Category: Daily Promises

FREEDOM FIGHTERS

“Why did you bring us out of Egypt?” –Exodus 14:11 Patrick Henry said: “Give me liberty or give me death.” The Israelites said: “Give me life. Who cares about liberty?” They said: “Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians than to die in the desert” (Ex 14:12). Most of us can relate better to the Israelites than to Patrick Henry. We want “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” However, life and happiness can be higher priorities than liberty. In fact, pleasure is often a higher priority than liberty. We may know we are trapped in...

FOOD AND LOVE

“He pitied them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them at great length.” –Mark 6:34 The main responsibility of a shepherd is to feed his sheep. Jesus the Good Shepherd is preoccupied with feeding His sheep. He Himself went without food (Mk 6:31) to feed His sheep by teaching them at great length. The way Jesus wants us to show our love for Him is by feeding His sheep (Jn 21:17). We need both physical and spiritual feeding, but the most important is spiritual. We are fed spiritually in two ways: Holy Communion...

WILL YOU BE GENTLE OR WICK-ED?

“The smoldering wick He will not quench.” –Matthew 12:20 A man with a shriveled hand comes to the synagogue (Mt 12:10). This man is like a smoldering wick. One of his hands is almost useless. There’s still a little life left in his hand, but it’s just smoldering, barely alive. How did the Pharisees react when they saw a smoldering wick? They reacted with wickedness by exploiting this man in hopes of accusing Jesus (see Mk 3:2). When confronted with healing and life, they wickedly plotted death (Mt 12:14). How does Jesus react when a wick is smoldering? He responds...

CELEBRATING THE NEW PASSOVER

“This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the Lord, as a perpetual institution.” –Exodus 12:14 Passover is one of the most important celebrations in the history of the human race. It refers to the event when the Lord passed over the homes of the Israelites while putting to death the firstborn of the Egyptians (Ex 12:12, 29-30). In this way, the Israelites were freed from hundreds of years of slavery. Jesus celebrated the “Last Supper” on the occasion of the Passover. He said: “I have greatly desired to eat...

NOTHING BUT JESUS

“I am concerned about you.” –Exodus 3:16 The proof to show Moses that he was sent by God was that, after Moses brought the people out of Egypt, they would worship on Mount Horeb (Ex 3:12). A proof after the fact is not a very good proof by human standards. Moses realized this and asked for another assurance, for God to reveal His name. With this, Moses could name for the people the One Who had sent him. “God replied, ‘I Am Who Am.’ Then He added, ‘This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to...