My Faith View from Here - Daily readings and thoughts

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Exodus 40 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2040&version=NASB1995 Psalm 52 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2052&version=NASB1995 Isaiah 45:8-25 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2045%3A8-25&version=NASB1995 Mark 9:38-10:12 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%209%3A38-10%3A12&version=NASB1995 Who Created Who? In Exodus, we read “Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.”  Once again we are reminded of how powerful and sovereign God is. A perfect God can only accept a perfect human in His presence. Only one perfect man existed - Jesus.   In Isaiah, God gives an analogy of who He is compared to man.  Isaiah 45:9 states, “Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker - an earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth!  Will the clay say to the Potter, “what are you ...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Exodus 38:21-39:43 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2038%3A21-39%3A43&version=NASB1995 Psalm 51 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2051&version=NASB1995 Isaiah 45:1-7 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2045%3A1-7&version=NASB1995 Mark 9:14-37 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%209%3A14-37&version=NASB1995 Fair Captain Jesus As a boy in school I was one of the more wimpy kids.  I wasn’t very strong, not particularly a fast runner and I was a C student.   All that to be said, I wasn't popular with the kids that were into sports and I wasn’t popular with the smart kids.  I was that kid - the one that when captains chose their teams, I’d be picked last.  In Grade 7 the vice principal was our gym teacher.  He was a real disciplinarian.  He always made us do difficult things and stretch our muscles beyond what was healthy.  No one really enjo...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Exodus 37:1-38:20 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2037%3A1-38%3A20&version=NASB1995 Psalm 50 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2050&version=NASB1995 Mark 8:27-9:13 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%208%3A27%20-%209%3A13&version=NASB1995 Soul over Success I have at times dreamed of being excessively wealthy.  I have also occasionally dreamed of holding a powerful political office.  With wealth and power, I could do so much good.  Imagine how extreme wealth could maybe eliminate homelessness, or high political office could do so much good for others by ensuring people are treated with equality. All of this dreaming of doing good is easily tainted.  With excessive wealth comes the risk of using it for my own gain.  Political power comes with the risk of using it for the wrong purposes.  It starts with small things.  Rather than driving the Toyota that I nee...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Exodus 35:20-36:38 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2035%3A20%20-%2036%3A38&version=NASB1995 Isaiah 44:9-28 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2044%3A9-28&version=NASB1995 Mark 7:24-8:26 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%207%3A24-8%3A26&version=NASB1995 First Things First In Exodus, when God’s people are asked to give, they respond!  At least that’s what is happening when Moses asks the people to give towards the building of the tabernacle.  They have to be told to stop!  We can learn from that today.  It’s easy to be stingy.  It’s something that I struggle with.  When money seems tight, I have a tough time giving it away.  Truth be told, many of us have an abundance.   When God asks, we should be ready, willing and thrilled to be a part of God’s plan and give what’s required to fulfill His plan.   I grew up attending a church whose mission...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Exodus 34:10-35:19 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2034%3A10-35%3A19&version=NASB1995 Psalm 49 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2049&version=NASB1995 Isaiah 44:1-8 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2044%3A1-8&version=NASB1995 Mark 7:1-23 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%207%3A1-23&version=NASB1995 Glow over Gold Whenever Moses would meet with God, his face would shine so bright; the people were afraid.  Have you heard the statement about a person where their smile “lights up a room?”  Or sometimes I’ve heard of a woman on her wedding day having a “glow” on her face. I imagine it might happen when a person wins a lottery too.  I haven’t experienced that one! These are all short term “glows”. I’ve had people come to me at certain occasions and ask me what’s going on because I have such a “glow”.  Unlike Moses, it’s not a literal glow but I’ve neve...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Exodus 33-34:9 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2033-34%3A9&version=NASB1995 Psalm 48 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2048&version=NASB1995 Isaiah 43:14-28 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2043%3A14-28&version=NASB1995 Mark 6:33-56 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%206%3A33-56&version=NASB1995 Compassion without Compromise The Israelites were very fortunate that Moses was leading them.  Moses was so close to God that his conversations with God were described as speaking “face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.”  We know that statement is not literal because Moses later asks to see God’s glory and God says “you cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”  Moses did get to see God’s glory from behind, though. Moses went back to “I AM” on Israel’s behalf on several occasions.  God relented from destroying Israel because of Moses....

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Exodus 32 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2032&version=NASB1995 Psalm 47 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2047&version=NASB1995 Isaiah 43:1-13 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2043%3A1-13&version=NASB1995 Mark 6:14-32 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%206%3A14-32&version=NASB1995 It Just Happened Moses had been on the mountain with God for 40 days and nights when he returned and found the Israelites worshiping a molten calf. The people had experienced God first hand before Moses went up the mountain and knew God was there.  It seemed like a very short time for the people to lose sight of God.  I also questioned what Aaron had been thinking by actually fashioning it into a molten calf.  Clearly he was scared when he told Moses that they gave him the gold “and I threw it in the fire, and out came this calf.”   It all sounds quite magical!...