Reading

Joshua 3:7-17

Devotion

Peace be with you!

The transitions from Moses to Joshua and from the wilderness to the Promised Land are still taking place. God is forming Joshua into greatness. However, the transformation is a process—which takes time and energy. God verifies he will be with Joshua, like he was Moses in the wilderness in the past (Joshua 3:7). The leadership may change, but God will always be with the Israelites.

The Israelites will see, hear, and know God through Joshua, like they did with Moses. First, the Israelites hear God’s words. Joshua speaks God’s words to the Israelites to reaffirm his promise to be with them—they will conquer the Canaanites, Hittities, Hivities, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites for the Promised Land. Second, the Israelites see God’s power. Like Moses led the Israelites across the Nile River, Joshua leads the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Twelve priests are chosen to carry the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan River; they stand in the middle of the river to separate the waters (Joshua 3:12-14). The Ark of the Covenant is also important, because it is the agreement between God and the Israelites. By making the Ark of the Covenant a focal point, God reminds the Israelites about their agreement and his commitment to them. Third, the Israelites experience and recognize God’s power and he is with them. Understanding God’s power and commitment to you is so crucial to having faith in a God you cannot see. Faith allows you to be transformed by God throughout your life.

God also promises to transform Joshua into greatness like he did with Moses. God had to encouraging Moses up by telling him he was strong enough, and that he would be with him every step. God uses the same symbols to tell Israelites that Joshua is their new leader as he did with Moses—parting the Red Sea and the Jordan River. This eases the transition from Moses to Joshua for the Israelites by making it easier to recognize Joshua as their new leader and easier to recognize that God is still with them.

By allowing them to see, hear, and know him, God is accepting the Israelites as his chosen people. God allows the Israelites to cross the Jordan River on dry land to conquer the Canaanites, Hittities, Hivities, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites in the Promised Land. God delivers on his promise.

As I look at the past few weeks of grieving for my grandparents, I see God’s hand transforming me. I am not sure what God is transforming me into yet, but he is making me stronger and enabling me to recognize when, where, and how I need help when, where, and how I need him. Instead of waiting for direction from my parents, I feel his hand leading me to individuals who can help me and my family… I am becoming a caregiver in my family, instead of being cared for. It is an awkward shift in roles, yet God is the transformer. God is and will help and lead me, and that’s all I need to know.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for lifting Joshua up as a leader and transforming him into greatness. Give us the understanding that transformation into greatness happens over time, not in an instant. Transform us into greatness to do your work in the world. Thank you for being with the Israelites and leading them to the Promised Land. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. How is God transforming you into greatness?
2. How is God keeping his promise today?

Reading

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Transitions are both exciting and downright scary. A new adventure—job, move, school, [whatever “it” is]—is always exciting, because we are one step closer to achieving a long-term dream. However, the new adventure can also be scary, because it means a dozen changes in our lives—new city and new home—and leaving behind our comfort zone—our friends and family, our local surroundings, and our community. Transitions involve changes that excite and challenge us.

The Israelites are facing a transition: entering the Promised Land. The Lord shows Moses the land he promised to Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac from Mount Nebo before he dies (Deuteronomy 34:1–4; Numbers 27:18-20). However, the Lord does not allow Moses to enter the Promised Land. After forty years of following Moses in the wilderness, the Israelites are at the edge of the Promised Land where they must say farewell to their leader. When Moses dies, the Israelites mourn for thirty days before entering the Promise Land.

The transition involves two major changes for the Israelites. First, the Israelites must accept Moses’s appointee, Joshua, son of Nun, as their new leader (Deuteronomy 31:14, 23). After forty years of following Moses, the Israelites have grown used to Moses’s leadership style and have a relationship with him. Now the Israelites must say goodbye to Moses and follow Joshua. Anytime a change in leadership happens, people have to mourn the loss of their previous leader. The Israelites take thirty days to mourn Moses’ death and to get their minds wrapped around leaving him behind to follow Joshua into the Promised Land. A new era awaits the Israelites, but they pause to honor Moses and his leadership.

Second, the Israelites transition from wandering in the wilderness to living in the Promised Land. However, war against the Canaanites would have to transpire before Israel would take hold of their promised nation. Transitions usually involve some kind of loss. My family has suffered an unusual amount of loss the past month. Two of my grandparents went to heaven. Now we are left to mourn and begin to process what that means: who will look after my widowed Grandma, who will comfort and reassure us, who will say grace at the family gathering, and [whatever “it” is] that they always did. Although we know they are in heaven with the Lord, we pause and reflect before moving forward into a new era that will be led by the next generation.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for Moses’s leadership for those forty years in the wilderness. Help us to transition into the next phase of our lives. Lead the next generation to walk in your ways and to continue the work of those who went before us. Thank you for being with us in these transitions. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. What kind of transitions are you going through right now?
2. After whom do you model your leadership skills?

Reading

Exodus 33:12-23

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Have you ever so been emotionally exhausted that God felt far away? My past three weeks have been a constant cycle of pack, fly somewhere, be with family and friends for a big event (funerals, a wedding, and a church event), fly home, do laundry, attend appointments and meetings, and repeat. Two of the funerals I attended were for my grandparents; they died only two weeks apart. Then an uncertain situation emerged, adding even more stress. This week has been the first full week I have been home in my own bed (glorious!). My three pups are glad my suitcase is in the closet, and I am staying home for awhile. As I have begun to decompress from the past three weeks, I have found myself and dealing with some explosive emotions

You too have your own stories of wandering in the wilderness as the Israelites do in today’s reading. Some days and weeks God seems so distant and unreachable.

Moses and the Israelites are wandering around the wilderness and aimlessly following an invisible God. They feel lost and confused. The Israelites are asking, “Where is God? Who is God? What does God look like? Are we still his chosen people after breaking the covenant? Is God still leading us to the Promised Land?” The Israelites are getting tired of being in the wilderness and not knowing the answers to these questions. They are growing tired of the endless cycle of collect manna, break down camp, listen to Moses, walk for hours, set up camp, sleep, and repeat. For forty years the Israelites are living in uncertainty, without a place to call home.

Moses goes to God and says, “You know each of us by name, and you respect and love us, yet you have us wandering aimlessly in the wilderness and have not shown yourself to us. How do we know you or one of your agents is with us? Reveal yourself to us” (Exodus 33:12-13, 15-16, 18).

God reassures Moses, “Yes, I know you by name and respect you. I will allow you to see and feel my back when you stand on the rock. When I pass you, I will put my hand over your head, so you do not see my face. I am a gracious and merciful God who shows grace and mercy to his people” (Exodus 33:14, 17, 19-23).

When we feel lost in an endless cycle of explosive emotions, God feels distant and unreachable. We ask, “Where are you, God? Are you here?” These are times I have to force myself to pray and be quiet – to shut out the drama, the endless cycle of demands, and talk to God. Sometimes I feel like a two-year-old who should be put down for a nap as I whine to God. However, these are the times I most need to feel God’s presence and talk with him. I cannot repeat the endless cycle of life without God’s grace and mercy, because when the load is too heavy (and it always is), he carries me through.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for being with the Israelites in the wilderness. Help us to feel your presence in the endless cycle of life. Wrap us up in your arms and carry us through the darkness into the light. Quiet our minds and allow us to hear you. Thank you for your grace and mercy when we get lost. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. Are you lost? Where? How?
2. How do you find your way back to God?

Reading

Exodus 32:1-14

Devotion

Peace be with you!

As our scene opens, Moses is on the mountaintop, meeting with God for forty days and forty nights and being given the Law (Exodus 24:18). Meanwhile, the Israelites forget about the Lord quickly and impatiently ask Aaron to make them idols to worship instead (Exodus 32:1c). Only a few chapters before this, the Lord gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments, including the prohibition against idols (Exodus 20:4). Aaron does it to honor the Lord (Exodus 32:4-5), but he also creates the golden calf to appease the Israelites. However, the Israelites ask for the idol, because they had not seen Moses in awhile (Exodus 32:1d). On the festival day, the Israelites’ activities get out of hand, such as drinking and having sex, (Exodus 32:6), which further upsets the Lord.

Parents can understand God the Father’s anger. Here’s an example from my childhood: I remember my brother and I waiting in our big Ford van; my mom was supposed to come out and drive us somewhere. Well, she was taking too long, and we starting fighting and wrestling in the van. When she finally did come and saw us fighting, she got really angry, started screaming at us, and grounded us to our rooms. I am pretty sure sending us to our rooms was for our own safety as well as being a punishment.

The Lord is stormy upset with the Israelites. He is ready to go back on his promise to Noah and consume the Israelites (Exodus 32:10). Like my mom, the Lord is beside himself with what to do with his people.

The day of the “van incident,” my mom called our grandparents. “We are not coming over today,” she said. “Those kids are grounded.” I am sure our grandparents had to remind our mom that we were good kids normally.

In the same way, Moses appeals to the Lord on the behalf of the Israelites. Moses knows the Lord is a God who keeps his promises and loves his children. The Lord does not want to kill the Israelites, not after delivering them out of Egypt. Moses reminds the Lord about his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel to give them numerous descendents (Exodus 32:12-13). In a way, Moses reminds the Lord of the fifth commandment to honor your family and sixth commandment not to kill anyone. The Lord has to follow his own commandments to earn the trust, honor, and respect from the Israelites.

The Lord changes his mind; he will not consume the Israelites, but will allow them to live (Exodus 32:14). The Lord does not give up on the Israelites just because they have fallen short of his expectations. The Lord loves the Israelites unconditionally and understands their shortcomings. The Lord wants to keep his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel to make a nation from their descendents.

Our mom did not give up on my brother and me either, even when we would stray away or make her crazy. In this way, she embodied the grace and commitment of the Lord.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving the Israelites numerous second chances. Help us to embody your grace and commitment in our relationships. Guide us with your trust, honor, and respect to share your love, grace, and peace. Thank you for being in a relationship with us, even when we fall. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. Who embodies the grace and commitment of the Lord for you?
2. Do you know someone who is far from the Lord today? Intercede for them like Moses did for the Israelites.

Reading

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

Devotion

Peace be with you!

We have different relationships with each person you interact with. Some individuals, we just pass on the street or in the hallway at work and quickly wave hello, while with others we may have a two-minute conversation about the weather. Some friends call us every day to discuss every part of our lives, while other friends only call once a week or month. Each relationship is defined by our interactions and mutual respect (or lack of respect) for the other person.

When God gives Moses the Ten Commandments, he shapes his relationship with the Israelites and gives them ethics to live by. These laws give the Israelites a base on which to live out their lives according to God’s will. The first four commandments deal with the relationship between God and the Israelites: no other gods, no idols, do not use the Lord’s name in vain, and remember the Sabbath (Exodus 20:3-11). God lays out what he expects from the Israelites and sets boundaries for the relationship. God wants to make sure the Israelites are faithful to him and only him. He does not want the Israelites running to other gods and making their own idols when things get tough. God knows we can only be faithful to one God. As his redeemed and holy nation, God expects the Israelites to honor him. In the same way, God redeems us through Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection as his holy nation and expects the same honor and respect from us.

The fifth commandment is to honor your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12). A relationship between two individuals should be based on mutual honor and respect. We need to respect the people in authority who work to pass laws to keep us safe, like the Lord. When we honor our relationships, we strengthen our relationship with God.

The last six commandments give guidelines to relationships between persons. We should not murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet another person’s possessions or relationships (Exodus 20:13-17). When we break these commandments, we break the trust, the honor, and the respect we have with others. In his wisdom, God is giving us counsel here on how to build long-lasting relationships.

When we break the last six commandments, we go against God and those people we love the most. The Lord gives us these commandments to test our ability to be in a relationship with him and to instill fear in us to keep us from going against his will (Exodus 20:20). The Lord redeems the Israelites from Egypt and us from our sins. In return, the Lord asks us to keep the Ten Commandments in order to be in and maintain a relationship with him. The Ten Commandments explain the boundaries of our relationship with the Lord and build upon mutual honor, trust, and respect. In doing so, the Lord gives us the choice whether or not we want to be in a relationship with him.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for wanting to be in relationship with us. Help us to keep the Ten Commandments in order to strengthen our relationships with you and others. Lead us into relationships with mutual trust, honor, and respect. Thank you for helping us to live by honoring you and others. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. How do you work at strengthening your relationship with the Lord?
2. How do you model your relationship with the Lord through other relationships?

Reading

Exodus 17:1-7

Devotion

Peace be with you!

I am one of those people who get angry when she is “hangry” (“hungry-angry”). There is no reasoning with me when I am hungry. If I start whining over stupid stuff, it is time to feed me, or I will argue over [whatever “it” is] until I have made my pointless view known.

Once again, the Israelites are complaining. Last week they were hungry; this week they are thirsty. Desperate for water, the Israelites have become downright hostile toward the Lord and Moses (Exodus 17:1, 7). The Israelites demand Moses gives them water before they die (Exodus 17:2a, 3). Moses asks, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” (Exodus 17:2b NRSV). However, there is no way to reason with the Israelites when they are thirsty. The Israelites answer Moses, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” (Exodus 17:3b NRSV). Moses cries out to the Lord, “What should I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me” (Exodus 17:4 NRSV; italics added for emphasis). The Israelites are so aggressive to Moses that he fears for his life.

Despite there distrust and anger, the Lord takes Israelites’ complaint seriously. (If only they would have turned to him in the first place.) “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel” (Exodus 17:5-6).

The Lord prevails over the Israelites by meeting their demands. The Lord gives the Israelites bread to eat (Exodus 16:12-14) and water to drink (Exodus 17:5-6). Both times the Lord finds a way to meet what seem to be impossible demands. The Lord does not want Israelites to die from starvation or dehydration. The Lord does not lead the Israelites out of Egypt only to abandon them in the wilderness. The Lord hears the Israelites’ complaints, and he takes action to deal with the problem.

The Lord stays present in the Israelites’ lives, even when they are hostile, because he wants to build a relationship with them. When the Lord gives the Israelites bread, he gives them the sustenance to survive in the wilderness. This reminds me of when Jesus says, “Take and eat … Take and drink … This is my body and blood poured out for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, the Lord gives himself to the Israelites by satisfying their hunger. Every day, when the Israelites eat the bread, they are reminded the Lord is with them.

In the same way, the water coming out of the rocks reminds me of baptism and how God the Father makes us new again. The Lord wants to redefine the Israelites as his people. Water has the power to quench our thirst and wash away the dirt. The Lord wants to quench the Israelites’ every need and wash away their fears and worries; he is with them.

It rained all week in Florida, which seems fitting as I mourn the loss of my grandpa. Somehow, the rain washes away my sorrow and makes me feel my grandpa’s presence. God the Father is washing away my sorrow with the rain and is assuring me will he will provide the strength and courage to go on living without my grandpa’ physical presence. My grandpa is not physically in the world anymore, but Holy Spirit makes it feel as though he is wrapping his arms around me to tell me one last time, “It will be all right.”’

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for satisfying our hungrier and quenching out thirst. Help us to feel your presence in the world. Lead us to open our arms to those who need food, drink, and shelter. Thank you for being presence in the world. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. How does the Lord satisfy your hunger and quench your thirst?
2. Next time you are feeling desperate and afraid, what is one way you can turn to God instead of away from Him?

Reading

Exodus 16:2-15

Devotion

Peace be with you!

For most of us, a day does not go by without us making a complaint to God about something:

“I need [whatever “it” is], because it will make my life easier.”

“Why do I have to be nice to that person? They have not done anything for me.”

“Why does that person have a better job than me? I work harder.”

“Can’t I just catch a break?”

“I am tired.”

We have all thought or said at least one of these statements. We always think the grass is greener on the other side of the street.”The Israelites complained to the Lord about the unjust Pharaoh, and he called Moses to lead them out of Egypt. Now that the Israelites are out of Egypt they are hungry – the wilderness does not have the luscious food of Egypt (Exodus 16:3). The Israelites take their grievances to Moses and Aaron, and they, in turn, bring them to the Lord.

Thankfully the Lord loves the Israelites and understands their needs. The Lord decides to make it rain bread each morning and instructs Moses to have the Israelites gather just what they need for the day. However, on sixth day, they are to collect twice as much in order to have enough for the seventh day, the Sabbath (Exodus 16:4-5).

The Lord is working to build a new relationship with the Israelites. The Lord shows the Israelites he understands their needs by providing bread each morning. He did not take the Israelites out of Egypt in order to starve them to death in the wilderness, but he provides food when they ask. The Lord also wants to gain the Israelites’ trust, because he will be asking of a lot from them in the future. By providing the Israelites with their basic needs, the Lord is expressing his love for them as his chosen people.

The Israelites will shape the Lord’s new community, which will worship on Mount Sinai. The Lord will lead the Israelites through the wilderness for forty years before they get to the Promised Land. The new community will be given the Ten Commandments and other laws in order that the Israelites live according to the Lord’s ways.

I am relieved that the Lord does not turn away from me when I complain and beg. The Lord understands how little we have to give him and is not put off by always giving and hardly receiving, especially when we are still building our relationship with him. All the Lord asks of us is to share the good news and to turn to him in times of need. For me this week has been a time not exactly of complaint, but of deep need for God. My grandfather has been near to death and finally passed away Friday night. As I went through the week and tried to mentally prepare myself to bury my grandfather, I found myself (emotionally) crawling into the Lord’s lap and seeking his comfort. He ministered to me in my worries and in my sorrow. I need Him as much as the Israelites needed manna. As I mentally prepare myself to bury my grandpa, I find myself climbing into the Lord’s lap when I pray to ask for comfort. I understand it is his time to go see the Lord, but could he hang on until he got one last letter from me? The Lord took my grandpa before he could have read it, though in my heart I believe the Lord will get my grandpa my letter.

Thanks be to God! s

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for providing for our every need. Lead us through the wilderness as we face many tribulations in this world. Guide us through the storms in our life, and lead us to your kingdom. Thank you for your love and compassion in the midst of our deep neediness. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. What do you complain to the Lord about?
2. How does the Lord answer your prayers?

Reading

Exodus 14:19-31

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Have you ever done something and then wondered how you did it? I am always amazed when a colleague or a friend introduces me as a disability advocate and a scholar of God’s healing presence in the world. My words seem to have a greater impact than I realize.

God calls Moses as a prophet to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. After ten plagues, the Pharaoh finally honors Moses’ request to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt. On the night of the Israelites’ mass exit, God appears as a pillar of cloud leading them out of Egypt (Exodus 14:19). Then when the Pharaoh changes his mind and has his men go after them (Exodus 14:5), the pillar of cloud goes behind the Israelites (Exodus 14:19). God in the pillar of cloud becomes a barrier between the Pharaoh’s men and the Israelites. God protects the Israelites from being caught by the soldiers and being put back into slavery.

When the Israelites come to the sea, God instructs Moses to stretch out his hands over the waters. When Moses does this, God divides the sea with an east wind (Exodus 14:21). The Israelites cross the sea on dry land (Exodus 14:22) to safety in the wilderness. After the Israelites finish crossing the sea, Moses stretches out his hands again, and the waters go back to normal (Exodus 14:26). God in a pillar of fire and cloud causes the Egyptians’ chariots to get stuck in the mud (Exodus 14:25) and drown in the receding waters (Exodus 14:26). None of the Pharaoh’s men survive (Exodus 14:30).

Surely the Israelites must be disoriented the next few days as they struggle to get their bearings as newly free people. They are happy to no longer be slaves, but they wonder why their freedom was brought about under the cover of night. They wonder what the future holds. The Israelites see the power of God and are learning to fear the Lord as well as believe in him (Exodus 14:31). God provides them with a new future.

God works in mysterious ways to lead us to where we need to be, even if we do not understand why. There are times when we are disoriented as we consider how an event happened or how we got somewhere. We do not always understand why or what we are supposed to be doing, but God calls us to do his work in the world.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Protect us from Satan’s power. Be presence in our lives and lead us to do your work in the world. Thank you for your mysterious ways in the world. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. Where and how has God lead you to do his work in the world?
2. When have you felt God’s presence?