Author: tanahmerah

The Lord Keeps His Promise

As the Israelites march to Canaan,
 they defeat three enemies: the
 Canaanites, Amorites & Bashanites.
 But on the heels of victory they
suffer defeat at the hands of a
persistent foe: constant grumbling.
And God sends fiery serpents
to chasten His rebellious nation.
The threat of Israel’s advance
prompts neighbouring pagan nations
to hire Balaam to bring a curse upon
God’s people. But instead of curse,
 Balaam delivers a sweeping witness. 
to the glorious future of Israel.

Lord, we’ll Respect & Honour You:
 Speak to the rock before their eyes. 
& it will yield water. So Moses took
 the rod & said: You Rebels! Must we
 bring water for you out of this rock?
 Then Moses…struck the rock twice
 with his rod and water came out…
 The Lord spoke to Moses:
Because you did not…hallow Me…
you shall Not bring this assembly
into the land (Num 20:8-12).
The people came to Moses & said:
We sinned when we spoke against
the Lord and against you. Pray that
the Lord will take the snakes away…
So Moses prayed for the people.
The Lord said: Make a snake & put
it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten
can look at it and live (Num 21:7-9).
God is not human, that He should lie,
not a human being, that He should
change His mind. Does He speak
and then not act? Does He promise
and not fulfill? (Num 23:18-19)

Holy Spirit, help me be gracious &
careful with my words when under
pressure or when I am frustrated.
Help me not to trust and rely on
past experience of doing things.
Help me instead to listen carefully
to what God said and respond in
faith by obeying His instructions.
Help me Honor Father as holy God
in Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord Jesus, I look to You as Saviour
and to what You accomplished
on the cross as guarantee of
my salvation. Thank You Lord for
paying the ultimate price for my sin.
Forgive me Lord if I have spoken
against You in any way, or have
been motivated by fear and doubt.
I come to You in Faith, believing
that You’ll hear & answer my prayer;
& help me always Obey You. Amen.

Abba, when Israelites complained
against You God and rebelled
against Moses, that led to disaster.
Help us to Be Careful when under
difficult and confusing situations.
Help us to Beware Grumbling and
Bitterness but focus on blessings.
Help us to Respect U & be careful
with words when under pressure.
Help us trust You and Obey Your I
nstructions; for You keep promises,
for You are a faithful God. Amen.

The Lord Abounds In Mercy

Following the Lord’s instructions,
Moses selects one rep from each
of the 12 tribes to form a scouting
party. Their assignment: to spy out
the defenses of the land and bring
back a sample of the produce.
The 12 return with a divided report!
Ten see only the obstacles while
two see opportunities. The nation
disheartened & faithless, threatens
to stone Moses and return to Egypt
rather than face what lies ahead.
As a result, God condemns that
unbelieving generation to forty
years wandering the wilderness.

Lord, we’ll Choose Faith Not Doubt:
Joshua and Caleb said: The land
we explored is a wonderful land!
The Lord will bring us safely into that
land and give it to us… Do not rebel
against the Lord (Num 14:6-9).
The Lord said to Moses: How long
will these people treat me with
contempt? Will they never believe
Me, even after all the miraculous
signs I’ve done among them (v11).
Moses said… As You’ve spoken: The
Lord is longsuffering and abundant
in mercy, forgiving iniquity…
Pardon the iniquity of this people
I pray according to the greatness
of Your mercy… Then the Lord said:
I have forgiven them as you asked.
Because these men who have seen
My glory and signs… have put Me to
the test 10 times & have not heeded
My voice, they shall not see the land
which I swore to their fathers(18-23)

Lord, open my spiritual eyes to
see those exceedingly good things
that You have laid in my path.
Forgive me Lord for focusing
on the problems around me.
Help me keep my eyes on You and
the purpose You’ve put before me.
May I go forth in faith, not in fear,
so that I don’t miss Your blessings
each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, it is so easy to let our hearts
be affected by negativity; and treat
You in contempt by not obeying You.
I confess having inclination to live
by sight and not by faith; so Lord
help me reverse that tendency.
I purpose to hang on to Your word,
even when it may contradict the
circumstance; for I want to believe
in You more & more. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, Moses in his intercession for
the Israelites, appeal to Your mercy
and long-suffering & You relented.
But then the unbelieving Israelites
couldn’t enter the Promised Land.
Lord of Mercy and Longsuffering,
Help us not treat U with Contempt;
Help us Not to Doubt You; and
Help us see You thru Eyes of Faith.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Guides in Life Challenges

The time has come for the final
journey to Canaan. After a special
celebration of the Passover, the
people watch as the pillar of cloud
begins to move. It’s time to march!
But the thrill of expectation soon
gives way to tedium of travel. And
Moses is faced with numerous
problems: complaints about travel
conditions and food, longings
for the good old days in Egypt,
and jealousy by Miriam and Aaron
toward his position of leadership.

Lord, we’ll Follow Your Guidance:
On the day the Tabernacle was
set up, the cloud covered it.
But from evening until morning
the cloud over the Tabernacle
looked like a pillar of fire…
Whenever the cloud lifted from
the Tent, the Israelites set out;
wherever the cloud settled, the
Israelites encamped… At the
Lord’s command they encamped,
and at the Lord’s command they
set out. They obeyed the Lord’s
order, in accordance with his
command thro Moses (N9:15-23).

Lord, sometime I wish Your leading
as recognisable as a pillar of fire.
As we make our way through the
wilderness in this world, we do not
take Your presence for granted.
We want to move forward when
you move and stay where we are
when you stop. Thank you for
Your Holy Spirit who lives in us
and illumines Your Word, helping
us to know and understand yr will.
Thank you for renewing our minds
so we’ll know the good & perfect
will of God for our lives. Amen.

Lord, guide us in our journey
thro life. Help us understand and
recognise Your leading in every
decision we make. Give clear
direction so that we can stay on
the path You have for us. We know
following You doesn’t mean every
thing will be easy. Help us not lose
faith when the road gets rough.
For we want to always arrive at
the place You want us to be. Amen.

Dear Heavenly Father, You are a
Faithful God with good plan for us.
But like Israelites going through life
journey,we can still face challenges.
Help us Recognise Your Leading &
Follow Your Guidance in our life.
Help us to be Grateful & Thankful
for your provision and protection.
Help us Seek Help from You rather
than Murmuring and Complaining.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

The Lord Blesses His People

At Mount Sinai, Israelites received
specific directions for their life-
style in the new land God would
give to them. A census was taken
& the 2nd Passover was celebrated,
marking one year of freedom
from slavery in Egypt. Three weeks
before the people leave Sinai
for the last leg of journey to Canaan,
Moses received commands from
God to cleanse the people & prepare
them to enter the Promised Land.
They must be free from immorality
and jealousy; they must understand
the binding nature of vows made
to God; the Levites must realize
the sacred nature of their calling.

Lord, we’ll Consecrate to You &
Be Your Instrument of Blessing:
Then the Lord spoke to Moses
saying… When a man or woman
consecrates… to take a vow
of a Nazirite, to separate
himself to the Lord, he shall
separate himself from wine…
All the days of the vow… he shall let the locks of hair of his head grow…
All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not
go near a dead body… He shall
not make himself unclean…
All the days of separation he shall
be holy to the Lord (Num 6:1-8).
Speak to Aaron and his sons saying:
This is the way you shall bless
the children of Israel. Say to them:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine
upon you and be gracious to you;
The Lord (show you His favour)
and give you peace (v23-26).

Lord, I don’t fancy drinking liquor
as it did not taste nice and had
a negative effect on emotions.
Biblical warnings on strong drink
also provide inspiration to avoid it.
But there are other areas Lord
that need Your help in moulding.
Whatever is preventing me from
consecrating fully to You Lord and
seeing only You, provide me the
strength I need to set it aside. Amen.

Lord, what a really good God
You are to bless us, smile on us,
extend grace to us, show us Your
favour and give us Your peace.
We know that we stand under
the stream of Your abundant
blessing only because Jesus
plunged Himself under Your wrath.
We rejoice Lord in Your unfailing
love and mercy, and we ask that
You increase our love for You. Amen.

Lord, I realize a blessing can create
a pathway into someone’s life
for fullness, completeness,
abundance and well-being.
May my tongue Lord be an
instrument of Your shalom.
May I impart Your goodness
to others through my words.
May Your Spirit inhabit those
words in mighty power. Amen.

Following 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 vialators 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
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 Nor 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 Lord to become a bit
more like You; for I am changed in
the presence of a Holy God. Amen.

The Lord Atones & Cleanses Us

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.

Listen Carefully to What God Say

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 lie ahead.
Pharaoh, whose heart is again
hardened, sends his armies in
pursuit of Moses and the people.
Trapped bet the Red Sea & rapidly
approaching chariots of Egypt,
the people Cry Out in desperation
and God answers miraculously.

Lord, we’ll Pray, Listen and Act:
Order the Israelites to… camp…
along the shore… I have planned
this in order to display my glory
through Pharaoh & his whole army.
After this the Egyptians will know
that I am the LORD! (Exo 14:1-4).
So the Egyptians pursued them,
all the horses and chariots…
And when Pharaoh drew near, the
children of Israel lifted their eyes,
and behold the Egyptians marched
after them. So they were very afraid
and the children of Israel Cried
Out to the Lord (Exodus 14:9-10).
Moses said to the people: Do not
be afraid. Stand still and see the
salvation of the Lord…(He) will fight
for u…And the Lord said to Moses:
Why do you Cry to Me? Tell the
children of Israel to Go Forward.
Lift up your rod & stretch out over
the sea & divide it. And the children
of Israel shall go on dry ground
thru the midst of the sea (v13-16).

Lord, I am listening for Your voice,
and I am not ruling out anything
unless it really contradicts Your
infallible word or holy character.
For there is no twist in this life
journey that is beyond Your nature.
So, Lead me Lord into and out of
any predicament You may choose
that may not make sense in near
term but will be eventually. Amen.

Lord, just like the Israelites we may
find ourselves with dashed hope.
But trust that every unexpected
twist of events was part of Your
sovereign and deliberate plan.
Everything was perfectly positioned
so that the only explanation for what
will take place is Your mighty hand.
So sovereign God, Show me Your
great power even as I stand still
and wait for Your salvation. Amen.

Lord, help me understand while
waiting for a leading from You,
when it is time to take action.
Help me to be wise enough so
that I can recognise the answers
to my prayers when they come
in unique ways I was not expecting.
Give me the knowledge of Your will
that let me know when it’s time to
stand up & take steps of faith. Amen

Hearing God thru His Word

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 3
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 13
to Move With God’s Guidance.
On Thursday, we learn from Ex 20
to Listen Carefully to What God Say.
On Friday, we learn from Ex 20
to Listen & Obey the Holy God.
On Saturday, we learn from Ex 40
to Follow God’s Way Patiently.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who adore You: For the All Sufficient God Meets
Needs and He Gives Purpose In Life.
For we should Listen Carefully What
God Say & Move With His Guidance.
For we should Listen & Obey Holy
God and Follow His Way Patiently.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Follow God’s Way Patiently

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.

Listen & Obey the Holy God

For the first time in four centuries,
the Israelites are free to worship
and walk with their holy God.
But how do they approach God?
At Mount Sinai Moses prepares the
pple to receive the law which they
promise to obey. After two days of
purification,the nation witnesses an
awesome display of God’s majesty
as He descends in a thick cloud to
deliver the Ten Commandments,
the broad moral principles which
guide the new nation and set it
apart from its pagan neighbours.
They also receive civil & ceremonial
laws to regulate the life of Israel.

Lord, help us love u by obeying u:
I am the Lord your God, who
Rescued you from the land of Egypt,
the place of your slavery. You must
not have any other God but me.
You must not make for yourself
an idol of any kind…(Ex 20:2-17)
When the people heard the thunder
and saw the flashes of lightning…
they stood at a distance, trembling
with fear… Don’t be afraid, Moses
answered them: for God has come
in this way to test you, and so that
your fear of Him will keep you
from sinning (Exo 20:18-20).
You shall not make anything to be
with Me; gods of silver or… gold
you shall not make for yourselves.
An altar of earth you shall make
for me, and you shall sacrifice on it
your burnt offerings and your peace
offerings… (And) I will come to you,
and I will bless you (v23-24).

Father God, You revealed Your
Law to the Israelites at Sinai.
Through the law, they learned
more about what You are like and
how You expect Your people to live.
Grant us hunger to feed on Your
Word each day and want to be holy.
Help us love You more and empower
our good intentions, for apart from
You we can really do nothing. Amen.

Father God, You are pure & holy;
and You are a consuming fire.
Thanks You Jesus for rescuing
us from slavery to sin and death.
In gratitude we purpose to follow
Your ways and what You want.
Help us show our love to Him by
responding obediently to what
God wants. In Jesus’ name, Amen

 

Lord, we acknowledge that You
are holy and jealous God; and don’t
want us to have idols in our lives.
But instead You desire from us
burnt offerings and peace offerings
so that we have clear conscience.
Teach us ways to honour You in our
lives; in our thots, words & deeds.
Let our desires reflect Yr yearnings
and let our lips bring You delight.
Enable us to lead a life that truly
respects You & bless others. Amen