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Exodus 30:13 Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. 

This morning, I stood on the porch in the wind and cold and talked to Jesus as the sun peeked over the clouds on the horizon. There was no ceremony, no tax, no offering, just me with my thankful heart, talking to Jesus. 

Exodus 30:14 All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the Lord. 

I am beyond grateful for the personal, intimate relationship I have with Christ. I am so thankful that I don’t have to navigate the distance that the Israelites in Exodus do. I am so glad that I can talk to Jesus every moment of every day, to praise Him, to rail at Him, to beg Him for grace, mercy, forgiveness. 

Exodus 30:15 The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for my personal relationship with You. Thank You that You will meet with me, sit with me, talk with me any time. Help me to always make that time to sit in Your presence and listen to You. Amen.

Exodus 30:16 Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.”

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 28:1 “Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. 

Looking at the various translations of verse 3 on biblehub.com, the words skill, talent, and wisdom come up repeatedly. I sincerely believe that God has given all of us skills and talents to use for Him. I think wisdom is learning how to use those skills and talents most effectively to shine His light.  

Exodus 28:2 Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. 

The older I get, the more I think that, just like our faith, our skills and talents are more than just a “one and done,” meaning that, just like our faith and our relationship with Christ evolves over time as we read, study, and seek Him, I think our skills and talents (OR maybe how we use them to shine His light OR maybe both the skills/talents and the use of them) continue to evolve.

Exodus 28:3 Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. 

Precious Savior, A friend encouraged me recently to “Stay curious,” and I think that advice applies well to both my relationship with You AND how I can best use my skills and talents to serve You. Help me never to stop learning, seeking, growing in You. Help me, Jesus. Amen. 

Exodus 28:4-5 These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Today’s scripture has me thinking about the word covetousness, wanting something that is not yours. Google AI says that the opposite of covetousness is contentment. This idea leads me to the quote, often attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” an idea that I wholeheartedly believe in.

Exodus 20:13-14 “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery.

This idea brings me to social media, which is sometimes used in positive ways, but can often be the cause of comparison. And it has often been said that comparing your life to the life of someone on social media is like comparing your blooper reel to someone else’s highlight reel–unrealistic and absolutely guaranteed to make you discontent with your life.

Exodus 20:15-16 “You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Precious Savior, Thank You for this reminder that You call us to focus on and love what’s right in front of us instead of seeing what others have and being discontent. Unfortunately, this world thrives on discontent, on the idea that new and better is out there and we need it to be happy. Help us to see the blessings all around us. And thank You for those many blessings. Amen.

Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Have a blessed day. 

Genesis 41:1 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, 

Today’s verses have me thinking about the passage of time. It’s been two years since Joseph interpreted the cupbearer’s dream. Two years. Seven hundred and thirty days. Seventeen thousand five hundred and two hours. I could go on, but you get the idea. That can feel like an eternity.

Genesis 41:2 when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. 

But 2 Peter 3:8 reminds us that “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” And while I don’t know exactly what that means, I do know that it means that time doesn’t work the same with God as it does here. I’m honestly not 100% sure what to make of that, but I think it could be a very good thing.

Genesis 41:3 After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. 

Precious Savior, when I am anticipating or dreading something, time can seem to take forever. When I am enjoying something or feeling the preciousness of time, it seems to slip away so quickly. Thank You for the reminder that time with You works differently. Help me not to stress or fret about time but to use it to draw closer to You. Always. Amen.

Genesis 41:4 And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 30:1 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

Emily Dickinson writes about hope as a thing with feathers, easily startled. Caitlin Seida says hope is not a bird but a sewer rat, tenacious. Regardless of which philosophy you subscribe to–and I’ll be honest, there are parts of both that I find fitting–hope is a vital part of humanity. Without hope, it’s hard to move forward.

Genesis 30:2 Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”

I am writing this reflection on Holy Saturday. Christ has been crucified. Darkness has descended. Hope feels scarce. Darkness feels abundant, alive, smothering all that is good. But Sunday is coming. Resurrection is coming. Hope is coming–no matter what you are struggling with at present.

Genesis 30:3 Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”

Precious Savior, Thank You for the hope of Your Son, of His resurrection. Thank You that no matter what we struggle with on this earth, we have an eternal hope to light our paths. Be with us, no matter what trials we face. Help us to hold onto Your hope. Always. Amen.

Genesis 30:4-5 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, and she became pregnant and bore him a son.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 10:30 The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country.

Yesterday’s comment about “Our Town,” which talks about how we are at once both incredibly important (in our own minds/our own universe) and utterly insignificant (in the grand scheme of things), and this week’s scripture put me in mind of hiking at a local park. There is a granite rock face that you can hike up. It’s pretty strenuous, but the views are amazing.

Genesis 10:31 These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

The thing I love about that hike, that this scripture and “Our Town” put me in mind of, is the perspective I gain as I hike it. At the beginning of the trail, you are walking in tall trees. That’s all you can see–those trees. But as you hike, you climb out of the trees. Stop and look at various points along the way (which you have to do just to catch your breath) and you see those trees getting smaller and smaller and the expansive view opening up more and more.

Genesis 10:32a These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the perspective of Your word, of texts like “Our Town,” of hikes like Rocky Face. Thank You for reminding us that life is more than what’s right in front of us, that things that loom so large now are so very small from Your perspective. Help us to keep this life in proper perspective. Help us give You praise, always. Amen.

Genesis 10:32b From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.

Have a blessed day.

2 Corinthians 9:10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.  

I want my life to be a testament to God’s goodness. I want my giving to reflect the generosity of my Savior. I want my generosity to “result in thanksgiving to God” (v11b). This desire is one of the many reasons I need to get over myself when it comes to living generously.

2 Corinthians 9:11a You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion,

God loves a cheerful giver. He also supplies all my needs. So my tight hold on things I am being called to let go of is akin to my fear and worry over things. It feels like a way to keep myself safe, but it is really one more way that I try to maintain control over my life–a life that is and always will be in God’s control, not mine.

2 Corinthians 9:11b …and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Precious Savior, I see my hesitation in giving for what it is–me trying to exert control over my life. But having You as my center means that *I* do not need that control. You’ve got me. You’ve got my life. You CAN be trusted. Help me to live a generous life for You. Help me to trust even when I am afraid. Help me not to be afraid because I know YOU are in control. I trust You. Help me live that trust. Amen.

2 Corinthians 9:12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 

Have a blessed day.