Let Me Alone

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Let Me Alone

Exodus 32:10

"Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation."

What an interesting statement we find in this verse when God tells Moses to "...let me alone,..." This is the all-powerful God telling a weak human to leave Him alone. This is the Creator of the Universe saying to the created to leave Him alone. This is Jehovah God telling mankind to leave Him alone. God was saying that He wanted to destroy Israel for their sins, but Moses was hindering Him from doing so. In other words, it was finite man who was keeping an infinite and all-powerful God from destroying a nation. What power man must have over God! Yes, God is more powerful than any person, but God is teaching us that we have the power to stop Him from exercising His judgment upon a nation or person if we will intercede for them.

God said in Ezekiel 22:30, "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." Israel can thank God that Moses was the one who stood in the gap on their behalf to keep God from destroying them in the wilderness. If it were not for Moses who stood in the gap, then Israel would have been destroyed.

You will notice that it was not Moses' preaching that kept God from destroying Israel, but it was his prayer life that kept God from destroying Israel. It was not his status in society that kept God from destroying Israel, but it was the fact that in his prayer life he stood in the gap to keep God's judgment from falling upon his nation. It was not the buildings that Moses built that kept God from destroying Israel, but it was his interceding prayer to God that kept God's judgment from falling. Moses decided that he would bother God until he could stay God's judgment from falling.

Every nation needs a Moses to stand in the gap and hinder God from judging it. I ask you, is God asking you to leave Him alone from judging your nation? Are you that person who is standing in the gap with prayer asking God not to destroy your nation? If God decided to send His judgment upon your nation, are you standing in the gap and keeping Him from exercising His judgment? Christian, your nation needs you to get serious about hindering God and asking Him to stay His judgment. It would be sad if you were too busy with worldly affairs to hinder God from destroying your nation.

Furthermore, there are people who are about to face God's judgment that need you to hinder God from doing so. Are you like Abraham who hindered God for a short time to keep Him from destroying Lot and his family? Griping and complaining about how your spouse is living is not the answer. The answer is for you to stay at God's throne asking God to speak to their heart and change them. The answer is not for you to constantly preach to your backslidden child every time you see them. The answer is for you to hinder God by begging Him to change their heart. The answer is not for you to gossip about what is happening in your church. The answer is for you to hinder God to change the hearts of those who have the power to make the changes.

How we need people to hinder God for their nation, church and family. It would be sad that God judged your nation, church or family because there was no one who would stand in the gap to hinder Him. Would you be that one like Moses to hinder God for your nation, church or family so that He would have to ask your permission to get out of the way so He could judge them? Become that one today that intercedes to God on behalf of your nation, church and family.

A Time Away

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A Time Away

Exodus 24:14

"And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them."

One of the missed principles in the Scriptures is the principle of getting away. With the hectic schedules that life brings, God knew it was important for people to get away. The time away from something always helps to keep your mind and body fresh so that you can do a better work. As busy as Moses was with his schedule, he found time to get away. If he wouldn't have found time to get away he would not have lasted for forty years. The pressure of leading millions of people through the wilderness would have eventually broke him down mentally and physically. I find in the Scriptures there are three reasons to take time away.

First, take time away to rest. Mark 6:31 teaches that Jesus commanded His disciples to take time away to rest. Jesus said, "...Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while:..." Jesus understood that the pressure of the crowds following them would eventually destroy the disciples. You will notice that right after they had time to rest that Jesus had a great revival meeting at the feeding of the five thousand. This may have never happened if they didn't take time to rest.

Every week you need to take time to rest. In other words, take a day off every week. God Himself showed us this example when He created the world. Six days He worked in creating the world, but on the seventh day He rested. You will notice that one-seventh of His time was used to rest. I believe that God was showing that you will physically perform at your peak by taking one day off a week to rest.

Furthermore, I also believe you need to take a little time off every year to have a vacation. Though it may sound spiritual to never take time off, the fact is that it is unspiritual. You are setting yourself up for physical stress that will eventually destroy your health. You need to have a vacation every year so that you can physically recover from work, and so that your family can have some personal time with you away from the daily grind.

Second, you need to take time away to pray. In our text verse above, God told Moses to get away from the crowd to spend time with Him on Mount Sinai. It is vitally important for your Christian life that you have time every day to get away and pray. You will accomplish more by taking time to pray than you will by trying to do everything in your own strength. Your Christian life will never survive if you don't take time away to pray.

Third, take time away to think. Genesis 24:63 says, "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide:..." Meditating is thinking. In 1 Timothy 4:15 God commands us to meditate. In other words, God wants you to get away and take time to think. This is where you will get your ideas. Every day you need to take a little amount of time where you get away from people and phones just to think. This will keep your work fresh with ideas.

Finally, let me remind you that you will have to purposely take time away in each of these areas. If you don't put it in your schedule to take time away, then you will find that you will never have time to do these things. When it is time to get away to do these things, don't let anything stop you from doing it. These things are important for the health of your body, mind, spirit and life's endeavors.

Alone?

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You Can't Do It Alone

Exodus 17:12

"But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun."

The battle with Amalek revealed to Moses something that every leader must learn at some time. It revealed that he could not do everything by himself. While the men were fighting, Moses lifted his hands to encourage the troops that they were winning. However, his arms got tired and he lowered them until they were rested. The problem with this was when he lowered his arms the troops thought they were losing the battle. Aaron and Hur came and lifted his arms until the battle was over.

As a leader you must realize that when you try to do everything by yourself you are hurting the very organization that you want to help. There is no way that you can do everything by yourself. You are human! Too many leaders try to do everything by themselves only to burn themselves out in the long run.

Learning to delegate duties to others does not make you a weak leader, rather it actually makes you stronger. When a leader tries to do every duty themselves they frustrate those who want to help. If Moses would have told Aaron and Hur to leave him alone and let him keep his arms up by himself, then he could have caused men to die in the battle. Likewise, a leader who will not delegate is hurting the lives of people. God gave people to you so you can accomplish more. You become a stronger leader by learning to delegate.

However, when you delegate, be sure to let those to whom you give responsibility the freedom to do their tasks. Often a leader will think they have delegated, but because they won't keep their fingers out of the tasks, they frustrate and limit the ability of the one to whom they gave the task. Micromanaging hurts morale and limits the growth of followers. Yes, you must oversee what they are doing, but you must give them the freedom to do the task themselves. If you have to tell and show someone how to do something all the time, then you don't need them. Though they may not do it to the level of your ability, they will grow into the task.

Every leader must learn that they cannot carry everything by themselves. I know it may be hard to give something up, but for your sake and the sake of the growth of your followers you need to give up some tasks for the furtherance of the work. The potential of a leader, follower and the work will be determined by how much the leader allows the followers to help. If they do everything by themselves, then the potential of the work will be limited and the followers will become frustrated. However, if the leader delegates and allows the followers to grow into these tasks delegated to them, then the potential of a work is great.

If you lead in some area, get others involved in helping you do your tasks. You cannot do it alone, so use your leadership skills to challenge others to grow with you by helping you do the work God has given you to do. If you are not leading in some area, then ask your leader how you can help. Your help will both grow you and your leader. Don't sit and watch your leader's hands get heavy with the tasks because nobody will help, instead get involved so the potential of the work will increase.

Prepared?

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Are You Prepared?

Exodus 12:29

"And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle."

The first Passover was certainly a night that every Israelite would never forget. This night was the beginning of their freedom from Egypt. For four hundred years they had been captive to the Egyptians, and now God provided a way for them to be free. What was this way? This way was through the blood of a lamb or goat being applied to the doorpost of their house. If the blood was applied, then the Death Angel would pass over their house and the firstborn would not be killed. This night would never leave the memory of every Israelite who was alive at that time.

Likewise, every person who is saved will not forget the time when the blood was applied to their account. This happens when a person accepts Christ as their Saviour. At the writing of this devotional, I have been saved for over thirty-eight years, and I still remember the night that I got saved. What a night it was for me, and I'm sure it was a great night for you as well. In the story of the Passover, we learn several things about salvation.

First, it takes the sinless life of Jesus Christ to pay for the sins of mankind. Exodus 12:5 shows us that the penalty of sin required a lamb "without blemish" to shed its blood for their sins. Jesus Christ is our Lamb. He lived a sinless life and died for you and me so that we could go to Heaven. If Jesus would have sinned one time, then everyone would be on their way to Hell. Salvation's price was paid by our spotless Lamb, Jesus Christ.

Second, a person must apply this sacrifice to their account to be saved. Exodus 12:7 shows that the people had to take the shed blood and apply it to the doorposts of their house. It was not enough just to shed the blood of a lamb, but that blood had to be applied. Likewise, Jesus dying on the cross for your sins is not enough. You must accept His sacrifice as the payment for your sins. Knowing that He died for your sins won't save you. You must personally accept His payment for your sins to be saved.

Third, the blood only has to be applied one time to your account. Exodus 12:10 says, "And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning;..."This is showing that once the blood is applied to your account it will never again have to be applied. Christian, that means that once you get saved, you will never lose your salvation, for the penalty of your sins was paid forever on the cross of Calvary. Once you get saved, you are saved forever.

Fourth, Jesus is coming to rapture those who have the blood applied to their account. Exodus 12:12 says, "For I will pass..." Yes, Jesus is coming again! He is coming for those who have accepted Christ as their Saviour.

Last, you are to tell others how to get ready. Exodus 12:26 shows us that those delivered from Egypt had a responsibility to tell everyone else how to get the blood applied to their account. If you are saved, then you are commanded by God to tell others how to be saved.

Let me ask you, are you saved? Have you accepted Jesus' payment on the cross to be the payment for your sins. If not, email me so that I can tell you how to do this. However, if you are saved, have you witnessed to someone this week? You are obligated to tell others how to be saved. Don't let any week go by without telling someone how to be saved.

Who is...

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Who is the LORD That I Should Obey?

Exodus 5:2

"And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go."

Pharaoh asked a foolish question when asking who and why he should obey the LORD. This question revealed the hardness of his heart. This question showed the disdain he had for the LORD. However, what he didn't know was that he was about to find out Who the LORD is. Yet, leading up to the ten plagues, God briefly reminds us Who He is.

First, we are reminded in Exodus 6:3 that He is "God Almighty." This name shows that God is the all-sufficient God. In other words, His power comes from no one else but from Himself. In other words, God is reminding us that He is all we need. You don't need anyone else, you need God. When God says that He is all-sufficient, He is teaching us that we will never find satisfaction in anyone or anything else other than through Him. Christian, you can search this world high and low to find something that will satisfy, but your satisfaction will only come from God Almighty. Money, fame, possessions, lifestyles or people will not satisfy, only God is the One Who is able to satisfy all of your needs.

Second, we are reminded in Exodus 6:6 that God is the deliverer. God reminded Israel in this verse that He would deliver them from their bondage. Pharaoh could have been delivered from the bondage of his sins if he would have gone to God. Likewise, the only One Who can deliver you from your bondage is God. When sin has bound you with its chains, only God can deliver you. When vices bind you and cause you to be addicted, only God can deliver you. When poor health has bound you, then you will find that only God can deliver you from its grip. Whatever it is that has you in bondage, only God can completely deliver you.

Third, we are reminded in Exodus 7:10 that God is a powerful God. The rod in the hand of Aaron was a symbol of God's power. When God sent the ten plagues upon Egypt, God would often tell Aaron or Moses to lift up the rod. This rod reminds us that God is powerful enough to help us through whatever we face in life. When the world is against you, God is powerful enough to help you overcome the world. When your marriage seems like it will not make it, let me remind you that God is powerful enough to help you overcome your marital problems. When your family faces problems that seem insurmountable, only God has the power to help you fix those problems. Whatever problems you face, only God is powerful enough to help you overcome them.

Last, we are reminded from the plague of the Passover that God is the God of salvation. Nothing else can save you. Only God can save. The Pope cannot save you from your sins. A church leader cannot save you from your sins. Your religion cannot save you from your sins. Your works cannot save you from your sins. Church ordinances cannot save you from your sins. Only God can save you from your sins.

So, if like Pharaoh you ask Who is the LORD that you should obey Him? I believe you asked the wrong question. You should be asking, "Who am I that the LORD would want me to serve Him?" What a great God we serve! God in His greatness wants you to be His servant. What a privilege and honor it is to serve the LORD. Don't ever forget the privilege it is to serve the LORD. For God to give you an opportunity to serve Him is the greatest honor that you will have in your life. Don't pass up this honor for something second-rate.

Unacceptable

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Accepting God's Unacceptable Plan

Genesis 36:1

"Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom."

When Esau first realized God's plan for his life, he was not very pleased with it. He first realized this plan and showed his displeasure by saying in Genesis 27:41, "And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob." Esau planned to get his plan through one way or the other. Esau never knew from birth it was meant that the lineage of the family would go through Jacob. However, through process of time and events Esau came to accept God's unacceptable plan for his life, and this resulted in great blessings. When you read Genesis 36, you will see that God blessed Esau in a great way. Was it the plan that Esau originally wanted? Definitely not! Yet, he accepted the unacceptable plan and made it acceptable, and the results were blessings that he never imagined.

Have you found yourself in Esau's shoes facing the plan God has for your life as unacceptable? Everybody will face this at some point in their life. There will be things that God has planned for your life that you don't really want, but if you want to realize God's greatest blessings on your life, then you will have to somehow make God's unacceptable plan acceptable. How do you do this?

First, realize God is right. There have been times in my personal life when I did not like God plan. The first thing I always tell myself is that God is right. You may have to tell yourself this over and over again, but at some point you must realize that God is right. If you never accept that God is right, then you are setting yourself up for bitterness. Those who have become bitter with God over something in their life are those who never accepted that God is right.

Second, you don't have to like God's plan, but you do have to obey Him. God never commands us to like His plan, but He does expect obedience. You don't have to like that sickness is part of God's plan for your life, but you do have to obey what God commands you to do during the sickness. You don't have to like God's plan concerning His calling on your life, but you do have to obey what God has called you to do. Jonah didn't like God's plan, but he obeyed it. God's unacceptable plan for your life could be separated parents, financial misfortune, children who have messed up their lives, physical impairment, death of a loved one, etc., and though these are a part of your life, you don't have to like them, but you still need to obey God while enduring them.

Third, obedience will bring acceptance. Because Esau obeyed God's plan that he felt was unacceptable, he found that God's plan became acceptable to him. You will find that as you obey God, His unacceptable plan will begin to seem acceptable. Obedience to God has a way of causing you to see things through God's eyes. When you see things through God's eyes, then you will realize why God allowed this to be the plan for your life.

Finally, acceptance brings blessing. Because Esau accepted what he thought was God's unacceptable plan, he realized blessings that he could not have imagined. When obedience brings acceptance, then you will see the greatest blessings from God, partly because your attitude allows you to see all of God's blessings. Christian, if you will simply obey God while you live in His unacceptable plan, then eventually you will realize the greatest blessings of God upon your life. Don't quit on God's unacceptable plan, but accept it realizing that He has sent you through this for the purpose of blessing you to the fullest extent.