TODAY’S DAILY READING: Exodus 3-4 & Matthew 27
Old Testament: Exodus 3- He Heard My Cry
Exodus 3:7
“And the Lord said, ‘ I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.’”
Since the incarnation, this is all the more true. He has seen oppression with the eyes of man. He watched the brutal way in which men oppressed men. He saw tax collectors steal from men, to support their sinful lifestyles, soldiers abuse their authority, instilling fear in the people, and religious leaders manipulate the people, to gain power… Read More
Exodus 4- What’s In Your Hand?
Exodus 4:2
“So the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ He said, ‘A rod.’”
This passage has always encouraged me. We find Moses wanting some evidence that God had truly called him, and God chooses to take what was in Moses’ hand and use it in a miraculous way. He did the same thing with the twelve when all they had was five loaves … Read More
New Testament: Matthew 27- Dealing With Remorse
Matthew 27:5
“Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.”
While I do not want to tackle the subject of the eternal destiny of Judas, I do see in him an illustration of how the Christian often deals with personal failure or sin. After the initial pleasure received from sin, we are filled with remorse or guilt. That guilt can become overwhelming and lead to discouragement, depression, and even despair. Too often, we follow the example of Judas, attempting… Read More
The conditions of life were growing worse and worse for the people of God living in Egypt. They had once been a highly favored part of the nation, even receiving special treatment. Now they were being persecuted, and faced annihilation. Their freedoms had been taken away, and their children’s future seemed bleak. As the story unfolds, we are told one of their own will rise to a place of prominence within… 
Matthew 26 and 27 record the final events in the life of Jesus. The hostility toward Him has reached a climax, and His opponents are seeking to kill Him. Theirs is the most heinous of sins, the murder of the Son of God! But the text reveals that their sin was motivated by what commonly drives you and I to sin; the fear of … 
As the day of his death rapidly approached, Jacob gathered his children together and spoke regarding what lay ahead. The writer of Hebrews summed up this chapter by saying,
As the book of Genesis unwinds, we find Jacob getting very close to the end of his life. He knows, just about the only thing left is his departure. While he may not have a whole lot of life in front of him, he does have decades to look back upon. As he reflects upon his life, it is easy for him to see how the hand of God… 
The Psalmist, in a time of great despair, wrote, “Why are you cast down oh my soul, and why are you in turmoil? Hope in God…” (Psalm 42:5). Hope serves as an anchor when the storms of life seem as though they are going to overwhelm us. As a child of God, we have the hope that His Word is eternal, and while circumstances may change, His promises remain trustworthy. We have the hope… 
Egypt has already played an interesting role in the narrative of Genesis. It was to Egypt that Abraham fled when famine arose, and it was to Egypt, Isaac looked, when famine struck in his day. I find it interesting that the same God who warned Isaac not to go to Egypt, sends Jacob there. We might say, Jacob was given a great commission to go to Egypt, and to further…
Paul prayed for the Ephesian Christians that they would comprehend the love of God which he described as beyond our ability to understand.
We have no way of knowing how long Simeon remained incarcerated in Egypt, while his brothers attempted to convince Jacob to send them back. The assumption is, quite some time passed, since it would have been foolish to make the lengthy and dangerous journey to Egypt and not purchase enough… 
As the cross approaches, so does the opposition to Jesus. The religious leaders are desperately trying to turn the people against Jesus. In this case, they sent the young Pharisees, and the Herodians, a political sect that favored the Jews being ruled by Rome. When they arrived, they must have thought they had come up with the perfect question. No matter how Jesus answered, He would end up polarizing himself. “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?” If Jesus says “yes”, he will find himself at odds with… 
On a night that probably started out like every other night, Pharaoh’s life was suddenly interrupted by the Divine. While sleeping, he had a dream, so vivid, he realized it must be a message from God. After unsuccessfully searching for the meaning, he was introduced to Joseph, who, under the influence of the Spirit of God, was able to explain the meaning of his dream. Without going… 
Jesus told a story that the original audience understood to be speaking of how they were rejecting the Son of God. In response to the story, Jesus refers to builders who had rejected the “chief cornerstone.” In many ancient buildings, the foundation was supported by a cornerstone, without it, the foundation would not be able to support that which was built upon it. Jewish lore… 
Joseph faced a temptation that many would have succumbed to, yet he resisted, even when it cost him his job, reputation and freedom. There were many factors that could have influenced him to fail. His difficulties could have caused him to blame God for losing his family and his freedom; making him bitter toward God. The constant pressure from Mrs. Potifer, could have caused him to justify their relationship. After all… 
We cannot be sure how much time Joseph spent in prison. We know it would have taken some time to prove himself trustworthy enough to be placed in a position of authority, and we know that after the events recorded here, he remained incarcerated for another two years. While we cannot know how long his sentence lasted, we do know what led to his deliverance; faithfully interpreting the dream of the chief butler was the key to his release. What strikes me about… 
This verse is the conclusion of a parable Jesus spoke regarding God’s reward system. All those who responded to the offer of the vineyard owner received the same wage, whether they worked for a few hours or for the entire day. What a beautiful picture of God’s grace. Heaven is the great reward of all who respond to the call of God. Young Timothy and the thief hanging next to Jesus were both recipients of God’s manifold grace, both will forever live under the banner of King Jesus, walk the streets… 
Dealing with the death of a loved one is perhaps the most difficult part of life. Since God created us for life, and it was sin that brought death into the world, we were never really designed to handle death. No matter what, death seems to be unexpected, and the emotions that arise within us are more than we can bear. I recently heard Greg Laurie say, death is often more … 
Jacob again hears the voice of God. This time he is being called to return to a place called Bethel, meaning “House of God.” This was the site of Jacob’s first encounter with the Lord. There, he had been the recipient of the great and precious promises that revealed the plans and purposes God had for his life. Decades have since passed, and Jacob has grown from a lonely bachelor, to a large and prosperous… 
