EXODUS 11
Let’s face it. This chapter is problematic for God. On the surface, it doesn’t make Him look very good, does it? What can you say about a God that goes around killing children? (Oh, I wish I had a little more time to write about death today, but I’m sure it will come in time. It’s a large Bible... )
In the past, I have hea
EXODUS 10
I know I’ve read the stories of the plagues in detail at least a dozen times in my adult life. But as I write these daily blogs, I am once again struck by Pharaoh’s audacity. Once again, in chapter 10, it’s his officials who are trying to talk some sense into him: "Pharaoh’s officials said to him, 'How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?'" (vs 7)
EXODUS 7
And so we arrive at the beginning of The Plagues. This has to be one of the most famous events of the Bible — a fearful accounting of "what God can do to you if you won’t listen to Him," as it has been most commonly portrayed. But I think we might find something else going on behind the scenes if we look closely.
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a rainbow always appears
where the storm
meets the sun
a defiant reminder
that
pain can be beautiful
heartache can shine
suffering can glisten
sorrow can be radiant
grief can be stunning
after all
there'd be no rainbow
if there was no storm
and in this world there's never a storm without one
that's how we know
we're never alone
when we face
the howling winds
for
a rainbow always appears
where the storm
meets the Son
EXODUS 4
I could have titled this post: God kicks butt at Twister.
"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." That funny little proverb could describe God in this chapter of Exodus. He has come on a mission to enlist Moses — the man who became His great friend — to go down to Egypt and bring the Israelites out of slavery. However, it appears that Moses isn’t going to go without a fight.
EXODUS 2
So, when was the last time you worried about anything? Think God is too unconcerned with you to worry about the details of your life? Think He is too small and impotent to work out your circumstances? Consider this verse from today’s reading: "Pharaoh’s daughter said, 'Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.'" (vs 9)
EXODUS 1
I was so intrigued by this statement in the first chapter of Exodus: "Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt." (vs 8) This astonished me! Certainly, some time had passed in Egypt, but a new king came to power who did not know about Joseph? This was the man who had single-handedly come up with the plan to rescue Egypt (and all the surrounding nations) from famine. How could anyone forget about Joseph?!
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A year
in close(d) quarters
must feel like forever.
What if you saved your life but lost
your mind?
Cinquain: A short, usually unrhymed poem consisting of twenty-two syllables distributed as 2, 4, 6, 8, 2, in five lines.
GENESIS 48
So, we come to the story of Jacob blessing the sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim. And as he goes to bless the grandkids, Joseph gets upset because his right hand (apparently the hand of "greatest blessings") is on the wrong boy’s head. He is getting ready to give Ephraim (the younger and, consequently, the lesser) the better blessing.
GENESIS 47
So, what do we do when confronted with the reality that we are "not our own"? We were created by a God who rules over the entire universe. Everything came from Him, and everything belongs to Him... even our very lives. Every breath we take is a gracious gift from His hand. Without Him, nothing would be. That can be a somewhat daunting reality, huh?
GENESIS 46
Perhaps a short one, but a good one, for today. There is no other god like God. Of course, the further you read the Scripture, the more declarations you find to that effect. But this is something we can learn about God without reading the declarations. Genesis 46 is a good example. First, God calls to Jacob in the night, telling him not to be afraid to go down to Egypt. God renews His promise to make Jacob (Israel) into a great nation there.
GENESIS 45
What a remarkable chapter! Joseph finally has a reunion with his long-lost brothers. He reveals to them that he is Joseph, and it’s pretty apparent that he doesn’t harbor any grudges against them for what they have done. He embraces and kisses each one of them, eagerly telling them how wonderful everything will be for them when they move to Egypt.
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the rain has been falling how long i don't know
the last time i saw land was so long ago
the trees have all drowned and the mountains are gone
the water obscures every trace of the dawn
within me the rivers of doubt overflow
the rain has been falling how long i don't know
alone on this ocean i bobble afloat
i must have been crazy to get in this boat
it would have been better to die with the world
and not have to see what's familiar unfurled
the rain has been falling how long i don't know
i wonder how far down the flood waters go
this sea-weary vessel will anchor at last
but life as i've known it will be in the past
until then i'll wonder what's lurking below
the rain has been falling how long i don't know
Quatern: A sixteen-line French form composed of four quatrains, with a refrain that is in a different place in each quatrain. The first line of stanza one is the second line of stanza two, third line of stanza three, and fourth line of stanza four.
