My God My Everything

Jochebed’s story begins in the book of Exodus chapter 1. As an Israelite her life, along will all the others, was changed in an instant when a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt and he saw them as a threat. He dealt shrewdly with them desiring to oppress them and crush their spirits. As I read the first chapter of Exodus I wondered how that could happen so quickly. The Israelites were numerous and had become established in the land of Goshen, then in an instant everything changed and they become slaves. Their freedom was taken away from them and they were burdened with…

I was walking down the street the other day and I came across a shop that had several beautiful plants in the window. As I looked at them I notice two specific plants and was amazed by their size. One was a Christmas cactus and the pot that it was in was as big around as my arms when I make them into a circle and it’s shoots hung over the pot with bright red flowers on the ends. The other one was a succulent type of plant and the branches on it were about 6 inches in diameter and it reached from floor to ceiling. The reason these two…

For the month of November we will discover some the many lessons that can be learned from studying the life of Jocebed. Overview – Courageous Jocebed was the mother of Moses.  Her story on the surface may be very familiar, but when you take a moment and imagine yourself in her shoes you see a woman that defines courage. Pharaoh had issued a decree that all male babies were to be killed.  Having just given birth to a son Jocebed immediately went into action and hid her son for three months.  When she could no longer hide him she wove a basket, covered it with pitch and placed it among…

This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24) Have you ever had one of those mornings when one thing after another goes in a different direction that you planned or would like it too? That’s how my day started and as I thought of the old saying that “things happens in threes” I was reminded that that was just wishful thinking. The truth was that I was under attack and my thoughts were quickly spiraling out of control much like the Hulk roller coaster that I experienced a few weeks ago. Slowly and steadily my thoughts kept building up…

Sometimes life can feel like an obtacle course. Our paths are filled with different challenges at each turn that require learning new skills and developing new talents to overcome. But some obstacles are far beyond our ability to move on our own and our only option is to fully trust in the Lord. When Zechariah was told by the angel that Elizabeth would have a son, he doubted and because of that doubt he was unable to speak until the day the child was dedicated to the Lord. He saw a son being born in their old age as an obstacle too big to even comprehend, but no obstacle is…

“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.  He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,  for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.  And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient…

What a gift it is to have a friend who knows. One who really and truly understands what we are going through and just spending some time with them can make the troubles of the world seem smaller. Elizabeth was that type of friend. After years of being barren she understood what it felt like to have people gossip about her situation and judge her based on their limited knowledge. So who better than Elizabeth could God arrange for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to spend time with when she found herself pregnant and unmarried. From the moment of their first meeting Elizabeth knew what an incredible blessing Mary was…

Patience is a virtue that is hard earned. In our fast paced world the presence of patience seems to be an undesired attribute that fewer and fewer people seem to achieve. But over and over again in the Bible we read of the most incredible acts of God that took place in the lives of those who waited patiently. Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias were clearly patient in the waiting. He was a priest and in that position he would have been chosen to serve in the holy of holies only once in his lifetime. Being advanced in years would have added to his anticipation as well as patience with…

The stories of Sarah and Elizabeth are beautiful reminders that we serve the God of the impossible. Over and over in the bible we see what seems impossible become reality. The blind see, the lame walk, the dead are raised and the barren woman holds a child in her arms. Her child. A miracle from God. There are many other miraculous possiblities that we tend to overlook. How about when God gives us the courage to face the giants in our lives or when He gives us peace in the storm. How about His mercies that are new everyday and provide us with the grace to continue to live for…