Your Way, oh God, is in Your Sanctuary

I think of Your sanctuary

While journeying in the desert place;

It feels like an oasis in the vastness of the open space...

In the day the sun beats down on me

And in the night, the tempests roll;

The thought of Your Sanctuary keeps me warm in the cold...

Your way Oh God, is in Your Sanctuary!

Scene of everlasting Grace!

At the altar of sacrifice, where the Lamb took my place...

In your Sanctuary I am accepted, just as I am

Yet I am changed forever!

Washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb...

You have brought me to your Table

In the presence of my foes;

Bread of Heaven, your sufficiency I will know...

You put a light in my heart that cannot be quenched

Fuelled by your Spirit,  seven times perfect!

By Your unending Love, I know I am sent

To tell of Your Grace  in the Sanctuary above

Where Your Prayers are ascending

In the incense of Love,

Where Your Blood is the plea of mercy for me

Where the curtain is torn,  the obstructing veil gone!

Where You have freed me to approach the Throne NOW

With my cries of  anguish and my tears of joy

With a sense of wonder, basking in Your Glory;

Your Law stands forever, it’s the foundation of  Your Throne!

Your Way, oh God, is in Your  Sanctuary...

Scripture ref:  Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?  (Psalm 77:13)

Exodus-Is this really deliverance?

The Israelites were standing on the brink of  deliverance, or so Moses thought. God had promised to deliver them from Egyptian slavery. The message of impending deliverance had been favourably received by the Israelites and an air of expectancy  enveloped the Israelite camp.

In the excitement of it all, Moses and Aaron had forgotten that God had already predicted Pharaoh's reaction in Ex 4:21. Pharaoh would not let the people leave, not until a great display of God’s power would force him to drive them from his land.

Exodus 5:1 calls God the “God of Israel”. He was the God of Israel (formerly Jacob), but now He identifies Himself as the God of Israel, a nation of slaves. Pharaoh's response to Moses and Aaron’s entreaty is one of sheer arrogance. “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover I will not let Israel go.” As far as Pharaoh was concerned, he was the  ruling monarch in Egypt and his peopled revered and worshipped him as the son of god. Why should he submit to a god of a slave nation? After all, if  their God was so powerful, why did He let them become slaves in the first place? Pharaoh made the mistake of identifying Israel with their God. Israel may have been weak, broken down by slavery, but their God remained strong. Pharaoh had forgotten that the reason for their slavery was precisely because their God had blessed and multiplied them exceedingly!

Pharaoh's response to the request for release of the people of Israel was to increase their workload and refuse them assistance to gather supplies to meet their daily quotas.  They were no longer given straw to make bricks, but were dispersed across Egypt to look for their own straw with no commensurate reduction in their work quotas. The leaders of Israel were put to a test; their faith in God was tried and they were found wanting.  The magnificent cities in Egypt were silent testimonies that the Israelites were not lazy; they were being falsely accused by Pharaoh as an excuse for him to increase the intensity of their persecution.  Even Moses and Aaron were told harshly to “go back to work”.

The faith of the Israelite leaders took strain under  Egyptian abuse and they accused Moses and Aaron of “making them stink in the sight of Pharaoh.” Little did they realize that they had always been so in the sight of Pharaoh. It was easy to look with nostalgia at the past, calling it the “good old days” but they were ever really that good?

Deeply troubled, Moses went to God and questioned the reason for His sending him to Pharaoh. The disappointments in his commission did not drive him away from God, but rather made him run to Him for answers and solace.  In our day, there is precious little time to worship God. If we don’t make time, we  often find ourselves overwhelmed by work and the cares of this world, having neglected our daily devotions. As knowledge is increasing, people are scurrying to and fro, just as the prophet Daniel predicted.  Do not let satan use work, cares and the burdens of this life to distract you from worshipping God. It was his method of choice in Exodus, and it is now too. Let the Word of God sink into your heart and don’t let distractions choke it out of you. Deliverance may not be easy, but it is sure because God has promised it.

Scripture refs: Exodus 5, Luke 8:14

How to make the best of 2013

Having finally entered into the New Year, I decided it might be a fitting time to outline some tips on how we can make the best of 2013.  I hope you find them encouraging and helpful.

-Put God first in your life and seek Him for guidance in your decision - making. (Ps 119:105, Ps 37:23)

-Embrace a positive attitude and surround yourself with positive people of faith. (Num 13:30, Num 14:6-10)

-Decide on the legacy you would like to leave behind. Your legacy will impact on the vision you have for your future. Remember, legacies are not comprised solely of things of monetary value but rather the priceless treasures of eternity. (Prov 13:22, 1Pet 1:3-5, James 5:1-7, Luke 12:13-21)

-Write down your visions and break them down into manageable goals for the year. Break each goal down further into action plans for easy implementation. Set dates for each task to easily keep yourself on track. (Prov 29:18, Hab 2:2)

-Commit time in your schedule for the important things in life. Letting your busy schedule intrude into your devotional time is akin to spiritual suicide; it will negatively affect every other area of your life. (Matt 6:33)

-Next to God, the most important thing in your life is your family. Remember, a man’s wealth or happiness is not found in the multitude of material things he possesses. Commit uninterrupted time in your schedule for those you love. (Eph 5)

-You CAN say “No!” Count the cost every time  you overcommit. Delegate wisely. He who accepts help when he needs it, is wise. Only a foolish man attempts to do everything himself. (Eccles 4:9-10)

-Prioritize your tasks to ensure that you spend the most time on those that are most important. This will help you keep focused and prevent you from getting overwhelmed or unduly stressed.

-Don’t discount small beginnings. Remember what Jesus said about the mustard seed?(Matt 13:31-32, Lk 17:6)

-Celebrate your successes! Small goals achieved give you greater faith to tackle the bigger things in life.

- Learn from your failures and use them as stepping stones to success! Experience is a great teacher and trials result in patience and endurance. (James 1:1-3)

 -Take care of your health. Without it, you will not achieve anything you plan to accomplish. It is a precious gift of God often trivialized by the world and oftentimes only appreciated once it’s gone. Eat your veggies! Drink enough water. Work smart, so you can play hard! Remember to take 10,000 steps a day or carve out half an hour a day to exercise. Don’t over-indulge; although it may not seem serious, gluttony is a sin. (Is 58:3-8, 13, Prov 23:21)

-Resolve to use all your talents and to learn something new each day. (Matt 25:14-29, 1 Cor 12)

-Don’t look for faults in others, but focus on what YOU can control! Time spent gossiping is a waste of time! Don’t give the enemy room to plant the seed of hypocrisy in your life, because it will destroy your witness for Christ. Be true to God, and honest with yourself!(Lk 6:41-42)