A Re-post From Jennifer Benson Schuldt of Our Daily Bread

Who Am I?

September 28, 2013 — by Jennifer Benson Schuldt

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Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn

Read: Exodus 3:7-15

Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” —Exodus 3:11

Bible in a Year:
Isaiah 5-6; Ephesians 1

Years ago, world-famous evangelist Billy Graham was scheduled to speak at Cambridge University in England, but he did not feel qualified to address the sophisticated thinkers. He had no advanced degrees and he had never attended seminary. Billy confided in a close friend: “I do not know that I have ever felt more inadequate and totally unprepared for a mission.” He prayed for God’s help, and God used him to share the simple truth of the gospel and the cross of Christ.
Moses also felt inadequate when God recruited him for the task of telling Pharaoh to release the Israelites. Moses asked, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” (Ex. 3:11). Although Moses may have questioned his effectiveness because he was “slow of speech” (4:10), God said, “I will certainly be with you” (3:12). Knowing he would have to share God’s rescue plan and tell the Israelites who sent him, Moses asked God, “What shall I say to them?” God replied, “I AM has sent me to you” (vv.13-14). His name, “I AM,” revealed His eternal, self-existent, and all-sufficient character.
Even when we question our ability to do what God has asked us to do, He can be trusted. Our shortcomings are less important than God’s sufficiency. When we ask, “Who am I?” we can remember that God said, “I AM.”

Dear Lord, help me to remember that You are
with me, even when I’m unsure of my own
abilities. Give me the faith to believe that You
can help me to do anything You ask me to do.

You need not be afraid of where you’re going when you know God’s going with you.

A Re-post From Julie Ackerman Link of Our Daily Bread

Fire And Rain

September 27, 2013 — by Julie Ackerman Link

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Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn

Read: Isaiah 16:1-5

In mercy the throne will be established; and One will sit on it in truth . . .  judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness. —Isaiah 16:5

Bible in a Year:
Isaiah 3-4; Galatians 6

When a wildfire raged through the beautiful canyons near Colorado Springs, Colorado, it destroyed the habitat of all kinds of wildlife and hundreds of homes. People across the nation cried out to God, pleading with Him to send rain to douse the flames, put an end to the destruction, and give firefighters relief. Some people’s prayers had an interesting condition attached to them. They asked God to show mercy and send rain without lightning, which they feared would start even more fires.
This reminds me of how we live in tension between things that save us and kill us. With fire, we cook our food and keep warm, but in it we can be consumed. With water, we keep our bodies hydrated and our planet cooled, but in it we also can drown. Too much or too little of either is life-threatening.
We see the same principle at work spiritually. To thrive, civilizations need the seemingly opposite qualities of mercy and justice (Zech. 7:9). Jesus scolded the Pharisees for being sticklers about the law but neglecting these “weightier matters” (Matt. 23:23).
We may lean toward justice or mercy, but Jesus keeps them in perfect balance (Isa. 16:5; 42:1-4). His death satisfies God’s need for justice and our need for mercy.

Father, for personal reasons I sometimes lean toward
showing mercy, and sometimes I just want justice now.
Teach me the balance as I look at Your character and
give me the wisdom I need in specific situations.

God’s justice and mercy met at the cross.