For the past few years, I have read the Bible through using one
of the Bible reading plans through Bible Gateway. I like to mix it up and so one year I read it
just as it is, from beginning to end. Another year I read it using their
“Historical” plan which allows you to read the books of the Bible as they were
written historically, according to the estimated date of their writing. The third way I have read the Bible through
was Chronologically,
where you read it in the chronological order in which its stories and events
occurred.
This year I decided to read it chronologically again but change
the version of Bible that I would use.
After much consideration, I finally decided to use The Message, which is a contemporary version that would hopefully
bring the scripture more alive and possibly make some of the verses that are
hard to understand…more understandable!
Now please…before I get e-mails from some of you that strongly
dislike The Message…I understand that
not all of the verses have been translated in an exact way in this particular
translation. I still refer to my other
versions for study…but I just felt I wanted a change of pace this year during
my devotional time.
What I’m finding myself doing this year, is reading a verse and
if the words are really contemporary, I then re-read it in one of my other
translations to see how it compares.
This past week I came across a verse that first made me laugh out
loud…and then sent me scrambling to see how other versions listed it.
The verse was in Exodus 14.
This chapter speaks of the time after Pharaoh finally let the Israelites
go from Egypt. After they left, God told
Moses to have them turn around and make camp at Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and
the sea. God told Moses that He would
then make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn again and he and his soldiers would chase
after them. God said that He would use
Pharaoh and his army to put His Glory on display and then the Egyptians would
realize that He was God.
And that’s exactly what happened. The problem was that when the Israelities saw
the Egyptians coming after them…they freaked.
Scared out of their wits, they cried out to Moses and said, “Weren’t the cemeteries large enough in
Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have
you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? Back in Egypt didn’t we tell you this
would happen? Didn’t we tell you, ‘Leave us alone here in Egypt—we’re better
off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness.’”
Whine…whine…whine. They
had so desperately wanted to leave Egypt, but when God provided a way for them
to do just that, they lost their cool and began to panic. I’m sure glad I’ve never done that (and if
you believe that…I have some swamp land to sell you)!
Moses’ answer to them was so powerful and this is where his
words, coming from The Message, just
jumped off the page at me. He said in
Exodus 14:13, “Don’t be afraid. Stand
firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at
the Egyptians today for you’re never going to see them again.” And then verse 14, which made me laugh read, “God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!”
Granted, this isn’t how the verse is worded in the King James
Version…but it sure got my attention!
How often do I act just like the Israelites? Life gets a little harried and I see trouble
coming my way and I freak, forgetting everything God has already done for me. Instead of standing firm and allowing God to
work in miraculous ways, I whine on and on and on and I have a feeling that God
wants to say to me, “LuAnn…let Me handle this and you just keep your mouth
shut!”
The New International
Version states these verses in this way: “Moses
answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the
deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will
never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’” Hmmmmm…I’ve read this before and always just
thought about my body being still...but never thought about making sure my
mouth was also still.
I’m currently going
through a time in my life where I feel the stress rising. I can see things on my horizon that are
making me freak and panic, even though I know my God has never let me down and
has never made me walk a journey alone.
Instead of trusting, it is easy for me to slip into whining about the
circumstances that I’m in and then allow the “what-ifs” of life to overwhelm
me.
Once again, God has to
remind me to be still…and keep my mouth shut. He knows what my tomorrow will
bring and already has the details under control. If I’m always whining and complaining…I just
might miss hearing Him share His plans with me.
Let’s face it. If He could split
the Red Sea for the Israelites and provide manna each day for them to eat…I’m
guessing He can handle whatever is in my today AND my tomorrow. So today I’m going to practice standing firm,
keeping my mouth shut and letting Him handle the battle for me. I have a feeling He will do a much better job
than I would!
“Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t
try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen
for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s
the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t
assume that you know it all.
Run to
God! Run from evil!
Your
body will glow with health,
your
very bones will vibrate with life!”
Proverbs
3:5-8 (The Message)
Just the thing I needed today. Thank you.
ReplyDelete