Daily Devotion for January 31, 2013
Prayers
Scripture
Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
The "jubilee" style of gospel that became popular in the late 1930s sounds a bit slick and dated for many people, but there was fire and heart in the message.
Well the sun didn't shine down on Calvary's mountain.
Well the sun didn't shine down on Calvary's mountain.
Well the sun didn't shine down on Calvary's mountain.
When my Lord was dying on the cross.
Well now Pilate's wife had a dream.
Said there's an honest man I've seen.
Well you give me water let me wash my hands
Well I won't be guilty of the innocent man.
Well now see how they done my Lord,
Children they took him on the mountain so high.
The put a crown of thorns upon his head
And the blood flowed from his side.
Well they hammered his hands and they reviled his feet.
The hammer was heard in Jerusalem's streams.
Well, well, good Lord,
It was Jesus hanging on the Cross
Mmmmm. . . my Lord . . . Hallelujah.
Prayer of Submission
Dear Lord, I give you my hands to do your work; I give you my feet to go your way; I give you my eyes to see as you see; I give you my tongue to speak your words; I give you my mind that you may think in me; I give you my spirit that you may pray in me. Above all, I give you my heart that you may love in me. I give you my whole self, Lord, that you may grow in me, so that it is you who lives, works and prays in me.
A Prayer of Repentance
O Lord our God, good and merciful, I acknowledge all my sins which I have committed every day of my life, in thought, word and deed; in body and soul alike. I am heartily sorry that I have ever offended you, and I sincerely repent; with tears I humbly pray you, O Lord: of your mercy forgive me for all my past transgressions and absolve me from them. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your Grace, to amend my way of life and to sin no more; that I may walk in the way of the righteous and offer praise and glory to the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Prayer for Family and Friends
Blessed are you, loving Father, for all your gifts to me and those close to me. Blessed are you for giving me family and friends to be with me in times of joy and sorrow, to help me in days of need, and to rejoice with me in moments of celebration.
Father, I praise you for your son Jesus, who knew the happiness of family and friends, and in the love of your Holy Spirit. Blessed are you for ever and ever.
Benediction
If you are with me, O God, who can be against me? For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord.
Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.
Troubling God
Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all.
~ D L Moody
Exodus 6:10-28 (New Living T.)(condensed)
The Ancestors of Moses and Aaron
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go back to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and tell him to let the people of Israel leave his country.”
“But Lord!” Moses objected. “My own people won’t listen to me anymore. How can I expect Pharaoh to listen? I’m such a clumsy speaker!” But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them orders for the Israelites and for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt.
These are the ancestors of some of the clans of Israel:
These are the descendants of Levi, as listed in their family records: . . . Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she gave birth to his sons, Aaron and Moses. . . .
Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she gave birth to his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. . . . These are the ancestors of the Levite families, listed according to their clans.
The Aaron and Moses named in this list are the same ones to whom the Lord said, “Lead the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt like an army.” It was Moses and Aaron who spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, about leading the people of Israel out of Egypt.
When the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, he said to him, “I am the Lord! Tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, everything I am telling you.” But Moses argued with the Lord, saying, “I can’t do it! I’m such a clumsy speaker! Why should Pharaoh listen to me?”
Notes on the Scripture
Exodus was cobbled together from ancient texts, and nowhere does this show more clearly than in Chapter 6. The repetitions and out-of-place partial genealogy, however, although they make it difficult and sometimes tedious to read, bespeak authenticity. Nobody sat down and wrote this; nobody redacted and reordered the scenes. Exodus is difficult, in part, because it is unedited.
There are two completely different sections in today's quote. The long partial genealogy was a critical passage to Jews, because the descendants of Levi became the hereditary priests of Judaism. Remember, from the Christmas story in Luke, that Zechariah (father of John the Baptist) was a priest of the sons of Aaron; he was offering incense in the Temple when the angel appeared to him.
The story of Aaron becoming the patriarch of a hereditary Hebrew priest class, the Levites, is an important part of Exodus and Joshua. This passage legitimizes Levitical authority. It proves that Aaron was, along with Moses, chosen by God to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt.
Moses continues to argue with God, but there is a story behind his argument of "clumsy speaking". Many many manuscripts of early Hebrew thought and history have been lost or destroyed; Judaism is filled with traditions about Moses not found in the Torah, i.e., the Christian Pentateuch. Hebrew tradition accepts a story about Moses' youth, not found in Exodus proper, that explains his clumsy speech. In a word, Moses had a speech impediment.
According to this legend, Moses — a charming and precocious baby raised by Pharaoh’s daughter at her father’s court — kept reaching for the king’s crown, causing Pharaoh’s counselors to urge killing him, since they feared this signified that he would cleverly usurp Pharaoh’s place when he grew up.
They decided to test Moses by presenting him with a golden bowl and an even more brightly glowing coal to see which he chose; reaching for the gold would prove that he sought power and wealth. But an angel guided his hand to the coal and his life was spared. Unfortunately, although he passed the trial, he flunked the IQ test, because he stuck the coal (or his hot finger) in his mouth, burning his tongue. Thus, his speech was permanently impaired.
