Meditation

12/19/2019

“Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord, and the Lord did what Moses asked: The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained.” (Exodus8:30-31)

Moses asked Pharaoh to let the people go, and he refused. Moses faithfully prayed to God and let Him know Pharaoh refused to let the people go and so He brought plagues upon the land, which led to flies smothering those who were still alive. Still Pharaoh would not relent. So Moses asked to be allowed to take the people into the desert to sacrifice to God, and Pharaoh sought to have them sacrifice where they were, but Moses pointed out the danger of being stoned to death was a real possibility.

Pharaoh finally relented to allow the Israelites to go into the desert to sacrifice to God, but once again, Pharaoh hardened his heart toward them. Prayer is God’s means of executing His will on the earth. The plagues occurred at the initiative of God, the cessation of the plagues came in answer to prayer. Understand?

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Precious Abba, the interaction between Pharaoh and Moses was the formal process being used to let God’s people leave the slavery of Egyptian rule and to allow them to leave to find their way to the Promised Land. Moses prayed to God regularly, seeking wisdom and guidance in dealing with Pharaoh, and his answer was to continue to tell Pharaoh of God’s power and to then give demonstration of it. Let us take the example of Moses, to not do anything without going to God in prayer first, to obtain wisdom and guidance in dealing with Pharaoh. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“When was the last time you told God you loved Him? He loves to hear it and is still listening.”

KNOWING GOD:

“Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by hmy hand, as you said.’ And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the nxt da, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of wather. Then Gidwon said to God, ‘Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one moe test with the fleece. This time make the fleece ry and the ground covered with dew.’ That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.”: (Judges6:36-40)

Beloved prayer seeks to be sure of God’s will. God an make us sure of His will for our lives a we talk to Him. His assurance may not take the dramatic form Gideon’s did, but He responds to our need for confirmation of His all.

I AM:

“Prayer, Will of God”: (1^st Samuel 13:9,13)

Saul had been anointed king, but kingly anointing was not priestly anointing. Samuel had explained the “regulations of the kingship” and had solemnly placed them “before the Lord.” Prayer and worship must be done in the will of God, not at the whim of a ruler.

Second Thought of the Day:

“Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? Not, it was for t his very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” (John 12:27-28)

Every time I read this passage, it seems like the “human” side of Jesus is calling out to God, that if He did not have to suffer and die on the cross, it was ok. Still Jesus simply made the statement, “Father, glorify your name!”

This is the statement of the Son, who is being fully obedient to our Father, says: “Glorify Your name. This is the divine Son realizing that His time on this earth was ending, and that it was more important that God’s will be done, instead of His own human self.