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“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:28-31

Exodus notes will continue next week, until then here is another thought:

38. “Remember Whose you are and Whom you serve. Provoke yourself by recollection, and your affection for God will increase tenfold; your imagination will not be starved any longer, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.” –Oswald Chambers

 “The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God, forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.’” – Billy Graham

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” – Francis Chan

 “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.” – Hudson Taylor

“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us” – Augustine

I will be continuing our journey through Exodus in a few days time. Until then a little thought for each day : “Don’t be dependent on man, because they change like the wind. Depend on the Lord, and know that He is faithful to keep His Word.” – Matthew Hagee

18 Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.”

Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.”

19 Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.

Verse 19 shows what preceded Moses’ request to Jethro, namely God’s instruction. Moses still observed what I presume was a courtesy in that culture. In so doing, he received his father-in-law’s words of blessing and found he had an ‘open door’.

If you believe God has told you to do a certain thing, you will likely find circumstantial confirmation: i.e. things will start to open up for you to do that thing. God will make a way; the Red Sea will part; a relative may affirm your direction! (Just one word of caution though: when Jonah was running away from the Lord, he went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish – the very destination he wanted to run to. It could have been seen as providential. However, Jonah knew what God had said to him, and was aware he was being disobedient. So the opportunity alone doesn’t make it right).

A preacher said he stood on the bridge of a ship one night as it headed into a harbour. The captain said to him, ‘Do you see those three lights? They have to come into alignment and then we know we are heading in the right direction.’ At least three lights must come into line for us to be sure of God’s guidance: a.) His word to our hearts; b.) the written Word of God, the Bible, and c.) the providential ordering of circumstances.