Exodus 9 - 6.22.26

Scripture

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭9‬:‭34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts.”

Observation

In this passage, the back and forth between Pharaoh, and Moses and Aaron continues. Moses and Aaron are relaying God’s Word to Pharaoh. They are instructing Pharaoh to let all the people of Israel-(men, women, children, and animals) go into the wilderness so they can worship the Lord. If Pharaoh refuses God’s request, there will be consequences on Pharaoh and his people. Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn and refused to let the people of Israel go. So, God inflicted plagues upon Egypt’s livestock. He inflicted a plague of festering boils upon Pharaoh’s people and even their animals. God even called down a mighty hailstorm to destroy their crops. You would think Pharaoh would get the message by now. But instead, he would continue to lie to Moses and Aaron’s faces, promising them that he would let their people go if God would bring relief from these plagues.

Application

You can’t fool God.

How many of us have ever done or may know someone who has ever done what Pharaoh did here? Picture it. You have an uncomfortable circumstance in your life. It’s only then that You decide to turn to God. You then try to bargain with Him. You ask God to remove that difficult circumstance from your life, telling God if He does, then you will do what He asks of you. Then, when relief comes your way, you’re back doing the same old dumb things that got you in that predicament in the first place. 🤦🏽‍♂️

Let me ask you something. Do you really think we’re fooling God?! God is all knowing. He knows how it is all going to play out. The learning lesson here is that we can’t keep hardening our hearts towards God. Sooner or later, it will catch up to us. It did with Pharaoh as we will read in the upcoming chapters. Every time we ignore God’s direction and His ways, our conscience grows less sensitive to Him. When we continue to reject God’s calling and decide to harden our hearts towards Him, God eventually gives us what we ask for. God will then harden our hearts like He did with Pharaoh. This time it reaps eternal consequences.

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those whom God says in the end, “Thy will be done.””-C.S. Lewis

“That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness.” -Hebrews‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬-‭8‬

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your patience with me, for putting up with my foolishness. Forgive me for ever thinking that I can ever fool You. May I never harden my heart towards You and lose the sensitivity of hearing the voice of Your Holy Spirit. Please give me the strength and courage to abide in Your calling for my life. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 🙏🏽

-Moses Gaddi

Psalm 119 - 6.19.26

Scripture: Psalm 119:1-8

1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart—
3 they do no wrong but follow his ways.
4 You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.
5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!
6 Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.
8 I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.

Observation

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and is structured as an acrostic poem, with each section corresponding to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The first eight verses focus on the theme of obedience to God's law and the blessings that come from it. The psalmist expresses a deep desire to live according to God's statutes and acknowledges the joy and fulfillment that comes from such a life. (Bing Copilot)

Deuteronomy 6:5 – Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Joshua 1:8 - Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Matthew 5:6 - Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Application

This passage of scripture highlights the importance of whole heartedly following God’s law. It emphasizes the blessings and benefits of living a life in obedience to God’s commandments. Not to know them with my understanding but to make them the rule of my life which comes with the help of the Holy Spirit.

When we whole heartedly seek God and follow His commandments, we will experience true joy, fulfillment and blessings in our lives. This is a call to action, to examine our hearts and motivations. Are we aligning our lives with His truth and seeking Him with sincerity and our whole heart? We need to allow His word to guide and transform us from the inside out. As we take pleasure in God’s word and dig deep to know it and practice it, the effect will be a Thankful Heart full of Praise and Worship.

Prayer

Dear Lord, we thank you that you love us so much and you desire to bless us. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that helps us walk in Your path. Help us walk in obedience to your word…not my will but YOURS be done. I praise you with all my heart and soul. Thank you for my Blessed Life.

Michelle Craig

Psalm 118 - 6.18.26

S: Psalm 118:1 & 8 - 14

1  “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.”

8 “It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in humans.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
11 They surrounded me on every side,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
12 They swarmed around me like bees,
    but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
    in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
    but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my defense[a];
    he has become my salvation.”

O: Pressure and the consuming nature of pressure or worry or fear is something that comes into our lives quite often in many different seasons. In this psalm we see this narrative of pressure that nations are closing in and fear is rising, but it is in these moments of pressure and within the battles that we face internally and externally that we have an opportunity to see the power of the name of our Lord and the power of our praise for His everlasting love. This is what sticks out to me in Psalm 118, how when the name of the Lord is called upon fear is silenced, a place of dwelling and refuge is received, help is found, and all is put into perspective when praise is lifted to the Lord and His love. In this psalm, notice how before the battle is brought up - first what is brought up is praise and praise for Lord’s love. The Lord’s love is a consistent and powerful thing that we get to praise Him for no matter what pressure we are under or what battle is in front of us, Psalm 118 shouts thanksgiving and celebration of the Lord’s steadfast love that delivers us from distress. His name and His presence being more powerful than our worry or fear. We can so often become ritualistic with our worry, that worry and fear feel like second nature that we forget the medicinal and radical power that is the name of Jesus and the power that is in our praise for His faithful love.

A: Let's make praise for the Lord’s love, our weapon of defense and our refuge this week. Let us make a commitment together to consciously put reminders and scriptures in front of us that remind us of His love.  Whether that be a worship song you can continually listen to this week that proclaims His steadfast love over you, or a scripture you can have as your screensaver or on your mirror or in your car, whatever it may be how can we orient our hearts to see and declare that His faithful love endures forever no matter what we are facing and no matter what we are going through. Because this is the truth, He deserves praise because His faithful love endures forever!! When we do so, I am excited to see how chains will break and perspectives will shift and thought patterns will change. Jesus loves you so deeply and praise for that steadfast love is medicine to our soul.

P:  Jesus, your faithful love endures forever! You know what burdens are on my heart and on my mind and God I cast those cares and burdens to your feet and choose to PRAISE you for your faithful love that endures forever. In Jesus name, AMEN!

- Tess Schrupp