MOSES’ THREE REQUESTS!

 

Thursday, June 18, 2026

 

MOSES’ THREE REQUESTS!

 

The true believer’s heart can’t be satisfied with the hog pen husks of this world’s philosophy. No, the true believer’s heart never rests until it has feasted on the milk and meat of the Word. It longs for the manna from heaven. Moses throughout his long life consistently asked God for three things.

 

Ex 33:13-18

13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.

16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.

17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

 

1. SHOW ME YOUR WAYS! Unlike Moses, our minds are often focused on how we may improve our position, pamper our comfort, or preserve our safety. God wants us to understand that His ways are unlike our own.

 

Isa 55:8-9

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

2. SHARE WITH ME YOUR PRESENCE! If one of the horrible aspects of hell is separation of the soul from God, then it is a little bit of hell to not sense His presence. Moses did not want to lead these people alone. He knew the task at hand was a God sized challenge and, frankly, he wasn’t up to it. Better to not start such a job without the presence of God.

 

Ex 33:14

14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

 

King David prayed…Ps 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

 

 

3. SHOW ME THY GLORY! That God keeps Himself invisible is a benefit to us now. He said, “no man hath seen God” and that no flesh could see Him in all His glory and still live. Yet, it is the great desire of our spirit to behold His glory.

 

Rev 1:13-17

13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

17 And when I [John] saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

 

1 John 3:2

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 

Oh, yes! We shall see Him, but when we see Him, we will be like Him; that is we shall not be flesh but spirit.

 

“And Lord, haste the day when our faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll.

The trump shall resound – and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.”

 

Dear Lord, show me your ways – share with me your presence – and give me today a glimpse of your glory! AMEN

 

FORGOTTEN GLORY

 

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

 

FORGOTTEN GLORY

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 

Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

 

          Being a retired pastor gives me perhaps too much time to think. Removed now from the pressures of denomination and congregation, I can now focus upon my relationship with God.

 

          Verse 16 reminds me that the Holy Spirit constantly assures me that I am a child of God. Earthly pressures try to rip me from the peace of knowing that. The Spirit repositions me at the center and comforts me.

 

          Verse 17 reminds me of my inheritance as a child of God. The treasure and benefits are shared with Jesus! I cannot think that I am worthy of it all. Neither did I earn it.

 

          Verse 18 reminds me that any suffering will be soothed, and any discomfort will be forgotten and any tears will be wiped away.

 

          The Cross is two thousand years behind us, and we have forgotten the Glory. Miracles have become fantasies to be doubted because we are so far removed from them. Worship, once demonstrated with broken alabaster boxes and tears, has mutated to entertainment. We have forgotten the Glory.

 

Lord, please forgive me when, in the midst of suffering, I forget the Glory. AMEN

 

HELP MY UNBELIEF

 

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

 

HELP MY UNBELIEF

 

Mark 9:17-24

17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

 

          Unbelief is a New Testament word! According to my resources, it is found 16 times in the Authorized Version. While the concept of unbelief is certainly found in the Old Testament, I find it peculiar that the word only occurs in the New. I haven’t yet discovered why that is.

 

          Another peculiarity of unbelief is that it seems to be able to cohabit with its counterpart of belief. The distraught father, in verse 24, said that he believed but immediately asked for divine help for his lingering unbelief. I think most of us understand this emotionally while we can’t reconcile it theologically. It is part of human experience.

 

          The Greek word used in verse 24 is apaistia and means faithlessness. It is akin to the word apistos which begins with a negative article and indicates active disbelieving. How can we believe while actively engaged in a life filled with disbelief?

 

          After three years of teaching the disciples, when it came time for Jesus to die, one betrayed him, one denied him three times and the rest ran away. Yet the resurrection so energized these unbelieving believers that they turned the world upside down! We are a pitiful lot without Jesus, but we are a force to be reckoned with when in right relationship with Him.

 

Mark 4:39-41

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

 

Dear Lord, I believe but active unbelief stubbornly hangs on. Help me to trust you more today. AMEN

 

THE REWARDS OF FAITH!

 

Monday, June 15, 2026

 

THE REWARDS OF FAITH!

 

Ruth 2:10-12

10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12 The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord  God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

 

          Ruth’s past was tragic! She, being a Moabitess, married a Jewish man who died leaving her in widowhood. The same circumstance gripped her sister-in-law and her mother-in-law. Both decided to return home, which forced Ruth to make a life changing decision. Should she return to her former life in Moab or follow her mother-in-law to Israel? Her choice made all the difference.

 

          Many of us have tragedy and pain in our past. Often the events of life present us with life-changing choices. It is at these times we must avoid the temptation to sink into self-pity. Like Ruth, we must choose the path of trust and place ourselves under the wings of God. The choice seems easy when we read the story because we already know the outcome, but it is not so easy when the outcome is uncertain.

 

          The long journey to Bethlehem with Naomi was filled with danger and uncertainty but Bethlehem was filled with wonderful “coincidences” that made Ruth the great-grandmother of the King!

 

As the hymn writer put it:

 

Well of water ever springing,

Bread of life so rich and free,

Untold wealth that never faileth,

My Redeemer is to me.

 

Hallelujah! I have found Him

Whom my soul so long has craved!

Jesus satisfies my longings,

Through His blood I now am saved.

(Clara T. Williams)

 

Dear Lord, who catches our tears in your bottle, recompense us who have fled for refuge under your wings. AMEN

STRONG ANCHORS!

 

Sunday, June 14, 2026

 

STRONG ANCHORS!

 

Reading: Acts 27:29-40

 

Heb 6:19

19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

 

          Action and adventure pour from the pages of the Bible as we read the account of Paul’s shipwreck in Acts 27. A storm was raging and four strong anchors were cast to secure the ship. The symbolism is not lost on those who are observant.

 

          A political, cultural, religious, and moral storm is raging all around us. Politicians do not govern but rather spend their time and our money investigating and blaming one another. Nothing gets done at a terrible cost. Culturally, we are adrift in a sea of ridiculous opinions and trends. Religion has forgotten her purpose and seems addicted to applause. Morally, we are bankrupt and can’t even be sure of our own gender.

 

          Deep below the storm the anchor holds firm. It is the anchor of God and His Word. The chain tugs and pulls but it doesn’t pull free. It is anchored in the Rock Christ Jesus! If we anchor to this Rock our ship will be secure and one day the storm will be over. We can hoist both anchor and sail and make toward shore.

 

The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

 

Dear Jesus, You are our Rock in a weary land. Let us fix our anchor firmly to you. AMEN

 

TOO RELIGIOUS!

 

Saturday, June 13, 2026

 

TOO RELIGIOUS!

 

Acts 17:22-23

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

 

          The word “superstitious,” as it is used here, is the very long Greek word deisidaimonesteros and it basically means “more religious than others!” What Paul found on Mars’ hill was a vast collection of shrines and statues honoring every conceivable deity and finally one erected to an inconceivable god. The fear of the Greeks was that they might offend one overlooked deity and so they erected a shrine to “the unknown god.”

 

          Merriam-Webster explains that the word “religious” means “scrupulously and conscientiously faithful” and if that is the strict definition then many of my friends and church members fall far short. In other words, we are not very religious. We are not scrupulously and conscientiously faithful to our stated beliefs. We say we believe in God, but He is regularly ignored and excluded from our daily lives. Even on the day set aside for worship we allow, even wish for, some other pursuit to prevent us from attending worship. No, I’m afraid we are not very religious at all.

 

          What a thrill it must have been for Paul to find a group of people who were already scrupulously and conscientiously faithful to a god they did not know! All he had to do was to introduce them to the One they were already ignorantly worshipping. Once they were acquainted with the One True God, they would abandon all other imposters. Surely, once they were introduced to their Creator – their Sustainer – and their Redeemer, they would continue to be scrupulously and conscientiously faithful. Or would they become like the rest of us?

 

Rev 3:15-16

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

 

Dear Lord, we are so forgetful of Who you are and so casual regarding our worship. Help us today to be scrupulously and conscientiously faithful. AMEN

 

A HIGH AND HOLY GOD!

 

Friday, June 12, 2026

 

A HIGH AND HOLY GOD!

 

Isa 57:15-21

15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

17 For the iniquity of his [ Judah’s] covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly [kept on backsliding] in the way of his heart.

18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.

19 I create the fruit of the lips; [I will restore praise to his lips] Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

 

Isa 6:1-3

6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

 

IT MATTERS HOW WE VIEW GOD!

 

Isaiah continues to see Jehovah in the way that he first saw Him in chapter six, Holy and exalted. This is as it should be! Calvary has made God instantly accessible; we have made him casual and familiar. In making Him our Friend I fear we have ceased to see Him as Lord. In making His Word more readable, through multiple modern translations, we have lost the awesome majesty of His words.

 

WHO HE IS DETERMINES HOW HE ACTS AND REACTS TO US!

 

God is Holy! That is His name! He dwells in a holy place with others He Himself has made holy also. This is both good and bad news. Those who have been made holy by the blood of His Son Jesus will one day dwell with him but the wicked will not. The wicked are so incompatible with the holy that both would be eternally frustrated if the wicked should reside in heaven. Like eggs and golf balls, both are of the same color and relative size, but they have different natures. You might refrigerate golf balls but could never eat them. You might smash an egg off the tee box, but the result would not be pleasant. Each has its own place. They cannot dwell together.

 

GOD TRANSFORMS THE CONTRITE IN HEART!

 

The holy God is easily entreated and responds favorably to those who are bruised with sorrow for their sin. To view our sin in the same way that God views them is to share His nature and opinion. God moves quickly to solidify this and to transform the penitent into a holy being through redemption. The penitent has been enlightened by the Spirit, convinced of his sinfulness, and brought to repentance. God continues to fashion him for His own holy dwelling place.

 

GOD PUTS PRAISE ON OUR LIPS!

 

If Judah would repent and turn from his backsliding ways (see v.18) God would remove the affliction which is designed only to turn him and would replace the pining with praise. But there is no peace, God says, to the wicked. His own wickedness afflicts him. His thoughts control him, and his deeds destroy him.

 

But we are built for praise! Heaven is a holy place inhabited by holy people. It is not, as some think, a place where our every lust will be satisfied. It is a place where our spirit and our heart are revived and restored.

 

Oh Lord! Early will I praise thee! I will bless thee as long as my soul lives. Purge me and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. AMEN

 

SORRY IS NOT AN APOLOGY!

 

Thursday, June 11, 2026

 

SORRY IS NOT AN APOLOGY!

 

Heb 12:16-17

16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

 

          Dissecting words often sheds light on a deeper meaning. Our modern word “sorry” [soon to be replaced with “oops, my bad”]  is not an apology at all and is now generally used simply to dismiss an action rather than to rectify a wrong. The origin of the word is Old English and means “pained or distressed.” It is from the noun sore.

 

          Esau foolishly sold his birthright for a bowl of beans after returning from a hunting expedition. He later regretted doing so and wanted to reverse the decision but could not. He found no place or “opportunity” for repentance though he sought it carefully and tearfully.

 

          Esau was "a profane person," which means "a common person, one who lives for the world and not God." Our English word literally means "outside the temple," or not belonging to God.

 

          The word “repentance” is the Greek metanoia and means “compunction for guilt which includes reformation along with a reversal of a decision.” We don’t see much repentance today, but we hear “sorry” many times.

 

          God's grace does not fail, but we can fail to depend on God's grace. Esau is a warning to us not to live for lesser things.

 

Rom 8:18

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

 

Dear Lord, help me to be more than just sorry. Provide for me a place and an opportunity for repentance. AMEN