Lent: Wednesday, April 5, 2006

Old Testament Lesson

Exodus 7:8-24

We see a couple of interesting things in this passage. First notice that Pharaoh's officials could do signs as well. They were able to do the exact same thing that Moses and Aaron did. Many of us at time want signs from God. But, we should always seek to listen for His voice, for there are times when we can misunderstand signs, and as in the text today, the may be times when there are false signs. But, God's voice is never false, God's voice is never misleading. Listen to voice, above all things, and you will know the way to go.

Second notice that Pharaoh's heart is hard. And at this point, God isn't doing it. Now, the text says it became hard as God had said; but God had not hardened Pharaoh's heart. First, Pharaoh' made the decision to harden his own heart. God in His foreknowledge knew this would happen. Then, later God harden his heart. What does this mean for us? Our choices have consequence. Today, Pharaoh' chose to harden his heart, and that decision had consequences for later God hardened it for him. Today, remember each of your decisions will have consequences, and pray for wisdom to choose wisely.

New Testament Lesson

2 Corinthians 2:14-3:6

There is a different between humility and low self worth. We often mistake them. To think that we must be humble, we sometimes think that meas we must think that we are nothing. That is not humility. Humility is "self forgetfulness." It is about forgetting about yourself and focusing on others.

We are to be humble. But, we are also to remember that we are made in God's image (Genesis 1:26), that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and that we can boldly approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). We must not think too highly of ourselves, but we must also remember that we are God's children, created for a purpose.

Gospel Lesson

Mark 10:1-16

We see in Jesus what matters the most is what is upon our heart. In divorce, he was saying that it is not an "easy out," as it was at times under the law. Jesus says that he came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. And, the standards He sets for Christians is actually harder than the "old law," for it deals with the heart. Our inner heart determines our outer appearance. We must make our heart right, and then our lives will conform to what God wants.

And after this He picks up a child and says that heaven belongs to such as these. We are to have that childlike faith, that childlike trust, that childlike love. And that friends, comes from the heart. Today, how his your heart? As important as your actions are, they must flow forth from what is on your heart.