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Category Archives: God’s Word for Today

Famous Last Words – Moses

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I’ve made lots of mistakes – as a wife, as a friend, as a daughter, and definitely as a parent. I’ve learned valuable lessons through most of them. When I can, I share that “learned by experience” wisdom with my children in the hope that they will not have to learn the same lesson the hard way.

Moses, the great deliverer and leader of Israel, made mistakes. One particular mistake cost him the blessing of entering the Promised Land. He longed for Israel to learn from his mistakes. Let’s listen in on Moses’ last words of wisdom to God’s people:

45 When Moses had finished reciting all these words to the people of Israel, 46 he added: “Take to heart all the words of warning I have given you today. Pass them on as a command to your children so they will obey every word of these instructions. 47 These instructions are not empty words—they are your life! By obeying them you will enjoy a long life in the land you will occupy when you cross the Jordan River.” 48 That same day the LORD said to Moses, 49 “Go to Moab, to the mountains east of the river, and climb Mount Nebo, which is across from Jericho. Look out across the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the people of Israel as their own special possession. 50 Then you will die there on the mountain. You will join your ancestors, just as Aaron, your brother, died on Mount Hor and joined his ancestors. 51 For both of you betrayed me with the Israelites at the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. You failed to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel there. 52 So you will see the land from a distance, but you may not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.” Deut 32:45-52, NLT

Moses learned a lot through his many years of serving God. But in his last words to the Israelites there were a few things he wanted to emphasize:

  • God blesses obedience.
  • Disobedience can bring dire consequences.
  • Make sure you teach these things to your children!

Moses’ failure to honor the holiness of God at Kadesh (Numbers 20:1-13) did indeed bring dire consequences (Deut 32:51), but Moses humbly learned from his sin. He continued to faithfully serve God the rest of his life and finished well. In his last earthly moments, Moses climbed Mount Nebo and God showed him the beauty of the land the Israelites would inhabit. Then he entered into his reward.

5 So Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, just as the LORD had said. 6 The LORD buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place. 7 Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever. Deut 34:5-7, NLT

Have you made mistakes in your walk with God?

What lessons have you learned that you don’t want your children to learn the hard way?

Monday Minute in the Word – Complaining to God

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One morning, when my oldest daughter was about fourteen, she indignantly complained that the specific pair of jeans she wanted to wear that day was not clean. Her tone clearly said: “Mom, you need to do a better job meeting my expectations.” From then on Kelley “got” to do her own laundry.

Yes, my daughter needed clean clothes. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to make the need known. Likewise, there’s a vast difference between complaining to God about the way things are going and humbly expressing a need. Israel’s time in the wilderness provides us with numerous examples. Let’s look at just one today:

 1 At the LORD’s command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and moved from place to place. Eventually they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. 2 So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded.

“Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the LORD?” 3 But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”

4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”5 The LORD said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. 6 I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai, Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.

7 Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the LORD by saying, “Is the LORD here with us or not?” Exodus 17:1-7, NLT

The people had a real need. Without water they would all die. But their reaction to the need was wrong. The Bible says they “tested the LORD” by complaining to Moses.

So what’s the difference between expressing a need to God and complaining? I’ve been meditating on this for a few days. Here’s a few things I see in Scripture:

  • The people questioned God’s motives and methods.
  • When God’s way got difficult, they threatened to stop following. (Over and over Israel talked about returning to Egypt.)
  • They made demands of God with an arrogant attitude of entitlement.
  • They expected things to end badly; they didn’t anticipate God’s provision.

Yet God provided for them anyway. This has really struck me this week. Here’s my prayer:

Father, help me to humbly express my needs to You rather than complain when things don’t go my way. Teach me to trust in Your timing and provision.

In what kind of situations do you most often find yourself complaining to God?

What differences do you see between complaining and humbling expressing your needs?

Famous Last Words – Joseph

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I’m really excited about this new series! Each Wednesday for the next few weeks we will be looking at the dying words (or last recorded words) of some of our favorite biblical characters. We will discover what their words reveal about their faith and what we can learn from them.

Do you ever feel like God can’t make up His mind about what to do with your life? Perhaps things were going great in a specific direction, when suddenly something happened that sent your life in a completely different trajectory. Both tragedies and triumphs can bring this kind of overwhelming change. Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob, surely had whiplash from all the drastic ups and downs he experienced in life. (You can read all of Joseph’s story in Exodus 37-50.)

Here’s a quick recap of Joseph’s roller coaster life:

  • He began life as his father’s favorite, receiving special gifts and preferential treatment.
  • Joseph’s jealous brothers sold him into slavery when he was a teenager and he was carried off to Egypt against his will.
  • After earning the favor of his Egyptian master, Joseph was placed in charge of the entire household.
  • Then a false accusation from his master’s wife landed him in prison.
  • After a crazy twist of circumstances that could only be orchestrated by God Himself, Joseph rose to second-in-command of all of Egypt.

Is your head spinning? Mine is!

After all the crazy twists and turns, you might expect Joseph to doubt God’s sovereign control. Let’s visit the end of Joseph’s life and hear his dying words:

Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years 23 and saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees. 24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 25 And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” 26 So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt. Genesis 50:22-26, NIV

Through the wild ride that was his life, Joseph learned that God was faithful to keep His promises. Even when circumstances would cause the strongest faith to doubt, Joseph clung to what he knew to be true about God. Since God promised to give the land of Canaan to Abraham’s descendents Joseph fully expected that God would bring his family out of Egypt one day. And dead or alive, he did not want to be left behind.

Have you ever experienced any huge life turns? Do you sometimes have trouble trusting God for the future?

Meanwhile… Genesis 37:26-36

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There’s no better way to start the week than by filling up with God’s Word. So each Monday morning join me here to take a brief, but reflective look into a passage of Scripture. 

About a year ago, my oldest daughter and her husband began looking to purchase their first home. After weeks of traipsing around unsuitable houses they found it! It met their needs and fit their budget.

While Kelley and Jeremy took photos of the house they knew was perfect their realtor called the listing agent. After a short conversation she shared the discouraging news. The owner had received a contract just the night before. Extremely disappointment, they decided to wait a bit. They had looked at everything available in their price range.

Two weeks later their realtor called with good news. The deal on “their” house had not worked out. They put in an offer that day and by the next it was accepted. They moved in last May. This situation reminded our family that God has plans we don’t always see. He’s always working, even when we aren’t aware of His activity. Let’s see this truth in Scripture today:

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime. 27 Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed. 28 So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty piecesof silver. And the traders took him to Egypt.

 29 Some time later, Reuben returned to get Joseph out of the cistern. When he discovered that Joseph was missing, he tore his clothes in grief. 30 Then he went back to his brothers and lamented, “The boy is gone! What will I do now?”  31 Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s robe in its blood. 32 They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?”

 33 Their father recognized it immediately. “Yes,” he said, “it is my son’s robe. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. 35 His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “I will go to my grave mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep.  36 Meanwhile, the Midianite traders arrived in Egypt, where they sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard.

Joseph’s brothers, jealous of their father’s favoritism and affection, sold him into slavery. Jacob believed his beloved son was dead. However, “Meanwhile…” God was working in Egypt. His plan was drastically different than it appeared. Joseph would rise to power in Egypt and Jacob would see his son again.

What circumstances of your life appear to be hopeless right now?

Ask God to impact you with the truth that He is indeed working. Ask for Him to fill you with the knowledge that He has a plan and the power to carry it out!

14 Ways to Show Love to Those You Love

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Years ago, country singer Clint Black wrote and recorded a song titled “Something that We Do.” Whether he intended it or not, the lyrics reflect a principle about the nature of love taught in the Bible. Here are a few lines of the song:

I remember well the day we wed
I can see that picture in my head
Love isn’t just those words we said
It’s something that we do
There’s no request too big or small
We give ourselves, we give our all
Love isn’t someplace that we fall
It’s something that we do

Sounds a lot like something the apostle John said: “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18, NIV). So, if love is action, how do we love? Below are 14 ways from Scripture that you can actively show love to the people you love.

  1. Help them out of a tight spot – When Jesus attended a wedding with His mother, she asked Him to help the hosts when they ran out of wine. We may not be able to miraculously solve a problem, but God has gifted us in other ways to help. (John 2:1-11)
  2. Get them help when you can’t help them – A paralyzed man received healing from Jesus because his friends dropped him through a roof at Jesus’ feet. They were willing to do whatever it took it to get help for their friend! (Mark 2:1-12)
  3. Pray for them – The Bible is full of people praying for the ones they love. The church prayed for Peter in jail (Acts 12:5). Jesus prayed for the disciples (John 17:6-19). Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers (Eph 1:15-23).
  4. Rebuke them when needed – Sometimes the best way we can love someone is by confronting their sinful, destructive behavior (Proverbs 27:6, Matthew 18:15-17).
  5. Freely forgive offenses – Jesus eliminated the limit on forgiveness when Peter asked how many times he should forgive (Matthew 18:21-22). Some hurts seem unforgivable, but with God’s help it’s possible to “promote love” through forgiveness (Proverbs 17:9).
  6. Humbly serve them – Jesus set the example (John 13:1-17). He calls us – His followers – to also humbly and graciously serve others (Gal 5:13).
  7. Meet their physical needs – Scripture is clear. If we see a brother in need, have the means to help but don’t, then our love for God should be questioned (1 John 3:17).
  8. Rejoice and mourn with them – We show deep care for others when their hurts and joys are also ours. Don’t hold back. Let the tears and the cheers flow! (1 Cor 12:25-26).
  9. Show kindness to someone they love – King David expressed his deep bond of friendship for Jonathan by caring for Jonathan’s crippled son Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:1-13).
  10. Intercede with others on their behalf – Could your influence help a loved one? Barnabas smoothed the way for Paul with the Jerusalem church leaders (Acts 9:27-30). Paul wrote to Philemon appealing for Onesimus the runaway slave (Philemon 8-11).
  11. Help two quarreling loved ones work – Does strife exist between two people you love? Be a mediator and help them mend their relationship. Paul asked the believers in Philippi help two women in their church (Philippians 4:2-3).
  12. Introduce them to Jesus – Does a loved one desperately need to know Jesus? Share the Good News! Andrew introduced his brother Peter to Jesus (John 1:35-42).
  13. Encourage and disciple them in their relationship with Christ – The author of Hebrews tells us to “spur one another on to good works” and “encourage one another” daily (Hebrews 10:24-25).
  14. “Lay down your life!” – Seems pretty drastic, but that’s exactly how Jesus showed His love for us (John 15:12-13). The basic principle has much broader application than actual physical death. Jesus calls us to unselfishly seek put others ahead of ourselves.

Wow! Buying a card and a box of chocolates is a lot easier. But Hallmark and Hershey doesn’t say love like real love in action. Show somebody you love them today!

Who can you show love to today? How will you show it?