365 Reflections

This verse has to be the biggest gut punch for knowing God's love in the Bible.  Hosea 3:1 (ESV) And the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” Could you imagine this ask of the Lord? He wants Hosea to remarry his wife, purchasing her out of slavery while she is the property of another man. And God says plainly, this is how the LORD loves the children of Israel.  Hosea actually has to purchase her.  Hosea 3:2 (ESV) So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. We see in this passage a picture of two things. The insidious nature of sin and the indescribable love of God. Hosea's name is close to the name of Jesus in Hebrew. This is on purpose for Jesus is the true Hosea who does not give up on wayward people. He loves us even when we are ensnared in our sin. Moreover, He PAYS for u...

Exodus 17:8–9  (ESV)   Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.  9   So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” The Amalekites are fierce foes of Israel from the moment they are free from Egypt. They come from Esau's grandson Amalek and take on Israel at Rephidim in hated animosity. This enemy will remain Israel's bitter rivals for centuries until the later part of David's reign. Sometimes you're going to have to deal with persistent trouble as you journey in God. It may not necessarily be people. It may be habits, addictions, pride or envy. These battles all have one thing in common no matter what they are: They don't just give up and go away. Now Moses knew what the answer was: Fight and pray. We have a famous image here of Moses holding up his hands for intercession as the war rages on: Exodus 17:10–11 (ESV)   So Joshua di...

The Israelites wanderings are illustrations of our lives with Christ in many ways. Just because they are "saved" from Egypt doesn't mean they are totally changed and faithful to God. In fact, the opposite is true. God saves former slaves who have serious issues of trust and confidence. They don't know where they are and they often forget whose they are. Exodus 17:1–3 (ESV) All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” .... Exodus 17:7 (ESV) And he calle...

For Israel, it's time to learn that you can trust God for salvation and sustenance along the way. One thing is for sure, everyone is probably in a place they've never been. You've never been this old before, you've never been this experienced. Perhaps you've moved or you've been transferred or left by someone's passing or leaving you. Life will bring us to many places where doubts and fears can creep in to cause us fear. This is Israel's story in Exodus 16. It is not long after their split-sea release that the reality of their new life is set before them in the image of a barren wilderness. Gone is the familiarity of their sufferings. Even prisoners confess their fears of getting on the outside after being in the system for so long. What would Israel do on her own now? The first three days yield no water. The first sign of water is bitter water. They cry out to Moses who takes a stick (tree), throws it in the water and they become sweet. The go f...