Tues.’s Devo - Their First Battle

Read: Exodus 17:8-19:15; Matthew 22:34-23:12; Psalm 27:7-14; Proverbs 6:27-35 The Amalekites attacked Israel at Rephidim. Moses told Joshua to choose some men to fight them and he, Moses, would stand on the top of the hill with his staff in his hand. Aaron and Hur went with Moses where they watched the battle from the hill. As long as Moses had his hands up with his staff, they would win, but when his hands grew tired and he lowered them, they would begin to lose. Aaron and Hur found a rock for Moses to sit on and they stood on either side holding his hands up until the sun went down. Joshua and his men prevailed. *** God told Moses to write down the events of that day because He would one day blot out the memory of the Amalekites. Moses built an altar to the Lord where he had stood and named it “The Lord Is My Banner.” *** Moses had sent his wife Zipporah and their two sons Gershom and Eliezer to stay with her father Jethro during all the plagues of Egypt. Jethro brought them back to reunite with Moses. Jethro rejoiced when he heard all the stories of what God had done for them in Egypt. Jethro saw that God was greater than all gods and brought a sacrifice to the Lord. *** Jethro watched as Moses sat and decided every dispute the Israelites had. He told him he would burn out fast if he continued doing this and advised him to train some fair and just men to take all the small cases for him and leave the big ones for Moses. Moses took his advice. Jethro soon left and went back to his home. *** Forty-seven days after Moses had left Egypt they reached Mt. Sinai. God told Moses to tell the people to sanctify themselves because in three days God was going to speak to them. If they listened to what he said and obeyed him, he would make them his treasured possession and they would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. They all agreed to listen and obey. *** Fifty days after Passover is Pentecost. God came down on Mt. Sinai on Pentecost bringing his Spirit to rest on Moses and the mountain. In the New Testament, the Spirit of God came to rest on the people - they became the mountain with fire on their heads. *** In Matthew, the Pharisees heard of how he shut the Sadducees down, so one of their lawyers asked Jesus which law was the greatest commandment in the law. Jesus said to love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind. The second greatest was to love your neighbor as yourself. All the laws hang on these two commandments. Then, Jesus asked them a question. They asked him whose son would the Messiah be and they answered “David’s son.” Then Jesus asked them about the Psalm where David called him Lord. They were not able to answer him. *** Jesus turned to the crowd and told them to obey the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees, but not their works because they did not practice what they preached. They used the scriptures to bind the people and control them. They loved the honor they got from their position, but lorded it over the people instead of shepherding them. He told them never to call their teachers, Father because there is only one Father and that is God. And, call no person your Teacher because their Teacher is Christ. Those who exalt themselves above another will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted. *** Lord, may we love you with all our hearts, soul and mind and our neighbor as ourselves. May we be humble and teachable.

Mon.’s Devo - The Rock - 2-2-26

Read: Exodus 15:19-17:7; Matthew 22:1-33; Psalm 27:1-6; Proverbs 6:20-26 When the children of Israel saw that they walked through the Red Sea on dry ground and the Egyptians drown in the same water, Miriam brought out her tambourine and began dancing and singing to the Lord. Other women joined her with their tambourines. *** Moses led the people through the wilderness of Shur and they traveled the three days they had been told by the Lord. They found no water so they continued to Marah. There the water was bitter and the people complained against Moses. God showed Moses a log to throw into the water, and it became sweet. *** The Lord made them a promise that if they would do what he said, they would suffer none of the diseases that he put upon the Egyptians, because He was their healer. *** They came to Elim where there were 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees. What a place of refreshing! *** They would need it because the next place was the wilderness of Sin which was between Elim (“mighty ones”) and Sinai (“my thorns”). It had now been a month to the day since they had left Egypt and they were out of food and becoming “hangry.” They complained to Moses who took their complaint to the Lord. *** God told Moses he was going to rain bread from heaven - manna which they would find on the ground in the morning. Moses explained to pick up two quarts per person. Those who picked up more than the two quarts still had no more than those who obeyed. When some of them saved some for the next day it was rotten and stunk. *** They were to make it into bread. On the sixth day they would prepare what they picked up and it would be enough for two days because the manna would not fall on the Sabbath. This time it didn’t rot and stink. Those who went out to gather manna on the Sabbath were disappointed. God rebuked them and told them that the Sabbath was a day of rest and they were to remain in their place and rest on this day. *** The Lord also promised he would give them meat in the evening. The manna fell that morning and quail flew into the camp that evening. The manna tasted like bread made with honey. He told Aaron to put a sample of it in a jar and place it before the Lord as a testimony of how God sustained them until they came into their promised land. *** The people traveled on to Rephidim but there was no water again. Again they complained against Moses. God told Moses to take some of the elders and his staff and stand on the rock at Horeb. He was to strike the rock and water would come out. He did and called the place Massah which means “testing” and Massah which means “quarreling” because the people quarreled and tested the Lord by asking if the Lord was among them or not. *** The rock that Moses stood on and struck stood for Jesus according to 1 Corinthians 10:4. “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. “ When Moses struck the rock it was representing Christ being struck down on the cross for our sins. That it why the second time they came to this same rock he was instructed not to strike it but to speak to it. Jesus died once for our sins. All we have to do now is speak in faith and it will be done. *** In Matthew, Jesus gave them another parable about the kingdom of heaven being compared to a king who sent out invitations to his son’s wedding feast. The people were too busy with their own lives to come to the wedding. Some of the people killed the messengers. The king was so angry he sent his troops to destroy the murderers and burn their cities. Then the king sent out invitations to those who were not worthy, until the wedding hall was filled with guests. *** When the king entered the hall he saw a man who had not dressed in a wedding garment. He asked him how he got in and had his attendants bind him and cast him into the outer darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. Jesus ended the parable with, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” *** All are given the call to salvation but few have been given the faith to answer it. In the parable, the religious elite didn’t honor God and killed his prophets. The unworthy received him and welcomed Jesus as the Messiah. The man without the wedding garment was the thief who entered over the wall in John 10:1. He will be thrown into hell. *** Jesus’ parables were putting the Pharisees in such bad light they looked for a way to trick him. They began their question by flattering Jesus but he saw straight through their lies. They asked him if it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not. Jesus called them hypocrites and then asked him for a coin to pay taxes with. He asked them whose face and name was on the coin. They told him Caesar’s, so he told them to give to Caesar what was Caesar’s and to God what was his. This shut them up. *** Next, the Sadducees came to him and asked a trick question about the resurrection since they didn’t believe anyone would be resurrected. He saw right through their question and told them that they didn’t know the Scriptures nor the power of God. (Mic drop!) *** He proceeded to say that in the resurrection people are not married, but were like angels. Then he addressed the question of the resurrection. He reminded them that God said he was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He wasn’t a God of the dead, but of the living. This shut up the Sadducees. *** Lord, we honor you as the way the truth and the life. Thank you that you have opened our eyes and given us the grace to believe who you are and who Jesus is. We are so grateful and honored to be called your children.

Sun.’s Devo - Salvation Through the Sea -

Read: Exodus 13:17-15:18; Matthew 21:23-46; Psalm 26:1-12; Proverbs 6:16-19 God did not let Moses take the children of Israel through the land of the Philistines which was the shortest way. He was afraid that they would turn back if they faced war so soon, even though they were equipped for war. Instead, he led them with a pillar of cloud in the daytime which changed to a pillar of fire during the nighttime. It led them to the Red Sea. They carried the bones of Joseph with them. *** God had the Israelites camp in front of Baal-zephon which was the Lord of the North - the last Egyptian gods they would defy. God told Moses that the Egyptians were coming to pursue them, so he could do one more act to show Egypt that He was the Lord. *** Egypt came with six hundred chariots, plus and they overtook them in front of Baal-zephon. When the Israelites saw them coming they were greatly afraid and took it out on Moses. Moses told them to stop being afraid because they were about to see the salvation of the Lord. These Egyptians they see today, they would never see again. The Lord would fight for them, and they didn’t need to say a thing. *** God told Moses to start moving the people toward the sea and lift his staff over the sea to divide it. Then, he was to march the people through the sea on dry ground on the other side. God would send the Egyptians after them into the sea and he would defeat them to his glory. *** The angel of God who was in front of them went to the rear and the pillar of cloud went with him. It made it dark on the Egyptian side and light on the Israelite side so they could cross the sea all night. The waters were a wall on both sides of them, but God had sent a wind to dry the seabed so they could walk on it. When the Egyptians pursued, their chariot wheels were so heavy that they sunk into the ground. *** God told Moses to stretch his hand over the sea and it came back throwing the Egyptians into the midst of the sea and drowning them. But the way was still dry for the Israelites and they got safely across. Israel saw this great miracle and feared the Lord and believed in Moses. Moses taught the people a song of triumph and praise to the Lord. *** No other story is referred to as much as this story. It is the picture of salvation. We all live in Egypt, in bondage to sin until we come to the knowledge of Christ. Then we cross the Red Sea that washes us of our sins and sets our feet on a new path, a new destiny. Our lives are a walk through trials of the wilderness to get us to our promised land. He goes before us and behinds us and is our light. We are sheltered under the shadow or cloud of his presence. *** In Matthew, Jesus entered the temple and the chief priests and elders came to him and asked him who gave him the authority to preach like he knew he was right. Jesus told him he would answer their question if they would answer his. He asked them if John’s baptism was from heaven or from man. They discussed it amongst themselves. They were caught because they didn’t want to have to admit John was from God, because they had not accepted him, so they said they didn’t know. So, Jesus told them that he didn’t have to answer their question either. *** Then, Jesus told a parable about a man who had two sons. He explained that John was the son who went and did the will of his Father. They were the ones who said they would do God’s will, but didn’t. *** He gave them another parable about a master who built a vineyard and leased it to tenants and then went to another country. He sent servants to get its fruit, but the tenants kept killing them. Finally, he sent his son, thinking they would respect him. But, they killed him to get his inheritance for themselves. Jesus asked the teachers the law what they thought the master would do to the tenants. They said he would put those wretches to a miserable death and give his vineyards to more responsible tenants who would give him his fruit. *** Jesus explained that he was the stone that they had rejected that God made the cornerstone. *** The religious leaders were the unrighteousness tenants that had killed all the prophets and were now going to kill the son. They perceived that Jesus was talking about him and though they wanted to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds who honored him to be a prophet. *** Nothing has changed since then. We still have the keepers of religion who hate the Spirit of Christ. We as the Body of Christ hold all the power to stand against them. They are more afraid of us becoming one and realizing our power. We never need to be afraid of what they will do to us because we are on God’s side and he will win. *** Lord, may we walk in your will and never be afraid of the weak enemy who stands against us. If God is for us, who can stand against us. Give us boldness to be bold as lions and harmless as doves.

Sat.’s Devo - Jesus Enters Jerusalem -

Read: Exodus 12:14-13:16; Matthew 20:29-21:22; Psalm 25:16-22; Proverbs 6:12-15 This Passover day was to be a memorial that was to be kept as a feast to the Lord forever. On the first day of the feast they were to remove all the leaven from their house and keep it out till the seventh day. Anyone who ate leaven would be cut off from Israel. On the first and the seventh day they were to hold a holy assembly and no work was to be done on that day. This week would be called the Feast of Unleavened Bread because on this day, God brought them out of the land of Egypt. This was to be celebrated on the 14th to the 21st of Nissan (Abib). *** They were to select a spotless lamb as the Passover lamb - kill it, and smear its blood on the two doorposts and the lintel at the top. Then they were to enter the house and not come out till morning. That night the Lord would pass through Egypt and strike the first born of every household that didn’t have the blood applied to their doorposts. *** They were to observe this ceremony when they came into the land that the Lord was giving them to remember when the Lord struck the people in Egypt and spared their houses. *** The people of Israel obeyed the Lord and the death angel passed over at midnight and killed the firstborn of Egypt and there was great wailing heard in Egypt. There was not a household that wasn’t affected by the death. Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and told them to go serve the Lord and take anything they wanted, and bless him also. The Egyptians were anxious to get rid of the Israelites and told them to hurry and get out of their land. They left with such hurry, their dough hadn’t even had time to rise. They had asked for gold and silver and clothing from the Egyptians and left with the wealth of Egypt. About 600,000 men along with their wives and children left with their livestock and herds. *** They had lived in Egypt 430 years to the day. *** The rules of the Passover were that no foreigner could participate. Slaves who were bought could participate only if they were circumcised. The lamb had to be completely consumed in the house. A stranger who was traveling with them they may participate if they are circumcised. No uncircumcised person could eat it. (Since this represented Jesus, all must be saved to share in his salvation.) *** The Lord told Moses to consecrate all their firstborn because they were his. He had saved them in the Passover. They were to represent the remnant, the set apart, redeemed from death. They were to celebrate this feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover when they came to the promised land so they could tell the story to their children of what God did for them. *** All the firstborn of their sons and animals were to be set apart as the Lord’s. If they had a firstborn donkey and they choose not to redeem it, they must break its neck. The donkey stood for the stubborn, like Pharaoh who refused to follow the Lord. *** Jesus fulfilled the Passover by becoming our Passover lamb and dying for our sins. We participate in Unleavened Bread when we consecrate our lives to him and allow him to remove the leaven from our lives. This takes a life-time thus the seven days. Our lifetime is expressed as our “week”on the earth. It lasts as long as God has ordained. *** In Matthew, Jesus came out of Jericho to meet two blind men. Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem where he would die. The blind men cried out for him to have mercy on him. Jesus touched their eyes and immediately they recovered. This was a picture of why Jesus came to earth. He came to open man’s spiritual eyes to see God. These men immediately began to follow Christ. *** Jesus came to Bethphage and sent two of his disciples to go into the village and find a donkey with her colt. He was to bring them both to him. Jesus somehow sat on both the donkey and its colt and rode into Jerusalem on them. The people spread their own cloaks for them to step on them. They were singing the Hallel, the Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120-134), as they traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover. When they saw Jesus, they sang them over him. *** Once again, Jesus drove out the money-changers and said that his Father’s house was to be a house of prayer, not a den of robbers. *** Jesus began healing the blind and the lame. The chief priests and scribes saw all the miracles that Jesus was doing and heard the children singing praises to him and they were indignant. Jesus reminded them of Psalm 8:2 which talks about how the praises of babies stops the enemy and the avenger. *** Jesus spent the night in Bethany and early the next morning he was hungry. He saw a fig tree, but found it had no fruit. He cursed it to never bear fruit again. The vine immediately withered. The disciples saw this and asked him how it happened and he told them that they could do the same if they had faith. *** The fig tree represented Israel and the spiritual decline it was in. Jesus cursed its fruit and said that that root would never be allowed to prosper again. That vine was not the true vine but one steeped in religion and man-made laws meant to crush the people, not give them life. We have the same power to crush the religious spirit of death in our country. *** Lord, may we understand the fullness of what you have done for us on the cross. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the cross. May we have the faith to curse darkness and see it crumble.

Fri.’s Devo - The Passover

Read: Exodus 10:1-12:13; Matthew 20:1-28; Psalm 25:1-15; Proverbs 6:6-11 God sent Moses back to Pharaoh once again to tell him to let God’s people go and worship the Lord. If he didn’t, Egypt would experience the greatest locust plague they had ever seen. It would destroy everything that was left after the hail. Even Pharaoh’s servants begged the Pharaoh to listen to Moses. *** Pharaoh asked Moses who he would be taking to worship the Lord and when he told him everyone, Pharaoh drove him out of his presence. He told him he would never let their children leave Egypt. *** Moses stretched his staff over Egypt and a wind from the east blew all day and that night that brought in the locusts. They covered the face of the whole land and ate all the plants throughout Egypt. *** Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and begged them to remove the plague. Moses prayed and God sent a west wind to swept the locust into the Red Sea. When they were all gone, Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let them go. *** God told Moses to stretch his rod toward heaven and there would be darkness on the land of Egypt that could be felt. It stayed for three days, but the people in Goshen had light. Pharaoh finally told Moses he could go and take his little ones with him, but they had to leave their flocks and herds. Moses told him that they must go with them. Pharaoh threw him out of his presence and told him he wouldn’t see his face again. Moses agreed with him on that. *** God told Moses he had one last plague and then Pharaoh would drive him out of his country. Moses told the people to go to their neighbors and ask for silver and gold jewelry. God had given the Israelites so much favor that they gave them their jewelry. Moses was greatly esteemed in Egypt even by Pharaoh’s servants . *** God told Moses that at midnight he would go into Egypt and kill the firstborn of the land of every house - even the first-born of their cattle. It will cause an outcry in Egypt, but in Goshen it would be quiet and peaceful. *** God instructed that this month would be the beginning of months for them even though it was the seventh month on their calendar. On the tenth day of this month each family was to take a perfect lamb and keep it till the 14th. At twilight on the 14th, they were to kill their lambs and take some of its blood and sprinkle it on the two doorposts and the lintel of their houses. They were to roast the meat and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. It must be completely consumed leaving none till the morning. They were to eat it quickly, dressed for travel. This was the Lord’s Passover. He would pass through Egypt killing the first-born and pass over the Israelites who had the blood applied to their door. *** This was a picture of Jesus death on the cross. When we apply his blood and what he did for us on Calvary to the doorpost of our hearts, we are saved from eternal damnation. Jesus fulfilled this feast when he died on Passover for the sins of the world. *** Jesus gave a parable about the kingdom of heaven. The meaning of the parable was that many will make it to heaven. Some will have spent their whole lives in service to the Lord and others will come to him in the last days of their lives, but they will all receive the same privilege of eternal life. He tells them over and over that the first will the last and the last will be first. *** Jesus explained this again when Zebedee’s mother came and asked that her two sons sit on thrones to his left and his right in his kingdom. Jesus had just told them that he was to suffer and be crucified and raised on the third day. Obviously, this did not register with this mother. Jesus told her that those spots were already designated by God, but they were not to want to be the rulers, but the servants. Jesus came to serve not be served and to give his life away. *** Lord, may we have that attitude, to want to serve others and give our lives away for you. Thank you for giving your life that we might live eternally with you.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Plagues

Read: Exodus 7:25-9:35; Matthew 19:13-30; Psalm 24:1-10; Proverbs 6:1-5 Now begins the countdown of the plagues God sent to devastate Egypt and to humiliate their gods. Seven days after the Nile had turned to blood, God sent Moses back to Pharaoh to threaten him with a plague of frogs. His magicians could do the same with their dark arts, only they couldn’t take them away. Pharaoh called Moses and begged him to take the frogs away and promised he would let them go. But, when he was free of the frogs, he changed his mind. *** Next came the plague where the dust became gnats. Pharaoh’s magicians could not do this and they proclaimed it was done by the finger of God. Pharaoh’s heart was once again hardened. *** With the fourth plague, God made a distinction between the land of Egypt and the land of Goshen. God’s people would have no flies. Swarms of flies filled Egypt. Pharaoh promised again to let them go, but told them they had to stay in the land of Egypt. Moses refused saying they would stone them when they saw them sacrificing animals. He insisted they be allowed to go three days into the wilderness. Pharaoh agreed as long as it was not too far. God took the flies away, but Pharaoh didn’t let them go. *** God sent Moses to threaten Pharaoh with a plague on their animals. Only the animals in Egypt died. Pharaoh still refused to let them go. The sixth plague was boiled on the men and beast of the earth. The cattle had already died so the beast were something different. They were the behemoth - the very large quadrupeds that were on the earth. *** Next, the Lord would strike the people with a hail storm. They were to bring what was left of their livestock into barns to protect them. Those who didn’t would lose them to the hail. Hail, rain and fire fell from heaven and struck down all their plants and trees. There was no hail in Goshen. Pharaoh called Moses in and actually admitted they were wrong. He begged Moses to pray that God would take away the thunder and the hail. All their wheat was destroyed. When it was gone, Pharaoh hardened his heart again. *** In Matthew, the children were brought to him to be blessed. When the disciples rebuked the people, Jesus told them not to hinder the children because the kingdom of heaven would look like them. *** A man came to him who was looking for a way he could work himself to heaven by his good deeds. Jesus tested him by telling him to keep the commandments. He told him he already did all that, so Jesus gave him something he couldn’t do, which was to sell all he had and give it to the poor. Then his treasure would be in heaven where no one could see it. He couldn’t do that. *** The Pharisees taught that the way God showed his favor and approval was by blessing them with material wealth. This man was very rich. To give it up would show those he wanted to impress that he had lost the favor of God. This man’s pride and wrong doctrine would keep him from the kingdom of God. *** Jesus commented on how hard it was for a rich person to enter the kingdom, but added that with God, it was possible. *** Peter commented that they had given up everything to follow Jesus and Jesus assured them that they would be rewarded with thrones and they would judge the tribes of Israel. Everyone who gives up everything for the sake of the kingdom will be rewarded and receive eternal life. Those who are last on earth will be first in God’s kingdom and vice versa. *** Lord, may we labor for what lasts and seek your kingdom first.

Wed.’s Devo - Following God’s Plan -

Read: Exodus 5:22-7:24; Matthew 18:23-19:12; Psalm 23:1-6; Proverbs 5:22-23 When God told Moses he was sending him to deliver the children of Israel, Moses saw it happening a little differently than it was playing out. Moses had now made himself an enemy to everyone and especially the ones he came to help. He told the Lord just how he felt about it. *** To God, it was only a set up. Now, Moses was going to see what He would do to Pharaoh. God would make it so tough on Pharaoh that he would drive them out of his land. God had given Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the land of Canaan and had made a covenant with them, but he had not shown them who he was. Moses would get to see God as the Lord - more powerful than any king or god on the earth. He would perform great acts of judgment on the evil people, but he would take the Israelites to be his people and be their God. They will know that he is the one who brought them out from slavery and into the land he promised their forefathers. *** The people were so under the weight of their slavery and their spirits so broken that they couldn’t hear the good news Moses was trying to give them. If they wouldn’t listen to Moses, he wondered why the Pharaoh would listen. But, the Lord wouldn’t listen to his complaints, he charged Moses and Aaron to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt. *** Moses and Aaron were from the tribe of Levi, the third son of Leah’s. *** God sent Moses back to Pharaoh telling him he would be like God to Pharaoh and Aaron would be his prophet. He was to tell him to let the people of Israel go out of his land. God would harden Pharaoh’s heart then perform many signs and wonders in the land. Then God would bring them out of the land. Moses was 80 years old at that time and Aaron was 83. *** God said that it was now time to use the signs he had given him. When he cast down his staff to become a serpent, Pharaoh called for his sorcerers and they did the same with their dark arts. But, Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Pharaoh was not moved. *** God sent Moses back the next morning and told him to take the same staff and tell him if he didn’t let them go he would strike the water in the Nile and it would turn to blood. All the fish would die and they would have no drinking water. Even the water in the canals, ponds, and stored vessels - all the water in Egypt would turn to blood. The sorcerers of Pharaoh showed that they could do the same thing, so Pharaoh was still not moved The Egyptians had to dig around the Nile for water to drink. *** In Matthew, Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to a king who wanted to settle up his accounts. He went to a man who owed him 10,000 talents. (This would take him 10,000 years to pay back if he gave all his salary.) He was going to put him in prison till he could pay, but the man fell on his knees and cried out for mercy. The man forgave the man his debt and released him. *** That same man went out and had no mercy on a man who owed him only 100 denari, which was the equivalent to 100 days of wages. He seized him and threw him into prison. Word got back to the king of how he had treated this man and the king called the servant in. He rebuked him for not having mercy on this man when he had received such mercy. *** God is the king who has forgiven us of all our sins and offenses. There is no way we could every pay him back for all he has done for us. He expects us to extend the same mercy to those who sin against us and offend us. If we do not forgive our brother from our heart, we will be delivered over to the jailers. Many people live in bondage and in their own prisons because they refuse to forgive. *** The Pharisees came to him asking if it was lawful to divorce one’s wife for any reason. Jesus took them back to the original reason for marriage. It was for two people to become one flesh. They were not to separate that. *** So the Pharisees then asked why Moses gave them a way to get a divorce by writing a writ of divorcement. Jesus replied, because their hearts were hard (he had just given them the story of forgiveness.) Then Jesus told them that when they divorced, who were not getting writs of divorcement but were just divorcing their wives at their whim; they were committing adultery to marry another, unless it was became of sexual immorality. The writ of divorcement made it legal, but they were not legally divorcing so they were still married to the first woman. To take another was to commit adultery against the first wife. *** Jesus disciples said that if this was the case then it would be better not to marry. Jesus explained that there are some who would never marry because of either birth defects, or their calling (John the Baptist), brutality of man (Daniel), or by their own choice (Paul). *** Lord, may we be thankful for the debt you have forgiven us of and may we be more merciful to those who owe us a debt. This story helps us to see how petty we can be with our feelings and offenses. May we learn to forgive from the heart so we do not live in prisons of depression and bitterness. When we are tempted to question your ways, may we remember how you worked in the lives of Moses and the Pharaoh. God’s plan is a slow process that takes patience and endurance. Lead us beside your still waters and restore our soul.