February - Day 4

Here are some of the notes I took from this reading. 

Exodus 10-12 - God caused Pharaoh to be stubborn so he could show his power, and to grow the faith of the Israelites and be able to tell stories of God's mighty power to the generations that followed.  God is the one who built Moses' reputation and gave him favor with the Egyptians.  We don't have to build our reputation or strive to gain favor. We must simply honor God and allow him to do it his way.

Psalm 27 - B/c God is my light and salvation and my protector, there is nothing to fear.  One thing I need more than anything else, and the one thing worth seeking is God's presence in my life daily.  If we will fully follow after God, he will lead us along the right path even though the enemy wants to lead us astray.  What does it look like to wait patiently for the Lord?  Waiting patiently leads to experiencing his presence, but we struggle to wait. It takes courage and bravery to wait patiently for the Lord.  

Matthew 12:1-21 - Jesus says he desires mercy, not religious behavior.  Jesus' way isn't wrapped up in rigid rules, but in a loving relationship.  Love wants what is best for others, so it is willing to be honest, but love no matter what. The sabbath was made for the good of man, not man for the sabbath.  The Pharisees cared more about religious behavior than caring for the needs of people.  The rules we see in scripture are not to control us, but to keep us from harm.  Jesus acted mercifully, not judgmentally.  He always spoke truth, but out of love for the person.  The story of the man with the diseased hand is another example of the the Pharisees being zealous about the wrong thing.  Matthew points out another prophecy since he is writing his version of Jesus' life from a Jewish perspective.

Acts 17:1-15 - The people of Berea were open and searched the scriptures to make sure Paul and Silas were telling the truth.  This is something we should all do when we hear someone preach or teach.  We need to make sure what they are saying aligns with scripture so that we won't be deceived.  It says here that as a result, many believed.  When we seek truth, we will find it!