Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Should I stay or should I go? It's a question we all might have to ask ourselves in a plethora of different situations that we may encounter in this life. Where do we go for wise counsel in order to find an answer to this question?

If you've been around here long enough, I hope you've come to realize my love for the Bible, God's Word...the truth that sets us free and gives us the answers to all of life's questions.

It's where we can find the answer to the question - should I stay or should I go?

Today we finish reading the book of Exodus. We are in chapter 40 today, and we find the presence of God entering the tabernacle that has been completed according to His explicit instructions. The children of Israel knew to stay wherever they were until either the pillar of cloud (by day) or the pillar of fire (by night) that represented God's presence would move. It was only then that they would pack everything up and go wherever God led them.

Sometimes it would be weeks, maybe it would be months - but they did not move until God moved.

I think we would all do well to learn this lesson from the Israelites. There haven't been many times we've been able to say this about the children of Israel during our time in Exodus.

How appropriate that we end our study of Exodus with such a magnificent spiritual lesson?!

Now it's confetti time, friends!! 

We have made it through the book of Exodus!! We finished strong!!

Here are my SOAKs for Thursday and Friday: 

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Exodus 39

Scripture: Exodus 39:42-43

⁴² According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. ⁴³ Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, just so they had done it. And Moses blessed them.

Observations: The children of Israel did all the work of the tabernacle just as the Lord God had commanded. Moses, as the leader of the vision of God, inspects and verifies that the work has all been completed according to God’s instructions – and he blesses them.

Application: There are blessings when we walk in obedience to God’s will and instructions for our lives.

Kneel: Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessing of Heaven and eternal life with You. I pray that I would look to Your Word as a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. You’ve given me everything I need to walk this life according to Your will. Help me to embrace the power of Your grace and resist the works of my flesh. Father, I know that this spiritual battle will continue until Jesus returns or You call me home. I surrender to You Holy Spirit of God. Thank You, Jesus, for the cleansing power of Your blood that has been applied to my life. It is in Your victorious name that I pray. Amen.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Exodus 40

Scripture: Exodus 40:34-38

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁵ And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁶ Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. ³⁷ But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. ³⁸ For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

Observations: The presence of God filled the tabernacle so much so that Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle. The children of Israel only broke up camp and moved as the Lord’s presence moved. The children of Israel knew the presence of God was with them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that represented His presence.

Application: I love those times of worship where the presence of God is so strong! We don’t have the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night, but we can still feel His presence when we worship God in spirit and in truth. We now walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). We must learn to never move in any situation or circumstance we are facing unless we have sought direction from God and sense His release.

Kneel: Heavenly Father, thank You so much for walking with me through the book of Exodus. Thank You for answering my daily prayers to open my eyes to behold wonderful truths from Your word. Father, You have said that we will be set free when we know Your truth. I pray for every women who has faithfully walked through the chapters of Exodus to be set free by the truth they have found in Your word. May we continue to walk by faith and not by sight, trusting always that You are leading and directing our paths for Your glory. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen!

Remember we start the book of Matthew on Monday. Courtney has generously supplied all of the study resources which are available for free if you want to use them.

Here's our reading plan for next week in Matthew:

I'll see you back here on Monday, sweet friends! Have a blessed weekend!!

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

I'm linking up with Courtney Joseph over at Women Living Well, home of Good Morning Girls for Blogging Through the Bible. Click on the image below to read Courtney's post and the posts from others who are BTTB too!