Seven Days of Praise

 

It might just be good to praise God! Take some time to follow these guided devotionals. Keep a journal of your responses for seven days. See if it might transform your life and perspective. 

The challenge is on!

 

DAY ONE

Purloined Praise

Scripture: Exodus 1-4

 

Heavy bricks. Raw hands. Aching backs. Straw dust. Sleep deprivation. Survival. Little reason for praise. For generations the Hebrews knew these things as their constant companions. Any reason for praise had been stolen (purloined) from them for centuries. God’s people were suffering terribly and for no other reason than they were alive and numerous.  They needed help.

 

In Exodus 3 we read that God sent Moses with a message. “So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians.” What a great thing to hear! At last, a word from Elohim the God of justice! He has heard! He is going to act!  He will see them through!

 

God is the glorious God of mercy and justice. He does have compassion. He will see right done in his time. He is all about saving people from their troubles. In the book of Exodus we see how God performs his mighty work of justice, mercy and compassion for all those who would follow him.

 

We, the adopted descendants of  Moses, Aaron and Miriam, the orphans collected off of the pagan streets, the frazzled slaves of sin, know this through the marvelous work of Jesus Christ. This is the same God who called a group of slaves to be his own and, in a time when praise seemed impossible, gave them a future of praise.

 

God looks at you the same way he looked upon Moses, Aaron, Miriam and all of the Hebrew people.  He sees an individual and a people who need help and compassion.  He also invites us to be part of his great work in the world, to lead people to the Savior so that their stolen joy can be returned.

 

Points to Ponder

·       Read Acts 7:1-53 (a brief history of the Israelites as recounted by Stephen) and write down your observations of the kinds of things that stole points of praise from God’s people.

·       What kinds of things are weighing you down and stealing your joy right now?

·       Have you asked God for help in these things? If not, why not?

 

Prayer: Dear God, I need your help. I ask you to help me to return to a place of praise.  Help me to see through the sorrows, sins and disappointments of this life to the kind of hope that I can seize hold of again. Return to me the joy of my salvation.  Amen

 

DAY TWO

Postponed Praise

Scripture: Exodus 5-6:12

 

Chronic pain, long-term pain, never-ending pain—now those are ugly words. They cast a spell of gloom and torment, depression and resignation. We don’t want those kinds of things in our lives, do we? Neither did the Hebrews. For four hundred years they had been in slavery to the Egyptians. After four hundred years of brick-making don’t you imagine the Hebrews would have just given up?  How many times does a person have to be beaten down by hard labor and cruel slave masters before they give up?

 

There is a reason human beings keep on going even in the face of what seems interminable pain—we have hope woven into our very being.  We were created in God’s image and he gives us his great and precious promises (2 Peter 1:4), so we bear within us this eternal hope that things can get better.

 

No matter how weary they became and no matter how many times they were beaten down, the Hebrews had hope in their hearts because of the promise God had made to their ancestors (Genesis 12:1-3). In the song “When You Believe” sung by the character of Miriam in the film “Prince of Egypt”, songwriters Kenneth Edmonds and Stephen Schwartz penned these wonderful words, “Though hope is frail, it is hard to kill.”  Even though outright praise had been postponed, this tiny flicker of hope could not be snuffed out because the eternal God of Goodness had made a promise to them.

 

Let us remember that our pain is temporary and if we do just as the Lord God has commanded us, as the Lord Jesus Christ has taught us, and as the Spirit of the Lord has enabled us, we will be able to praise God again.

 

Points to Ponder

·        Reflect on Proverbs 13:12. How has hope been deferred in your life?

·        Recall a time when it was difficult for you to praise. What did God do to get you beyond that?

·        What promises has God made to believers generally and to you personally?

·        Read Colossians 3:12-17. How can you help instill hope to those around you?

 

Prayer: Lord God, I thank you for what you are going to do for us in the future. By the power of the Holy Spirit I reach out to take hold of hope for me, for my family, for my church and for our world. Give me the long view—the eternal view—of your work in this world. Amen

 

DAY THREE

Prelude to Praise: Part One

Scripture: Exodus 6:28-7:13

 

It’s going to get worse before it gets better. Have you ever had anyone tell you that before? This is something a doctor hints at. It is another reminder that pain can be temporary. If you have a tumor or a broken bone or an infected tooth, the doctor has to do something. He’s got to cause you more pain to get to the healing place. Doesn’t that seem odd? Recovery from surgery is no fun. But we enter into an agreement with the doctor that we will let him cut our skin, muscles and nerves, causing us pain, so that the pain and poor health conditions we are currently living with would be diminished, if not obliterated.

 

The Hebrews had a cancer—it was the cruel oppression of slave drivers. This cancer, this evil had to be dealt with in a war-like manner.  But they also had something else. The Hebrews had God, the Creator of the Universe, the Sustainer of Life, the Merciful, Jehovah the Provider, the God of Covenant and Promise. God is all-powerful, all mighty, all strong and all compassionate. He brought healing and restoration, hope and comfort, reclamation and strength for their journeys—even through the war of good versus evil.

 

With God, sometimes our path to freedom gets worse before it gets better. And Satan does not want to let us go. So he engages in great spiritual battle with God and with us for our souls. Then God, like a good surgeon who sees exactly what the problem is, also knows that sometimes the pain intensifies before it subsides.

 

Our God is all-powerful, all mighty, all strong and all compassionate.  He brings to us healing and restoration, hope and comfort, reclamation and strength for our journey—even in the middle of the battle.

 

Points to Ponder

·       Where does your strength come from in the middle of your battles?

·       Do you need to rely more on your Savior?  If so, in what specific ways?

·       What kinds of weapons of righteousness do you use the most?

·       Reflect on Ephesians 6:10-20. What else could you employ as you wait for God’s victory?

 

Prayer: I thank you God for my battles. For without them I would not understand how great of a Savior you are. I ask you to give me a taste of the victory that can be ours. Help me to know that the pain that I experience now is not forever. Amen

 DAY FOUR

Prelude to Praise: Part Two

 Scripture: Exodus 7:14-11:10

 

There were ten plagues of Egypt, each topping the other until the final plague that touched the household of the Pharaoh in a very personal way. God gave plenty of room and time for the Pharaoh to make the right decisions for his own people and for the Hebrews. Each plague was announced by Moses and Aaron prior to its arrival. Over and over again God gave Pharaoh the opportunity to change his mind. Imagine how different this would have all been if Pharaoh had acknowledged God! 

 

In the middle of all these plagues, the Hebrews suffered terribly as well. God spared them some of the plagues, but some of the others they had to endure.  It certainly got worse before it got better. What a terrible night during that last plague! Making war with God guarantees sorrow.  

 

It got worse before it got better. In fact, it got really, really bad. What do you imagine the Hebrews were thinking during all of this?  What do you imagine the Egyptians were thinking?  There’s one thing that we know for certain. The Hebrews had God, the Creator of the Universe, the Sustainer of Life, the Merciful, Jehovah the Provider, the God of Covenant and Promise.

 

Indeed we suffer greatly at times—and many times not from things we ourselves have done. We suffer temporary pain from corrupt systems and bad leaders, from the sins of the world, and the sins of our parents.  But we who believe have a promise from our God that our suffering leads us to release from captivity and into peace with him. We must always remember that even when war is raging in our bodies, in our culture or in our spiritual world it is God who leads us into his great future.

 

Points to Ponder

·       What kind of impact has suffering had on your life?

·       In what ways has God sustained you during times of trouble?

·       Meditate on Psalm 116 and share with someone how God has helped you.

 

Prayer: Oh, God my Savior. Thank you for how you have helped me in the past. I pray today for your strength and comfort. Give this same strength and comfort to my neighbors who suffer as I have. Amen

 

 DAY FIVE

Patterns for Praise

Scripture: Exodus 12:1-30. 

 

There are events in our lives that are important to remember. It is important for us to remember how God has delivered us. God knows this about us and he knows how quickly we forget. He is mindful of our humble condition. So when God sets up rituals and remembrances he does it so that we won’t forget his love and compassion.

 

God had given the Hebrews very specific directions to follow to avoid the troubles that the Egyptians experienced. The very specific directions God gave them not only helped them to avoid the pain of death, but prepared them to leave four centuries of Egyptian slavery, and more importantly, to remember his work on their behalf. The very specific directions incorporated the following:  readiness to go, a special type of meal and an offering or sacrifice of the most unique kind.

Readiness, for God, does not imply a state of being perfect, or being cleaned-up or being absolutely prepared for any contingency. It means you are willing to let him do what he is going to do and that you are willing to obey despite your fears. Readiness is required for deliverance.

 

God initiated the Passover—a tradition of helping the Hebrews remember a great and decisive victory of God on behalf of his people. God described precisely why they were to celebrate. In verses 14 and 17 we see that the Hebrews were to celebrate “as a festival to the Lord” and to “celebrate God bringing them out.” In advance of their complete deliverance, God was setting up a time of remembrance for them.  Before they took one step further they were to incorporate patterns of remembrance into their lifestyle and that would lead to praise.

 

Points to Ponder

Each one of us have Passover experiences in our lives.

·       How do we remember them? 

·       What do we tell our children about these events? 

·       Do we tell them that the symbols that we have of our new life with God are far more than just symbols—that they are tangible reminders of God’s deliverance from terrible trouble?

·       How can you set up patterns for praise in the future?

 

Prayer: O Lord, my God, I remember today what you have done for me. Thank you for the symbols of our deliverance. Help me to teach others the importance of setting up patterns for praise in their lives.  Amen

 

 

DAY SIX

Pursuit of Praise

Scripture: Exodus 13:17-14:31

 

The threat of death was all around the Hebrews. Behind them the Egyptian army raged toward them. On their right and on their left walls of water could have collapsed and thundered over them at any moment. And before them the narrow gap that they could see could collapse and destroy all hope. But this was God’s miracle of deliverance. And every one of the Hebrews passed through God’s miracle. As the last foot was planted on the opposite shore, they had the opportunity to pursue praise.

 

God kept his word! God did deliver the Hebrews—and with plunder. They piled so much stuff onto their carts and wheelbarrows that they had more than what they would need for provision ahead! The 600,000 men, besides women and children, literally walked out of slavery and crossed an impassible sea on dry ground! Not one sword or whip touched their skin. That is something worth remembering!

 

You have been given many opportunities to look back and see the times and ways that God has delivered you. How do we know this? It is because you are reading this right now. If it were not for God and his great power and mercy you would have been destroyed multiple times. God’s grace and his power are eternally linked together. Over and over again he has offered the strength of his right arm to you, the deliverance from enemies, the miracles that keep you from ultimate harm.

 

We should respond the very same way the Israelites did.  And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant. (Exodus 14:31)

Points to Ponder

·        What is your life like now because of God’s saving work?

·        How are you now behaving in light of God’s saving work? 

·        Do you need to refresh your memory, repeat some patterns that lead to praise?

·        How should we respond to his great demonstrations of love and power? 

 

Prayer: Oh, God! Let me pursue praise instead of despair; thanksgiving instead of disappointment; rejoicing instead of grumbling. I want to praise you the rest of my life. Free my lips to praise you more! Amen

 

DAY SEVEN

Promoting Praise

Scripture:  Exodus 15:1-21

 

Now the Hebrews truly knew the reasons for unbridled praise! They sang and danced for they had been redeemed! The whole nation rejoiced. Why would they not do so? Four-hundred years of oppression had been obliterated. The oppressors had been completely stopped by God’s mighty right arm. Nature had been deployed on their behalf. Fire, cloud and water were the defensive weapons of their Savior.

 

Moses’ voice range out, “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted.” And then, as one voice, the entire nation joined in! They had everything to celebrate. This was their very personal God and he deserved their very personal, individual and corporate praise. The moment was ripe for praise. “The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him.”

 

They retraced all of the events together, singing of the sure victory provided by their God.  Aaron, Miriam, their families, their cousins and their neighbors raised their voices in adulation. No one else could have provided such a deliverance! He was most worthy of their praise.

 

And then Miriam picked up a tambourine and delighted the Lord with praise that could not be constrained to just her voice. Her entire being was employed to praise God. She took Moses’ phrase of personal rejoicing and turned it into an exhortation for her people. There was still more singing to be done!  “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.”

 

Today, remember what God has done for you, your family, your church and your world. You need to sing to the Lord today for he is indeed highly exalted! Write a song to God, declare it publicly, rejoice with your whole being! Lead your people in praising God for what he has done!

 

Points to Ponder:

·        Have you written down God’s victories in your life? Do so in detail thanking him at every word.

·        Have you shared these with other—even the “old victories”?

·        Read Psalm 118 standing up, out loud and with gusto—in front of your Bible Study, family or during your personal devotional time. What did it feel like to praise God in such a way?

·        Sing your favorite praise song as loud as you can and from the depths of your heart.

 

Prayer: Oh, God, you are my God and I praise you today. May my life be filled with praise and thanksgiving to you for all that you have done and all that you will do. I use every fiber of my being to give you praise so that others may join me in the celebration. Amen

 

Excerpts from Who is God? A Devotional JourneyThrough Genesis and Exodus by M.R. Hyde

© M.R.Hyde 2024

 

The Humility of Christ

I love thunderstorms.  I always have and I always will. Even as a child I was completely energized by them.  We spent the better part of my childhood in the Rocky Mountains and my mother can testify that I almost always ran to the biggest window when the thunder and lightning started.  She would caution me and tell me to move away in case the lightning came too close.  But I just couldn’t help myself.  Even when I lived in San Diego (I was privileged to live near the beach) when big storms were forecast you could find me standing on the edge of Sunset Cliffs awaiting the coming storms.  There is nothing quite like getting a full blast of ocean wind pushing against you as the clouds roll into the coastline.  You can see the storm coming for miles.  At first you can see a fist-sized cloud in the distance and then it begins to dominate the landscape.  And then, just as in the wonderful Rocky Mountains, you run back inside like crazy to avoid the lightning and getting thoroughly soaked.

As a child I don’t think I quite understood why I loved these storms so much.  But as I grew older and my theology of God became more deeply rooted, I saw the demonstration of God’s divine power in these storms.  Maybe that’s why I run head-long into them, stand and stare out the window with a huge smile on my face.  When the thunder shakes the walls the only thing I can think is, “God’s in charge!  God is in charge!  God is in charge!”

I love the Scriptures that reflect this absolute power and glory of God.  Just listen to some of these.

Psalm 19:1-6

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.  There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.

Psalm 68:4 (This is one of my favorite images of God in his glory)

Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds— his name is the LORD— and rejoice before him.

Job 37:2-7

Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth. He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth. After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back.

God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.' So that all men he has made may know his work, he stops every man from his labor.

Romans 1:20

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Sometimes in this so-called scientific age I think we miss the wonder and the glory of God.  His power is evident everywhere.  And yet, a simple scientific explanation seems to seize hold of these ideas and shake the life out of them.  Or maybe our pedantic life washes out the wonder of a God so huge, so triumphant and full of glory.

I wonder what it was like to stand at the base of Mount Hermon and feel the mountain shake while Moses ascended to speak with the Lord.  Or what it might have been like to stand next to Elijah as the flames consumed the pitiful sacrifices of all the priests of Baal? I can only imagine the incredible demonstration of God’s power and glory as the walls of water stood at attention by his command giving passage to weary and frightened former slaves leaving Egypt. 

Do we have a sense of wonder and reverence for God in his glory?  Do we recognize the unlimited breadth of his authority as Creator?  Perhaps if we did we would follow the admonition of the Psalmist when he wrote this.

Psalm 29

Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.

The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.

The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning.

The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.

The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.

This Psalm also reminds us of God’s power when floods rage over the canvas of the earth.  Flood victims are very aware of the awesome power of God when they see all the man-made things that are so quickly washed away by the power of the creation. This kind of power, a tiny reflection of the power of God in his glory, should never be forgotten.  It is said that “imitation is the highest form of a compliment.” Well, no matter how many dams we build, or how high our structures rise, or how much mud and concrete we pump into a tiny hole in the ocean floor we cannot come near the power and glory of God on high. 

The remembrance and recognition of this kind of power and glory provides us with the perfect compliment and contrast to our key passage of Scripture.  It is an ancient hymn found in Philippians 2:6-11.  It is a theologically profound and beautiful song about Jesus.

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself

and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
   

The phrase “being in the very nature God” has also been rendered other ways. “For the divine nature was his from the first.” (New English Bible) “Although he existed in the form of God” (New American Standard & KJV) or “He had equal status with God” (The Message) or “Though he was God” (New Living Translation).  All of these phrases render one reality—Jesus Christ is God.  It was his voice that thundered on Mount Hermon. It was his voice that commanded the waters to rise into walls at the Red Sea.  It is he who rides on the clouds.  As Christians this is one our essential doctrines of faith—Jesus Christ is one with the Father and the Spirit—One God in three persons.

This is why the Apostle Paul was so ardent about reminding the Philippian church why they really gathered together.  This wonderful, small letter which Paul wrote late in his life from prison, urges a group of beloved believers to live into the power and glory of Christ.  But not just based on the typical kinds of power of which we have read. There is another power that is equally strong and another kind of glory, equally great, that must always be kept in mind.  This is the power of Christ’s humility.

As we review this splendid passage from Philippians, take note of particular phrases:  made himself nothing, nature of a servant, human likeness, humbled himself, obedient to death!  The purpose of the incarnation—the fancy theological word for Jesus Christ coming to earth in the flesh—is made profoundly clear here.  It was the intent and purpose and work of Jesus Christ to take all that power, all that glory, all that authority and funnel it down into a bag of skin and bones.  It was the intent and purpose and work of Jesus Christ to take all that thunder, all that lightening and willingly relinquish it to be a servant to the entire human race.  It was the intent and purpose of Jesus Christ to absolutely humble himself—truly, deeply and honestly—even to the point of a cruel death on the cross.

Let’s review the demonstration of Christ’s humility:  1) born of a virgin in a barn among cattle, 2) lived as a hard-working, blue-collar carpenter for most of his earthly life, 3) lived out true servanthood by healing, preaching, feeding, restoring and giving life back, 4) he took common people for disciples, 5) never owned a home, 6) submitted himself to earthly authority—even when they were wrong, and 7) died for all, not just for some.

And in that dying—oh, that dying!—he demonstrated ultimate humility.  At no point in the crucifixion process did Jesus Christ shake his finger in the face of the authorities and say, “You should know who I am.  And if you did you would never talk with me this way.  If you knew who I was you wouldn’t dare to speak to me like you do.  If you had an inkling of what I was capable of you would tremble at the thought of putting nails into these hands and these feet.”  Ladies and gentlemen, never once did Jesus Christ say these things. Never once did he open his mouth and wipe them all out as he could have. Sure he rebuked the religious leaders and he put them into their place with the very Scriptures they already knew.  Sure he slipped through the crowds of lame, blind and hungry to fellowship with the Father.  But never once did he act like a capricious pagan god calling down fire, thunder and rain just to make people afraid of him. 

No, quite on the contrary all that power and glory were funneled into a death—a death that would pay the price for all human sin.  Oh, the absolute glory of the humility of Jesus Christ! Now that’s some kind of backwards glory!  This wasn’t thunder.  This was devastating silence.  When all around the demons and enemies of God were celebrating in an uproar, his quiet, humble sacrifice undid them all!  Is this not a true demonstration of his glory?!

Read the rest of this great hymn now, because that’s not where the story ends—Praise God!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

His act of absolute, redemptive humility led to his complete return to glory—the exaltation by the Father—for the work he had done to redeem his very own creation. This final portion of the great, ancient hymn reminds us of our position with Christ.  We will never attain unto his status as exalted of the Father.  No, there is only One.  Our ultimate position is one of humility—bowing at his feet. It is clear from this final part of the hymn that whether we choose to acknowledge Jesus as Lord or not we will be kneeling before him. We all have a choice—kneel as worshipers or kneel as conquered sinners.

  

There is sometimes a subtle temptation in the Christian walk.  We can claim the glory of God and use it as a weapon to beat people into submission.  We can walk about with a haughty attitude believing that we are better than everyone else because we have accepted Christ as our Savior.  We can use the Scriptures—designed to lead the way to Christ—as a machine gun to show how knowledgeable we are.  May the God of all glory help us!  Who are we to take such an attitude as that?!

Oh, that we would be like Jesus!  By re-visiting this great and ancient hymn the Apostle Paul was reminding believers that there is no place for self-aggrandizement and pride. In fact, the very direct and loving Apostle Paul housed this great ancient hymn in some very practical holiness.  He was intent upon teaching and reminding these believers that the example of Jesus Christ can never be subverted or superseded.  His was the ultimate humility—one which we are to practice toward and one from which we can learn all of our lives.

Scroll back with me to Philippians 2:1-5 to begin to understand why Paul was so intent on shaping the Christian community by quoting this great hymn.

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus . . .  

Our your attitude should be the same of the humble and glorified Christ.

There is another great song in Scripture.  We could call it a hymn because it is an absolute joyful celebration of Jesus Christ—the truly glorified and humble Savior of our souls.  As you read this contemplate your attitude of humility.  Do you have one?  Do you need one?  Do you need to return to one so the you can kneel—truly kneel—and worship the God of glory?

John 1:1-5, 10-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Maybe you have just heard the voice of God thundering through the Scriptures.  Maybe you have been hit by the lightning bolt of the conviction as we looked upon the example of Jesus Christ. Maybe the sweet, sweet rain of the Holy Spirit has been coursing down over your hardened heart.  Whatever God has been doing, be sure that it is for your salvation.

May we never forget the absolute humility of Jesus Christ and how he purchased our redemption.  May we fall heavily onto our knees looking for the day when we can gather with all the redeemed and cry “Glory! Glory! Glory!” 

Amen

Copyright M.R. Hyde 2013

 


Greetings, dear reader.  Last week we came to the conclusion of our good, hard work of asking who God is by reading and meditating on Genesis and Exodus.  I will now begin the good, hard work of revising those devotionals to be put in to book form.  I will let you know when that is available.  

In the next few weeks we will enjoy some jaunts into different passages of Scripture.  But, as you can tell, I am prone to series.  So, pray that the Lord would lead us to the next best series. 

I'm glad you are with me on this journey!  Recommend it to your friends and we'll all walk with The Word.