stop saying God is displeased!”
“I’ll send you to jail!” he shouted at Hanani.

So God struck him with a disease, he became sick in his feet;
He saw every doctor but refused to submit
To the God of his youth, who fought all his battles;
He’d rather die than bow before the Healer.

Why, tell me, why did Asa end so wrong?
Did he have more to lose when he became strong?
Did he stop being a child because he grew old?
Did he forget to be fearful when he became bold?

Be not afraid when you don’t have much –
God delivers, God heals, He’s Someone you can trust.
Tremble and guard your heart, you know when the troubles start;
When you turn to your own knowledge and gifts – when you think you're too smart.

WANT MANNA?

Reflection on Exodus 16:11-21

The people asked for food and God gave them manna from heaven. “He who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack” (16:18).

God rained manna from heaven,

O what a glorious sight!
Satisfied everyone’s hunger to the full,
Filled each longing with delight.

But it would keep only a day at a time,
Grab too much, It’d stink and rot,
Take a little, only what was needed,
And just as God promised, they lacked not.

Want to taste manna from heaven?

See His blessing from on high?
Step in the water, walk boldly in faith,
Trust Him fully, one miracle at a time.

He won’t give us in excess

Lest we forget to lean on Him;
Neither will He give us less
For He knows our frame, He knows our need.

HEAD, HEART, HAND

Moses started with a HEART
But he had no HEAD and HAND.
To save his people, he killed an Egyptian,
And buried him in the sand (Ex 2:12).

He hid in the sand of Midian – for 40 years (2:15-23),
Until God ordered, "Come here!"

"I have a plan, my people are suffering!"

“Send someone else,“ he said, "my HEART is missing." (4:23) 
 

So God worked on his HEART.

He let him see
The hardheartedness of Pharaoh,
And the people's grief.

"Deliver them, please," cried Moses (5:21).
"Help, I can't bear it!"
Now his HEART was beating,
His HEART was free.

But Moses had no HAND.
“I can’t even talk,” he said (4:10).

But God wouldn't give up,
He worked on him again.

First He gave him a side-kick– Aaron,
Who challenged Pharaoh right down to plague #5 (5:1-8:17);
Then He let Moses grow -
One small step at a time.

By plague #2, he prayed for the calamity to stop (8:12),

And he would be an intercessor all his life;

By plague #6, he took over from Aaron (9:8)
And finished the job in grace and stride.

 

No HEAD – ask God to speak;

No HEART – He can make it beat again.

No HAND – be humble, submit, let Him train you,
But you must come out of the sand.

 

YK's seven resolutions for 2013:

1. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom 10: 17, NASV).
Lord, may I hear - really really hear - your words that my faith may grow. Protect me from all other noise.

2. " . . . the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty” (Mat 13:23).
Lord, let me hear and understand your Word that I may bear much fruit. Protect me from deception and stagnation.

3. “Behold, their ears are closed (Hebr: arel:uncircumcised) and they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the Lord has become a reproach to them; they have no delight in it” (Jer 6:10).
Lord, circumcise my ears that I may delight in your Word. Keep me from having ears that are deaf or shut.

4. “ . . . and I [the LORD] spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you but you did not answer,. . .’ (Jer 7:13-15).
Forgive me, Lord, for not being there when you were ready to speak, and for not answering when you called. Kick me out of bed if you have to!

5. “Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for I trust in You; . . . “ (Ps 143:8).
May the first sound I hear every day be your voice of love, dear Lord, not the sound of self, schedule, or social media.

6. “ . . . your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left” (Isa 30:20-22).
Lord, my gracious teacher, speak wisdom in my ears, whisper direction behind me. Pull me back whenever I run ahead of your voice; repeat, reprove, remind me whenever I forget.

7. “ . . . therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD" (Eze 34:9).
Lord, may I teach only what I hear from you. Let my message outlines, lesson plans, illustrations, and stories come only from you.

MUST HAVE HEART

(Reflection from Exodus - about Moses)

Pharoah’s daughter saw something in the river and called, “Bring that to me.”

God moved her heart to love the baby, and Moses the fugitive became the prince of Egypt.

And the prince grew up and declared, by faith, “I am Moses the Hebrew, I will save my people.”

His heart was right and ready, but he lacked backing or call or plan.

One day, someone challenged him, “What? You a murderer telling us what to do?”

So the favored one became a fugitive again; his heart was numb for 40 years.

Until he saw the flaming bush and said, “I must go look.”

And he found God’s burning heart for His people.

“Lead my people out of Egypt,” God instructed. “I will remove all hindrances.”

But Moses kept one barrier hidden within himself – double-locked and deep in his unmoved heart.

“I can’t, I won’t,” pleaded Moses. “I don’t even know what to say.
He had all of God's backing and call and plan, but his heart was missing.
When Pharaoh hardened his heart and commanded, “Increase the people’s burden!” Moses cried out, “Lord, deliver your people!”
Finally, his heart came back to life, it beat for his own again!

And so the stage was set, the man was free

From hollowness to heart –
To confront a stiff-necked king and care for an ungrateful people;
Halt the plagues, part the Sea,
Represent God before man, intercede for man before God.

Today, more than calling, charisma, candor, and courage,

God searches for men and women with heart;
Heart that says “I will not give up,” “I will beat for you,”
“I will pray,” “I will love,”
“I will care,”
“I will set them free.”