January 22
Today’s Reading
Exodus 3–5
Luke 22
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Summary — Exodus 3–5
In Exodus 3, God reveals Himself to Moses in the burning bush—not as a distant or silent God, but as the holy, present, covenant-keeping I AM. Moses is drawn near, yet commanded to stop, remove his sandals, and recognize that God’s presence makes ordinary ground holy. Before Moses is ever sent, he is taught who God is—holy, self-existent, faithful to His promises, and personally involved with His people.
God calls Moses to deliver Israel, but Moses responds with fear, hesitation, and questions about his adequacy. God does not reassure Moses by explaining the plan in detail; instead, He promises His presence: “I will be with you.” The sign Moses asks for will not come before obedience—but after. Worship on the mountain will follow faith-filled obedience.
In Exodus 4, Moses continues to resist, focusing on his weaknesses, his speech, and his fear of rejection. God patiently answers every objection, providing signs, helpers, and reassurance—but never removing the need for trust. God’s power is shown to be sufficient, even when His servant feels inadequate.
In Exodus 5, Moses obeys and confronts Pharaoh—yet instead of immediate deliverance, resistance increases. Pharaoh hardens his heart, the people grow discouraged, and Moses feels the weight of obedience without visible success. What God promised is still true, but the path forward is harder than Moses expected.
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Lesson — What God Is Teaching Us
God reveals His holiness before He assigns responsibility.
Moses must first learn who God is before learning what God will do. Holy ground teaches reverence, humility, and surrender.
(So often we want to know what God will do first. We want answers, reassurance, and proof before we slow down to know who He is. But God desires humility, surrender, and reverence—and that only comes through truly knowing Him, not just asking Him to act.)
God promises presence, not ease.
“I will be with you” does not mean the journey will be painless—it means Moses will never walk it alone.
(I think sometimes we hear “God is with me” and assume that means things will go smoothly. But His presence is not a guarantee of comfort—it’s a promise that we will not be abandoned when things are hard.)
Faith often walks before confirmation.
The sign comes later. Moses must trust God without proof, believing that worship will follow obedience.
(This challenges me, because I often want confirmation before I move. But God asks for trust first—obedience before evidence, faith before seeing.)
Obedience precedes clarity.
God does not explain everything upfront. Understanding grows as we walk forward in faith.
(Clarity usually comes while we are moving, not while we are standing still. Waiting for full understanding can keep us from stepping forward at all.)
God’s name reveals His nature.
“I AM WHO I AM” means God is self-existent, unchanging, faithful, and sufficient. He does not depend on circumstances, people, or outcomes to be who He is.
(This reminds me that God doesn’t need to prove Himself to us. He simply is. Our trust is rooted in who He is—not in how things look in the moment.)
Initial obedience may bring resistance—but not abandonment.
Exodus 5 reminds us that obedience does not always produce immediate relief. Sometimes it exposes opposition. God is still at work even when progress feels slow.
(Just because things get harder doesn’t mean we missed God. Resistance does not equal failure. God is still faithful, even when obedience feels costly.)
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Application
Under What God Is Teaching Us, choose one or two lessons that stood out to you. Sit with the Lord and journal honestly about where you have struggled, resisted, or felt challenged in this area. Talk to God about it—invite Him to search your heart, renew your mind, and lead you into full surrender and obedience, choosing to walk by faith and not by sight.
⸻
Prayer 🙏
Lord, thank You for revealing who You are—holy, faithful, and present. Search my heart and show me where I resist surrender or hesitate to trust You. Change my heart and renew my mind so that I would walk in obedience, not fear; faith, not sight. Teach me to rest in who You are, even when the path feels uncertain. I want my life to be an act of worship to You. Amen.
Today’s Reading
Exodus 3–5
Luke 22
⸻
Summary — Exodus 3–5
In Exodus 3, God reveals Himself to Moses in the burning bush—not as a distant or silent God, but as the holy, present, covenant-keeping I AM. Moses is drawn near, yet commanded to stop, remove his sandals, and recognize that God’s presence makes ordinary ground holy. Before Moses is ever sent, he is taught who God is—holy, self-existent, faithful to His promises, and personally involved with His people.
God calls Moses to deliver Israel, but Moses responds with fear, hesitation, and questions about his adequacy. God does not reassure Moses by explaining the plan in detail; instead, He promises His presence: “I will be with you.” The sign Moses asks for will not come before obedience—but after. Worship on the mountain will follow faith-filled obedience.
In Exodus 4, Moses continues to resist, focusing on his weaknesses, his speech, and his fear of rejection. God patiently answers every objection, providing signs, helpers, and reassurance—but never removing the need for trust. God’s power is shown to be sufficient, even when His servant feels inadequate.
In Exodus 5, Moses obeys and confronts Pharaoh—yet instead of immediate deliverance, resistance increases. Pharaoh hardens his heart, the people grow discouraged, and Moses feels the weight of obedience without visible success. What God promised is still true, but the path forward is harder than Moses expected.
⸻
Lesson — What God Is Teaching Us
God reveals His holiness before He assigns responsibility.
Moses must first learn who God is before learning what God will do. Holy ground teaches reverence, humility, and surrender.
(So often we want to know what God will do first. We want answers, reassurance, and proof before we slow down to know who He is. But God desires humility, surrender, and reverence—and that only comes through truly knowing Him, not just asking Him to act.)
God promises presence, not ease.
“I will be with you” does not mean the journey will be painless—it means Moses will never walk it alone.
(I think sometimes we hear “God is with me” and assume that means things will go smoothly. But His presence is not a guarantee of comfort—it’s a promise that we will not be abandoned when things are hard.)
Faith often walks before confirmation.
The sign comes later. Moses must trust God without proof, believing that worship will follow obedience.
(This challenges me, because I often want confirmation before I move. But God asks for trust first—obedience before evidence, faith before seeing.)
Obedience precedes clarity.
God does not explain everything upfront. Understanding grows as we walk forward in faith.
(Clarity usually comes while we are moving, not while we are standing still. Waiting for full understanding can keep us from stepping forward at all.)
God’s name reveals His nature.
“I AM WHO I AM” means God is self-existent, unchanging, faithful, and sufficient. He does not depend on circumstances, people, or outcomes to be who He is.
(This reminds me that God doesn’t need to prove Himself to us. He simply is. Our trust is rooted in who He is—not in how things look in the moment.)
Initial obedience may bring resistance—but not abandonment.
Exodus 5 reminds us that obedience does not always produce immediate relief. Sometimes it exposes opposition. God is still at work even when progress feels slow.
(Just because things get harder doesn’t mean we missed God. Resistance does not equal failure. God is still faithful, even when obedience feels costly.)
⸻
Application
Under What God Is Teaching Us, choose one or two lessons that stood out to you. Sit with the Lord and journal honestly about where you have struggled, resisted, or felt challenged in this area. Talk to God about it—invite Him to search your heart, renew your mind, and lead you into full surrender and obedience, choosing to walk by faith and not by sight.
⸻
Prayer 🙏
Lord, thank You for revealing who You are—holy, faithful, and present. Search my heart and show me where I resist surrender or hesitate to trust You. Change my heart and renew my mind so that I would walk in obedience, not fear; faith, not sight. Teach me to rest in who You are, even when the path feels uncertain. I want my life to be an act of worship to You. Amen.
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