Bible League: Living His Word And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.— Exodus 13:21 ESV When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt there was no pillar of cloud or pillar of fire to lead them along the way. Why not? It's because they were not going anywhere. They were stuck where they were. They were stuck in a life of sin and slavery. If the Lord had shown up and given them a sign that showed them the way, they probably would not have been spiritually mature enough to have followed it. Indeed, they probably would not have even realized that they were being given a sign. Spiritually immature as they were, signs would have been wasted on them. Once they broke free from their Egyptians slavery, however, signs became important. The Lord showed up and showed them the way. He did it with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. That way they could travel by day or by night. The point is, the Lord was leading them night and day. If the pillars did not move, then the Israelites knew that they should not move from that place. If the pillars began moving again, the people knew it was time to break camp and follow them (Exodus 40:36-38). There was a time when the leading of the Lord would have been wasted on you as well. Although you were a Christian, you were still caught up in the sin and slavery of your personal Egyptian experience and too immature to have followed the Lord anywhere. When you finally broke free from Egypt, however, everything changed. It's a difficult journey from Egypt to the Promised Land and now you need all the guidance you can get. You may not see any pillars up ahead of you, but the Lord is leading you just the same. Indeed, just as He did for the Israelites, He's leading you night and day. If you want to make it to the Promised Land, then you must pay heed to His direction. If you want to make it, then you'll move when the Lord moves, and you'll stop when the Lord stops. Bible in a Year Old Testament Reading1 Samuel 10, 11, 12 1 Samuel 10 -- Saul becomes King NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 1 Samuel 11 -- Saul Rescues Jabesh from the Ammonites; Saul Confirmed as King NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 1 Samuel 12 -- Samuel testifies to Israel; God sends Thunder and Israel Repents NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 13:22-35 Luke 13 -- Call to Repent; Healing on the Sabbath; Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast; Enter by the Narrow Door NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Pride goes before destruction,and haughtiness before a fall. Insight Proud people take little account of their weaknesses and do not anticipate stumbling blocks. They think they are above the frailties of common people. In this state of mind they are easily tripped up. Ironically, proud people seldom realize that pride is their problem, although everyone around them is well aware of it. Challenge Ask someone you trust whether self-satisfaction has blinded you to warning signs. He or she may help you avoid a fall. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 22:14 My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.Our blessed Lord experienced a terrible sinking and melting of soul. "The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear?" Deep depression of spirit is the most grievous of all trials; all besides is as nothing. Well might the suffering Saviour cry to his God, "Be not far from me," for above all other seasons a man needs his God when his heart is melted within him because of heaviness. Believer, come near the cross this morning, and humbly adore the King of glory as having once been brought far lower, in mental distress and inward anguish, than any one among us; and mark his fitness to become a faithful High Priest, who can be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. Especially let those of us whose sadness springs directly from the withdrawal of a present sense of our Father's love, enter into near and intimate communion with Jesus. Let us not give way to despair, since through this dark room the Master has passed before us. Our souls may sometimes long and faint, and thirst even to anguish, to behold the light of the Lord's countenance: at such times let us stay ourselves with the sweet fact of the sympathy of our great High Priest. Our drops of sorrow may well be forgotten in the ocean of his griefs; but how high ought our love to rise! Come in, O strong and deep love of Jesus, like the sea at the flood in spring tides, cover all my powers, drown all my sins, wash out all my cares, lift up my earth-bound soul, and float it right up to my Lord's feet, and there let me lie, a poor broken shell, washed up by his love, having no virtue or value; and only venturing to whisper to him that if he will put his ear to me, he will hear within my heart faint echoes of the vast waves of his own love which have brought me where it is my delight to lie, even at his feet forever. Daily Light on the Daily Path Romans 8:3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,Hebrews 10:1,2 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. • Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? Acts 13:39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. Hebrews 2:14-17 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, • and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. • For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. • Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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