Vicki's Wednesday Word

  Exodus 14:14-16. New Living Translation “14 The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm. 15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! 16 Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.“ The Old Testament is filled with instances of how God give his people very specific directions on how to be safe, victorious and achieve the life they had always dreamed of having. The whole Exodus story is exactly that. In spite of personal hesitation, perceived lack of skills or means, and mounting opposition, God laid out the way and spurred the people on to fulfill his plan. The New Testament lays out the ultimate means of salvation for God’s people, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today marks the beginning of the Lenten season. It is the time for us to contemplate what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. The weeks leadi...

  Exodus 13.14-16 New Living Translation   14 “And in the future, your children will ask you, ‘What does all this mean?’ Then you will tell them, ‘With the power of his mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery. 15 Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the Lord killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the Lord—except that the firstborn sons are always bought back.’ 16 This ceremony will be like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. It is a reminder that the power of the Lord’s mighty hand brought us out of Egypt.”   Do you ever take for granted the covenants that make up your life? For example, think about the covenants we have with our community. We have stop signs and speed limits and right-turn-on-red, to name just a few. In this fashion, we can safely travel our neighborhoods. We have the covenant of marriage: those in...

  Exodus 12:1-11 New Living Translation   “12  While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the Lord gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron:  2  “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you.  3  Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household.  4  If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat.  5  The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects. 6  “Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight.  7  They are to...

  Exodus 7:1-12 New Living Translation   “7  Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet.  2  Tell Aaron everything I command you, and Aaron must command Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country.  3  But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.  4  Even then Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will bring down my fist on Egypt. Then I will rescue my forces—my people, the Israelites—from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment.  5  When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”  6  So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them.  7  Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three when they made their demands to Pharaoh.  8  Then t...