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OceanSide church of Christ
Read devotionals for December 2014
January 1, 2015
Exodus 1:8 - Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
Thought: Joseph had established a successful system of government. His influence had led the people to be prosperous through God’s favor. Unfortunately, a new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph or his God and things turned for the worse. One person can make a huge difference based on his influence. What kind of influence are you being on those around you?
Romans 14:7
January 2, 2015
Exodus 1:9 - And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
Thought: Pharaoh was intimidated by the people of Israel and their success. He sought to bring them down by hurting them. We might have a similar attitude when we see someone else being successful at what they do. Do we humble ourselves and encourage that person in their achievements? Or do we seek to bring them down so that we might be brought up? If the latter is true, we are no better than this wicked king of Egypt.
James 4:10
January 3, 2015
Exodus 1:12 - But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
Thought: Pharaoh tried very hard to squelch the growth of the Israelite nation. But the more he afflicted them the more they grew. As long as Christians stand together nothing can stop them. Any people, whether our government or a foreign nation, will always fail to squelch Christianity. Nations and leaders have tried to stop it for centuries, but always failed. We should always remember whose side we want to be on. Together we must continue to grow as a people in Christ no matter what may come. In the end, it is God and His people who will have the victory.
Psalm 33:12
January 4, 2015
Exodus 1:17 - But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
Thought: Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill the male children born of Israel. However, the midwives feared God more than they feared Pharaoh and did not listen. Sometimes our bosses, peers, or even family might ask us to do something we know is ungodly. It may be scary to think about their reaction if we don’t listen. We must, like these midwives, fear God more than we fear man. Remember that while man could go as far as destroying the body, God can destroy the soul eternally.
Matthew 10:28
January 5, 2015
Exodus 1:20 - Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
Thought: The midwives obeyed God rather than men and God blessed them for it. While God loves everyone, His providence is only for those who are obedient to His will. God promises us so many blessings, honors, and ultimately a home in Heaven for those who are faithful to Him. If we want to receive the providence of God and to live the abundant life, we must obey Him rather than man. Are you part of the faithful in Christ who receive God’s special favor? If not, why not?
Ephesians 1:3
January 6, 2015
Exodus 2:3 - And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
Thought: Jochebed, the mother of Moses, had to say goodbye to her three month old baby. It must have been so difficult to give him up, but she did it to save his life. There are times when we must give up someone in order to save their soul. If someone is living in willful sin and refuses to repent, he or she must be withdrawn from. This would be very difficult if it was someone you were close to in your family or a close friend. God tells us that we must separate from him in order to save his soul. May we, like Jochebed, have the strength to let go if that need ever arise.
1 Corinthians 5:4-5
January 7, 2015
Exodus 2:6 - And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
Thought: Pharaoh’s daughter found baby Moses and took him as her own in time. This baby was a Hebrew, her father’s enemy. Yet, compassion led her to do good to him and not evil. Compassion is a powerful emotion deep within each of us. There are times we might stumble across someone in need. This person might be someone we have never met, someone who dresses different, or even an enemy. Do we walk by on the other side when we see these people in need? May God help us to act as the good Samaritan and show compassion to those in need.
1 John 3:17
January 8, 2015
Exodus 2:14 - And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
Thought: On the previous day Moses witnessed a Hebrew being abused by an Egyptian. Moses, realizing he also was a Hebrew, smote the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. He thought no one would ever know, but people had already found out by the next day. Sin is much easier to commit when we think no one is watching. We must always remember, in the words of Moses, “your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23). Even if no one else finds out, God knows and will reveal it to everyone on judgment.
Matthew 10:26
January 9, 2015
Exodus 2:15 - Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
Thought: When Pharaoh learned of Moses’ actions he sought vengeance. In the Old Testament it was an eye for an eye. However, in the New Testament we are told to turn the other cheek when someone smites us. In other words, we must not take vengeance into our own hands. The person(s) may deserve to be punished for their actions, but that doesn’t give us the authority to be the disciplinarian. God knows what is just and we must trust Him to take vengeance out on all those He finds deserving. We must focus on ourselves making sure we are not one of those deserving individuals one day.
Romans 12:9
January 10, 2015
Exodus 2:17 - And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
Thought: Apparently some rude shepherds were forcing the daughters of Jethro and their flocks to leave after drawing water from the well. They were benefiting from the labor of these women. Moses, recognizing this ungodly behavior, stands up for these weaker vessels and they are able to get water without fear any more. There are many in this world who overpower those who are weaker every chance they get. They take advantage of the labors of others. When we see something like this happening do we stand up for the weaker person as Moses did?
1 Peter 3:7
January 11, 2015
Exodus 2:20 - And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.
Thought: Reuel wanted to reward Moses for helping his daughters avoid the rude shepherds. Moses ended up enjoying his company and married his daughter, Zipporah. When we do stand up for the Truth we will always be blessed. We may not always see how initially, but He takes care of His own. We might be rewarded by the ones we helped or we might just have our needs continued to be met. We certainly don’t stand up for others in order to be rewarded, but what a blessing to know our labors are not overlooked by our Father.
Proverbs 10:6
January 12, 2015
Exodus 2:24 - And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
Thought: God does not want to see his children hurting. Sometimes it may be necessary for a time in order to grow. When it came to the Israelites, God wanted their suffering to cease when He heard their cry for help. What a wonderful God we serve. He is willing to hear our cry for help in time of need and cares for us. Never forget to go to Him with our troubles and cares. He loves His children and will always be there for us. When we are hurting it is not drugs that will help, it’s not money, it’s not sex or any other pleasure of this world, it’s God.
1 Peter 5:7
January 13, 2015
Exodus 3:10 - Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Thought: Moses was personally sent by God to go to Pharaoh and deliver the people of Israel from their bondage. We, as Christians, are personally sent by God to go into this world and deliver people from the bondage of sin. Israel was suffering and needed to be delivered immensely. However, those under the bondage of sin need to be delivered with even greater urgency. Teaching the Gospel is the role of every Christian not just the elders, deacons, or minister. Remember that God does not speak to people outside of His Word as He once did. Brethren, if we don’t deliver these people who will?
Matthew 28:18-20
January 14, 2015
Exodus 3:11 - And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
Thought: Moses felt that someone else might be better suited to complete God’s request. He did not feel capable of performing such a task. Sometimes we might feel the same way about ourselves. We might ask, “Who am I to go and teach these people about Jesus?”. God’s response to Moses was that He would be with Him and provide evidence for his case. We must always remember that God is with us as well. He has given us the greatest evidence we could ever hold, His Word. The Bible is the key to God’s will and to man’s heart. No one will ever be pricked by our words. However, the word of God will pierce deeper than flesh.
Hebrews 4:12
January 15, 2015
Exodus 3:13 - And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say unto them?
Thought: Moses’ comes up with a second excuse as to why he should not be the one to deliver God’s people from Egyptian bondage. He feels he is not equipped to answer their questions about God. We may think of a similar excuse from time to time when it comes to teaching others the Gospel. Unless we are new Christians, we ought to be ready and able to give an answer to those who would question or ask questions regarding God’s will. Let’s study God’s word every day so that we will be prepared to give an answer to most if not all the questions that come our way.
1 Peter 3:15
January 16, 2015
Exodus 3:17 - and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
Thought: God brought the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage and brought their descendants into the promised land. When we reach an age of accountability we are in bondage to sin. Christ, like Moses, is our deliverer. Through Him we can be freed from that bondage of sin. If we partake in that, and are faithful to Him, we then can enter our promised land, Heaven. However, we can easily go back into that bondage if we are not careful. May we always be watchful over our soul’s condition and live our lives in a way that reflects our gratitude for our Deliverer.
Romans 6:18
January 17, 2015
Exodus 3:21 - And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty.
Thought: God not only delivered Israel from Pharaoh, but He provided for Israel’s needs every step of the way. God expects to make sacrifices for Him. However, He does not allow those who belong to Him to go without the necessities of life. As long as we are faithful to Him we will always have food and raiment. In addition, He makes sure that all things work out in a Christian’s lives for good. That is, everything works in accordance with His will for those who are His children. Our God is always watchful and providing for our strongest needs according to His purpose. What an awesome God we serve!
Romans 8:28
January 18, 2015
Exodus 4:1 - And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, Jehovah hath not appeared unto thee.
Thought: Moses brings up his third excuse as to why he should not be the one to deliver the Israelites. He is concerned that the Egyptians won’t believe him. They might not believe that He even exists and certainly didn’t appear to Moses. We could certainly use the same excuse today. Sometimes people do not believe in the Truth we teach or even the God we believe in. However, we cannot let this hinder our work in teaching the Gospel. We do not do it based upon how many don’t believe, but upon how many that do. If we only save one out of every 100 people we teach it is still worth it! Nothing is more precious than one soul.
Mark 8:36
January 19, 2015
Exodus 4:4 - And Jehovah said unto Moses, Put forth thy hand, and take it by the tail (and he put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand);
Thought: We see the faith of Moses beginning to grow already as he spends time with God. Moses, without hesitation, reaches and grabs the tail of a snake when God commands it. This would certainly take faith especially if he fears snakes like I do. Faith is something that must grow. We must continue spending time with God in His Word. As we do we will grow in our knowledge and move away from the elementary principles and into the meat of the Word. If our faith is not growing, then it is dwindling. What direction is your faith headed this month?
Hebrews 6:1
January 20, 2015
Exodus 4:10 - And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
Thought: Moses offers his fourth excuse as to why he is not the right man to deliver the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage. This time he references his inability to speak well. Again, this might be an excuse we try to use as well. We might believe someone with a better speaking ability would be more equipped to teach the Gospel to others. However, we must realize that preaching the Gospel is not about the eloquence of our speech, but the message itself. When we teach God’s Word it pricks the heart and changes lives, not our presentation. God’s command isn’t only for those with great speaking skills to teach His Truth, He commands every child of His.
1 Thess 2:4-5
January 21, 2015
Exodus 4:13 - And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
Thought: Moses realizes that his excuses are not working and finally just asks God to send someone else to deliver the Hebrews. This angers God and He tells him that Aaron can go and aid him on this mission. Friends we can come up with every excuse known to man, but nothing will justify our failing to evangelize the good news. If we do feel afraid or inadequate we can always take someone with us to teach others the first few times. Take someone like the preacher, an elder, deacon, or member who has experience with Bible studies. Accompany them a few times and see how wonderful it is to open God’s book with another soul. It won’t take long for you to gain the comfort and confidence you need to go alone. In time you might just become that someone who others go and learn from.
Acts 18:26
January 22, 2015
Exodus 4:21 - And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
Thought: God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Some suggest that God did not and does not allow freedom of choice in matters of His will. However, they misunderstand how God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. He did not force Pharaoh to say “no” so that He could release His vengeance. Instead, He knew that His request to allow Israel to leave him would harden his heart. So, Pharaoh hardened his own heart which occurred because of God’s request. God loves each of us an would never punish us for a decision we did not make ourselves. How often are you thankful for the free moral agent that God allows you to be?
Exodus 8:15
January 23, 2015
Exodus 4:22 - And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
Thought: God calls the children of Israel His “firstborn”. In the New Testament God describes His children as being adopted. In fact, Paul reveals that faithful Christians will be joint-heirs with Jesus on the last day. How amazing it is that God would adopt us from this world of sin into His family and make us as His firstborn, Jesus. The blessing bestowed upon the firstborn will also be bestowed upon us. Truly, we serve an awesome God!
Ephesians 1:5
January 24, 2015
Exodus 4:24 - And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
Thought: It appears God sought to kill Moses as he was traveling to an inn for the night. Based on the context Moses had neglected to administer circumcision to his Israelite son. Zipporah apparently knew why Moses was dying, probably due to illness, and circumcised their son. She threw the skin at her husband in frustration because of his sin against God and having nearly lost her husband. If we want to be part of God’s people today we must be circumcised as well. However, this is a spiritual circumcision as the sin is removed from the flesh in baptism. Be sure you do not neglect to be spiritually circumcised otherwise God will desire your spiritual death. At that point it will be too late.
Colossians 2:11-13
January 25, 2015
Exodus 4:31 - And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
Thought: Moses and Aaron first went to Israel before approaching Pharaoh. Aaron told them of God’s plan and performed miracles to confirm his message. When the people heard it they were grateful God had thought of them and bowed down in worship. Our message today is of similar contents. God looks upon our affliction and wishes to deliver us from sin. True obedience to His will means our lives will change. Not only will we be saved, but we will worship Him as long as we live. How great it is that God is mindful of us!
Psalm 8:4
January 26, 2015
Exodus 5:1 - And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
Thought: Moses and Aaron had the courage to approach the most powerful man in Egypt with the will of God. Once Moses received encouragement from God and strength from his brother; he did not hesitate to obey God’s plan. We should allow the courage of Moses and Aaron to motivate us to be willing to anyone including the president if the opportunity presented itself. The rich, famous, and powerful all need the gospel as well. May God give each of us the courage to teach everyone from the least to the greatest the gospel of Christ.
Romans 3:23
January 27, 2015
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.
Thought: There are many who do not know the Lord and it is our duty to teach them. However, there are many who claim to know the Lord, but deny him by their actions. Furthermore, we sometimes talk about knowing the Lord and forget about whether or not the Lord knows us as well. Jesus will tell many on judgment day, “I never knew you: depart from me ye that work iniquity” (Matt 7:23 KJV). You might say with your mouth you know God, but what do your works say?
Titus 1:16
January 28, 2015
Exodus 5:4 - And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
Thought: Pharaoh rebuked Moses and Aaron for talking the people into ceasing from their labors and made Israel get back to work. God sent Moses to deliver Israel from their labors and lead them to a land of rest. Likewise, Christ came to this Earth to deliver us from Satan and lead us to an eternal rest. We must not cease from our spiritual labor and remember that one day it will all be worth it as we enter that eternal rest.
Hebrews 4:1
January 29, 2015
Exodus 5:7 - Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
Thought: Upon hearing that the people ceased from their work, Pharaoh made them work even harder. Some days life can be harder on us than others. Things happen that are out of our control. However, this never means that God is not still with us. Israel’s burdens become even worse before they got better. The Father never once stopped caring for them. In time He led to a life they could have never even imagined. Let us remember the same is awaiting us if we stay true to Him through even the toughest of times.
Matthew 10:22
January 30, 2015
Exodus 5:14 - And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?
Thought: Pharaoh’s officers were as unmerciful as their king. It is sad to think about how many people in this world have lost their sense of compassion and mercy upon those who are less fortunate. We may not be whipping slaves but many times we might be lack compassion when it comes to our fellow employees at work, or our spouse at home, or even our children. Great leaders sometimes must “crack the whip”, but that doesn’t mean to throw out a tender heart for our fellow man. Remember how merciful our God is to us and show that same compassion to those around you every day.
Psalm 103:8
January 31, 2015
Exodus 5:21 - And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
Thought: The people of Israel blamed Moses and Aaron for their punishment of hard labor. Part of being a child of God is receiving persecution. It may come from Satan, from strangers in the world, or even from our family. When this happens we might be tempted to blame someone else, like God. Satan wants nothing more than to push you into blaming God for the struggles in life. We must remember that those struggles will make us better in the long run. Blame God for our faith becoming stronger not for doing us wrong.
James 1:2-3
Read devotionals for February 2015