Key Verse: Number 14:24
"But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it."
The Hebrew people had escaped the slavery of Egypt and were preparing to enter the land promised to their ancestor Abraham. Because the land was inhabited, 12 spies were sent to check out the situation and bring a report back to Moses. Ten of the spies returned terrified of what they'd seen. They reported that the land was beautiful but that the enemies living there were too great to defeat. Two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, agreed the land was magnificent and that the enemies were formidable; but they added that God would bring victory to his people.
Caleb and Joshua tried to reassure the Israelites, but the report of the 10 negative spies carried more weight in the eyese of the people. The tide of public opinion had turned, and God's people were paralyzed with fear. Caleb and Joshua weren't respected for standing up for their faith and convictions.
Most likely, you know how Caleb and Joshua felt.
Having firm convictions today sometimes means being in the minority. Some one said if you're a Christian and follow the crowd, then you're going in the wrong direction. Jesus said, "Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Matthew 7:14). Standing for God may mean standing apart from the rest of the crowd-as Caleb and Joshua did.
You may sand out, but you'll never stand alone. Caleb and Joshua found peace in knowing God would be with them always. And just as God continued to use Caleb and Joshua, he'll continue to use you.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Student Devotional Week 18: Moses: Speaking on God's Behalf
Key Verse: Exodus 24:3, "When Moses went and told the people all the Lord's words and laws, they responded with one voice, 'Everything the Lord has said we will do.'"
Moses had been a shepherd for 40 years when God spoke to him through a burning bush and called him to lead the Hebrew people out of captivity. This job was going to require a lot of public speaking, and it's safe to say that four decades of talking to sheep out in the middle of nowhere did little to prepare Moses for the awesome task before him.
Moses was quick to point out all the reasons why God's plan to save the people of Israel wouldn't work. First, Moses told God he was just a nobody. Then Moses said the Hebrew people wouldn't believe he'd really spoken to God. Finally, he protested by saying he wasn't a good speaker. God answered each of Moses' concerns and assured Moses he was the person to get the job done.
Just think how excited Moses must have been when he went to visit Pharaoh. Any confidence he had, however, was quickly destroyed when Pharaoh - and then the Israelites - rejected him and the plan from God. Down and almost out, Moses went back to God and wanted to know why the job was so difficult.
Eventually, Moses became the man God knew he could be, and he led the Hebrews on an amazing journey from Slavery to the Promised Land. Moses knew what God wanted him to do. Despite trouble of enormous proportions, Moses eventually completed the task. His success was ultimately due to his faith in God. You'll find success in the same way when God calls you to serve him.
Moses had been a shepherd for 40 years when God spoke to him through a burning bush and called him to lead the Hebrew people out of captivity. This job was going to require a lot of public speaking, and it's safe to say that four decades of talking to sheep out in the middle of nowhere did little to prepare Moses for the awesome task before him.
Moses was quick to point out all the reasons why God's plan to save the people of Israel wouldn't work. First, Moses told God he was just a nobody. Then Moses said the Hebrew people wouldn't believe he'd really spoken to God. Finally, he protested by saying he wasn't a good speaker. God answered each of Moses' concerns and assured Moses he was the person to get the job done.
Just think how excited Moses must have been when he went to visit Pharaoh. Any confidence he had, however, was quickly destroyed when Pharaoh - and then the Israelites - rejected him and the plan from God. Down and almost out, Moses went back to God and wanted to know why the job was so difficult.
Eventually, Moses became the man God knew he could be, and he led the Hebrews on an amazing journey from Slavery to the Promised Land. Moses knew what God wanted him to do. Despite trouble of enormous proportions, Moses eventually completed the task. His success was ultimately due to his faith in God. You'll find success in the same way when God calls you to serve him.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Student Devotional Week 17: Moses: Sent by God, Reluctant to go
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
When the book of Genesis ended, the Hebrew people were living the good life in Egypt. Now the book of Exodus opens with them working as Egyptian slaves. So what happened during the 400 years between the two books? An Egyptian regime came into power that didn't recognize the importance of the Hebrews. In fact, the new Pharaoh enslaved God's people and used them for cheap labor. He also ordered all male Hebrew children to be killed in an effort to slow down their explosive population growth.
This is the world into which Moses was born. Jochebed-his mother-didn't want her baby to die, so she hid Moses in a basket in the brush. Then one of Pharaoh's daughters found Moses and adopted him as her own child.
Moses grew up as a prince of Egypt. But after years of living in privilege, Moses killed an Egyptian and fled both his lavish lifestyle and his homeland. His journey took him to Midian, where he married and settled into the life of a shepherd.
The life of a nomad might have been fine for some people, but not for a man with a call of God on his life. God spoke to Moses through a burning bush and told him he'd lead the Hebrew people out of captivity and into the Promised Land. With much reluctance and very little faith. Moses accepted the challenge and obeyed God. That simple act of saying "yes" to God started one of the most amazing human transformations ever recorded in the Bible.
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
When the book of Genesis ended, the Hebrew people were living the good life in Egypt. Now the book of Exodus opens with them working as Egyptian slaves. So what happened during the 400 years between the two books? An Egyptian regime came into power that didn't recognize the importance of the Hebrews. In fact, the new Pharaoh enslaved God's people and used them for cheap labor. He also ordered all male Hebrew children to be killed in an effort to slow down their explosive population growth.
This is the world into which Moses was born. Jochebed-his mother-didn't want her baby to die, so she hid Moses in a basket in the brush. Then one of Pharaoh's daughters found Moses and adopted him as her own child.
Moses grew up as a prince of Egypt. But after years of living in privilege, Moses killed an Egyptian and fled both his lavish lifestyle and his homeland. His journey took him to Midian, where he married and settled into the life of a shepherd.
The life of a nomad might have been fine for some people, but not for a man with a call of God on his life. God spoke to Moses through a burning bush and told him he'd lead the Hebrew people out of captivity and into the Promised Land. With much reluctance and very little faith. Moses accepted the challenge and obeyed God. That simple act of saying "yes" to God started one of the most amazing human transformations ever recorded in the Bible.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Student Devotion Week 16: Joseph: From Prison to Palace
Key Verse: 1 Peter 5:6-7 (New International Version)
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
Helen Keller once said, "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved." The whole time Joseph was going from places of honor to places of dishonor, God was using those experiences to strengthen Joseph's character so he could one day manage the food supply for an entire nation. God's ultimate purpose was to save his chosen people from starvation.
Joseph was truly blessed by God. Things worked out well for him personally because he was appointed second in command under Pharaoh. God blessed Joseph in his finances, and he became a very wealthy individual. He was given nice clothes, use of the company chariot, and the opportunity to marry the Pharaoh's own daughter. On the spiritual side, God used Joseph to preserve the lives of his chosen people-the Hebrew nation. As we come to the end of the story about Joseph's life, do you believe Joseph could say all things had worked together for good?
The story of Joseph is one of the great stories in the Bible. Because of Joseph's faith in God and his unwavering ability to trust God in very difficult circumstances, God's will was done and his people were saved.
As with Joseph, God is working on your character. Each day things will come your way that will shape your tomorrow. Some days will be difficult; others will be full of joy. Some days will give you the opportunity to make a difference in someone else's life; others will involve others investing in you. Always remember Romans 8:28, "In all things God works for the good of those who love him."
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