March 6

EXODUS 17 Water is such a vital part of our lives. One of the greatest needs of third world countries today is the need for clean drinking water. The children of Israel, 2,000,000 strong, were in a geographical area that receives no more than 6 inches of annual rainfall. Not nearly enough to support that many people. However, any Bedouin shepherd today knows that those six inches of rainfall filter down through the sand to the limestone base and remains there moving laterally till it reaches a point of release in the valleys and canyons in the area. Over the years the limestone leaches into the water and covers the canyon walls sealing the water in the ground. The Bedouin shepherd can then come along and strike the rock walls in the canyon in a thin spot and break the limestone covering. The result? A spring in the desert. Why strike it with a staff? The word for staff here is also translated some 180 times as tribe. Usually referring to one of the tribes of Israel TWOT says: The ruler’s staff may have originally been a symbol of the tribe and eventually betokened leadership and authority. . . . in the Amalekite war. It is often supposed that Moses was holding up his hands in prayer, but the context says nothing of this. The power to prevail was in the rod of God, the symbol of His power.3 When Moses struck the rock with his staff and when he held up the staff in the Amalekite battle, He was holding up the authority and power of God. The miracle in this passage is that when Moses struck the rock with the authority of God, it produced enough water to satisfy 2,000,000 people. That is the glory of our Lord. Spiritually speaking we live in a desert. We are parched and dry. But if we will come to Him, He will make water to come gushing out of the side of the rock to satisfy all of our need. Isn’t He awesome? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * Job 35 Once I was someone’s guest at a fancy restaurant. The waiters were all dressed in tuxedos. I chose the buffet. The waiter hovered out of sight but none-the-less observant. As soon as my plate was empty, they were there to take it away. They looked constantly to see if I needed anything. If my drink was low they took the initiative to top it off. They looked after my needs, wants and desires. They set aside their own desires to please me. That is what it means to wait upon someone. That is why we call those kind of employees, waiters and waitresses. Elihu is exhorting Job to realize that God is just, and He does listen. Job’s problem is that he just hasn’t waited long enough. I like the way the New Living Translation puts verse 13-14:

But it is wrong to say God doesn’t listen, to say the Almighty isn’t concerned. You say you can’t see him, but he will bring justice if you will only wait.

How do we wait upon Someone we cannot see? We still our hearts before Him. We ask His Spirit to reveal Himself to us. We cling to the promises of God found in His word. We offer up praise before Him. We cling to the hope of His glory. Job eventually saw God’s glory. One glimpse drained all of Job’s bitterness. It was worth the wait. It was worth the loss of his wealth, his children, his health, his self-respect, his wife’s respect, his friends. Wow! The glory of God must really be amazing! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * Psalm 65 “Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion.” What in the world does that mean? Zion of course is the place where the temple was eventually built. But this Psalm is written by David prior to the building of the temple. At David’s time Zion was the Jebusite stronghold which David conquered and turned into his own city. It was now David’s royal city, his residence. He was waiting for the presence of God in order to bring Him praise. He gladly begins to recount the praise that He will bring to Yahweh when He shows up. So Zion is simply the place where Yahweh’s people dwell. His people should ever be ready to bring Him praise. What kind of things does David say concerning the praise of his Lord? He hears our prayer. Can you imagine that the Almighty has the capacity to hear the simultaneous prayers of billions of people and still treat each one as if his prayer was the only prayer offered? I am awestruck. He provides atonement. Can you imagine that with all the horrible sins I have committed that He offered up Himself as the satisfactory payment for my sin? I am aghast! He satisfies us with His goodness. In those times when the enemy comes in like a flood, He calms my soul with His precious sense of well-being even in light of atrocities around me. I am flabbergasted! He is powerful. Can I even begin to understand the height and depth and length and width of His power? I am overwhelmed! He brings rain and the growth of crops. What more can I say? These are just small glimpses of His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor John * * Mark 10:1-31 McDonald’s was pretty smart in developing the golden arches sign. In the days that I was a parent of pre-readers, they could see the sign whenever we traveled. I knew exactly what I was going to hear whenever they saw it, “Can we go to McDonald’s?” Usually the answer was, “No.” Often the reason was budget related. They had no concept of what it costs to take the whole family to eat. We could feed the whole family at home for $15.00 a day. McDonald’s cost $25.00-30.00 per meal. But finances to a child have no meaning. All they know is that Mom and Dad can take them to the store and get them what they want. They don’t have to worry about paying the bills. And I don’t expect them to pay the bills. They don’t have the ability. At times we think we have the ability to obtain eternal life. We don’t. The rich young ruler thought he did. He didn’t. It was impossible. It is impossible for man but possible for God. Children can obtain it because they can trust God to give what they cannot provide for themselves. It is natural because they are always dependent upon their parents. They don’t understand the processes of the transaction, but they do understand their parent. They ask, and he gives. Meditating on His glory isn’t so much coming to understand the process behind which He does things, as it is coming to understand His willingness to work for our good, which ultimately is knowing Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor John