January 24, 2006 - Exodus 9-11 and Matthew 15:21-39
There was one thing that stuck out to me as I read about the rest of the 10 plagues today. Did you notice that none of these plagues came on the Hebrews or their cattle? The first plagues were more general, except that the flies did not go to Goshen. Now, God is showing Pharaoh His power by making a difference between His people and the Egyptians. They can see that God is protecting His people. They had already seen God blessing His people as they grew in number. This should have been a sign to Pharaoh and the people that God is real, and they should serve Him only. There is one clue that this was happening in Exodus 11:3. The people were seeing the difference, and they were giving favor to the Hebrews and to Moses. I believe this has been God's way of drawing the world to Himself from the very beginning. Believers are to be the proof that God exists, and we are to show His ways and His blessings. It should be even more that way today, since we have the Holy Spirit in us to make us more like Jesus. Do other people see a difference in you and your family? If not, do you see the damage that is done? They can easily be deceived by Satan to think that there is nothing to Christianity. Let's decide to be different and to give Jesus all the glory for making the difference in us and blessing us.
Matthew 15 coincides with this truth, doesn't it? Jesus spoke of the difference between Israel and the Gentiles. He told the lady that He was sent specifically to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He eventually healed her daughter because of her faith, but He used the difference to draw out her faith. Then, as Jesus healed more people and fed the 4,000, what was He doing? He was trying to get His disciples to see that they were to take up the work themselves. Jesus had told them before to feed the 5,000, and they did not understand. Now, they have a second opportunity to feed the crowd with God's help, but they miss their chance, again. This shows me that they still don't see that they have to step up and live in the power of God, so others can see God working in them. This is so true for all of us. Are we waiting for the preachers and missionaries to do the works of God, or are we all seeking to do the work by the power of the Spirit? That is how people will see the difference in you. They will see you do things for which there is no explanation, except that God is working through you to accomplish His will.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 12-13 and Matthew 16.
Matthew 15 coincides with this truth, doesn't it? Jesus spoke of the difference between Israel and the Gentiles. He told the lady that He was sent specifically to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He eventually healed her daughter because of her faith, but He used the difference to draw out her faith. Then, as Jesus healed more people and fed the 4,000, what was He doing? He was trying to get His disciples to see that they were to take up the work themselves. Jesus had told them before to feed the 5,000, and they did not understand. Now, they have a second opportunity to feed the crowd with God's help, but they miss their chance, again. This shows me that they still don't see that they have to step up and live in the power of God, so others can see God working in them. This is so true for all of us. Are we waiting for the preachers and missionaries to do the works of God, or are we all seeking to do the work by the power of the Spirit? That is how people will see the difference in you. They will see you do things for which there is no explanation, except that God is working through you to accomplish His will.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 12-13 and Matthew 16.