One Year Bible, February 13

EXODUS 35:10-36:38
When Moses was ready to gather the materials for the tabernacle, he asked for offerings from the people (the spoils taken out of Egypt). "And everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him".. brought so much stuff that they had to be stopped! The work was to be led by Bezalel. In the original language, vs. 30, it says that God "called him by name", and in vs. 31 had "filled him with the Spirit of God." This man was to be trusted with all their most precious things - gold, silver, fine cloth.

RESPONSE:   A willing heart is a generous heart. But even those offerings were a gift from God, because He had caused the Egyptians to give it to them when they left the country. They could not out-give God - even though they tried! Have you ever done that? It seems like the more we give, the more gets given to us! "He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again." (Proverbs 19:17) 

MATTHEW 27:32-66
That Jesus cried with "a loud voice" (v.50), was a sign, that, after all He had suffered, He was still able to speak like a man in His full strength, to show that His life was not taken from Him, but was freely given by Him into his Father's hands.  This loud voice shows that he attacked our enemies with undaunted courage, and He was now spoiling principalities and powers. 

Verses 52-53 are titillating. Jesus Christ by dying, conquered, disarmed, and disabled, death. These saints that arose, were part of the victory of Christ's cross over the powers of death, which he thus "made a show of openly". (Col 2 15). Having by death "destroyed him that had the power of death" (Heb 2:14), He thus "led captivity captive" (Eph 4:8), which means Christ took this released band to heaven with Him. Their appearance proved that Christ had conquered death, not merely for Himself, but for all the saints. Now, for all of us, "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." (2Cor 5:8). We can assured that we will not die, but will "depart, and be with Christ; which is far better.." (Phil 1:23). 

RESPONSE:    Now that I am getting older, I think about what will happen to all of us after death.   Now that Jesus has conquered death, the "fear of death" is gone and can no longer hold me in bondage.  I am just stepping through the veil when I go!  Hallelujah! 

PSALM 34:1-10
"For fear of Saul", David had fled to Gath, where he feigned madness to escape Abimelech. When he escaped Gath, David ended up in the Cave of Adullam. Sometime after he got there, he was joined by 400 men, of whom it was said, "And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him..." (1 Sam 22:2)

I would have told them to get their own cave, that this one was mine.  David had enough troubles of his own.  But as they approached his cave, David came to the mouth of the cave and sang to them, "I will bless the Lord at all time; His praise shall continually be in my mouth...."  In verses 1-10 he said, "rejoice with me". In verses 11-22 he said, "Learn from me." These were the men who, in 16 months would be transformed and become known as "David's Mighty Men."

How was David able to overcome his fear? He was being hunted down by Saul, who wanted to kill him. He was alone, except for 400 men more desperate than himself! We all have to come to this place in our own lives: where we will fear anything that threatens us, or we will fear God instead, by focusing on pleasing Him (Psa 56:3).

PROVERBS 9:7-8
You will meet scorners and wicked men who will mock holy things. You may invite them into Wisdom's house, but don't pursue them by rebuking them because they will hate you for it.

RESPONSE:   I can truly say, "I sought the Lord, and He answered me; and He delivered me from ALL my fears." Having been in terrible bondage to phobias for half my life, this verse means a lot to me. I got free by focusing on God, and not on myself. I dwelt on His goodness and greatness. I praised Him for His deliverance, for "encamping" around me, for blessing me, for seeing that I lack NOTHING. God has surrounded me with His love and His mercy. He is tender toward me. In fact, God is CRAZY about me! I am His darling. Because He IS FOR ME, what can anyone else do to me? I can't be killed - remember? To be absent from my body, is to be present with the Lord!  And can I add: Psa 34:8 - I've tasted too!  And He's more than "good"!  He's DELICIOUS!!!