Today’s Reading: Exodus 28; Exodus 29; Acts 7
Scripture: Acts 7:35, 39
35 "This is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush... 39 "But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
Observation: The Israelites rejected Moses. He was even verbally rebuffed with the words, "Who made you ruler and judge?" But notice that it tells us that God himself sent Moses to be their "ruler and deliverer."
Application: When people choose not to accept the good that God has provided for them, their perception of it is perverted and they cannot see it for the good that it is. They could not see Moses as their ruler and deliverer. They were only able to see him as their ruler and judge. Indeed, Moses was their judge, but first and foremost, he was their deliverer (much like Jesus is to us). Why could they not perceive the good of this? It was because of a heart problem. Verse 39 makes it clear: "in their hearts [they] turned back to Egypt." They may have been out of Egypt on the outside, but inside they were still enslaved.
Bottom line: It all goes back to the heart. If my heart is open and right before God, I can perceive correctly the good that God has for me. And once I correctly perceive, I can believe. And once I believe, I can receive. But those who set their will against God, turn their hearts away and turn the good to bad. Because they make themselves unable to correctly perceive, they cannot believe and are unable to receive.
Prayer: Lord, keep my heart right before you. I want to see you as you really are, and to see all the good that you have for me for what it is. Help me to correctly perceive that I may believe and receive all that you have for me.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment