Miriam - Part 1 (The Fugitive)

***Attention***  This month's devotional will be the last of the Refreshing Daily in God's Word. Starting in June this blog will have a new exciting format. Stay tuned for the official announcement.

Bible Reading: Exodus 15:20-27

Key Verse: Verse 17 - “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.”

Key Words: And Miriam 

The life of Miriam is a life of spiritual ups and downs.  In Exodus 2, as a young lady we find her obeying her mother and watching over her baby brother, Moses, as he is floating in a basket on the Nile River.

Here in Exodus 15 we find her as the sister of Aaron, singing praises to God for leading them over and through the Red Sea.

We then hear of Miriam in Numbers 12, when she is questioning Moses about his authority.  As a result of her actions, she was smitten with leprosy (Numbers 12:10).

We last read of Miriam in Numbers 20:1 where she dies in Kadesh as she wandered in the wilderness, evidently a fugitive from God, for the word Kadesh means a fugitive.

Some years ago there was a television series entitled “The Fugitive.”  The show was about a doctor who was charged with murdering his wife, and as a result he was fleeing from the law: he was a fugitive.  Each episode found the fugitive...

Ø  Constantly on the run,

Ø  Constantly living in fear of being found out,

Ø  Constantly in turmoil and never at peace.

Living the life as a fugitive from God will never lead to peace, only to turmoil.  Let me ask you today, are you a fugitive – are you running from God?  If so, you’ll never have peace until you say “enough!” and stop running from God and run to Him.

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

            ✞ Don’t run from God, but run to Him. 

Jochebed - Applying Faith

***Attention***  This month's devotional will be the last of the Refreshing Daily in God's Word. Starting in June this blog will have a new exciting format. Stay tuned for the official announcement.

Bible Reading: Exodus 2:1-10

Key Verse: Verse   – “And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.”

Key Words: she hid him three months 

We all know the story of Moses and how his mother, Jochebed, protected Moses from death and went so far as to put the young baby in a basket and place the basket in the Nile River.  We also know that Jochebed assigned Moses’ older sister, Miriam, to watch over the basket until Pharaoh’s daughter came to bathe, and how Pharaoh’s daughter took Moses back to the Egyptian palace and God allowed Jochebed to raise her son in Pharaoh’s palace.

Through all of Jochebed’s actions she demonstrated her faith in God.  Having faith in God, though, is not easy.  Consider the following.

“A man slipped and fell off a cliff while hiking on a mountaintop.  Luckily he was able to grab a branch on his way down.  Holding on for dear life, he looked down only to see a rock valley some fifteen hundred feet below.  When he looked up it was twenty feet to the cliff where he had fallen.  Panicked, he yelled, ‘Help!  Help!  Is anybody there?  Help!’  A booming voice spoke up, ‘I am here, and I will save you if you believe in me.’  ‘I believe!  I believe!’ yelled back the man.  ‘If you believe me, let go of the branch and then I will save you.’  The young man, hearing what the voice said, looked down again.  Seeing the rock valley below, he quickly looked back up and shouted, ‘Is there anybody else up there?’”

Talking about faith is easy, but unapplied faith is no faith at all.

                                                                                   Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do: 

            ✞ Put your faith in God and put your faith into action.

Dinah - The Defiled One

Bible Reading: Genesis 34

Key Verse: Verse  5- “And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with             his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.”

Key Words: that he had defiled Dinah his daughter 

As you read the story of Dinah and how she was sexually molested by Shechem, it saddens one’s heart.  Most scholars tell us Dinah would, in all likelihood, have been around the age of fifteen.

As a result of the action, Dinah’s brother slew Hamor and Shechem (verse 26).  This is a story that could be told over and over again in today’s world.

But all of this could have been prevented if dad (Jacob) had stayed out of pagan country.  Jacob had gone to the city of Shechem which is in Canaan (chapter 33, verse 18).  This was land his grandfather, Abraham, had avoided because of their pagan beliefs.  The principle here is clear.  Dad, don’t take your children into Canaan (paganism), keep them from the vultures of the world.  It’s your job as dad to protect your daughter physically, as well as spiritually.

A farmer went each week to the Farmers’ Market to sell, among other things, the cottage cheese and apple butter made on his farm.  He carried these in two large tubs, from which he ladled the cottage cheese or apple butter into smaller containers the customers brought.  One day he got to the market and discovered he’d forgotten one of his ladles.  He had no choice but to use the one he did bring for both products.  Before long, as the two products got mixed in with each other, he couldn’t tell which was which.  That’s the way it is when the child of God loses his or her purity – he or she is no longer different, distinct, from the people of the world. 

                                                                                 Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

            ✞ Young people, stay pure.  Parents, protect your children from impure situations and environments.

Rebekah - The Right Choice

***Attention***  This month's devotional will be the last of the Refreshing Daily in God's Word. Starting in June this blog will have a new exciting format. Stay tuned for the official announcement.

Bible Reading: Genesis 24:1-15

Key Verse: Verse 15 – “And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out,  who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of  Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her  shoulder.”

Key Words: behold, Rebekah came out 

Abraham realized how hard it is for a man to be loyal to God when he does not have the backing of a good wife.  Abraham wanted no pagan wife for Isaac and he did something about it.  He made it a matter of priority that Isaac would marry the right lady.

As parents we need to encourage our children to go where they can meet “their kind.”  As parents you shouldn’t wait until your son or daughter brings home an unbeliever.  At that point all your criticism and pleading will fall on deaf ears.

Be vigilant in training and guiding your children on finding the right mate as their life-long partner.  The result of marrying out of God’s will can be tragic.

Time magazine reported (1/22/95) that the earthquake in Kobe, Japan, occurred when two plates on a fault line fifteen miles offshore suddenly shifted against each other, violently lurching six to ten feet in opposite directions.  The result was the worst Japanese earthquake since 1923.  Thousands died.  More than 46,000 buildings lay in ruins.  One-fifth of the city’s population was left instantly homeless.  The destruction unleashed by those two tectonic plates depicts what happens when a Christian bonds unequally with a non-Christian.  Two people committed to each other but going in different directions can only lead to trouble.

                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do: 

            ✞ Make sure you marry the right choice, God’s choice.

Lot's Wide - A Lesson in Disobedience

***Attention***  This month's devotional will be the last of the Refreshing Daily in God's Word. Starting in June this blog will have a new exciting format. Stay tuned for the official announcement.

Bible Reading: Genesis 19:23-38

Key Verse: Verse 26 - “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”

Key Words: But his wife looked back 

When Lot’s wife was told of the impending doom of Sodom, her heart was divided; she lingered, along with Lot and their two daughters (Genesis 19:16).  The Angel of God had to take her by the hand and urge her out of the city.  But instead of hurrying along and being thankful for being spared from such a horrible fate, she looked back longingly at the city, for her heart was still there.  Through Lot’s wife we see the results of disobedience.  Genesis 19:26, “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”

Some years ago I was out hunting in the woods with my dad.  I found a cluster of oak trees that seemed to me to be the perfect place to kill a few squirrels.  So I sat down and began to wait for my prey to come out and play.  It didn’t take long before I took my first shot at a squirrel running and jumping from oak to oak.  As I went down to find my kill, I suddenly heard my dad say, “Don’t move!!”  His gun was pointed right at my feet.  Now I admit I wasn’t a perfect child, but I didn’t believe I had done any dastardly act worthy of being shot!  My dad took careful aim and then slowly pulled the trigger killing the cottonmouth water moccasin I was about to step on!

If I had failed to obey, I would have certainly been bitten by the venomous serpent.  Now, I admit I didn’t know why dad wanted me to stop, but I did obey, and my obedience led to my understanding.  So it is in life.  Our obedience will always lead to understanding.  So let’s not be like Lot’s wife, but rather let’s obey for our obedience leads to our safety and understanding. 

                                                                                 Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

            ✞ Always obey immediately! 

Sarah - Submissiveness

***Attention***  This month's devotional will be the last of the Refreshing Daily in God's Word. Starting in June this blog will have a new exciting format. Stay tuned for the official announcement.

Bible Reading: Genesis 17:15-21 and Hebrews 11:11

Key Verse: Verse 16 – “And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a  mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.”

Key Words:  And I will bless her 

Through Sarah we see though faith is tested and tried, it will always be rewarded.  Sarah is only one of two women named in the long list of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. 

Through Sarah we can learn from her sins.  She took the matter of “having a son into her own hands and gave Hagar to Abraham to bring forth a son.”  That was certainly a sin.

We can also learn from her submission.  She was submissive to Abraham.  In I Peter 3:6 we read, “Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord.”

Submission is key to a life of safety and peace for each of us.  I read the following story that so clearly illustrates the point.

“The captain of the ship looked into the dark night and saw faint lights in the distance.  Immediately he told his signalman to send a message: ‘Alter your course ten degrees south.’  Promptly a return message was received: ‘Alter your course ten degrees north.’

The captain was angered; his command had been ignored.  So he sent a second message: ‘Alter your course ten degrees south – I am the captain!’  Soon another message was received: ‘Alter your course ten degrees north – I am seaman third class Jones.’  Immediately the captain sent a third message, knowing the fear it would evoke: ‘Alter your course ten degrees south – I am a battleship.’  Then the reply came:  ‘Alter your course ten degrees north – I am a lighthouse.’”

Submission is God’s way of protecting us; so rather than balk at and be upset at submitting, thank God for His protection. 

                                                                                       Dr. Mike Rouse                                              What to do: 

            ✞ Don’t begrudge submission, be thankful for it!!

Eve - The Power of Persuasion

***Attention***  This month's devotional will be the last of the Refreshing Daily in God's Word. Starting in June this blog will have a new exciting format. Stay tuned for the official announcement.

Bible Reading: Genesis 3:20-24

Key Verse: Verse 20 - “And Adam called his wife's   name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.”

Key Words: And Adam called his wife’s name Eve 

Eve is probably one of the most interesting women in the world because she was the first woman, the first wife, the first mother, the first grandmother.  Her marriage was the first marriage.  Hers was the first joy and wonder of motherhood – but Eve was also the first to sin, the first to feel pain, the first to shed tears, and the first to see death.

As much as we hear of Eve, you would think she is mentioned numerous times throughout the Word of God, but in reality you only find Eve mentioned four times.

•   First, in Genesis 3:20 where Adam calls his wife’s name Eve.
•   Secondly, in Genesis 4:1 where we are told that Adam knew Eve.
• Third, in II Corinthians 11:3; it’s there we are told that the serpent beguiled Eve.
• Fourth and last, in I Timothy 2:13 where we read that Adam was first formed, then Eve.

As you read the story of Eve, it becomes clear that Adam was the head of the home, but Eve had the power of persuasion. 

I read the following that shows us the power of persuasion.  “Bill stopped in at Abie’s little general store, looking for a bottle of mustard.  The shelves were loaded with salt – bags and bags of salt.  Abie said he had some mustard, but that he would have to go down to the cellar to find it.  Bill went down with him, and there to his surprise were still more bags of salt.  Everywhere he looked he could see salt.  ‘Say,’ said Bill, ‘you must sell a lot of salt in this store!’  ‘Nah,’ said Abie sourly.  ‘I can’t sell no salt.  But that feller who sells me salt – boy, can he sell salt!’”

Ladies, you do have the power of persuasion so be careful of what direction you persuade.

                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

            ✞ Be careful of the direction you persuade others to go.