Thursday, February 1, 2018

Thurs.’s Devo - Through God We Can Do Anything

Read: Exodus 13:17-15:18; Matthew 21:23-46; Psalm 26:1-12; Proverbs 6:16-19
Moses and all Israel left with Joseph’s bones to go to the promised land of Canaan. They traveled with a cloud over them by day and a pillar of fire by night The Egyptians came after them causing many of the Israelites to blame Moses for bringing them out in the desert just to kill them. God, in his mercy took them the long way so they wouldn’t have to face the Philistines. God had a plan for the Egyptians and you would have thought that after all they had seen God do to set them free, they would have been able to trust him now. The devil is relentless, but God is faithful and he always wins.
God told them not to be afraid because he would fight for them. They just needed to be still, which took faith. God said that he would gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen and that the Egyptians would know that he was the Lord. He did just that.
The cloud came between the camp of the Egyptians and the Israelites so that they couldn’t see each other. It was dark on the side of the Egyptians and light on the Israelite’s side. All night the Israelites were able to cross through the parted sea. When the cloud lifted, the Egyptians followed only to have their chariot wheels stick in the mud. God made the Egyptians look like fools once again and delivered his people once and for all. They never saw the Egyptians again.
That is what God wants to do for us. He wants to bring us through our trials and plant us in our destiny - on the mountain of our inheritance - the place that God made for us to live.
In Matthew, the chief priests and elders came to ask Jesus by what authority he was doing all this things. Jesus knew they were trying to trick him and that they had no interest in the truth, so he turned the question back on them. He asked them by what authority John did his miracles. Any answer would have nailed them so they refused to answer. Jesus refused to answer their question also.
Jesus went on to give a parable about the ones who would get into the kingdom. The religious leaders were the tenants - the ones that were entrusted to lead the people spiritually. Every time God sent them a prophet to inspect their fruit, they killed him because he pointed out their sin. God finally sent them his son, Jesus, and they would kill him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes would welcome him and they would enter into the kingdom. They would produce the fruit of the spirit.
Lord, may we be faithful in our trust in you. May we produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

No comments: