Tremulous (Deuteronomy 31.1-9)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “tremulous.”  The Israelites had a ton of baggage and mess-ups while on their way to the Promised Land.  One of the consequences for their lack of obedience was that a bunch of the older crowd was not going to have the privilege of entering that new land that God was going to give.  And it is worth noting that Moses was among those who would not be going with them on this new journey.  God had chosen Joshua, who was Moses’ second-in-command, to be the new leader to lead the people in.  You could imagine how young Joshua felt, knowing that after following Moses for so many years, he was now called to step up and lead.

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” ~Deut 31:7-9

My question is: what are the tasks in life that you have been called to do, but are sometimes unsure of your abilities?  I can only imagine what young Josh was feeling at this point.  Following a leader like Moses for so many years, and then knowing that you are next in line, and called to deliver God's people to this phase had to be a pretty crazy and somewhat tremulous time.  My prayer is that you take heart from the words that Moses gave his protégé. We have been given the opportunity to take God’s guidance to ready ourselves to be effective for Him.  Go forth today in courage!

Praying for you,

MO

Pavonine (2 Chronicles 2:3-10)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “pavonine.”  We see that in the building of the Old Testatment Temple that a ton of creativity was needed.  There was a group of people called the Phoenicians who were known all over the entire world for all of the cool stuff that they made, and were kind of the interior and exterior decorators of the time.  King Solomon, in building God’s temple, reached out to them to help work with his main guy to make the most incredible and luxurious Temple possible.

“Now send me a skilled man to work in gold, silver, brass and iron, and in purple, crimson and violet fabrics, and who knows how to make engravings, to work with the skilled men ^bwhom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.” ~2 Chron. 2:7

My question is: what are the gifts and strengths that you bring to the table?  There is something inside of you that God would like to use to help others be better.  And just as the Phoenicians were called in to use their masterful skill of pavonine, or peacock-like, coloring scheme for the building of God’s temple, so do you have a ton to offer to the building of His people.  Allow God to work within you today to glorify him through your strengths and skills.

Praying for you,

MO

Iwis (Matthew 5:17-20)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “iwis.”  When I first started reading the Bible, I was pretty confused about the Old Testament and the New Testament. What were the differences and similarities… and why did we need to even split it up in the first place.  I remember my mentor telling me that the OT was dudes like Noah and Moses, and they lived without Jesus Christ.  Then there was like a 400-year hiatus, where we did not hear God speak to his people. Then JC came on the seen in books like Matthew and Luke. What was JC here to do?

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

~Matt 5:17-18

My question is: what are a couple of thoughts that you have concerning Jesus, and what he came to do on earth? It is important to understand the old law and the new. This will help you to begin putting stuff together, knowing why God sent his Son to take care of some unfinished business.  My prayer is that you learn just a bit more each day, even if it is not a ton – God’s Word is never iwis, or obselete. The more we do to know and learn about both the OT and the NT the more we will open our hearts and minds for God to speak in our lives.

Praying for you,

MO