- Scripture:
Moses objected, “They won’t trust me. They won’t listen to a word I say. They’re going to say, ‘God? Appear to him? Hardly!’ ” So God said, “What’s that in your hand?” “A staff.” “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it. It became a snake; Moses jumped back—fast! God said to Moses, “Reach out and grab it by the tail.” He reached out and grabbed it—and he was holding his staff again. “That’s so they will trust that God appeared to you, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” God then said, “Put your hand inside your shirt.” He slipped his hand under his shirt, then took it out. His hand had turned leprous, like snow. He said, “Put your hand back under your shirt.” He did it, then took it back out—as healthy as before. “So if they don’t trust you and aren’t convinced by the first sign, the second sign should do it. But if it doesn’t, if even after these two signs they don’t trust you and listen to your message, take some water out of the Nile and pour it out on the dry land; the Nile water that you pour out will turn to blood when it hits the ground.” Moses raised another objection to God: “Master, please, I don’t talk well. I’ve never been good with words, neither before nor after you spoke to me. I stutter and stammer.”
Exodus 4:1–10 MSG
- Reflection:
It will be Hard; But We must Speak
Yesterday, I wrote a post about the power of our tongues. Today, I want to talk about the words given to us by God. While we don't have the same direct evidence of God speaking to individuals as in biblical times, we have a sense of purpose and love imprinted on our hearts from the beginning. Faith and love, along with the Holy Spirit, are the gifts God has left us. When these three come together, we can feel God's presence in everything around us. Unfortunately, today, anger and fear are trying to replace faith and love, pushing the Holy Spirit further away from many people. It's troubling, but it's the reality we live in.
Where do we go from here?
Why do we humans long for "signs"? In Exodus, God responds to the Israelites' cries in the wilderness to see a visible manifestation of Him. God offers a first sign and a second, and for the third, God says, "Let the water from the river become blood on the ground." These are the signs that the people of that time received. We no longer have those, but what we do have is the WORD, "The Bible." When we begin to read those words together, His presence is strongly felt among a group of us who are genuinely wrapped in faith. The world wants to bottle and hand us a stiff drink of chaos, hate, and despair. We have to believe that Christ died for us as He did all those years ago and still walks and helps us through our days. That is for those of us who believe; for the rest of those who do not, we are the guides to help them get to where they are going.
Our Prayer for Today
Father, thank you for another day in your presence. Thank you for allowing me to help another soul begin to balance their faith and love for you and those they hold dear. Please allow them to see that in Christ, everything is possible, and they will be safe if only they give their hearts to him. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Coach Arthur Poston Jr.
Focused Development Organization
Middle School Coach