Four or 400?

“Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years” (Exodus 12:40).

Jacob’s descendants lived in the wicked world of Egypt for over 400 years. Although they belonged in Canaan, they moved south to escape famine. After the famine ended, they continued to live in Egypt. A generation later, the Pharaoh made slaves out of them, humiliating and abusing the beautiful descendants of Abraham.

Joseph invited the family down, three years into the seven-year famine. They could have moved back to Canaan after four short years. Why did they stay more than 400? Aside from prophetic reasons, for all practical purposes they found it easier to stay rather than move on and fulfill their God-given destiny.

You will at one point end up in a “foreign land.” You may have to take a job in a hostile, Godless environment. You only involve yourself to the level necessary. Do not become a slave to the sin and decadence around you. Do not identify with the wrongs of your neighborhood, culture, or workplace. Step out to be who God wants you to be. Do not adopt the attitude of the hate-speech, gossip-filled crowd. Just stay as long as necessary for survival. You do not have to learn the perverted jokes or twisted mindsets of our self-centered world.

I found secular college to be an intimidating land for five years. I had to enter that world for an education. I did not adopt the lawless culture around me. I refused to let their alcohol, lewdness, and profanity enslave me. In fact, I brought a few students to pursue righteousness during my sojourning. We serve a God who can take us through mucky situations without our lives getting splattered and tattered.

Consider your situation. Are you heading toward four centuries of bondage? Or will you graduate from your trial in short order? Even if you come from an abusive past or troubled youth, leave those scars behind and go on to the Promised Land of living in God’s favor. View your family, social, and corporate reprieves as temporary intervals in life. Remember, your destiny is a little further North.

The Exalted Servant

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9).

Jacob’s son Joseph faced hateful brothers. Although his father loved him above all his brothers, they despised him and sold him as a slave. Young Joseph proved himself as a faithful worker for his master Potiphar in Egypt. His diligence and hard work got him promoted to chief over all the man owned. Yet one day he lost it all because of his master’s jealous wife. She figured if she could not have Joseph, then no one could and she had sent him to the dungeon.

In prison, Joseph excelled again and became second in command to the jailer. After a few years there, the king summoned him to interpret a dream. That began a new career for Joseph as this Pharaoh promoted him to being CEO of the entire nation. Joseph led the country through a time of great prosperity. When famine struck, his genius management kept the people from starving.

Joseph had to deal with forgiving his brothers, and he even providing for their needs. In every way, he proved to have noble character. Joseph foreshadows the life of Christ. Jesus came into a world of people who did not understand Him. They rejected Him. His own family turned against Him.

God came to earth in the person of His Son (Colossians 2:9). The Father sought to reach a lost world through the Messiah (II Corinthians 5:19). He came in poverty and simplicity (II Cor. 8:9). He lived simply and excelled at all He did.

At the peak of His popularity, jealous clergymen turned Him over to death. He submitted Himself to the dungeon of the grave, yet He could not stay dead. He came back, bringing life, hope, and peace for a soul-starved world. Jesus Christ humbled Himself to walk among us, and Ephesians 1:21 says He is now “far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.”

The One we pray to understands our hardships.

Strong Language

Find this devotional on Christian slang and minced oaths now at danieljkoren.com

Stay in the Game

“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip” (Hebrews 2:1)

Christians can be more ignorant about their faith than anyone else. Sometimes non-believers know more about the Bible than those who go to church often. Perhaps some folks assume they are free from studying the Book, if they go to church. How easily we grow slack in our discipline and desire for God.

The book of Hebrews encourages us to give more faithful diligence to knowing the principles of the kingdom lest we let them slip. Many times the Bible warns “do not be ignorant” of the principles it contains. As the police officer says, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse!”

We take our unique opportunity for granted. If you live in a country where you are free to study your Bibles, do you do it on a daily basis? Christians in oppressive countries, such as China, search the Scriptures and pray to God far more than some of us. They memorize every passage that speaks to them. If their Bibles did get confiscated, they would already own it in their hearts.

When did you last sit down with God’s word and enjoy it? How long has it been since you read something there that moved you to tears? What have you changed recently about your conduct because the Scriptures convicted you? How much of the Bible do you feed on outside of church and this blog?

Prayer serves as God’s operating table where He removes sinful infections from our souls. Through Bible study He implants vital components in us that help us live free and powerful everyday. Coming to faith in the Lord and obeying His Word is a great beginning—but that should not be the end of the matter. The writer of this passage said that even though God’s message is confirmed with “signs and wonders,… miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost” (2:4), we still might slip away if we get careless. Open it today and let the Lord imprint your soul.

Keep your grip on the message by holding the Word in your heart.

Life is Your Reward

“Baruch, this is what the LORD says: ‘…Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t do it!’” (Jeremiah 45:4, New Living Translation).

Baruch served as a scribe to the prophet Jeremiah, leading up to the time of the Babylonian captivity. He had a great education, a respected family, and many good connections. He had everything going for him to be the next bestselling author.

Unfortunately, Baruch’s first book had been burned by the king—before he even got to go on tour with it! Rumors flew, saying Baruch was a conspirator with the pagan Babylonians. To top it off, Baruch knew that his city would be destroyed. He would never enjoy a stable career, a good income, or prestige among his peers. One day he threw up his hands and said, “I am overwhelmed with trouble! Haven’t I had enough pain already?” (Jeremiah 45:3)

God promptly rebuked Baruch, telling him to stop seeking fame and fortune. Life isn’t about seeking great things for ourselves. We aren’t guaranteed success, nobility, or riches.

We are promised something else. People who set their hearts on things of this earth will grow weary and disenfranchised with such meager results. But God has given us a gift to enjoy long before we finish college, buy a home, or make our first million. In fact we can enjoy this gift even if none of those things transpire.

The Lord told Baruch, “I will give you your life as a reward wherever you go. I, the LORD, have spoken!” (Jeremiah 45:5). That is so simple, it blows my mind. Life is the reward. It’s not the car. It’s not the house. It’s not the kids all graduated and married. It’s life. Wearing the name of Jesus, and living a life in the power of His Spirit is its own reward!

While we pursue comfort and a measure of success, let’s not forget that we should already have the reward—life! Everything other plaque should hang below this simple accomplishment. Let us love life and see good days by not complaining, but thanking God for every moment He has given us. We should not spend our days seek fulfillment—just having another day is fulfillment itself. Once we learn this secret, we will know contentment.

If It's to Be...

“Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it… Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness” (Ezekiel 14:13, 20).

Contrary to the promises of popular culture and politicians, our world will not get better. The Bible predicts unspeakable horrors and suffering that will come on our world. The hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and plagues are only the beginning of these sorrows. God is sending a time of great punishment upon those who have rebelled against Him.

As life becomes more polluted and complicated, godly people have a harder time living right. Porn houses continue to spring up around us. Bumper stickers spout all types of lewdness and filth. Television zooms in on perversion and muck, and clean-mouthed comedians grow as scarce as two-headed dinosaurs. You want to throw up your hands and say, “I cannot take it. Why does the world have to be so evil?”

Others point fingers, saying, “I would not have it so bad if only mom had…” or “If my dad had only been…” But this scripture tells us that even if your dad had been Noah (the great preacher and ark builder), he could not save you. Even if you grew up with Prophet Daniel (the man of great prayer), his devotion to God would do you no good. And even if Job (who stuck with God through very difficult circumstances) took you under his wing, he could not preserve your soul. Even being with Jesus every day for a few years did not save Judas Iscariot.

Does this mean there is no hope? No, it simply means that we must make sure of our walk with God for ourselves. Those who love God have great prospects of escaping this messed up world. However, my elders’ faith won’t save me. Pastor cannot get me in the pearly gates. Grandma’s devotedness cannot help me. I must “work out [my] own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

…it’s up to me.

Eat to God's Glory

“Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed - to you it shall be for food” (Genesis 1:29).

Do you feed garbage to the body God gave you? I’m sure you eat stuff that tastes good, but do you eat to glorify God or to satisfy your taste buds?

Our dietary industries have gone viral with creating foods that people love to eat but their bodies hate to receive. You fill your tummy with a burger and fries, yet your body received none of the vitamins, minerals, or enzymes that it needs for daily function. Then you feel lethargic as your gut tries to make use of these stale, synthetic, and over-processed carbohydrates and proteins. Many people live on Tums, Maalox, or other products that help negate the putrefying slop they just ate.

God didn’t design our bodies to be trash compactors. He created the human body in a garden surround by fruits, nuts, herbs, and vegetables. Later He added meat to supplement the diet (Genesis 9:3). We go backwards of His order by going for meat first, then the potatoes and some grains. We add a sprig of parsley or a slice of apple and call it a balanced diet.

God created us knowing our health needs. However, just like most people ignore the Lord’s advice for life and live by humanistic philosophy, so they live by manmade foods rather than the perfected provisions God created.

Look at your shopping cart. Is it mostly breads, frozen pizzas, cookies, chips, and other instant or processed foods? Start over and fill your fridge from the farmer’s market. Feed your family fruits like watermelon, pineapple, peaches, grapefruits, and more. Let salad become the staple food instead of potato products. Let your family learn to snack on nuts, raisins, and carrot sticks. While I can’t give you a Bible chapter and verse for how to feed your family, you will find that godly eating will make your family healthier and emotionally stable. “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” (I Corinthians 6:20).

Don’t demand a miracle when you ask God to bless your food!

Hope from the Pit

“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God!” (Psalm 42:5, New Living Translation).

Perhaps none of us have sung the blues like Jeremiah. This man of God went through some trying circumstances and difficult challenges to his faith. At one point of his ministry, the governmental leaders got tired of Jeremiah’s preaching and had him dumped in an old well full of muck (Jeremiah 38). He sank down to his armpits and had no hope of rescue. Talk about a discouraging situation! He was in the pits.

Fortunately, a government administrator found out what was going on and begged Israel’s king to not let the man die in that hole in the ground. They lowered a rope to him with old rags to loop under his arms and eased him out.

Beyond his personal experience, Jeremiah’s whole city was in distress. They were under siege by Babylon, and people were starving to death. Before he went into the pit, Jeremiah was preaching against sin, but also sharing the message of hope about a God who delivers His children from destruction. Once he came out of this pit of despair, his message had not changed.

We can either get sucked down by life’s trials, or choose hope through the midst of them. Most of us get off track trying to get God to cheer us up. The only thing that kept Jeremiah sane was the message of hope. He kept his spirits up by sharing the word of the Lord.

Next time you feel down, minister to someone. Share a scripture. Write a letter of encouragement. Start a blog of hope. Do something to help someone else. You’ll find that as you encourage others, you will rise out of the muck of life problems into the court of the King.

Every major character in the Bible, including Christ, suffered massive setbacks. Yet their stories continue to inspire us today because they helped others even when down themselves. Even in your darkest situations, you must “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you” (I Peter 3:15, King James).

Hope doesn’t come from life’s situations, but through them.

Take Hope in God

“And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD” (Lamentation 3:18).

One of the more difficult reads in the Bible is the poem called Lamentations.  Actually this “book” offers a collection of five poems.  The first two and the last two are about as long as each other, yet the middle one, labeled “Chapter 3” in your Bible, is three times longer than the others.  This lengthy poem of 22 tercets stands as a tower of refuge in the midst of a sea of overwhelming despair.
 

You and I think we’ve had bad times, but Jeremiah laments times far worse than what we’ve ever known.  During the siege of Jerusalem he had seen friends and fellow countrymen starve to death.  Their bodies were thrown over the wall of the city so as not to stink up the area any worse.  Rape, vandalism, and cannibalism had invaded the once-great city.  Sensibilities were outraged.
 

After the invading armies broke through the city, they desecrated the Temple, and burned everything that remained in town.  From a lonely hillside, possibly Golgotha, Jeremiah looked over the ruins and gave rhythm and symmetry to his chaotic emotions.  He swings from questioning God, to blaming God, to confessing his and the nation’s sins, and back again.
 

Grief destabilizes life.  Dishes don’t get done.  Details get forgotten.  Sorrow can drowned our purpose and we can even despair of hope.  After saying his hope had perished, Jeremiah changes his tone.  Suddenly he determines to not give up on his hope in God:
 

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. (3:22-24)

While we can’t avoid wondering why bad times come, and even when we deserve the punishment we receive, we must remember that God’s personality is not one of chastisement.  He doesn’t “afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men” (3:33).  He loves us and gives every opportunity to turn away from punishment. Bring your sorrow to the One who gives hope.

Huggable Kids

Now find this devotional on cherishing children at danieljkoren.com.

Honest to God

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

City, state, and federal governments struggle today with money issues. While I understand that accountability, economics, and wisdom all factor into what happens with financial matters, it just seems to stand out to me that as we have allowed more sin to become legal. Bars, clubs, and casinos continue to grow. The internet swims with filth. Television continues to drop to new moral lows. We claim sin is okay as long as we can tax it to raise needed revenues. But anything we gain from unrighteousness will be to our loss in God’s eyes.
 

When we uphold God’s principles we obtain His favor. When we ignore Him, we cannot expect kudos. When our country stops giving a tax break to the clergy yet starts funding abortions, we are in trouble. When the government limits the tax breaks for churches yet gives more to schools that teach godless myths of human origin and philosophies of humanism, we are asking for punishment. When our national leadership refuses to honor the Lord Jesus on a National Day of Prayer yet hosts a Capital Hill event to pay respect to a religious movement which denies our Lord, we are begging for disaster.
Sin-filled countries are some of the most dangerous, unhealthy places in the world. The godlier a nation is, the safer it becomes both from disease and destruction. We often make out religion as if it exists in a vacuum and had nothing to do with real life. People make a confession of faith about Jesus at their church or cathedral, yet live like the devil when they go to work or the club.
 

No liturgy, no nice poem, no good motto can undo the damage inflicted by a community that refuses to put God first. When gold comes before God, when fad displaces faith, when tolerance erodes truth, we can only count the days until the end. However, there is still time to turn from our wicked ways, seek first the desires of the Spirit, and live honest to God. Our morals determine our nation's mortality.

Rag TIme

This devotional for those who feel worthless now to be found at danieljkoren.com .