God's Patience

Today's Reading: Psalm 88, Exodus 34, Esther 1, 1 Corinthians 6

Psalm 88 - This is another of the psalms of lament. The Sons of Korah write about a time where they felt the heavy hand of God upon their lives. They equate their feeling to that of dying. The psalmists plead with the Lord to spare their lives so that they might continue to serve the Lord. What is so interesting about this Psalm is that there is no place where the authors state their belief that God will rescue them or strengthen them.

There are times in life where our struggles seem so difficult that it is tough to imagine that we will ever come out of it. God was no less able to deliver in this Psalm than in any other, but there is no mention of God's deliverance. I believe that this Psalm was written in one of those dark nights of the soul in the lives of the writers. God is faithful even in our darkest of days.

Exodus 34 - Moses meets with God for forty days and nights as God once again writes the Ten Commandments on the stone tablets and establishes His covenant with His people. The amazing thing that happens in this chapter is that Moses' face begins to glow. When he spends time with God, the people know it, because His face literally reflects God's glory. He begins to cover his face with a veil in between meetings with God. What a special relationship Moses had with the Lord. The people did not become impatient this time. They believed that Moses would come back down from the mountain. They did not turn to false gods.

I'm glad God was patient with a stubborn people. He reflects that patience today as well. If you have breath today, thank God for another chance to live for Him, and vow to follow Him and only Him today.

Esther 1 - The book of Esther is one of the Old Testament's most interesting books. It is in this book that we get the phrase that we were put here for "such a time as this."

The first chapter of Esther shows us the moral backdrop that Esther found herself thrust into. King Ahasuerus was a wicked man. Married to Queen Vashti, the two monarchs found themselves living in luxury. The king loved excess. He and his Queen hosted a party that lasted 180 days. Towards the end of the celebration, the King asked his wife to come show off her beauty to the men of the kingdom. She refused, and he became enraged. This began a series of events that God used to rescue His people.

1 Corinthians 6 - Paul continues to teach the church at Corinth the dangers of sexual immorality. Remember, this is a church that was rife with sexual sin. Paul let's the church no in no uncertain terms the danger of choosing to walk in a manner of sexual sin. This type of sin will destroy not only a person, but can destroy a church and a family.

Paul also takes time in this chapter to talk about exercising spiritual freedom in areas that are not profitable to him, and how this is not do his advantage.