Egypt – Page 19 – Praying Pint

Light of the world

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”

“ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”

“for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light”

Psalms 107:10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron.

Luke 1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Isaiah 42:7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

Isaiah 60:1-3 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Exodus 2:23-24 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

Job 36:8-9 And if they are bound in chains and caught in the cords of affliction, then he declares to them their work and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly.

Romans 6:20-21 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

1 Thessalonians 5:4-5 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.

I wonder if we get confused with what is light and what is darkness. For sure we know the physical difference between night and day, light and dark. However when it comes to sin darkness, do we see it? do we own it? do we understand it? do we know the author of darkness? When it comes to sin darkness, sometimes, it binds us in chains, blinds our eyes, and makes our senses unable to see or feel the love and light of Christ. We grope around trying to find a path forward. Sometimes we end up in darkness be cause we neglect the light. Other times we just plan fail to run to the light, choosing rather to remain in the darkness. What are we to do when we see someone in darkness? Show them the light. Encourage them with the light. Proclaim the light. And at other times allow the light of Christ flow through you. We all have found ourselves in darkness. Allow God to use you as a light to others and always pointing to Him alone.

Give Thanks for He is good

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

“I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

Psalms 107:1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

1 Chronicles 16:34 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalms 119:68 You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.

Psalms 136:1-9 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His loving-kindness lasts forever. Give thanks to Him Who alone does great works, for His loving-kindness lasts forever. Give thanks to Him Who by wisdom made the heavens, for His loving-kindness lasts forever. Give thanks to Him Who spread out the earth upon the waters, for His loving-kindness lasts forever. Give thanks to Him Who made the great lights, for His loving-kindness lasts forever. He made the sun to rule during the day, for His loving-kindness lasts forever. He made the moon and stars to rule during the night, for His loving-kindness lasts forever.

Psalms 103:17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,

Deuteronomy 7:8 but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Jeremiah 15:21 I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”

Isaiah 43:5-6 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.

God does not change and His love is steadfast even though we walk paths apart and away from Him. This call to give thanks includes creation, mighty awesome deeds of protection, and redemption. We deserve none of it. We all like sheep have gone astray seeking satisfaction and purpose apart from God. Giving thanks should call to remembrance all that we know about God and what He has done, is doing, and will do. Give thanks at all times and in all situations for He is worthy.

When God speaks through trials

“Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.”

Psalms 106:7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.

Psalms 106:12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.

Psalms 106:20 They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.

Psalms 106:24 Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise. They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD.

Psalms 106:28 Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead; they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them

Psalms 106:32 They angered him at the waters of Meribah,

Psalms 106:34 They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them, but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;

Psalms 106:39 Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds.

Psalms 106:43 Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity.

I don’t have to look back very far to see that I, too, have done many of these same things. I have not waited, had little faith, forgot His past works in my life, and did not remember He is the all powerful, every loving, and always in control, God. In the heat of issues, problems, troubles, and when despair and doubt overwhelms, I seem to forget God loves me, He is in control, and I don’t have to be anxious or worried about what lies ahead. It seems so easy to fall into this trap. Is it a test? Is it to teach and grow my faith? Is it to show me my sinfulness? I think the answer to all is yes. Daily, I spend time in His word to proclaim the very things I am neglect in believing. I am not sure if this is common to all but God seems to be laying this heavily upon me. Fatih is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Forgive me Father for my lack of trust, reliance, and faith and for not placing them fully in your every capable and loving arms.

5 – The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around

Psalms 91:11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

Psalms 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Psalms 71:3 Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

2 Kings 6:16-17 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city. When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation

Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Isaiah 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD!

It takes time to learn that but when we are our weakest or in our lowest is when God is our all in all. Likewise when we are our strongest and highest is when God is but a second thought. What would our lives be like if He was all in all at all times? What does it take to keep God all in all at all times? Think about a weak or low time – how much of your day was occupied seeking, relying on, and clinging to God? Now compare this to a time when you not low or weak – how much of your day was occupied seeking, relying on and clinging to God? Our heart, mind and soul are in a battle with our sinful nature and humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying God. Praise God for His steadfast love that does not cast us aside like we do to Him. Make commitment to desire and seek Him.

Followed Me fully

Psalms 90:16 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

Psalms 44:1 O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old:

Numbers 14:22 none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it. But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

Habakkuk 3:2 O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.

Joshua 4:22 then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

Joshua 23:14 “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.

Psalms 68:28 Summon your power, O God, the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.

Psalms 27:4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.

Psalms 110:3 Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.

Psalms 118:25 Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success!

Job 22:28 You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.

1 Corinthians 3:7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

Isaiah 26:12 O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works.

2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you,
But only God who gives growth. We wonder why some or all of what we do seems purposeless and without life meaning and satisfaction. It is time to learn from Him and seek him like given in this scripture “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,” Everyday the choice we get to make concerning serving Him is given to us. We get this choice and should we make the right choice we find peace, hope, love, power, courage, strength, comfort, joy and life with fulfilling purpose. If we make the choice to follow self and the world we void all of this. We may find these in short term bursts but they do not last and they certainly do not fulfill. Do you want to see growth in what your purpose is this side of eternity? Seek and desire God. Choose to honor, serve, follow and obey Him. How can we lose sight of what Jesus Christ freely did to redeem us from a path to eternal hell? He allowed Himself to be beaten, whipped, nailed to the cross, mocked, spit upon and stabbed with a spear. He could have stopped any of this happening at just a single word. He chose to redeem. He chose to call to Himself a people who come to Him with desire to humbly serve Him. What manner of people ought we to be in light of the great sacrifice paid? How should we live? Seek and desire Jesus Christ in and through your life. Be kind, generous, loving, giving, humble, hopeful, joyful, and never forgetting the redeeming price that was paid for your salvation. Follow Him fully.

Abounding in Steadfast Love

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”

Psa 89:1 I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”

Psalms 36:5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

Psalms 92:2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,

Isaiah 25:1 O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.

Numbers 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

Psalms 119:90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.

Psalms 146:6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever;

Nehemiah 1:5 And I said, “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

Nehemiah 9:17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.

Luke 1:50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.

Hebrews 6:18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

Do you ever question God’s faithfulness, promises, steadfast love, mercy, and truthfulness? Keeping a proper mindset toward God requires us to have a continual desire to know and understand Him more and more. Having a hunger and thirst for Him that is not quenchable. Having heart, mind and soul choice to honor and obey Him because of who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised to do. When you read His word believe it. When you read His word praise Him. When you read His word trust it. When you read His word rely on it. When you read His word cling to it. When you read His word obey it. Praise the creator and author of all there is because He has reached out to His creation and offered eternal life to all who would choose to be forgiven of their sin through the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

If anyone serves Me

“And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength — he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

“Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.”

John 12:23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Numbers 32:11 ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me,

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Revelation 14:4 It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb,

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Called, chosen, and redeemed are all describing those who wholly follow and serve Jesus Christ. Denying self, walking in love, and proclaiming His excellence are examples of those who wholly follow Him. Our commitment is tied to our understanding and knowledge of the magnitude of our sin, our separation from Him, and the redeeming sacrifice of Christ to cleanse us from sin. Don’t lose sight of this for it is easily replaced with cares of this world and what this world has to offer. Spending time in His word feeds our souls with seeds of truth that help guide us through this life in a way the honors Jesus Christ. I know many people who have gone through very difficult times and while in these times they came to a place where they realized they had no control, no power, no courage, and much confusion. They fell on their knees, sought God, and spent time in prayer and in His word and each one of them said they were helpless but found peace in the midst of it and developed a much closer walk with Jesus. They also said though the pain, anxiousness, and hurt they went through seemed unbearable they see it as the best thing that happened to them. Why?? Because they found a taste of what it is like to be totally submitted to God and relying on, clinging to, and trusting in Him alone. They found the peace of God that passes all understanding through surrendering their control and self interest into the hands of God.

Mocked, flogged, nailed to the cross

“And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.”

John 3:13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Proverbs 30:4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know!

Numbers 21:4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

How do we feel when we are mistreated or treated unfairly? We want to retaliate or have it made right. Yet Christ knew what was waiting for him and willing went. He had done nothing wrong worthy of any form of punishment. What He did do was heal the sick, bring dead back to life, feed five thousand, open the eyes of blind and the ears of deaf, He gave hope, joy, love. He cast demons out of those possessed and taught the word of God with authority. And for this He willing went to be mocked, flogged and nailed to a cross to die. Why???? Because He was sent from heaven to redeem man from sin, to be the sacrifice once and for all making a way for man to be right with God. What manner of lives ought we live knowing the price that was paid for our personal sin?

What is your snare

All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.

Judges 8:23
But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)
They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks. Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.

1 Samuel 12:12
And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king. And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.

Exodus 32:7
And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt

I keep reading these accounts of God’s greatness and how He allowed people to see it. I sit back and wonder how could these people so easily fall away from what God truly expected of them. Look at Exodus where the people saw God perform great power and wonders in their exodus from Egypt. When Moses went to the mountain to be with God and be instructed for 40 days the people immediately made an idol to worship. Again in Samuel we see where the people had God present with them and they asked God for a king when He was clearly their King. There are numerous examples throughout scripture of God’s people choosing something other than God to worship and give honor to. Is this still true today? Do we give honor, glory, worth to something other than God? Do our lives reflect humble submission and service to Him? Is there both and outward and inward difference to our lives compared to those who regard God as a fairy tale? The only way to answer these questions is to reflect on what God’s word says and speaks into your heart. If there is no regular time spent in His word how are we able to (as instructed) “write it on our heart”, “write it on our door posts”, “meditate on it day and night”, “take it with us on our coming and going”. The biggest error in any life is to disregard His word and having a deep heart desire to humbly serve Him.