Reading: Psalms 51-57

Focus: Psalm 55

The psalms are often raw with emotion, honest and open, and simply, human. They don’t pretend as if the world should be perfect; they don’t try and justify God’s actions; rather, they often reflect the reality of the heart, struggling to come to terms with the wickedness which afflicts them, calling out to God as they seek a resolve to their circumstances. However, at the end of all this, they always come back to one place, a place of trust: they trust God, they trust Him with their life.

This psalm (Psalm 55) is one of those psalms. It begins with the plea of David of God to hear his prayers. As David continues, he reveals his struggle and turmoil which is in his heart. He seeks resolve from God, David seeks God to undertake his situation and find an answer. In the end, this is what it all comes down to: “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”

Regardless of life’s situation, whether it was positive or negative, whether they were finding success or overwhelmed by their enemies—this is what it comes down to, in all things, casting all your cares on the Lord. The psalmists all come back to this point, there is nothing to do but trust God, to cast all our cares upon Him. We can try and rise up in life’s circumstances, through our own strength and ability…but often have we tried and come up short. Or, we can leave it to Him and enjoy the journey ahead. When God says, “Leave it to me!” He means it.

Next Reading: Psalms 58-65

Reading: Psalms 18-21

Focus: Psalm 19

There have been times when I’ve often questioned, “God, are you sure? Is this really the way you want me to go?” Filled with doubt, confusion and endless questions of where God is taking me in life. It’s not at all uncommon to ask these questions…there are times when it seems like an endless cycle of learning to trust in God. We know that He has our best intention in view, yet it seems so hard to see it sometimes.

In this psalm (Psalm 19), we have a hymn of praise, extolling God’s excellence seen in creation, overflowing into the perfection and faithfulness of God’s way. God’s way is described throughout as perfect, energising, trustworthy, simple, righteous, joyful, radiant, pure, enduring, sure, precious, sweet, and rewarding. This is God’s way for us and it is a most excellent way.

If these are this is what God’s way is like, then what reason do we have to doubt? The end of the psalm asks the question, “Who can discern his errors?” followed by a prayer to live a life pleasing to God. Is this our prayer, our desire? To live life God’s way so, as the psalmist writes, we may “be blameless, innocent of great transgression” and pleasing in His sight.

Next Reading: Psalms 22-28

Reading: 1 Samuel 8:1-11:15

Focus: 1 Samuel 8:6-9

As people, as physical beings, we desire tangible objects to associate and interpret our world. The basis of science is the observable world, not the invisible and intangible—that which is intangible remains under the category of “theory”. Even in the search to understand the invisible and intangible, it is through the tangible which it is interpreted…which can cause a few problems because they are often nothing alike. The invisible and intangible is a state that can’t be paralleled with the tangible. Yet, we will try, try as we might, to parallel the known with the unknown.

The history of Israel is not lacking of stories of the people seeking to reconcile that which they knew with what they did not know. There is a vast history of idolatry and rebellion against God; against His messengers, the prophets. Here, in Samuel’s lifetime it is no different, the people simply could not tolerate being set apart, different, from the nations around them. They wanted a king! It wasn’t good enough that God was their king…they couldn’t see Him, they couldn’t bow before Him, they couldn’t speak to Him face to face. They rejected this invisible, God King in place of a visible, human king.

Today, as Christians, we may not outrightly reject God’s reign in life, but we still continue to seek the tangible. We pray prayers like “God, give me a sign that this is from you…” or “God, confirm this through a message from someone…” It is not to say that we are not discerning as we seek God’s wisdom and guidance, but where is the trust that God will speak to a person without need of a sign, without need of confirming messages from others. Where is the confidence and faith that God whispers His wisdom in the midst of life’s busy schedule?

I do not say this to discredit the voices of those who speak for God (whatever your view on prophetic words and visions may be), but each person in a relationship with God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, does not need to rely on anything or anyone but trust in the work of the Holy Spirit as they seek to hear God’s voice. Even during the time of Israel, it was not as though the prophets were the final word from God, rather they merely spoke during a critical season where the people of Israel distanced themselves from God, rather than when they were pursuing Him. Even in their foreknowledge, their message was focused upon a return and restoration of God’s people rather than simply divulging information of their future.

Where do you turn in your hour of need? Who is it that you turn to for guidance and wisdom? Is it the pastor who speaks each Sunday? Is it the writer with the title, “Follow these 5 steps to hear God’s voice!”? Is it the podcast who replaces the reading of God’s Scripture? Is it the friend who is “spiritually in-tune with God”? Or do you come on bended knee before the King of Heaven and Earth, silencing everything around you, so that you might hear the gentle heavenly whispers of love, grace, mercy and wisdom which are constantly surrounding you, trying get you to understand that there is nothing more important than sitting at His feet…

Next Reading: 1 Samuel 12:1-14:52

Reading: Numbers 7:1-10:10

Focus: Numbers 9:15-23

In the army, soldiers submit to the authority of the commanding officer. When the commander makes the decision to move out, everyone moves out; when he makes the decision to camp, everyone sets up camp. There is little room to question the decisions of the commander. Whether the camp stays for a day, a week, a month is entirely up to the commander free to move his officers with a simple command.

Such was the life of the nomadic Israelites in the desert. They would follow God’s leading, marked by His cloud over the Tabernacle. When the cloud rested over the Tabernacle, the Israelites would remain where they were; when the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the Israelites would pack up camp and set out until the cloud stopped. It could have been simply a day, could have been weeks, could have been months. They simply followed the cloud as it led them.

One of the most difficult things in the church is the issue of following God’s will and understanding His leading. We don’t have a cloud which goes before us decreeing the paths that we are to walk. The lack of a visible guide leaves us disadvantaged. However, the other side we often miss is that there is still a responsibility for us to act even when we know where to walk. The Israelites, though guided by the Presence, still needed to act accordingly.

We may not have a cloud, but we have the Scriptures. In which are contained guidelines, exhortations, challenges, and even, criticisms for life. So, not every step in life is outlined for us, but we have the entire counsel of Scripture to guide us in matters of life. The hard part is putting into practice (obedience), trusting the integrity of Scripture’s counsel, and walking out in faith that God has not left us without reason. Each one of us has opportunities ahead of us which only await our reaching out and grabbing hold of them.

Next Reading: Numbers 10:11-13:33

Reading: Exodus 15:1-17:16

Focus: Exodus 16:13-30

Why is it so hard to trust in God? When Jesus taught, “Do not worry” on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25-34) and that God would provide the needs of His people, Jesus meant that we could trust God to provide for our daily needs. Yet, we start thinking about the future and how we’ll ever be able to afford a house or raise a family, how we’ll ever live after retirement…the list goes on. Even when we’ve seen God provide amazingly in our times of need, we still forget and look to heavens in torment, “Why me, God, why me?”

Not much different from the Israelites on the Exodus journey. At the point we join them, they had already witnessed the Plagues, the division of the Red Sea and destruction of the Egyptian army. After all this, they still complained that Moses had brought them out to die! First, of many repeated episodes, it was the lack of water which God resolved quite simply and then led them to an oasis to camp. Following, they began to complain about food and their lack of it. Again, God resolved the matter with the well-known provisions of manna and quail.

In the provision of manna, God gave specific instructions regarding His provision. Each day, people were to gather what they needed for that day with none left for the following day. On the sixth day, they were to gather twice the amount for the sixth and seventh day—the seventh day being their Sabbath day. Nonetheless, there were those who thought to keep some for the following day, only to wake up to a dreadful smell and maggots in their food store. Those who only gathered provisions for the sixth day and not the seventh were left wondering what to eat on the seventh when they discovered none had been provided on the Sabbath.

Yet our human nature is just the same and gets the better of us. Even having seen God’s amazing provisions, we still question God’s ability to provide in our time of need. It’s not to say that we don’t save, nor is it that we don’t work and labour, nor is it to say that we foolish expend our resources trusting that God will provide after our lack of wisdom; however, understanding that God provides to those who trust in Him, who call upon Him, and come to realise that their provisions are all, solely, provided out of His abundance. If we would only learn to trust…

Next Reading: Exodus 18:1-21:36

Reading: Exodus 8:20-11:10

Focus: Exodus 8:22-24; 9:5-7; 9:13-26

Reading through the Plague narrative, one cannot help but wonder at what it would have been like to go through each event and see a nation ravaged by the hand of God through the sheer power of nature. What would it have been like for the Egyptians subject to the hardened heart of Pharaoh and his officials? Even at the price of the plagues, so unwilling to release, holding onto their slave labour force. What a price to pay…

There is one aspect of the Plagues which gives us a glimpse into God’s heart during this ordeal. God gave Pharaoh numerous opportunities to release His people, having forewarned Pharaoh of the impending dangers. In each plague, God warned Pharaoh of the consequences if he did not release the Israelites. Interestingly, in the plague of the flies, livestock, and hail, God gave Pharaoh a set time before the plague would be released upon the land. In these instances, God told Pharaoh that at an appointed time the plague would be released upon the land. In effect, this gave Pharaoh a grace period in which to consider the cost of his actions. However, Pharaoh’s hardened heart resulted in the death of man and livestock throughout the land of Egypt.

It is in stark contrast to Pharaoh’s dealing with the plague of the frogs where Pharaoh, rather than requesting an immediate removal of the pests, postponed it until the next day. Here, God gave Pharaoh until the next day before the plague was released. Yet, further from God’s grace is God’s ability to act. In each case, God’s ability to release a plague is heightened by the fact that He sets a time and is capable of initiating it at His chosen time.

It is one thing to have the ability to do something, it is entirely different to have the absolute control over time to do something at a precise moment. With such power, there is no room for chance. And God is no god of chance, He is the God of all, all-powerful and all-knowing. The irony for us Christians is that we, so often, question and doubt God’s timing. Or are we like Pharaoh disregarding God’s revelation to us in all His might and power? If we would only trust and be patient, waiting for God to act according to His will in His time.

Next Reading: Exodus 12:1-14:31

Reading: Genesis 44:1-47:12

Focus: Genesis 45:3-11

The blessing of hindsight is one I’m sure we wish we could replace with foresight. It’s all fine and well to look back and see how it all fits together, but to go through all the pain and struggles during the journey is not something many of us enjoy—after all, it’s hard! Yet, I’ve come to realise, where does faith come into play? Where does character development come into play? Where does the journey come into play if we know how things are going to turn out? The story of Joseph would be an extremely different story if Joseph knew that he would end up as the governor of Egypt, charged with the mission of guiding the nation through the famine.

As Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, they simply could not believe it, but Joseph was able to share with them the wisdom of hindsight, detailing all that God had planned in advance for Joseph and his brothers. “So then, it was not you who sent me, but God.” Just imagine the bombshell this would be to digest for his brothers (and later, his father, Jacob). However, this was God’s plans all along sending Joseph ahead in order “to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.”

This is God; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God of the people of Israel. The God who sets things in motion for the benefit of those who call upon His name. Despite the struggles that one may go through, ultimately, God has the best intentions in mind for His people. As it appears in the story of Joseph, God is in business of preserving and caring for His people and it is no different today.

Through the trials, through the struggles, through the pain…God is there. At the end of the day, God has a better plan for His people but there are no promises that it’ll be easy (as I’m sure we can all testify). Through the journey we learn to trust God, we learn to rely on God, we learn to open ourselves up to growing in character and wisdom… When we begin to understand that God has our best intentions in mind, life is no longer as daunting or as hopeless as it once seemed.

Next Reading: Genesis 47:13-50:26

Reading: Genesis 18:1-20:18

Focus: Genesis 18:1-15

The story of Abraham is one of great anticipation, of which the central focus is God’s promise to make Abraham into a great nation. However, it is also a story of human disruption in the divine plan, as time and time again, Abraham does stupid things because he lacks faith in trusting for God’s provision and protection. God had made it explicitly clear to Abraham that Sarah herself would give birth to a child, but instead Abraham had a son with Hagar, Sarah’s servant. As Abraham travelled throughout various cities, he would hide the fact that he was married to Sarah, saying she was his sister (which she was, though not of the same mother). The list goes on.

So, to further emphasise and clarify His promise to Abraham, God made a visit to Abraham. It would seem to Abraham that he must have been absent-minded or completely unaware to miss three visitors walking by in the open landscape, for he hurried to meet them and invited them into his hospitality. For us readers, it somewhat amusing to note that Abraham does not know the identity of these visitors, yet addressed them saying, “If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.” Most likely, Abraham was merely being polite and requesting that the visitors accept his hospitality.

As the event unfolds, what Abraham made to be a small cause of hospitality turned into a feast (fresh baked bread, curds, milk, and a choice calf). During this time, a discussion began between Abraham and the visitors and it quickly led to God’s promise to Abraham. Abraham must had wondered who these visitors were, though quick to realise who was before him. In the dialogue recorded for us, Abraham and Sarah were in disbelief and fear, as highlighted by Sarah’s words, as they heard the promise repeated by these three divine strangers.

Imagine the difference it would make to our lives if we would just listen to God in the first place. It’s not to say that life would be any easier, but the freedom of trusting in God’s plan for our lives allows us to see life from a different perspective. Life has enough stresses of its own with work, study and family, why would we want any more stress about the plans that God has for us tomorrow? We need only look through the stories of those such as Abraham, Moses and David to see where human endeavour and priority lead us—Abraham had to deal with Hagar and Ishmael, Moses could not enter the Promised Land, and David’s latter family life was an absolute mess. God used each one of those situations to His cause, but how the stories would be different we don’t know.

God has made His promises to us, God has demonstrated His power and grace, God has expressed to us His unconditional love—most evidently expressed through His Only Son, Jesus Christ. How foolish we are, myself included, for continually doubting and questioning the plans God has for us! Matthew 6:25-34 records for us Jesus’ words on worry with the closing remarks, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” God is faithful.

Next Reading: Genesis 21:1-23:20