Easter: Monday, May 8, 2006

Old Testament Lesson

Exodus 32:1-20

The people make the golden calf when they grew tired of waiting on Moses to return. They grew tired of waiting for God's plan to unfold. They grew tired of not having it done the way they wanted it done and in the time that they wanted it done. They grew tried of waiting.

Someone once said the hardest answer to prayer is not "No" or "Yes," but "Wait." We don't like waiting on God's plan to unfold. We want Him to hurry up. And when it is not on our schedule, we do as they did, we take it into our own hands. Now, we might not have every made a golden calf, but just like the people did in the text, we say, well, its not going to happen, lets do it another way.

And just like them, we get ourselves in trouble. If we we will just wait on the Lord. He has a plan, and it's better than ours. Today, what are you waiting on the Lord for? Today, what are you losing patience with? Today, where are you doing it your way, not God's way? Today, wait on the Lord. The word tells us in Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Today, wait on the Lord.

New Testament Lesson

Colossians 3:18-4:6

We see in this passage verses that talk about husbands and wives, children and parents, master and slaves. In each case, they are to do right according to each others. Wives submit to your husband, but husbands, love your wives. So, the wife is to think first of the husband, but the husband is to think first of the wife. When we do that, we find happiness, because in that each person is think of the other, and each person receives what they need. We must not think that we are Lord over one another, but we are to love one another, and lay aside our lives for the sake of each other.

For a marriage to work, each person must love their spouse more than they love being right. They must love each other more than they love their own pride. Too often, we are too prideful to say "I'm sorry," or to admit our mistakes. The only way a marriage will work, or a friendship, or a family, is that you must be willing to lay aside yourself for the other. But, when both sides are doing that, there is peace and joy. When only one side does that, there is discord and hurt.

Today, in you family, in your marriage, both husbands and wives, do you put the other person first? Do you love them more than you love your pride? Do you think of them first? Because it is in these things that we see true love, for our example of love is Jesus Christ, who laid down His life for our sake.

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 5:1-10

This is one of the most famous and powerful passages in all the Bible. There is no way I can possible do justice to this passage in this short devotional space. I will say that notice in each one, there is that idea that we just talked about in the New Testament reading, that life is found in laying aside our life for something bigger. We see in this passage that only in realizing how much we need God can we find life, and that the life of a Christian must, must, must be different. Today, is your life different from those around you that are lost? Today, if you are a Christian, do you live in any different than the world? We must.

Instead of talking further about this passage, just read it, and the let the Lord speak to you right now. Listen to His voice. Listen to what He has to say to you.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Today, are we blessed? Today, are we living the way God would want us to?