Quiet Walk

[Judy Harder]

January 27

Exodus 2

Moses is born and later flees to Midian.

INSIGHT

God is sovereign in all the earth; we must never forget that. Much inner distress in life comes from losing sight of that one fact.

The same God who cared for Moses promises to care for us -- perhaps not as dramatically, but just as certainly. The peace that God promises -- the peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7) -- is ours only if we embrace that fundamental truth.

PRAYER

· In full confidence of the sovereignty of God in your circumstances, give praise to God with this passage from the prophet Isaiah:

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in
(Isaiah 40:21-22).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me
(Psalm 38:4).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· God's sovereign will to be done on earth as it is in heaven,
· greater righteousness in your community,
· your prayer list.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned
(Revelation 11:17). 

[Judy Harder]

January 28
Exodus 3

God calls Moses to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.

INSIGHT

The wisdom of Egypt was not adequate to equip Moses to serve God, so God took him out of the limelight -- into solitude and obscurity. There Moses met God and learned to walk with Him.

The pattern was the same for many of God's servants: Joseph, David, Daniel, Paul, and John. Occasionally it will appear as though we have been set aside. Properly used, that time will equip the Lord's servant for the next level of ministry.

Be faithful. Without deserts, there are no deliverers.

PRAYER

· Regardless of your circumstances, lift up your heart to God in praise.

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land
(Psalm 95:1-5).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:

Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged (Isaiah 6:7).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· a heart filled with thanksgiving for the opportunity to worship the living God,
· your pastor and worship leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

But now, O Lord,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand
(Isaiah 64:. 

[Judy Harder]

January 29

Exodus 4

Aaron is appointed to help Moses.

INSIGHT

God does not need any one of us. He wants us and He would like to use us, but God does not need us. Take away one person, and the work of God is not diminished -- it goes on.

When God calls us to a ministry, it is for our benefit. If we are unwilling or impure, He can get the work done through someone else. We must realize that everything God asks of us is ultimately for our benefit -- even serving Him. Moses is a good example of that fact.

PRAYER

· Offer the Lord your praise for His goodness through the words of this psalm:

Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Give to the Lord glory and strength.
Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him.
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
Tremble before Him, all the earth
(1 Chronicles 16:28-30).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:

You, even You, are He who blots out my
transgressions for Your own sake;
And You will not remember my sins
(based on Isaiah 43:25).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your development of an eternal perspective,
· needs of work or school mates,
· today's activities.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen
(based on 2 Peter 3:18). 

[Judy Harder]

January 30

Exodus 5

Israel's affliction increases.

INSIGHT

When troubles come upon us, instinctively the first question we ask is: "Why?" "Why me, why this, why now?" That is what Moses asked in verse 22. Yet, in retrospect, we see that the question was premature. We now know why -- since hindsight is better than foresight.

How long will it take the Lord to deliver us from our troubles? Usually just a little longer than we thought we could tolerate. We must remember the example of Moses when we are tempted to ask the Lord, "Why?"

PRAYER

· Even in the midst of trials, we can praise the Lord, who hears us and cares for us:

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:

In returning and rest I shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be my strength
(based on Isaiah 30:15).

· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:.

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your prayer list.

· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
(Psalm 27:13-14). 

[Judy Harder]

January 31

Exodus 6

Moses is reassured by God.

INSIGHT

Throughout the Bible, God becomes more and more intimate with His people. By His official title, El Shaddai, God made Himself known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But now He tells Moses His name: Jehovah. Then in the Gospels, God becomes even more personal -- as Jesus becomes incarnate. And in Acts and the Epistles, we discover that God comes to live in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit.

The final act of intimacy will be when God brings us home. Then we can fellowship with Him face to face and forever.

PRAYER

· Let us praise our intimate God with the words of the psalmist:

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord
(Psalm 104:33-34).

For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light
(Psalm 36:9).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:

O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled
(Psalm 6:1-3).

· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

· a stronger desire for Christ to live through you,
· churches across the nation,
· the concerns of your heart.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

The Lord shall preserve us from all evil;
He shall preserve our souls.
The Lord shall preserve our going out and our coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore
(based on Psalm 121:7-8). 

[Judy Harder]

February 1
Exodus 7

The plagues against Pharaoh and Egypt begin.

INSIGHT

In this chapter, as the Lord speaks to Moses, we read the remarkable words, "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh" (Exodus 7:1). To the world, God's children often stand in the place of God. We are the only Bible they will read-all of Jesus they will see.

It is vital that we represent the Lord accurately. Of course, no mortal man can do so in any complete sense, but in a representative sense we must. It does not mean we must be perfect, but it does mean we are to give those around us a glimpse of who Jesus really is.

Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Commit yourself to Christlikeness and believe that the Lord will multiply your life as others see Him in you.

PRAYER

· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of humble praise:

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
And because of Your truth.
Why should the Gentiles say,
"Where now is their God?" (Psalm 115:1).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:

O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).

· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word by reflecting on Jesus' words:

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest,
· your prayer list.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works
(Psalm 73:28). 

[Judy Harder]

February 2
Exodus 8

Additional plagues are inflicted upon Egypt.

INSIGHT

In the Old Testament, God makes a distinct difference between how He treats the Jewish nation and how He treats others. God lets none of the plagues that fall on Egypt fall upon Israel.

How we wish sometimes that God would do the same for us in the church! How we wish that, because we are Christians, we would have none of the unpleasant things happen to us that happen to the world!

We must recognize that in the Old Testament, God wants the recognizable difference between Israel and the world to be physical. In the New Testament, He wants that difference to be spiritual. In the Old Testament, God's blessing is the fruit of the vine. In the New Testament, it is the fruit of the Spirit. We must focus on spiritual blessings to be the difference between us and the world.

PRAYER

· Think about how you have been spiritually blessed as you offer your praise to God:

Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:

Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).

For there is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin
(Ecclesiastes 7:20).

· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:

The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him (Ezra 8:22).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church,
· today's activities.

· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).

[Judy Harder]

February 3

Exodus 9

The plagues on Egypt intensify.
INSIGHT

Frogs and gnats? Boils and hail? Water into blood? What strange plagues! What reasoning went behind the selection of plagues? Were they chosen at random, or was there design behind it? Though we might not always be able to discern it, the God of omniscience does nothing without design. The Egyptians worshiped odd and debased gods. Each plague was designed to strike at the credibility of an Egyptian god and manifest the barrenness of belief in these objects.

God does the same today. Our gods are fortune, power, beauty, talent, and intelligence. There's nothing wrong with them as servants, but when we worship them, they are cruel. God shows the barrenness of worshiping them by allowing people without them to be deeply joyful while those who worship them are tortured. Again, today, God's personal mark of blessing is the fruit of the Spirit and not necessarily of the vine. Joy is found in God, not things.

PRAYER

· Offer the Lord praise for the joy He gives:

Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain
(Psalm 104:1-2).

· Pray this confession to the Lord:

Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning
(Psalm 30:4-5).

· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:

O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance
(Psalm 16:5-6).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living life,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· the concerns of your heart.

· Now offer this prayer of worship:

Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).

[Judy Harder]

February 4
Exodus 10

Pharaoh's will hardens.

INSIGHT

God does not compromise. Moses asks Pharaoh to let the nation of Israel go into the wilderness to worship God. Pharaoh refuses but says the men can go. But those are not God's instructions.

Pharaoh pays the price. But, while God does not compromise, He does forgive. With the hand of judgment on him, Pharaoh begs God for forgiveness. God withdraws the judgment.

Have you compromised in your walk with God? He will not accept it. But He will forgive and restore you if you ask Him.

PRAYER

· Offer this psalm of praise to the God who is too holy to accept compromise:

The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them
(Psalm 145:17-19).

· As you contemplate the glory, majesty, and holiness of God, pray this passage of confession to Him:

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.
If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared
(Psalm 130:1-4).

· Now pray this confession to the Lord:

Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).

· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous,
And shout for joy all you upright in heart
(Psalm 32:11).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· today's activities.

· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me-
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:.

[Judy Harder]

February 5
Exodus 11

The final plague on Egypt is a Passover sacrifice.

INSIGHT

God's dealings with Pharaoh reveal His longsuffering attitude toward such rebellion. The plagues start out fairly minor, thus giving Pharaoh a chance to change his mind before utter calamity strikes. With each successive act of rebellion, the subsequent plague intensifies. Beginning with the unpleasant but fairly harmless plague of frogs, the process ends with the death of the firstborn of every household in Egypt. At any point, had Pharaoh repented, the plagues would have been stopped.

Analyze your own life. If you've entered into conflict with God, abandon the fight before it escalates.

PRAYER

· Rejoice in God's patience with rebellion and praise Him:

Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).

· Pray this confession to the Lord:

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities
(Psalm 103:8-10).

· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:

Since I am in Christ, I am a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (based on 2 Corinthians 5:17).

· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· missions in Asia,
· your prayer list.

· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

Now to You who are able to keep me from stumbling,
And to present me faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever. Amen
(based on Jude 24-25).