Month: January 2024

Holy God Changes Us

God provides Israel with laws
governing personal conduct and
purity in relation to the family, the
community and society in general.
As obedience is His main concern,
He requires violators be disciplined.
God’s strict guidelines for living
reflect His desire that His people
be holy for I the Lord am holy.
Privilege often carries with it
responsibility; and in the case of
Israel’s priests, the responsibilities
of serving a holy God become
quite demanding. The priests
must avoid defilement which
others might ordinarily experience.

Lord, we’ll Not Defile but Be Holy:
According to the doings of the
land of Canaan, you shall not do;
nor shall u walk in their ordinances..
So you shall keep My ordinance,
so that you do not commit any of
these abominable customs; and
that you do Not Defile yourselves; I
am the Lord your God (Lev18:3-30)
Speak to all the congregation of
the children of Israel & say to them
You Shall Be Holy, for I the Lord
your God am holy… You shall not
take revenge Not Bear any Grudge
but you shall love your neighbour
as yourself: I’m the Lord (L19:2,18).

Father God, You forbid us to do
certain things for You want to keep
us from self-destruction. And You
command us to do other acts for
You know what we need to flourish.
Help us when drawn to forbidden
activity to remember that it may lead
to suffering & separation from God.
Help us when a good act seems
inconvenient to remember that You
God has the best plan for us. Amen.

Lord, I acknowledge that there
are hurts caused to me by people.
But I do not want to hold on to
these or seek revenge. So I release
those who have hurt me to You.
I purpose not to seek repayment
through my coldness, or through
my words or through actions.
Rather I will seek to redeem this
relationship with wisdom and
with Your empowerment. Amen.

Father, I worship Your greatness &
goodness and praise Your holiness.
Even as I worship You Lord,
may Your holiness rub off on me.
Help me take on the beauty of Your
holiness as I spend time with You.
Enable me to become a bit more
like You so that Your holiness
will make me truly whole. Amen.

Jesus Paid It All (Atoning for our sins)

The great Day of Atonement
observed each year was Israel’s
most significant act of worship.
On that day, the nation gathered
to watch in expectation as the high
priest entered the Holy of Holies
with the blood Atonement which
would cover the sins of the entire
nation for another year. Because
blood was the central ingredient
in Israel’s national and personal
forgiveness, God prohibited the
use of blood for any purpose
other than sacrifice to Him.

Lord, we’re grateful for Your Grace:
Aaron shall take the two goats and
present them before the Lord… Then
he shall cast lots for the two goats:
Aaron shall bring the goat on which
the Lord’s lot fell & offer it as a sin
offering. But the goat on which the
lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be
presented alive…to make atonement
upon it and to let it go as the scape-
goat into the wilderness(Lev16:7-10)
In the seventh month on the tenth
day of the month, you shall… do
no work at all… For on that day, the
priest shall make atonement for you
to cleanse you, that you may be
clean from all your sins (v29-30).
Come now & let us reason together…
Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
they shall be as wool (Isa 1:18) Amen

Lord Jesus, Thank You for paying
the price for my sins so that I don’t
have to. Because of You I have been
reconciled to God, and I will never
be separated from Him again.
Help me to extend to others the
love and forgiveness You have
given to me. Teach me ways I can
show my gratitude to You for all
that You have done for me. Amen.

Lord, Thank You that You do not
see my sins, rather You see me
righteous because of the work of
Your precious son, Jesus Christ.
Thanks for Your lovingkindness and
for Your grace of forgiveness of sins.
Help me reason with You & really
appreciate Your love and mercy.
Help me follow the Holy Spirit
so that I will remain obedient.
Help me have deep gratitude to
You for Jesus Paid It All. Amen.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow. Amen.

The Lord My Banner Jehovah Nissi
(The Lord Covers & Protects Us)

“God My Banner” is a worship song
written by Chris Tomlin, and first
released in 2018. The song is
inspired by Exodus 17 event where
Moses, Joshua and the Israelites
engaged in battle agst Amalekites.
As long as Moses held up his hands,
Israelites were winning the battle.
The lyrics reflect the idea that God is
our banner, our victory and strength
in the midst of battles. It emphasises
the importance to rely on God’s
power and presence to overcome
the challenges in our lives.

Praise be Jehovah Nissi My Banner:
Now Amalek came and fought with
Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said
to Joshua: Choose some men and…
fight with Amalek…I will stand on top
of the hill with rod of God(Ex17:8-9)
So, Joshua fought with Amalek
while Moses, Aaron and Hur
went up to the top of the hill.
And so it was, when Moses held
up his hand that Israel prevailed
and when he let down his hand,
Amalek prevailed. But Moses’
hands became heavy. Aaron and
Hur supported his hands and his
hands were steady (Ex 17:10–12)
So Joshua defeated Amelek…
Then the Lord said: Write this for
a memorial… And Moses built an
altar and called its name: The LORD
Is My Banner Jehovah Nissi (v13-15)

Lord, at Rephidim we witness
the power of prayer amid the
fluctuations of the battle field.
Moses the intercessor on the
mountain came to experience
that the weaponless hand of prayer
was more powerful than the armies.
Help us Lord even as we fight
the good fight in the marketplace
that we not neglect to lift our
hands to You for help. Amen.

Lord Jehovah Nissi, I worship You
for being the banner over my life.
When I face trials and troubles,
I can look to You to cover me.
You have said that in the world
I will face tribulation but that
You have overcome the world!
Thank You for being my banner
and for helping me to move forward
and let the past be the past. Amen.

Jehovah Nissi, You are my banner;
and without You the storms of life
come upon me and overwhelm me.
You are good and You are strong;
and I ask You to help translate
that knowledge into my emotions.
Then I will feel secure and at peace
in the midst of life’s storms even as
I look to You Jehovah Nissi as my
banner and my strong arm. Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of Exodus is to record
the events of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and development as
a nation. Exodus is thus the book
of redemption from bondage
to Pharaoh into a covenant
relationship with God. From Egypt
to Sinai, Israel learns of the
might and power of God and the importance of national worship.

On Monday, we learn from Ex 7
that All Sufficient God Meets Needs.
On Tuesday, we learn from Ex 9
that God Gives Purpose In Life.
On Wed, we learn from Ex 15
about Jehovah Rapha Our Healer.
On Thursday, we learn from Ex 17
that the Lord Covers & Protects.
On Friday, we learn from Ex 31
about the Lord who Sanctifies.
On Saturday, we learn from Ex 40
on Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who adore You:
For All Sufficient God Meets Needs
and God Gives Purpose In Life;
For Jehovah Rapha is our healer,
and the Lord Covers and Protects;
For the Lord Sanctfies us and
the Great Jehovah Guides us.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah
(God Shows the Direction)

The Welsh hymnwriter William
Williams (1717-1791) compared
the Christian life to the Israelites’
trek through the wilderness.
We may not know the route
by which God is leading us, but
we humbly count on His guidance.
For 43 years William preached
and sang throughout Wales.
And according to one writer,
William sang Wales into piety.

Lord, we purpose to Follow You:
Then the Lord spoke to Moses…
On the first day of the first month
you shall set up the tabernacle of
the tent of the meeting (Ex 40:1-2)
Then you shall bring Aaron and his
sons to the door of the tabernacle
and wash them with water…
Moses proceeded to do
everything as the Lord
had commanded(12-16).
Then the cloud covered Tabernacle
and the glory of the Lord filled
the Tabernacle… Whenever the
cloud lifted from the Tabernacle,
the people of Israel would set
out on their journey, following it.
But if the cloud did not rise,
they remained where they were
until it lifted (Exodus 40:34-37).

Lord, we note when the Israelites
were following God in wilderness,
they waited until the cloud rose
and led them; sometimes long
beyond their own comfort level.
That isn’t easy to do, but it’s an
exercise of faith and listening.
God want us to ask and wait; and
wait some more until we’ve heard.
Grant us Lord the grace of faith
to wait upon You so that You will
renew our strength. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, tell me everything that
I need to know so that I can get
to Your work & eternal perspective.
Reveal destructive tendencies to
enable informed decision making.
Reveal the assignments so that
I can plan engagement strategy.
I am eager to understand the facts
and ensuing wisdom that will enable
me honour You with my life. Amen.

Lord, I submit my every step to
You; the one who is in controI.
I invite You to direct my path
preferably with my awareness.
Give me Lord understanding
when I need it; and give me
trust when I don’t understand.
Lead me into the land of promise
which You have designed for me.
In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

The Lord Who Sanctifies You

After describing the place of worship
(the tabernacle), Moses goes on
to detail the people of worship
(the priests, Israel’s representatives
before God). Everything about them
is special, from the clothing they
wear to the elaborate rituals they
perform in leading the worship
of the nation. Both they and the
implements of worship they use
need special purification as befitting
those in the service of a holy God.

Praise Jehovah Mekaddishkem:
And I, indeed I have appointed
with him Aholiab… and I have put
wisdom in the hearts of all the
gifted artisans, that they may make
all that I have commanded you.
And the Lord said to Moses,
say unto the Israelites, Truly you
shall keep my Sabbaths, for it
is a sign between Me and you
throughout your generations that
you may know that I am the LORD
Who Sanctifies you (Exo 31:6, 12-13)

Jehovah Mekaddishkem, Thank You
for making me Yours and thank You
for setting me apart to be Your own.
Sanctify me Lord in Your truth, for
Your Word is truth. May my whole
spirit and soul be kept blameless
at Your coming Lord Jesus Christ.
I praise You for You have kept me
as Your own, set apart for Your work
and sanctified to do Your will. Amen

Lord Jehovah Mekaddishkem,
remember me with grace & mercy
and ask You to show me kindness.
Forgive me for giving myself to
things that are not holy. Forgive
me for not treating as sanctified
that which You have sanctified.
And forgive me for being careless
with my thots, words and actions.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord Jehovah Mekaddishkem,
You have chosen me as Your
ambassador on earth and I will
proclaim to all that I am Yours.
Open the doors I need to go
through and close the doors that
I should not step through. Set me
apart to accomplish everything
You have chosen for me to do.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

The Lord Covers & Protects

When Israel left Egypt, there were
two things the people could do well:
make bricks and complain. And
as supplies decrease, complains
increase. When their resources
run out, God supplies manna,
quail and water in abundance to
demonstrate that He is now their
reliable source of supply. And Israel
fights & wins its first military battle.

All Praise be to Jehovah Nissi:
Now Amalek came and fought with
Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said
to Joshua: Choose some men and…
fight with Amalek…I will stand on top
of the hill with rod of God(Ex17:8-9)
So, Joshua fought with Amalek
while Moses, Aaron and Hur
went up to the top of the hill.
And so it was, when Moses held
up his hand that Israel prevailed
and when he let down his hand,
Amalek prevailed. But Moses’
hands became heavy. Aaron and
Hur supported his hands and his
hands were steady (Ex 17:10–12)
So Joshua defeated Amelek…
Then the Lord said: Write this for
a memorial… And Moses built an
altar and called its name: The LORD
Is My Banner Jehovah Nissi (v13-15)

Lord, at Rephidim we witness
the power of prayer amid the
fluctuations of the battle field.
Moses the intercessor on the
mountain came to experience
that the weaponless hand of prayer
was more powerful than the armies.
Help us Lord even as we fight
the good fight in the marketplace
that we not neglect to lift our
hands to You for help. Amen.

Lord Jehovah Nissi, I worship You
for being the banner over my life.
When I face trials and troubles,
I can look to You to cover me.
You have said that in the world
I will face tribulation but that
You have overcome the world!
Thank You for being my banner
and for helping me to move forward
and let the past be the past. Amen.

Jehovah Nissi, You are my banner;
and without You the storms of life
come upon me and overwhelm me.
You are good and You are strong;
and I ask You to help translate
that knowledge into my emotions.
Then I will feel secure and at peace
in the midst of life’s storms even as
I look to You Jehovah Nissi as my
banner and my strong arm. Amen.

Jehovah Rapha Our Healer

Backgrounder to Exodus 13-15:
.        Delivering the people from
 Egyptian bondage is only the first
step in God’s plan to bring the 
Israelites to the Promised Land
of Canaan. Many obstacles lies
 ahead. Trapped between the
 Red Sea & the rapidly approaching
 chariots of Egypt, the people cry
out in desperation & God answers
in miraculous fashion. And as
 they proceed on arid land and as
 resources run out, God supplies.

Lord, You Heal & Give Strength:
.                   Then Moses stretched out his hand
over the sea; and the Lord caused 
the sea to go back… and the
 waters were divided (Exo 14:21)
 Then Moses and the children of
 Israel sang this song: The Lord is
my strength and He has become
my salvation; He is my God,
and I will praise Him (Ex 15:1-2)
Moses cried to the Lord for help
 & the Lord showed him a branch.
 Moses took the branch and threw
it into the water. This made the
 water good to drink. It was there
at Marah that the Lord test their
 faithfulness to him: if u will obey
 his commands, then I’ll not make
 you suffer the diseases I sent on
 the Egyptians, for I am the Lord
 Who Heals (Exo 15:25-26) Amen.

Lord, You give everyone Strength
 for their life, including Moses in
 the deliverance of Your people.
 Grateful You not only allow trials
in line with Your purpose but also
give promise and strength so that
we can persevere through the trial.
Apostle Paul exhorts in Phil 4:13
 we can do all things through Christ 
who Strengthens us. Grant us Lord
timely recall of Your power so that
we’ll persevere doing Yr Will. Amen

Lord, In any difficult circumstance,
 I shall not be dismayed, for You are
my God. You will Strengthen me,
You will help me, You will uphold
 me with Your righteous right hand.
I pray in agreement with King David
in Ps 28: The Lord is my Strength
 and shield; my heart trusts in Him.
And I pray in agreement with Moses
The LORD indeed is my Strength
 and I will praise Him for He will
 become my salvation. Amen.

Lord, you can remove sickness,
 reverse disease & bring healing.
We may look to physicians and
 medicine to heal us but You have
the final say. We praise You for
Your power & willingness to heal.
Lord, heal our heart of doubt
 or bitterness and heal our body
 where sickness has crept in.
 Remind us to care for our body
that You’ve given us to enjoy life.
 We praise U that You’re our Healer!
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

God Gives Purpose In Life

When a person will not obey God
 willingly, God will often bring to
 bear circumstances that force
 him to obey God unwillingly.
 Such is the case with reluctant
 Pharaoh of Egypt. God sends 
a series of national calamities
 to impress upon Pharaoh the
importance of obedience.

Lord, thank You for Purpose in Life:
Then the Lord said to Moses:
 Stand before Pharaoh and say
 to him: Thus says the Lord God 
of the Hebrews: Let My people
 go that they may (worship) Me…
For at this time I will send…
plagues to your very heart, and
on our servants and on your people,
that you may know that there
is none like Me in all the earth…
Indeed for this Purpose I have
 raised you up, that I may show
 My power in you, and that
My name may be declared in
 all the earth (Ex 9:13-16) Amen.

Lord, You give everyone Purpose
 for their life, incl Moses & Pharaoh
 in the deliverance of Your people.
 Grateful Lord that You not only
 gives us life but also A Purpose
 so that there’s full meaning in life.
 Apostle Paul says in Eph 2 we are
 created in Christ for Good Works
 which God prepared beforehand 
(so) that we should walk in them.
 Grant us Lord good clarity in Your
 assignment and tender obedience
 to do Your Will for your glory. Amen

Lord, guide us to Be Sensitive
 to Your voice and direction; and
 may You use us to do Your Will.
 Remind me Holy Spirit to fear the
 LORD and to serve Him faithfully;
for He’s done great things for me.
 Help me to focus attention not on
 myself but on others & what I can
 do to make a difference in them. 
And help us to act and talk with
grace, gratitude and goodness
for the glory of Your name, Amen.

Lord, I purpose to use whatever
 talents & gifts that I have received
 as well as passion to serve others
 as faithful stewards of God’s grace.
 And it is also my desire that I will
 be more caring, that my light will
 shine before others, so that they
 may see my good works and
 give glory to my Father who is
 in heaven. In Jesus’ name. Amen.