Passage of the Day:
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.[f]) 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. 26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water, Exodus 15:22-27.
Reflection:
Any eyewitness of a miracle usually spiritually propels Christians for an extended period of time. However, when the memory of this miracle fades from minds, replaced by a current trial, the second guessing of God commences. This is the context of today’s passage as Israel’s celebration of God’s parting of the Red Sea had come to an end, 45 days later. Dying of thirst, God provides what I call the Three Pre-Commandments. God gives Israel 3 instructions to follow: carefully listen to God, do what’s right in the Lord’s eyes and pay attention to ALL of the commands uttered by God.
Prayerful Action:
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says, James 1:22.
Retracing Your Steps:
Anyone can listen to a person talking. However, actually remembering what someone is saying requires concentration, desire, and focus. If the leaders of Israel applied what the Lord said at Elim, there would have been no need for Ten Commandments. Meanwhile, their forty-year journey in the wilderness to the promised land of Canaan would have taken less than a year to reach. This is a prime example of merely listening to God without taking any actions.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
Although Easter Sunday has passed for this year, the lyrics of Watch the Lamb serve as a daily reminder of what happened nearly 2,000 years ago on Good Friday. May today’s devotion inspire you to increase your abilities to listen to God in 2024.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 