Devotional Thoughts

Exodus 7:22-25    "And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also. And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river. And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river."   It is amazing to see God work! He had just turned all the water in the land of Egypt to blood. All the fish had died, and there was a great stink in the land. The LORD did this in the presence of Pharaoh and his servants. He used Moses and Aaron as the instruments of His will.  In their arrogance, Pharaoh’s magicians used their enchantments (tricks) to make it appear that they, too, could turn water to blood. As a child, I heard the expression “cut off your nose to spite your face” used many times. This is exactly what G...

Isaiah 7:14    "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." The Lord made promises and may I add that those promises have never, nor will they ever, fail. He promised in that day that the enemy coming against them would fail. But He also told them that in order to have any peace in those promises, they must believe and place their absolute confidence in the Lord.  He then told them to ask for a sign.  Ahaz was wise enough not to ask for a sign, but the Lord was intent upon giving that sign. You won't ask, "therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign." We know, and Scripture bears it out, that the sign was given some 700 years later.  Why was it important that the sign be given at that particular time? Why was it not shown immediately? I can't answer those questions, but there is one thing I know for certain. That sign still holds me in my times of struggle some 200...

Exodus 7:19-21    "And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone. And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt." The river Nile was the main source of water in Egypt. As we observed earlier, scholars tell us the Egyptians worshipped the river as a god. When Aaron did according to the words that God told Moses,...

Isaiah 7:7    "Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass."                  Isaiah 7:9   "... If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established." "And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it." (Isaiah 7:1)  The names can be difficult to pronounce, but I want to concentrate on the promises of God that are contained within these verses. If I may, I would like to talk about the events and God's promise to the nation of Judah.  Years before this, Israel and Judah had divided. They were not friendly with one another; in fact, they often went to war against each other.  In today's verses, such a battle was taking place. They "... went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but ...

Exodus 7:14-17    "And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go. Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand. And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear. Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood." It is obvious from our scriptures today that God knows the heart of man. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened against Israel. He had no intention of letting God’s people go. Remember that it was not only their freedom from bondage that was at stake, but also their liberty to worship ...

Isaiah 6:8-12    "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.  (9)  And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.  (10)  Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.  (11)  Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,  (12)  And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land." I must admit that today's words may not be my favorite. I want to deal with the message before I write of the messenger.  God told Isaiah to "go and tell this people." Notice something, God did not even call them "m...

Exodus 7:10-13    "And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said." It is amazing to see God’s hand in everything that transpires in these verses. Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh. Two men whom Pharaoh should have considered to be nothing more than Hebrew slaves and instigators of rebellion were admitted into Pharaoh’s presence. How did this happen? They did as the LORD commanded. Although not spelled out specifically here, the implication is clear that Pharaoh asked Moses and Aaron for some sign or miracle th...

Isaiah 6:5-7    "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.  (6)  Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:  (7)  And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." Pay particular attention to Isaiah's response concerning himself after he had witnessed this beautiful vision. Did he lift himself up as though he was some special recipient? No! It was just the opposite. He did not see himself worthy of this blessing. In fact, he saw himself as unclean. What took him from the position of being okay with himself to this understanding of his complete sinfulness? We read in verse 5, "I am a man of unclean lips.... for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." ...

Exodus 7:6-10    "And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they. And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh. And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent." Moses and Aaron had begun to doubt whether they were right for the job the LORD had given them. Here, it is evident that God granted them a renewal of their faith. Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them. In my opinion, all truly successful outcomes in our lives begin with this. Moses and Aaron were not young men. Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three years old. Still,...

Exodus 7:1-5    "And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them." In the conclusion of the previous chapter, Moses again expressed his doubt about being able to do what God had commanded him. Now God is telling Moses to “see.” This usage carried the idea of “discern” or “behold.” God is instructing Moses to stop looking at the situation through his...

Isaiah 6:1-4    "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.  (2)  Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.  (3)  And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.  (4)  And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke." Yesterday, we saw the Lord sitting in authority even after the earthly king had died. His glory and majestic greatness is not dependent upon man; rather it is wholly contained within Himself. Today, we look at "His train filled the temple." There isn't much to be known concerning the "train". When I looked up the word, it means "to hang down; a skirt; by implication a bottom edge."  After thinking about that for a moment...

Exodus 6:10-13    "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt." Exodus 6:26-27    "These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the LORD said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies. These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron."   There is an adage that says to do something repeatedly the same way and expect different results is the definition of insanity. At this point, Moses was wondering what the LORD w...

Isaiah 6:1    "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." I cannot begin to tell you how many times this one verse has given me encouragement and strength. Let's think about the reign of King Uzziah. In just a few words, I can tell you that the technology of Judah increased exponentially during his time as king. He was only sixteen when he began to reign; yet, God gave him expert wisdom concerning his military force. He set towers out in the wilderness and manned them with guards in order to see the enemy approaching long before they arrived at Jerusalem. In case the enemy slipped past the guards. He sets "engines" (catapults) on the walls of Jerusalem as a defence. He increased his army and equipped them with the latest technology of helmets, shields, armour, and weapons. Judah had peace in the days of Uzziah. Uzziah was not a perfect man and had struggles in his life, but...

Exodus 6:6-9    "Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD. And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage."   Jehovah had just assured Moses that He had seen the bondage of the children of Israel, and that He was mindful of His covenant with them. With this in mind, He told Moses to say to the children of Israel, “I am the LORD.” When life is hard and th...

Isaiah 5:12-13    "And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.  (13)  Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst." Hosea 4:6    "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." Isaiah 5:16    "But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness." I included three passages this morning in order that we might see the entire picture. I had two visions in my mind as I read Isaiah 5:12-13. I saw auditoriums and stadiums packed with people in order to see their favorite performer with...

Exodus 6:1-5    "Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant."  Up to this point, things have not appeared to be going as Moses expected. Pharaoh not only refused to let the Israelites go and worship (which is the outcome God told Moses to expect), but he increased their labors and made their bondage harder. Rather than being heroes to the people for delivering them out of bon...

Isaiah 5:1-4    "Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:  (2)  And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.  (3)  And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.  (4)  What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?" We think of the teaching of Jesus when we think about parables; yet, the Old Testament is filled with many different parables. Today's verses are such a teaching when God used the parable of a grape vineyard to remind us of His grace in our lives. God even sang this parab...

Exodus 5:19-23    "And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task. And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all." The king of Egypt had set an impossible task before the children of Israel. Pharaoh would no longer supply the straw for the bricks that the children of Israel were making for him. They now had to go far and wide trying to gather enough straw to make t...

Isaiah 4:1-2    "And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.  (2)  In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel." The phrase, "in that day," represents the time in an individual life, a community, and especially a nation when the Lord God shows His power and glory. In that day, people will want to be called by the name of the Lord; yet, continue to do whatever they want to do. Let us do our own thing, but be called a Christian nation. We saw back in Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."  It seems those who are under consideration in Isaiah 4:1 fear the Lord just enough to want to be called by His name, but not enough to seek His will for t...

Exodus 5:10-13    "And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw." At God’s command, Moses and Aaron had gone in before Pharaoh and requested that the children of Israel be allowed to go a three day’s journey apart so that they might worship and sacrifice unto the God of the Hebrews. Pharaoh had immediately refused, just as God had already told Moses that he would. Not only did Pharaoh refuse, but he also immediately made life more difficult for the children of Israel. The king of Egypt wrongfully assumed that he was just dealing with a couple of rebellious Hebrew slaves and gave no...

Exodus 5:5-9    "And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words." Pharaoh was not happy with Moses and Aaron. After years of bondage, the children of Israel had a voice speaking for them in Pharaoh’s court. Pharaoh’s first mistake was in assuming that he was only dealing with a couple of rebellious Hebrew slaves. He made fun of their desire to go and worship the God of the Hebrews. Since this God had not been a...

Isaiah 3:9-11    "The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.  (10)  Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.  (11)  Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him." The tendency of a study of any book of the Bible is to go to the verses that appeal to you and try to skip over the rest. To some degree, I admit that I am guilty of that, but today's verses speak to my heart concerning the things that are occuring in our nation today. Anyone can see that wickedness is prevalent in our nation today. It may be called by other names, but sin is sin. Abortion is murder. An alternate lifestyle is still homosexuality. We tend to sugarcoat things in order to tolerate them and in time they become acceptable in our eyes. We beco...

Exodus 5:1-5    "And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens."   Many times in life, things do not seem to go as planned. If we pulled this event out of context, we would conclude that Moses and Aaron must have been extremely disappointed. However, I would think the reality is that th...

Isaiah 2:19-22    "And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.  (20)  In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;  (21)  To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.  (22)  Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?" "... When he (God) ariseth to shake terribly the earth."  We began Isaiah by God saying, "Come ye, and let us reason together."  I have been told on occasions, "Listen to reason." There are times in the lives of individuals when "all reason is thrown out the window" and we do what we think we want to do. When...

Exodus 4:29-31    "And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped." God appeared unto Moses in the bush that burned but was not consumed. God spoke to Moses and told him all the things that he would do. He listened to all of Moses’ excuses, then told him again all that he would do. Moses finally understood that he was not going to talk God our of His purpose. God showed compassion for Moses as Moses struggled with learning to trust God and stop thinking about himself. He encouraged Moses by telling him that He would send Moses’ brother, Aaron, to speak for him. However, God told Moses that He would speak to him the things that should be said ...

Isaiah 2:17    "And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day." We saw in the book of Proverbs 19:21, "There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand." The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. And then in the book of the Psalms, "He maketh the devices of the people of none effect." (Psalm 33:10) The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Let's face it, there are times when men think too highly of themselves. It used to be said that "we get too big for our britches." The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Jesus had much to say about pride, destruction and humility. It is a dangerous position when we try to lift ourselves up. The Lord knows how to bring us down in a heartbeat.  Isaiah had much to say about the day of the Lord. He is speaking of those times when the Lord makes Himself know...

Exodus 4:24-28    "And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him." Moses wife, Zipporah, was from the land of Midian. Midian, for whom the land was named, was a son of Abraham, and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law was a priest in the land. Circumcision as a token of God’s covenant with Abraham would likely be known to them. The Israelites certainly still practiced it since we find in the Book of Joshua that all the people that came out of Egypt were circumcised (Johsua 5:5...

Isaiah 2:2-3    "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.  (3)  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem." Jacob's vision of the ladder is the first time we see the House of God mentioned. it was there that he saw Angels ascending and descending/. It was there that Jacob received the message from God concerning correction and direction for his life. I will not say that it is only in the "building of the church" that we receive messages from God, but I will say that it is through regular attendance of worship services that our hearts are tuned to receive. Some might disagr...

Exodus 4:18-23    "And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace. And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life. And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn."   Moses’ encounter with God at the burn...

Isaiah 2:2    "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it." Let me begin by saying I believe the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is the highest living organism, organization, on the face of the earth. "The mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountain."  The Psalmist David spoke concerning the house of the Lord, "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple." (Psalm 27:4) He said, "I have desired of the Lord and I will actively seek  to dwell in the house of the Lord." What does it mean to "dwell in the house of the Lord"?  I believe he is speaking of the frame of heart and mind when we active...

"Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by." Mark 6:48    Jesus had just performed the great miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 men, besides the women and children with a boy’s lunch of five loaves of bread and two fishes. Putting yourself in the sandals of the disciples, would you not think about the wonder of what had just happened? Yet, as you progress in the reading of these words, you will notice that this miracle will soon be forgotten. It is not just the miracle that will be forgotten, but it will be the display of power of the One performing the miracle that will be forgotten. The reason given by Mark for this failure of the disciples to consider the power of Jesus to do great miracles is because, “their heart was hardened” (Mark 6:52). This begs the question in the times of our great trials, “do we find ourselves at ...

Exodus 4:14-17    "And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs."   Have you ever made your father angry? As a child, I know there were times when I failed to do things my father asked of me. I was capable of accomplishing the task and offered this or that excuse as to why I failed. Although I managed to kindle his ire against me, I never once remember fearing that he had ceased to love me. On his part, he also never ceas...

Isaiah 1:19-22    "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:  (20)  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.  (21)  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.  (22)  Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:" Again, the Lord has already said, "Come, let us reason together..."  But be assured, He did not mean that He would compromise His truth for any "wants" of the people.  In another place, God asks the question, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3)  This does not mean that God will come down to our interpretation of the truth; rather, His truth shall stand for all eternity.  If we are willing to submit to His way, we will enjoy the goodness and productivity of the land. BUT, if we refuse and rebel against Him, we can be assured that...

Exodus 4:10-13    "And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send."   Excuses, excuses! How often have we heard (or spoken) this phrase over the course of our lives? When we, for whatever reason, do not want to do a thing, we can invent any number of arguments why we should not. This is seldom wise and is most certainly unwise when it comes to obeying God. Moses spent a good deal of time listening to God’s voice. He heard and understood God’s command. God plainly showed Moses what He would have him do. He had even given Moses abilities that were beyon...

Isaiah 1:2-4    "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.  (3)  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.  (4)  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward." I like to think of myself as a positive preacher in that I like to speak things which uplift the heart and mind.  I have tried to pray about which book to attempt to study after finishing the book of Proverbs and my heart could not leave this book of Isaiah.  As we go through the book, we shall see there are words of warning, condemnation, and also words of healing and hope. I pray to balance my thoughts, but we must be honest with ourselves as we begin this bo...

Exodus 4:1-9    "And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned aga...