FEBRUARY 2 - MORE PLAGUES
READ Exodus 8
Additional plagues are inflicted upon Egypt.
INSIGHT
In the Old Testament, God makes a distinct difference between how He treats the Jewish nation and how He treats others. God lets none of the plagues that fall on Egypt fall upon Israel. How we wish sometimes that God would do the same for us in the church! How we wish that, because we are Christians, we would have none of the unpleasant things happen to us that happen to the world! We must recognize that in the Old Testament, God wants the recognizable difference between Israel and the world to be physical. In the New Testament, He wants that difference to be spiritual. In the Old Testament, God's blessing is the fruit of the vine. In the New Testament, it is the fruit of the Spirit. We must focus on spiritual blessings to be the difference between us and the world.
PRAYER
Think about how you have been spiritually blessed as you offer your praise to God:
This is why you are great, Lord God.
There is no one like you,
And there is no God besides you,
As all we have heard confirms (2 Samuel 7:22).
Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Then I said:
Woe is me for I am ruined
Because I am a man of unclean lips
And live among a people of unclean lips,
And because my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of Armies (Isaiah 6:5).
There is certainly no one righteous on the earth
Who does good and never sins (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
I did this because I was ashamed
To ask the king for infantry and cavalry
To protect us from enemies during the journey,
Since we had told him, “The hand of our God
Is gracious to all who seek him, but his fierce anger
Is against all who abandon him.” (Ezra 8:22).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
All the days of my life, and I will dwell
In the house of the Lord as long as I live
(Psalm 23:6).
Additional plagues are inflicted upon Egypt.
INSIGHT
In the Old Testament, God makes a distinct difference between how He treats the Jewish nation and how He treats others. God lets none of the plagues that fall on Egypt fall upon Israel. How we wish sometimes that God would do the same for us in the church! How we wish that, because we are Christians, we would have none of the unpleasant things happen to us that happen to the world! We must recognize that in the Old Testament, God wants the recognizable difference between Israel and the world to be physical. In the New Testament, He wants that difference to be spiritual. In the Old Testament, God's blessing is the fruit of the vine. In the New Testament, it is the fruit of the Spirit. We must focus on spiritual blessings to be the difference between us and the world.
PRAYER
Think about how you have been spiritually blessed as you offer your praise to God:
This is why you are great, Lord God.
There is no one like you,
And there is no God besides you,
As all we have heard confirms (2 Samuel 7:22).
Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Then I said:
Woe is me for I am ruined
Because I am a man of unclean lips
And live among a people of unclean lips,
And because my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of Armies (Isaiah 6:5).
There is certainly no one righteous on the earth
Who does good and never sins (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
I did this because I was ashamed
To ask the king for infantry and cavalry
To protect us from enemies during the journey,
Since we had told him, “The hand of our God
Is gracious to all who seek him, but his fierce anger
Is against all who abandon him.” (Ezra 8:22).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
- Sensitivity to sin
- The ministry of your church
- Today's activities
Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
All the days of my life, and I will dwell
In the house of the Lord as long as I live
(Psalm 23:6).
A Dogwood Church Discipleship Ministry Resource. © Walk Thru the Bible 2023.