Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The Passover Lamb

"Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year...And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel (crosspiece) and the two doorposts with the blood...for the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel (crosspiece) and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you..." (Exodus 12:5,22,23)

What a remarkable representation of Christ is found in this Old Testament passage. The children of Israel have been enslaved by the Egyptians, held in cruel bondage. God has heard the cry of His children and has appointed Moses as the one who would lead them out of Egypt, to set them free from their captors. When Moses reluctantly asked who should he say has sent him to accomplish this task, the Lord said, "Tell them that I AM that I AM has sent you." I AM that I AM...I AM everything you need Me to be!

Remember, God is in covenant with these people - rebellion and all. Therefore, because of His promise, He must make a way for their deliverance. He sent plagues to torment the Egyptians. Didn't work. Pharaoh didn't budge. It was only through the blood of a sacrifice that the Israelites would be set free. A sacrificial lamb had to be chosen, one without blemish - perfect. The blood of this lamb on the doorpost would keep the destroyer away as it passed through the night seeking to destroy the enemies of God. The blood protected the Israelites and set them free.

The BLOOD protects us and sets us free.

When the Blood of Jesus covers the doorposts of our heart, deliverance is ours. Our chains are broken; the sting of death is no more. Jesus is our Passover Lamb. He is the atonement for our sins - He sets us free.

Did you realize that at Jesus' last supper with His disciples, they had actually gathered to celebrate the Passover meal? This was right before they went to the garden of Gethsemane, before the arrest and crucifixion. It set the stage for the coming miracle of resurrection. In actuality, Christians celebrate Passover during this Holy Week, just like our Jewish brothers and sisters. The common threads we share is nothing short of amazing. God's word endures forever.

Father, I am so thankful for the Lamb of God who takes away all my sins. Help me remember what Your Son, Jesus, went through for me so that the destroyer would pass over me. Thank you for my Jewish brothers and sisters. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem, in Jesus' name.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Stop, Kneel and Roll

"Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass."
(Psalm 37:5)


I love this very familiar verse. Today, I discovered a deeper meaning for the word 'commit'. The Hebrew word used here is 'galal' (gah-lahl). It means to roll, roll down, roll away.

I want you to picture a camel. He has been trudging through the hot, barren desert, serving his master. The camel is burdened with a heavy load. Do you know how the camel removes the load? His master doesn't just lift it off. The camel must kneel (hmmmm...), tilt far to one side and the load rolls off! He has committed (galal) his work or burden to his master.

Isn't that beautiful? Just let that burden rol-l-l- off to the Master. But first, you must kneel.

Lord, Thank you for giving us a visual to help us relinquish our burdens, our troubles, our worries to You, knowing that You have everything in control. When we kneel, I know You'll be waiting. We love you, Lord.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Dwelling in the Secret Place

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God in Him I will trust."

Who is the Almighty? I know - your answer is God. But I mean, WHO is the Almighty? The Hebrew word is 'El Shaddai'(El Shad-dye) which means 'all-sufficient One'or'life-sustainer'. If God is the One who sustains my life, then He is the One who knows ALL my needs. Nothing is too difficult for Him.

But how do I access this life sustaining power? By DWELLING in His secret place, by ABIDING under His shadow. This means I am hunkering down so close to Him that I can hear His heart beating; I am in a relationship so intimate that we speak throughout the day, I feast on His lovely and powerful Word -DAILY! It means I take time to KNOW Him and I allow Him to KNOW me.

Is He Almighty God to you? Step into that Shadow, the one near to His heart. Peace, joy, mercy - whatever you need - waits for you there.

Father, thank you for Your love, for Your provision. Help me to understand that You have a secret place that only those closest to you can find. I want to hear Your heartbeat.