“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock…” Matthew 7:24:27. If you’re reading this from the United States, chances are you’ve been hearing about the winter storm all week. It’s been impossible to miss. Winter warnings. Emergency alerts. Non-stop coverage. I have friends who even bought generators, and I considered purchasing one myself. I…
Exodus 2:6, “When she (Pharaoh’s daughter) had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” I believe that Moses’ mother had great faith in God. I can only assume that she was strategic and that the decisions she made were purposeful. The Bible isn’t descriptive about this instance, but I believe that Jochebed didn’t haphazardly wake up one morning and randomly make an ark of bulrushes. She was probably preparing for this day for months, to give her son the best chance of survival. I can imagine that she studied the different pathways of the river and the ones that lead to the palace of Pharaoh. Jochebed probably knew the Egyptians believed that the Nile was a god who gave life. It’s possible that when Pharaoh’s daughter saw the baby boy, she thought it was a gift of life from her god. I truly think that Jochebed was an inventive person. Exodus 2:9, “And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and…
When you hear someone talk about the book of Exodus, what story do you think of immediately? Perhaps the story of the burning bush, or the deliverance out of Egypt, or the crossing over the Red Sea. Those are all wonderful accounts of God’s power and authority, but I would like to focus on a person who is not always on the highlight-reel; Moses’ mother, Jochebed. When we read Exodus chapters 1 and 2, we learn that Jochebed had jurisdiction over the evil decree was given by Pharaoh. Exodus 2:2 says, “And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.” Giving birth during a decree to kill all baby boys was the world into which Moses was born. Jochebed made a courageous choice to not only deliver her baby during uncertain times but to hide her son for three months. How many mothers of the era did not make the same choice? It’s amazing what God can accomplish through one woman who will yield herself to the Lord. Jochebed live during a time of many injustices and was probably filled with fear that her son…
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1 The Titanic was designed by some of the most experienced engineers of its time and built with the most advanced technology available. It was considered unsinkable. So when it sank, the world was stunned. What many don’t realize is that during the design phase, engineers proposed using a newer, larger type of davit—equipment capable of lowering lifeboats over the side of the ship. With these davits, the Titanic could have carried…
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. Psalm 92:12-13, NIV. When I was a little girl growing up in Canada, I was part of an environmental club at my elementary school. For those who know me, this will come as no surprise. One year, our school launched an initiative to plant more trees. Each student was given a small evergreen and invited to replant it wherever they chose. Excited, I brought my little tree home and carefully selected what I thought was the perfect spot in our backyard. I planted it with hope and expectation—but within a week, my perfect tree began to die. Determined not to give up on it, my dad uprooted the evergreen, placed it in the back of our Jeep, and drove me to the forest near one of our favorite fishing spots. There, surrounded by towering trees, we dug a deep hole, replanted my sapling, watered it well, and hoped it would take root. Every so often, my dad and I would return to that spot. We would walk through the forest…
“One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.” (Psalm 145:4, NKJV). Every generation has the potential to be the last generation of truth if we do not intentionally pass on our knowledge of God. If we truly believe this, then we will do everything within our power to impart biblical truth to those who follow. One of the saddest commentaries of one generation failing another is found in Judges 2:10. “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel” (NKJV) Those who came out of the wilderness into the Promised Land somehow lacked the vision or the passion to pass on their knowledge of God. Verse 12 states that their children forsook the Lord and followed after the false gods of the surrounding people. Why did they allow this to happen. What could be more valuable than for their children to serve the One True God? Did they just assume that the younger generation would absorb truth by observation alone? Were they too caught up in work and day-to-day activities to provide consistent religious…