GAINNING HONOR
Exodus 14:10-18

Pharaoh insisted, persisted, and resisted not to let go the children of Israel from the bondage of over four hundred years. Pharaoh moved in his own way and the end of his way, was death. He did not die alone, but he dragged his land to death. “Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” 2 And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.” (Exodus 5:1-2) Pharaoh did not know God as he began to undermine God, and what He could do. Pharaoh was operating a stubborn heart. He was set to be a vessel of dishonor, so that God alone could gain honor. Among His creation, there are vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor. Where do you stand? Are you operating in Pharaoh’s way? Have you been taking a hardened heart concerning any issue? It is time to take a look at yourself, settle down, and make sure that you are not operating with a hard heart. Pharaoh’s response to the request of Moses caused more pain when, “…Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks, which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.”(Exodus 5:6-9) Pharaoh repeatedly rejected every possible miracle that could deliver the children of Israel from bondage of over four hundred years. After he had finally let them go, he went further to change his mind, and pursued the children of Israel. God had hardened his heart where he was operating as a vessel of dishonor. When it was time for the children of Israel to cross the Red Sea, he could not turn back and let them go just as the Lord had requested through Moses. Are there any situations that have refused to let you go? What is it that has insisted, persisted, and resisted for so long and will not give up, and let the Lord have its way in your life? Whatever it is becomes a failure as you set eyes on this in Jesus name. God responded on behalf of the children of Israel and His response shall be your portion also, “And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.” (Exodus 14:17) Just like that of the children of Israel, God will gain honor over the Pharaoh in your life in Jesus name.

 NO COMPLAIN
Exodus 15:22-27

Miracles are the move of God’s hand and they are enough to tell that nothing is impossible for God to do. With the understanding that nothing is too difficult for God to do, it is worthy of the reason not to complain. Also, complaining should never be a portion in the life of any man. It does not matter how difficult the situation or how confronting issues seem to be, complaining should never be what to resolve to do. It is hard to imagine, for the children of Israel, that after walking on dry ground, in the middle of the Red Sea, complaining happened to be the way of asking for their needs to be met. “So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” (Exodus 15:22-24) Could it have been that the children of Israel forgot so soon, or that the issue of their needs was overwhelmingly too much? God is a miracle working God, and every one of His words is true. To provide, preserve, and deliver at the right time, if His word can be taken to heart to observe. The word of God encourages us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) In every confronting situation, if a believer can take to the word of God and not become anxious, indeed, and in truth, there will be no reason to complain. Complaining does not have a place with God. It is an act of rebellion, and does nothing, but takes lives away. Do you have any reason to complain? Why not count your blessings instead of complaining? When taking time to count your blessings of the past and blessings of the present, thank God for the blessings that are to come. When you count your blessings, there will be a rested assurance that the same God will bless more abundantly. Exodus 15:24-25, “And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them,” The children of Israel’s complaints before calling on God were wrong before God. The Lord God has brought you this far, and He will not fail taking your through to where He wants to take you. Do not let the current situation, or issue, terminate what the future holds for you. Abstain from complaining, but render unto Him a good heart of thanksgiving and appreciation knowing fully well that He that began a good work and will see you through.

ROBES
Genesis 41:37-57

Joseph, son of Jacob’s old age, was the favorite son and the brightest among the twelve sons of Jacob before his father gave him a robe of many colors. Genesis 37:4, “But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.” As if being hated by his brothers because of his father’s love was not enough, he came up with a provoking dream, “Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.” (Genesis 37:5). At a very young age, Joseph was covered with a robe of many colors. Without expectation or prior notice, the robe of many colors was stripped off of him when he was sent by his father to check the well-being of his brothers. Before putting on another robe, he spent time in a pit in the wilderness in an empty pit, a pit without water. Suddenly his sunshine began to turn into moonshine in the journey of his life. Not long from the time spent in the empty pit, the robe of slavery was put on him. Joseph was sold by his brothers to the, “…Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.” (Genesis 37:28) It is easy to think the changes could not get worse than that of slavery, but for Joseph it became worse. What does your experience look like today? Is it anything closer to that of Joseph’s? Are you still thinking that God can do it or you have accepted that there is no way of regaining a better robe than the colorful one of the past? One thing is certain, hope in God will not disappoint, but will set you for His appointed time. As the journey continued from a bright future to bleak future in the physical eye, there were no records of complaining or bitterness by Joseph. When it seemed that the robe of slavery began to change colors for the better, as a servant in the house of Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, and captain of the guard, Joseph’s robe was torn apart. The wife of the officer’s lust for Joseph led to sexual harassment acquisition on him. Joseph went from a slave’s robe to a prisoner’s robe. He lived through all the ups and downs, until his robe finally changed and become a royal robe. He did not only have a royal robe, Pharaoh also crowned him. He had the privilege of giving advice from the prison, “So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” (Genesis 41:37-38). The word of God must have ruled in the life of Joseph before an unbeliever (Pharaoh) could see it that he was a man with the Spirit of God. Ask God today that His Spirit will begin to reign and rule in your life for His glory. 

SOW AND REAP
Genesis 27

When the ability to sow a mango seed and reap strawberry becomes a reality, it will become the evidence that God can be deceived. Until then, it is clear that God cannot be deceived, and it will never come to be that God can be deceived. This is to discourage, to sound a strong warning, and to impact any pathological liar or deceiver. Deception, lying, and manipulation are evil, and are not of God, “…For every matter there is a time and judgment…” (Ecclesiastes 8:6) Also, “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” (Ecclesiastes 8:11) Is this communicating to you in any way? It is important that man understands that God does not overlook sins and there is no minor or serious sin, but sin is sin. When Rebekah, the mother of Jacob was planting the seed of deception, in an attempt to make Jacob and “un-make” Esau, she was not considering what could become of her and her sons. Rebekah intercepted Isaac’s request from Esau, and gave it to Jacob by way of crookedness and deception. Isaac requested from Esau, as the eldest son, “…Please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. 4 And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.” (Genesis 27:3-4) Jacob, with the aid of Rebekah, stole away Esau’s blessings, and Esau could not take it well. By virtue of this deception, Esau settled to resolve the matter by killing Jacob. Rebekah’s seed of deception began to grow well, and began to bring forth its fruit. Rebekah heard of Esau’s intention, and decided to send Jacob away. Genesis 27:43-44, “Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran. 44 And stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away.” Rebekah’s intention and plan for Jacob was to run away for a few days, but the seed of her deception turned it into so many years. The journey of going and coming back in few days landed Jacob in a labor field. What could have become of a mother, not to see her favorite son for only Lord knows the exact number of years? The instruction of going for few days, lasted for so many years because deception in the hand of Rebekah’s brother, Laban, that she had commanded Jacob to go, held down Jacob for many more years than expected. Rebekah sowed deception and she reaped deception. Be rest assured that what you sow, is what you reap. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)

SIN AND SINNING
2 Chronicles 33

God is awesomely merciful. There are no words that are great enough to describe the grace of His forgiveness. One thing that is clear about God, no matter how terrible the sin is, as long as there is life, asking for forgiveness and turning away from sin to God is all that brings a new beginning. Manasseh, becoming king of Judah at age twelve, committed all the un-committable sins under heaven that was enough for God to terminate him before any chance for repentance. Today is the day for repentance because tomorrow might not be there, and you do not want to die a sinner. 2 Chronicles 33:2-6, “But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden images; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6 Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.” It is hard to remember what else Manasseh did not commit in the name of sin and sinning to God. Manasseh was living and ruling the land in sin sinning was the order of his throne and he went as far back as he could to pollute with sin, all that was on the ground before he became king. It is recorded that the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they did not listen. Are you on the path of sin? He is speaking to you now saying: to obey is better than what the consequence will bring forth. In the case of Manasseh, “Therefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon. 12 Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.” (2 Chronicles 33:11-13) There was no need for Manasseh to going through what he went through; you do not want to live through the consequences of your sin. He will forgive you if you will stop today and turn to Him.