The Word of God is sharper than a double edged sword, bringing both comfort and conviction. (Hebrews 4:12-13). The Word of God is useful for ‘teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.’ (2 Timothy 3:16-17) It lights our path, guides our steps. (Psalm 119:105) Do you have Word? Are you taking it in, ‘HAGAH’ (Joshua 1) with regularity, meditating on it ‘day and night’ (Psalm 1), drinking from it like a tree by a living stream?
Sunday we begin our discipleship faith journey together into the Book of Exodus. Exodus reveals the heart of God, the deepest needs of humanity, God’s ongoing call to redeem and call a people to himself for his glory. We begin at the beginning, a very good place to start, Chapter 1.
In preparing for this message, I’ve been struck by the courage and faith of two Hebrew midwives who defied Pharoah’s order to do evil. It’s a stunning witness to the world, both then and now, of God’s call on our lives to revere God over all. They feared God more than anyone or anything. It’s a testimony of faith in the midst of challenging times when a critical choice needed to be made: Do I stand up for what is right, even if it may cost me personally? Or do I go with the flow, and watch evil unfold?
Read Exodus chapter 1 in preparation for Sunday. What strikes you about the faithfulness of Shiphrah and Puah? God is always calling people to the ‘fear of God’ and the faithfulness that follows. Shiphrah and Puah ‘feared God’ and fulfilled the calling God gave them.
Is someone or something getting in the way of you fearing God more than another or anything else? Anything, anyone, encouraging you to obey some other ‘law’ other than God’s law? What may God be calling you to be faithful in, faithful with, in your ‘fearing God’ more than Pharaoh (man)?
See you Sunday, let’s go to church, communion and fellowship meal Sunday!
Pastor Mark