Welcome to a group of women who's goal is to encourage each other to put down some serious roots in the Word of God. This blog is dedicated to reading through the Bible in a year. Hopefully you will find the encouragement and accountability here that you need to push through the tough parts- or when life just gets in the way. The reading plan is located at the bottom of the blog. It contains links to the passages we are reading through biblegateway.com. You can use those links or read your own Bible, whichever you prefer.
We are all members of Oak Hill Baptist Church in Griffin, Georgia and felt the need in our own life for a little bit of the Lord's splendor. Please join us!!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Thy rod and Thy staff

Can you imagine the fear you would have if you were told to "pick up a snake" by the tail? I would have run right along with Moses - probably way ahead of him! I read that "serpent magic" was practiced in Egypt from ancient times whereby a snake is made rigid by hypnotism so that it could be picked up by the tail. But here God reverses this and with His mighty power turns a dry rod into a snake and then back again into a dry rod. (Is this what you call a "hot rod"?) The words in Psalm 23 came to me - "Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me." I believe that each time Moses held that rod in his hand, he remembered how awesome and powerful was the God that was sending him out.



Moses objects to God's call with several excuses - "they will not believe me . . . I am not eloquent . . ." What are the excuses and objections that I give when I feel God calling me to do a task? Do we not do the same thing - maybe we use different words, but objections and excuses just the same. Then, God promises to send Aaron, his brother, to speak for him. Wonder how long it had been since Moses had seen Aaron - years probably - and don't you just know their reunion was joyful.


On to Egypt they go, and then the bad turns to worse. Isn't that often the case? The first audience with Pharaoh fails when Moses asks that the people be allowed to leave for three days; the taskmasters take away the straw for making bricks; and it makes the work more difficult for the children of Israel. Moses questions God with the "why" - questions that we all ask, and God explains his "new name" to Moses - the LORD (YHWH) - "I Am Who I Am" or "I Will Be What I Will Be." Could we but remember the power in that name. The LORD is whatever we need at any time, any place, or anywhere. He is all sufficient for "His strength is made perfect in weakness."


Stay tuned - more miracles are on the way.
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5 comments:

  1. localpersonFebruary 3, 2011 at 4:51 PM

    Love your comments on this passage, Barbara. These daily reviews make reading the Bible thru a real joy & don't we feel like we really know these characters because we can so identify with them & their weaknesses!!! Jeanette

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  2. Althea NanceFebruary 3, 2011 at 5:42 PM

    I AM WITH YOU BARBARA I DON'T EVEN WANT TO BE AROUND A SNAKE. AND I AM SORTA WANTING TO ENCOURAGE MOSES BY REMINDING HIM WHO HE HAS ON HIS SIDE AND BEHIND HIM AND ALL AROUND HIM.
    EXODUS 4:24 SAYS GOD IS GOING TO KILL MOSES BUT HIS WIFE SAVED HIM WITH A FORSKIN AND I WAS ASK WHAT THIS WAS ALL ABOUT. IF YOU HAVE A GOOD MEMORY WHICH I DON'T BUT I HAVE A NEW REFERENCE BIBLE, AND LEARNED THAT IT GOES BACK TO THE COVENANT THAT GOD MADE WITH ABRAHAM. ALL THE MEN HAD TO BE CIRCUMSISED AND MOSES HAD NOT CIRCUMSISED HIS SON, WHICH WAS THE REASON FOR DEATH. BUT HIS WIFE CAME TO HIS RECUE.
    ANOTHER THING THAT POOR MOSES COULD NOT GET OVER WAS HIS FALTERING LIPS. I JUST WANT TO PUT SOME OF MY LIPSTICK ON HIM SO HE COULD SEE WHAT A GREAT GOD HE HAD BEHIND HIM. HE DID GET ALOT OF MEAN COMMENTS FROM THE ISRAELITES WHO KNEW IT WAS BECAUSE OF HIM THEY DID NOT GET STRAW.
    NOW I WANT TO PARALLEL OUR SITUATION AT OAK HILL WITH WHAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH. WE HAVE NO PERMANENT LEADER AND ALOT OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED BUT GOD HAS SHOWN UP IN SUCH A MIGHTY WAY WE SHOULD BE STANDING IN AWE OF ALL HE HAS DONE. LOOK AT ALL THE GOOD AND WE WILL SEE HIS PLAN FOR OUR CHURCH. PRAY FOR OUR CHURCH INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING.

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  3. MindyFebruary 3, 2011 at 9:47 PM

    Barbara - I could not agree more with your comment about the excuses we make when God is calling us to do something for Him. It never ceases to amaze me how consistently wicked human behavior is...all the way back to the ancient Bible times! I also LOVE when God tells Moses His name "I AM". That is SO awesome to me! He always has been and always will be. There is something very peaceful and comforting about that!

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  4. TerryFebruary 5, 2011 at 9:01 PM

    This passage really spoke to me about how my sense of timing, justice in the world (and what I think makes sense) is NOT God's way. I can only imagine Moses' discouragement after he did what God told him to do (speak to Pharaoh) and then things only got worse for the people he was trying to help rescue. I love that God gave him very specific miracles to perform so that others would believe Him. I wonder if Moses "did" the miracles when he was alone to help build his own faith? :)

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  5. AngelaFebruary 5, 2011 at 10:17 PM

    God will always be I AM! Barbara, I really am shy by nature (even though my coworkers & friends would say different). I can come up with many excuses of why I cant speak in public or small groups. I am going to pray that God takes that fear from me and gives me a less timid spirit when it comes to speaking.

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