Month: December 2025

Exodus 16:8a Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. 

Somehow, for some reason, I convinced myself somewhere along the way that I could not show negative emotions with God. As you might imagine, that led to a lot of resentment on my part. How can I have a close relationship with someone who only sees my happy face? It’s not sustainable, even in our relationship with God.

Exodus 16:8b Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”

News Flash: God is bigger than our feelings. It took me until I was well into my 30s to fully embrace that, but it is true. God is bigger than any emotion I have and express. He can handle my anger, fear, frustration, misery. He will not turn His back on me because I emote. He will not kick me out of the Kingdom because I don’t keep my feelings in line.

Exodus 16:9 Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’ ”

Precious Savior, Thank You that You are bigger than my feelings and that You want all of my–not just the shiny, happy bits. Thank You that I can be real, raw, honest with You and that You will never leave me nor forsake me. Help me to keep my grumbling in check, but thank You that You love me even then. Amen.

Exodus 16:10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud.

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 15:21 Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.”

Welp. That didn’t take long. At the beginning of this chapter, the Israelites were singing to God and praising His name. By the end of this chapter, they are already grumbling. Granted, the grumbling is directed at Moses, but, by extension, they are grumbling at God as well.  

Exodus 15:22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 

But just a moment’s reflection shows me that I am no better. I have been just as guilty of singing God’s praises one minute and grumbling about something the next. It’s human nature. Doesn’t make it right, but it helps me to at least consider the need to give myself grace, just as I would give grace to others. 

Exodus 15:23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) 

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your mercy, compassion, and grace. We don’t deserve it. We could never earn it. Yet You lavish Your love upon us simply because we are Your deeply loved children. It truly boggles the mind. Thank You seems wholly inadequate, but I am so incredibly grateful. Amen.

Exodus 15:24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 15:17 You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance—the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established.

Verse 18 ends the song of Moses and Miriam, and again, I am reminded of the power of sharing our God-stories. And on this Christmas Day, sharing God stories seems like a fitting thing to talk about. I recently reposted on social media pictures and descriptions of my Christmas mantle decorations, which is a case in point of sharing God stories.

Exodus 15:18 “The Lord reigns for ever and ever.”

Almost everything that adorns my Christmas mantle has a story, and almost every story is tied to a person whom I love. Many of those people are still with me, some have gone before, but by sharing the stories of those adornments and those people, I am sharing ways that God has blessed me, that God has shown His unfailing love for me. 

Exodus 15:19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the power of our God stories. Thank You that the stories of the people and things that we love can keep those people and those memories with us, even when those people have gone before. Thank You for the birth of Your Son, our Savior. Thank You for this day. Help us to see Your presence everywhere we look. Amen.

Exodus 15:20 Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing.

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 15:13 In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.

The first part of the first verse of today’s reading is what jumps out at me this morning: “In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed.” The Lord’s love is UNFAILING. Read that again: His love WILL NOT FAIL.

Exodus 15:14 The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia.

I fail in big and small ways every single day. I am, as most people are, hyper aware of my failures. I am quick to lambast myself for the myriad ways that I fail. I’m not saying it’s right, but it is human nature. I’ll bet I’m not the only one guilty of counting my failures. HOWEVER, the Lord’s love is UNFAILING. Period.

Exodus 15:15 The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away;

Precious Savior, In a world where things seem upside down in a minute’s time, thank You that Your love is unfailing, unchanging, unshakeable. Help me to give myself grace upon grace. Help me to treat others with that same unending grace. Help me to never forget that Your love is unfailing, even though I am not. Thank You. Amen.

Exodus 15:16 terror and dread will fall on them. By the power of your arm they will be as still as a stone— until your people pass by, Lord, until the people you bought pass by.

Have a blessed day.

Exodus 15:9 The enemy boasted, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.’

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and the contrast between God’s destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea that I’m reading about today and the virgin birth of the Savior of the world that we celebrate day after tomorrow is stark and sobering.

Exodus 15:10 But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

God used force repeatedly in the Old Testament. He wiped out almost everything with the flood. He wiped out Pharaoh and the Egyptians with the Red Sea. I wonder if He ever thought, “They just don’t get it. They do not understand my mighty, all-encompassing love for my creation. Let me try something radically different to see if I can reach their hardened hearts.”

Exodus 15:11 Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your lowly birth in a manger, for Your radical ministry of love. I don’t think we still fully understand what You were doing, turning the ways of the world, the systems of power, on their heads. Thank You for Your legacy of love. Help our hearts to be eternally changed by Your fierce, all-encompassing love for us. Amen.

Exodus 15:12 “You stretch out your right hand, and the earth swallows your enemies.

Have a blessed day.

Exodus 15:5 The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone.

I think we make God happy when we share our God-stories, the times in life where God has shown up, has made Himself known to us in our circumstances. I honestly don’t think He cares whether we sing or write poetry or simply share those stories by word-or-mouth. I think it is the sharing, the telling, that brings Him joy.

Exodus 15:6 Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy.

That sharing, that telling, is also important because we will all hit a wall at some point in life (more than once), where we can’t see beyond the mountain in our path, where we can’t fathom that His all-encompassing presence and love can reach us in our darkness. Those stories are important during those times because they remind us that He IS present, He IS with us, even if we can’t perceive it. 

Exodus 15:7 “In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the reminders in life that while we are all broken, it is only through our brokenness that Your light, Your love can seep in, infusing us with Your presence, Your peace, Your strength. Help us to share our God-stories with others. Help us to shine Your light in this weary and broken world. Thank You that You are with us. Always. Even now. Amen.

Exodus 15:8 By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood up like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.

Have a blessed day.