Please read Exodus 7:14-25, Exodus 8, and Exodus 9. There's so much to talk about every day - it's hard to pick out one brief item!  Here's what I am thinking about this morning:

"Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and said, 'Pray to God to rid us of these frogs. I’ll release the people so that they can make their sacrifices and worship God.' 

Moses said to Pharaoh, 'Certainly. Set the time. When do you want the frogs out of here, away from your servants and people and out of your houses? You’ll be rid of frogs except for those in the Nile.'

Pharaoh replied, 'Make it tomorrow.' " (Exodus 8:8-10 MSG)

I find it interesting that when Moses offered to pray for relief from the frogs, Pharaoh answers “tomorrow”. Why did he want one more night with the frogs? Why not now?  it's not a surprise to see Pharaoh delay, I guess - he delays letting the children of Israel go time after time..... but tomorrow?  I'd want those frogs gone now!

We delay sometimes - God offers everything we need to be successful in Him, but still we wait.  Let's not be like Pharaoh here - let's go after God now!

Please Exodus 4:18-31, Exodus 5-6, and Exodus 7:1-13.  Moses is my favorite - even though the text is probably familiar, fight the urge to "skim" - take in every word!

God said to Moses in Midian: “Go. Return to Egypt. All the men who wanted to kill you are dead.” So Moses took his wife and sons and put them on a donkey for the return trip to Egypt. He had a firm grip on the staff of God. (Exodus 4:19-20 MSG)

And so it begins - we'll see a pattern develop throughout Moses' life: God gives direction, and Moses obeys (mostly).  I love this phrase: "he had a firm grip on the staff of God". A shepherd's staff lengthens the shepherd's reach, and can offer guidance/direction when needed.  Moses will need both of these functions as he leads the people out of Egypt.  We need God's direction in our lives today as well.

Even when things don’t look like they were going in Moses’ favor, he still obeyed the Lord. His ways are higher than ours – we must trust Him!

We have completed an entire month - wow!  I read a quote, can't remember where: "Daily Bible reading keeps you within range of God's voice".  Amen!  Praying that is happening for you! Please read  Exodus 1-2, 1 Chronicles 6:1-3, Exodus 3, Exodus 4:1-17.  

"A new king came to power in Egypt who didn’t know Joseph" (Exodus 1:8 MSG).  Now Jacob, Joseph, and their generations have died, but their descendants are still in Egypt. Even though the new king does not know their history (and what a blessing Joseph was to them in difficult times), God sees us and knows when it is time to act on our behalf. He never forgets His promises!

Thankfully God knows what we need before we need it.  The children of Israel are going to have to be led out of Egyptian slavery, and they'll need a leader. To this end, Moses is born. We're going to spend a great deal of time with this guy!  

Moses answered God, “But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

“I’ll be with you,” God said. (Exodus 3:11-12 MSG)

Please read Job 40:6-24, Job 41, and Job 42, and come on back!  Let's visit a little bit more about Job.  Even these Old Testament histories have principles that can be applied to us today!

Interesting: the Lord was angry with the friends for not speaking accurately about Him, and then what does He have Job do for them?  God speaks to Eliphaz:

“I’ve had it with you and your two friends. I’m fed up! You haven’t been honest either with me or about me—not the way my friend Job has. So here’s what you must do. Take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my friend Job. Sacrifice a burnt offering on your own behalf. My friend Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer" (42:7-8 MSG) 

JOB PRAYS FOR THEM, rather than continuing in a futile argument with them!

"After Job had interceded for his friends, God restored his fortune" (42:10 MSG)

Sometimes we learn from an example what TO DO, and sometimes we learn from an example what NOT TO DO. Here we have both!  

Please read Job 38, Job 39, and Job 40:1-5.  What stands out to you today?  Here's what stands out to me:

I wonder if Job’s friends could also hear God speaking.  At first, the Lord's speech doesn't sound encouraging - I know when I ask "obvious" questions, I'm trying to prove a point (but I'm not comparing myself to God, of course!).  Maybe after all the speeches from Job's speeches, the answers aren't so obvious.  God begins, 

Why do you confuse the issue?
    Why do you talk without knowing what you’re talking about?
Pull yourself together, Job!
    Up on your feet! Stand tall!
I have some questions for you,
    and I want some straight answers.
Where were you when I created the earth?
    Tell me, since you know so much! (38:2-5 MSG)

I am going to read this again with a different “tone of voice”, I think – I wish we could hear God’s tone of voice!  God's speech hit the desired mark, for sure.  Job's response:

“I’m speechless, in awe—words fail me.
    I should never have opened my mouth!
I’ve talked too much, way too much.
    I’m ready to shut up and listen.” (40:4-5 MSG)

I'm excited to read what else God has to say tomorrow!  Even correction is done for our benefit - don't shy away from the Lord as He is giving you an opportunity to grow!

Good morning!  Please read Job 35, Job 36, and Job 37 and come on back!  A couple of things stand out to me in today's reading:

Like the other friends, Elihu seems to speak out of his own experience (or maybe since he is young, he is speaking from what he has been taught). Like the other friends, Elihu seems to be following suit, intimating that all of this is Job's fault.  He does allow that God is wise and generous, and can't seem to square Job's current trauma with the kindness of God.  He has to make it Job's fault - it probably makes them all "feel better".  We all want an explanation when we see something bad happen. Part of the reason we want to explain it is so we can explain how it would never happen to us.  The truth is, our only guarantee is the presence of restorative power of the Lord - He is faithful no matter what our circumstances are.

Why didn’t the friends pray for him? I’m ready to see Job restored!  I'm also ready to hear the Lord speak to Job directly!

Please read Job 32, Job 33, and Job 34 and then let's visit!  We are nearing the end of our time with Job!

It’s sad that his friends never reached a wise conclusion after all this talk – never found a true place of trust and compassion. They directed their conversation to Job when they should have been seeking God on Job’s behalf.  

When Elihu finally speaks, his first words seem wise:

“I’m a young man,
    and you are all old and experienced.
That’s why I kept quiet
    and held back from joining the discussion.
I kept thinking, ‘Experience will tell.
    The longer you live, the wiser you become.’
But I see I was wrong—it’s God’s Spirit in a person,
    the breath of the Almighty One, that makes wise human insight possible" (32:6-8 MSG)

Experience may be a great teacher, but it isn't the only teacher.  We can’t always figure things out for ourselves – we need the Holy Spirit to enlighten us!

Good morning!  Please read Job 30 and Job 31.  I'll share a little thought - again, I'm just hitting a few personal "highlights", not offering a daily play-by-play.  Something different may stand out to you, and that's great - that's the Lord speaking to your heart in a way that is specific to you!  I'm so glad we are on this journey together, friend!

I feel like Job is searching for a reason for the trauma in his life and he is willing to take responsibility if it was due to his own choices.

“Have I walked hand in hand with falsehood,
    or hung out in the company of deceit?
Weigh me on a set of honest scales
    so God has proof of my integrity.
If I’ve strayed off the straight and narrow,
    wanted things I had no right to,
    messed around with sin,
Go ahead, then—
    give my portion to someone who deserves it" (31:5-8 MSG)

Sometimes in trauma, we ask ourselves a question: "did I bring this on myself?”, and that's not wrong. We need to be honest with ourselves and with the Lord, and sometimes we do make choices with adverse effects.  In those cases, our circumstances are actually our consequences.  However, sometimes we experience pain and hardship simply because we live in a fallen world, through no fault of our own (that's what Job is experiencing - life in a fallen world). In either situation, we must remain faithful to God.  He always remains faithful to us!

p.s. it doesn't matter if you are in a trauma that was created by you or in a trauma that was created for you - God is working to restore and heal you always!

Please read Job chapters 26, 27, 28, and 29 today.  Here's what I am thinking about today - leave a comment and share your thoughts too!

Even in his pain, Job refuses to speak against God.  Can you hear the sarcasm in 26:1-4?  I have to say, I'd be fighting the urge to be sarcastic as well! However, Job is constant in his view and faithfulness to the Lord:

"Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (26:14 NKJV)

"As long as my breath is in me,
And the breath of God in my nostrils,
My lips will not speak wickedness" (27:3-4 NKJV)

Job knew: the truth is that God is sovereign, able to do anything. He refuses to speak lies against God, even in the pain of his current circumstance. Such an example to us.

Please read Job 22, Job 23, Job 24, Job 25.  Head on back and I'll share what I'm thinking about this morning!

Thankfully we can trust in the Lord to encourage us, because Job certainly is not getting encouragement from the friends. Eliphaz's attack (the third attack, we should mention) is especially unkind ("Do you think it’s because He cares about your purity that He’s disciplining you, putting you on the spot? Hardly! It’s because you’re a first-class moral failure, because there’s no end to your sins" 22:4-5 MSG).  Try reading it aloud - it's be tough to put a sweet tone of voice along with words like that.  Job is surrounded.  What is his response?

If I knew where on earth to find Him,
    I’d go straight to Him.
I’d lay my case before him face-to-face,
    give Him all my arguments firsthand.
I’d find out exactly what He’s thinking,
    discover what’s going on in His head.
Do you think He’d dismiss me or bully me?
    No, He’d take me seriously. (22:3-7 MSG)

I think Job is comparing God to Eliphaz  at this moment, and he recognizes that there is no comparison.  Would God bully him like Eliphaz did? No. One thing that stands out to me today: Job does not judge God the Father based on the behavior of His children.  We do that, don't we?  For example, one might leave a church because a church member was unkind, project other's behavior on to the Lord.  Job doesn't do that - he remains faithful to the God who is faithful to him, even if His children are unkind.

That's great lesson and example for us today.