"Crucified, Hidden, Seated"

I’d like to talk more about Moses and situations he faced. He could have felt overwhelmed a couple of times.

Exodus 2: 11-15

Years later, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. Looking all around, and seeing no one, he struck the Egyptian dead and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your neighbor?”

“Who made you a leader and judge over us?” the man replied. “Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”

Then Moses became afraid and thought: What I did is certainly known. When Pharoah heard about this, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharoah and went to live in the land of Midian and sat down by a well.

Early in his adult life, Moses was living as an Egyptian prince. He saw an Egyptian misusing a Hebrew slave. He did not like what he saw. He took action, killing the Egyptian. Soon after he saw two Hebrews fighting. He spoke to them, but one asked him if he was going to kill him, just as he had killed the Egyptian. Moses knew that his actions were known — and fled. His life would not have been long if Pharoah had found out what he had done! He handled that difficult circumstance by running away.

Running away did not change the call of God on his life. He was called by God to lead the people out of Egypt. When he was approached by God, he handled the situation by trying to argue with Him. Moses did not win the argument . . . the story is told in Exodus 3:1 – Exodus 4:13.

Ex. 4:10 – 13

But Moses replied to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent–either — in the past or recently or since You have been speaking to Your servant–because I am slow and hesitant in speech.

Yahweh said to him, “Who made the human mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, seeing or blind? It is not I, Yahweh? Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.”

Moses said “Please, Lord, send someone else.”

Moses eventually accepted the challenge of leadership. He accepted the help that God offered, in the signs that God gave him and by having Aaron as his spokesperson.

Fast forward several more years, and he is trying his best to lead the people, handling all their concerns. Moses was wearing himself out with too much work and the people were getting worn out by having to wait so long until he could handle their concerns. The story is told in Exodus, chapter 18.

Exodus 18: 13-16

The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, ;and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. When Moses’ father-in-law say everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this thing you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”

Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me, to inquire of God. Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”

Jethro made the suggestion that Moses get help, setting commanders over the people and having them deal with the less important matters, while Moses was to represent the people before God, bring their cases to him, instuct the people and deal with the harder cases. Moses listened and his load became more bearable.

Moses was called to lead Israel, but when he was young, tried to help the people the wrong way. He had to run away, which saved his life, but did not help him accomplish his goal of helping the Hebrew people. Arguing with God, telling God that he (Moses) was not good enough, was not a good idea. God had given him signs to show the people, but Moses was still afraid to do it alone. God told him that his brother Aaron was coming to meet him (for more information on this, please read Exodus 4:14-31).

Accepting help enabled Moses to carry the load. Yes, he had the help of God, but God sent human helpers, in the form of Aaron and Jethro.

Are you in an overwhelming situation? Accept the help that God is sending you.

Dear Jesus, we all face difficulties, challenges and things that could overwhelm us at times. Help us to turn to You and give us the wisdom to accept the help You send. Amen.

copyright: K Carswell, 2020

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Life can be overwhelming. What do we do when it become too hard for us to handle? Has today been easy or hard, a good day or one filled with challenges?

If we are facing challenges or difficult circumstance, how can we maintain hope? I was overwhelmed the other day by circumstances and this was the question I was asking. My husband listened for a couple of minutes after he came home from work, and then decided we had to pray. (He didn’t think I could go to sleep if I didn’t spend some time seeking the Lord, about the situation.)

One of the things that has helped me handle hard circumstances is realizing that the Bible was not written by people who had easy lives. Paul wrote most of his letters from prison, he was not on vacation, he was in jail. Moses led the people, but almost wore himself out, until his father-in-law told him to get help. He was judging the entire nation of Israel, every matter large or small. He father-in-law told him to appoint elders. The story of Joseph in the Bible talks about him as Pharoah’s right-hand-man, but before that he was sold into slavery and thrown into prison. So the advice in the Bible does not come from an ivory tower: it comes from day-to-day battles, amidst the sometimes cruel circumstance of life.

Several scriptures come to mind.

1Peter 5:6, 7 Humble yourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.

We have a caring God. We do not have to carry our anxieties alone. He is there for us. We can rest. We can put off anxiety; but not by ignoring it, not by pretending it doesn’t exist. I’m so glad we can say life hurts; we don’t have to pretend everything is all right. We handle anxieties by putting our cares into hands that are bigger than ours.

We know He is always going to be there for us.

Hebrews 13:5, 6 Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

Remember that the Lord is there for you, and that you will never leave you.

copyright: K Carswell, 2020

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

A Weekday Paragraph is a short scripture and a short paragraph (or two or three . . .LOL) of how it applies to my life. This is written by a Christian who is growing in her relationship with Jesus, for other growing Christians. Please be encouraged, challenged or both . . . and feel free to comment or reply.

Ephesians 2:4 – 6 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

God created me in my mother’s womb. I was created to have a relationship with Him. However, there was something in the way — my own sin, what this verse calls ‘trespasses’. God is holy and has a right to want holiness from his children, including me. I could pretend that I was doing okay on my own, because I hadn’t committed murder or adultery, but God’s law also demands no gossip, no covetousness and no lieing. Oops–I’m guilty of at least one of those!

When I could not meet God’s standard, He graciously allowed me to realize, that Jesus, His Son, had met the standard, and then died for me, so that I could have a relationship with Jesus and the Father.

Jesus is the Lord of Glory and I’m just me. Ordinary me, working at an ordinary job, living in an ordinary apartment, with an ordinary husband (okay, I guess I should say my husband’s wonderful . . . LOL). I do ordinary things: play the piano, write, take pictures, scrapbook, cook, wait on the customers of the business I work for . . . Yet Jesus still wants to spend time with me.

He wants me to spend time seated in heavenly places with Him. That means just hanging out, looking at the world (and my life) from his perspective. I can get overwhelmed by whatever it is I’m facing that day, (Oh yes, I should say I have ordinary problems too — that which we face is common to man.) I can get upset by what a co-worker or other person does or does not do. I have experienced health and financial challenges, as many people have. Yet, I don’t have to spend all my time focusing on the issues in my life — I get to spend some time hanging out with Jesus! And He is not overwhelmed by what is happening in my life or the world around me.

I encourage you — hang out with Jesus for at least a little while today. He wants to sit with you too.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

copyright: K Carswell, 2020

Photo credit: M Carswell

A Weekday Paragraph is a short scripture and a short paragraph (or two or three . . .LOL) of how it applies to my life. This is written by a Christian who is growing in her relationship with Jesus, for other growing Christians. Please be encouraged, challenged or both . . . and feel free to comment or reply.

Luke 18: 18 – 23

A ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good but One–God. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.”

“I have kept all these from my youth,” he said.

When Jesus heard this, He told him. “You still lack one thing: Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

After he heard this, he became extremely sad, because he was very rich.

The rich young ruler had lived by good principles all his life. When he said he had not stolen or borne false witness, Jesus did not say he had. Yet, when he asked the young man to follow him, the young man became sad, because it would cost him all his riches. His riches were more important than a relationship which would allow him to inherit eternal life.

This passage acts as a vivid reminder that a good life does not guarantee eternal life: only a relationship with Jesus does. May we all walk closely with Jesus today, in whatever circumstances we are facing.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

copyright: K Carswell, 2020

Photo credit: M Carswell

A Weekday Paragraph is a short scripture and a short paragraph (or two or three . . .LOL) of how it applies to my life. This is written by a Christian who is growing in her relationship with Jesus, for other growing Christians. Please be encouraged, challenged or both . . . and feel free to comment or reply.

John 1: 35-39: “Again the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!”

The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus.

When Jesus turned and noticed them following Him, he asked them, “What are you looking for?”

They said to Him, ‘Rabbi’ (which means ‘Teacher’) where are You staying?

“Come and you’ll see,” He replied. So they went and saw where he was staying and they stayed with Him that day. it was about 10 in the morning.

When meeting someone new, people often exchange names, occupations and details about their daily lives. Andrew was one of the two disciples who decided to follow Jesus, after following John. The disciples wanted to know where Jesus was staying so they could hang out with Him and get to know Him better. It was not enough for them that John thought he was the Lamb of God: they had to find out about this man for themselves.

It is interesting that Jesus did not tell them the physical address of where he lived at the time. He invited them to be where He was. Jesus was staying at more than a physical location in Israel: He was staying in the will of God. It was more necessary to Him than His daily food. In John 4:34, Jesus tells his disciples “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.”

It would be a neat experience to spend an entire day with someone who was in the will of God, who was perfectly following God, in attitudes and actions.

After spending a day with Jesus, Andrew was convinced that He was the Messiah. He went to get his brother Peter. Peter and Andrew then followed Jesus together. They walked closely with Jesus for three years. Discipleship involved a close relationship, not a distant one. They watched as he healed the sick, taught the people, feed the multitudes, calmed the seas and walked on water.

They also watched as he dealt with challenges to his ministry from the religious leaders. They were with him when many of his followers turned away, to the point that he asked them whether they would also leave.

Jesus wants to walk closely with His followers today as well. He wants us to know where he is staying. He wants us staying with Him — in the will of the Father.

Yes, there are principles to follow in Christianity. To read about them, the 10 Commandments and the Beatitudes are two good places to start. But Christianity is not just about following principles: it is about a relationship with Jesus.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

A Weekday Paragraph is a short scripture and a short paragraph (or two or three . . .LOL) of how it applies to my life. This is written by a Christian who is growing in her relationship with Jesus, for other growing Christians. Please be encouraged, challenged or both . . . and feel free to comment or reply.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray constantly.

God wants me to talk to Him! He is willing to listen. Even my husband does not always want to hear what I have to say, but Jesus is always there to listen.

I am thankful for the prayers of fellow Christians — they have encouraged me much. I am also thankful for the ability and opportunity to pray for others.

I am also thankful for corporate prayer meetings — I met my husband at one! It is a wonderful experience when a group of people flow together and hear God. It is wonderful to know His will and pray it back to Him.

I’d also like to share a recent favorite quote on prayer: “don’t prayer until God hears, pray until you listen to God”. I love the fact that prayer is a two-way street. It is a huge building block to a deep relationship with God.

Photo credit: M Carswell

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

A Weekday Paragraph is a short scripture and a short paragraph (or two or three . . .LOL) of how it applies to my life. This is written by a Christian who is growing in her relationship with Jesus, for other growing Christians. Please be encouraged, challenged or both . . . and feel free to comment or reply.

2 Timothy 1: 3-5 “I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, when I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day. Remembering your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy, clearly recalling your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice, and that I am convinced is in you also.” (Paul wrote this about Timothy.)

My Christian heritage comes to me from my parents and both sets of grandparents.

I am thankful for my parent’s example. I never had to ask what we were doing as a family on Sunday mornings: I knew we were on our way to church. My parents both served in the church, as had my grandparents on both sides. I started serving at a young age: my mother was Sunday School superintendent and I was asked to teach the four and five year olds when I was in grade seven. I taught with another young woman and enjoyed the experience.

My husband also has a Christian heritage, and for that I am thankful.

A shared Christian heritage is a neat experience. I had a wonderful visit with a cousin and his wife this May. It was made even more wonderful by the fact that we could pray together. I thought about our grandpa and grandma looking down from Heaven and I’m sure they were both pleased! My husband and I also got to pray with one of his cousins last February.

Photo credit: M Carswell

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.