April 28, 2024, Day 1 of Week 5

Daily Dose of Hope

April 28, 2024

Day 1 of Week 5

Scripture – Exodus 1-3; Galatians 5

Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, New Hope Church’s devotional that complements our Bible reading plan.  If you know someone who might benefit from this devotional, please send them the link.  They can sign up on our website, findnewhope.com, but the Daily Dose of Hope is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Okay, let’s get right into our Scripture for today.  We are starting the book of Exodus and it begins on a dark note.  The Hebrews flourished and multiplied in Egypt but the Pharoah who admired Joseph and his brothers have died.  The current Egyptian authorities feel threatened by the Hebrews.  First, they respond by enslaving them and then move more into genocide.  We can see how fear drives violence and genocide.  But God is with the Hebrews.  The more Pharoah drives to eliminate them, the stronger they become.  I love the story of the midwives. Pharaoh’s desire to kill the boys spurs the women to action. With confident defiance, the women of Exodus 1-2 protect the boys, among them the one boy who will become the future rescuer of the people.

It's here that we meet Moses, the unconventional rescuer.  God has his hand on Moses from the time he was born.  Afterall, he was raised by Pharoah’s daughter!  But Moses knows who he is and doesn’t take long for him to rebel against the Egyptian oppression of the Hebrew people.  But rather than stay and fight, Moses flees to Midian, which is in the northern part of modern-day Saudi Arabia.  He seems pretty content being a dad and helping his father-in-law take care of his flocks. 

The turning point comes in chapter three of Exodus.  Moses is doing his thing, tending flocks in the wilderness, when an angel appears to him in a burning bush.  This is what we call in church language a “theophany.”  A theophany is a manifestation of God.  This isn’t too different from when Jacob wrestled all night with God.  Now, Moses is having a personal encounter with God.  This is his theophany.  So God tells him to take his shoes off because this is holy ground.  God is here and he is calling Moses. 

In fact, we see God lay his plan out for Moses.  Moses is the one God has chosen to save the Jews from the oppressive and violent hand of Pharoah.  Can you imagine what Moses is thinking?  He is probably quaking with fear and doubt.  I mean, God isn’t asking him to bake banana bread for a sick neighbor or even pray with a stranger; God is telling him that he is the chosen one to free the Hebrews from the yoke of slavery in Egypt.  Moses has to approach one of the most powerful men in the world at the time and be the mouthpiece of God.  So it isn’t that surprising when Moses asks, “Are you sure, Lord?  Who am I?”  But God insists.

When God calls us to his service, he isn’t joking.  We can try to ignore the call but that doesn’t mean God will let up.  My own humble piece of advice:  If God is calling you to do something, just go ahead and say yes.  You won’t win.  More on the Moses story tomorrow.

Our New Testament Scripture for today is Galatians 5.  Throughout the book of Galatians, Paul is emphasizing that in Christ, we have freedom. Under the law, we live in bondage.  He is imploring the Galatians to live as free people, true heirs of God, experiencing the fullness of life that comes knowing you belong to Jesus Christ.

In this chapter, Paul speaks to how easy it is to slip back into a life of bondage.  Others use their freedom to engage in sin.  Paul is stating that neither is acceptable.  True Christian freedom manifests itself in obedience, self-control, and love.  Just as Christ sets us free, Paul says that it is the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives that sanctifies us, allows us to better reflect Jesus.  When the Holy Spirit comes and makes a home within us, it begins to transform us from the inside out.  We cannot stay the same people once the Spirit of the Living God is within us.  There should be fruit that demonstrates our new nature.  That fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Reflect on the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  How well do you exemplify these attributes in your own life?  Are some easier than others for you?  Something I find interesting about these is that they are "fruit" of the Spirit, not "fruits."  God intends for us to live out each of these, not just some of them.  If we are very kind people but we lack self-control, then we need to spend time in prayer and ask God to help us with our self-control and then be intentional about working on that trait.  If we struggle with patience, then we do the same thing.  Friends, we have the Spirit of God living within us and that is powerful and transformative.  Spend some time today praying about the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Until tomorrow…

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki