Tag: Cayce Fletcher

Remembering Your Testimony

OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 1-2

POETRY: Psalm 106

NEW TESTAMENT: Philemon 1

I absolutely love to read. When I get a night alone – which doesn’t happen often with two littles running around, my favorite way to spend it is reading snuggled up on my couch under a blanket with a nice cup of coffee by my side. As an English major, I had to read pretty voraciously in college and that habit didn’t stop when I graduated. 

Though I love a good mystery novel and there is no better book for the beach than a sappy chick-lit romance, I also love to learn about the history of things. Currently, I’m on a Classical Education kick. I’m reading everything that I can get my hands on about what classical education is. Before that, I read about the history of the doctrine of the Trinity, homesteading, and Irish history. It’s really just whatever hits my fancy at the moment (which is probably why I have a pile of unfinished books towering by my bedside). 

As I read about all of these topics, the authors do similar things. Before they ever jump to any conclusions, they always begin with the history of a topic. Starting wherever it makes sense, they detail step-by-step why something is the way it is based on how it was formed over the slow marching of years. 

As a writer myself, I can sense why someone feels the need to do this. You don’t really understand something unless you know and understand its past. 

Reading through Psalm 106, we get a clear picture of Israel’s story. It begins with how Israel was rescued out of Egypt and brought through the wilderness. They faced their fair share of trials, but still, some Israelites remained faithful and made the right decisions. 

After entering Canaan, the Israelites ‘mingled with the nations and adopted their customs’ (Ps. 106:35). God had commanded them to be a set-apart people, but they refused to follow his instructions. The ending of Psalm 106 describes how the Israelites were exiled to the nations (whether during David’s wandering as he fled from Saul as some commentators think or during the Babylonian captivity). The author pleads with God to save them. 

Knowing Israel’s history helps us to make sense of the context of Isaiah 1-2. God had shown his everlasting faithfulness to Israel, making them into a mighty nation. Still, the people chose something else. They always followed after idols and rejected God in the process.

Isaiah 1 describes this bleak picture: “7 Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. 8 Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege. 9 Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.”

The Israelites always had a choice about how they were going to live. They could follow God, or they could follow their sinful hearts. When they rejected God, they ended up destroying their lives. 

We have the same choice today. We can choose to follow God or choose to follow the world. I believe the best way to remind ourselves that following God is the best option is to look at God’s past episodes of faithfulness in our lives. We tell the story of his ‘mighty acts’ (Ps. 106:1), and in doing so, we remind ourselves why God is just so good. 

What has God done in your past that helps inspire you to faithfulness to him today? Write your own Psalm of praise, and recommit to your love, praise, and loyalty to God today.  

-Cayce Fletcher

Cayce Fletcher is a teacher-turned-SAHM mom of two. She blogs and podcasts at A More Beautiful Life Collective where she focuses on how you can create a life you love and cultivate your heart for God. Currently, she is working through a systematic theology series on her podcast. You can find her latest post on Bibliology here. 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Read through Psalm 106 today and count the different historical stories referenced throughout the psalm. If you have the time, find the reference for each of the stories, and write those references down beside the Psalm in your Bible. 
  2. Take some time today to answer the last question in this post. What is your testimony of God’s faithfulness in your life? Writing it down can clarify it in your mind.
  3. Isaiah 1:16-17 are popular verses for good reason. The people of Judah had begun to go through the motions of sacrifices and traditions, but their hearts were far from God. Read through these verses, and journal about how you can learn to ‘stop doing wrong and learn to do’ the right that God loves. 
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The Hope of the Passover Fulfilled

OLD TESTAMENT: EXODUS 11-12

POETRY: PSALM 23

NEW TESTAMENT: MATTHEW 21:28-32

One of my favorite movies growing up was Dreamwork’s The Prince of Egypt. I loved the music and the story, though it was slightly embellished for dramatic effect. In the movie, Moses and Rameses are the best of friends in addition to being brothers. As plagues ravage Egypt, Moses and Rameses face off against each other, asking each other “Is this what you wanted?” The Bible never talks about Moses and Rameses being close or caring for one another. But, I do think the movie captures what happened to Egypt. 

Egypt destroyed by the plagues in Dreamwork’s Prince of Egypt

As the Israelites gathered up their belongings after the Passover, they walked through a city in complete ruins, statues falling over and temples broken. God had triumphed over Pharoah and the Egyptian gods, and now the Israelites were on their way to freedom. 

The Passover lamb (another sheep reference) is a preview of both the law and the sacrifices that would be required for our sins and the ultimate fulfillment of the law in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Our Matthew readings for the week show Jesus as he grows nearer to the time of the cross. In fact, Jesus enters Jerusalem in Matthew 20 to celebrate the Passover. 

In Matthew 26:17-30, Jesus celebrates the Passover with his celebrates. He breaks bread with them and then tells them that he will not have the Passover banquet again until the kingdom of heaven (Luke 22:14-18). The wedding banquet of the lamb is the hope that we have in the Kingdom (Revelation 19, Matthew 22) – that are sins are passed over forever, as we are raised up incorruptible in a new heavens and a new earth (1 Cor. 15:52). The Passover was a sign of salvation to the Israelites, a testament that they were to observe for generations to come. We can read about the Passover today and be reminded of what is to come in the kingdom. 

We should want to shout in jubilee, believing in the miracle of God rescuing us from the bondage of sin and shame. 

Matthew 21:28-32 leaves us with a caution. As we look forward to this coming kingdom, we want to be the ones who are faithful to the end. The parable draws a distinction between the brother who said he was going to work and the brother who actually worked. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter how much you talk about Jesus if you don’t actually follow him. You have to leave your life in bondage to sin and go forward to your new life in Freedom. Your life must change. The new focus of your life should be to work for the good of the kingdom of God. 

Psalm 23 ends in this way, 

“You prepare a table before me

    in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

    my cup overflows.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me

    all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

    Forever.”

We see another table set, another banquet, a foreshadowing of the Passover fulfilled, the marriage feast. David trusts completely in God, even in the midst of his enemies. The final words – the sweet hope of David – is to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The desire of David’s heart is not those green pastures, those quiet waters. The true desire is to be in the presence of God, and the beautiful thing is that being in the presence of God leads to places of beauty and comfort – maybe in this life but definitely in the kingdom. 

May that be the desire of our hearts: To long for the marriage supper of the Lamb. 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Cayce writes about discipleship, productivity, and homemaking at her blog https://amorebeautifullifecollective. You can find her latest post on creating a theme of the year here. You can also listen to A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. How do you think the Israelites felt as they left Egypt? How do you think the Egyptians felt? 
  2. Which brother are you in the parable of the two sons? The worker or the talker? 
  3. What do you hope for most in the coming kingdom? What are you most excited about? 

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Who are you following? 

OLD TESTAMENT: EXODUS 9-10

POETRY: PSALM 23

NEW TESTAMENT: MATTHEW 21:1-27

The showdown between Moses, God, and Pharaoh’s hard heart escalated in our reading today. What God said would come to pass did: Pharaoh continued to harden his heart again and again despite the plagues that came upon Egypt. At one point, the officials said, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?” (Exodus 10:7). We see the same cycle repeated. At first, Pharaoh was completely unyielding. But, as harsher and harsher plagues were brought upon the people, Pharaoh began to consider letting the Israelites go. 

Exodus 9:15-17 says, “For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go.”

Hail rained down and wiped out everything in the fields. Pharaoh finally said, “This time I have sinned. The Lord is right and my people are wrong” (v. 27). It would seem like the plagues could finally stop right? Pharaoh finally humbled himself and was willing to let the people go. After the plague stopped, Pharaoh changed his tune. His heart was hardened, and he refused to let the people go. 

He followed this same cycle of refusing, repenting, hardening his heart, and refusing again with the plague of locusts and darkness. Reading through this story, you might wonder why Pharaoh didn’t see that by hardening his heart, he didn’t gain anything. In fact, he led his nation into ruin with his pride. If he had just let the people go, he would have saved everyone from a lot of pain and suffering. 

It’s interesting to consider that the pharaoh was considered a god by the Egyptian people. Pharaoh is so rash, foolish, and fickle, compared to the God of the Israelites. Pharaoh kept deciding to do something and changed his mind once his feelings changed. Would that be a god you want to follow? 

In Psalm 23, we read about how God, as our shepherd, leads us on right paths. Lysa TerKeurst describes this scene: 

“We might imagine lush green hills like you’d find in Ireland, but David’s reality was the steep, rocky, dry Judean hills. Hills that had to be carefully traveled in order to get to the water and vegetation waiting in the valleys below.

Shepherds leading their flocks also had to be cautious about the timing of their trips. Hard rains could quickly lead to flash floods in a gorge. When a shepherd knew a storm was coming, he wouldn’t allow the sheep to be down in the gorge because they’d drown; instead, he’d wait patiently until the storm passed to lead his flock down to drink. So not only did sheep have to trust where the shepherd was leading them; they had to trust the when of his leading.

The Hebrew word for “paths” in Psalm 23:3 referred to well-worn or deep ruts that were actually good ruts, important because they marked the safest paths. While these paths could be formed by one shepherd over time, it’s more likely they were formed by other shepherds who’d gone before — generations of shepherds wisely walking the same paths. Even today, you can literally look at the hills in Israel and see paths the shepherds have been walking for generations.”

Valley of the Shadow of Death

The showdown in Exodus draws a distinction in leadership, sovereignty, and control between God and the Egyptian gods. The God who proved to be the true God – the one who was the most powerful and in control – was the Israelites’ God. 

The world’s leadership mimics that of Pharaoh’s. Culture is fickle and promotes rash, foolish behavior. If you follow the world’s leading, you will end up being led to destruction. When we follow God, we are walking in the sure and right paths. The paths that don’t lead to danger, but instead lead to life.

Who are you following today? 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Cayce writes about discipleship, productivity, and homemaking at her blog https://amorebeautifullifecollective. You can find her latest post on how to seek the kingdom of God everyday here. You can also listen to A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Describe the differences between Pharaoh and Moses. And, between the Egyptian gods and Yahweh.  
  2. How does it change your understanding of Psalm 23 when you consider the actual terrain of Judah? How does picturing the rocky, steep hillside help you to recognize your need for a shepherd? 
  3. What is the difference between the leadership of God and the leadership of the world? Where does following the leadership of God end? Where does following the leadership of the world end? 

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For His Name’s Sake

OLD TESTAMENT: EXODUS 7-8

POETRY: PSALM 23

NEW TESTAMENT: MATTHEW 20:17-34

Yesterday, we focused on trusting in the faithfulness of God despite the challenges, troubles, and obstacles we face. Moses struggled with that trust and confidence that God would be faithful as he saw the increased oppression of the Israelite people. He asked the question, “Why?” Underlying this why was the sentiment: ‘Why – if you could free your people from this oppression – why wouldn’t you, God?’ 

We often ask God the same question. ‘Why – if you could intervene and alleviate the suffering of the world – why wouldn’t you, God?’ The answer to this question that we read in Exodus may ruffle the feathers of our modern sensibilities, but it does not make it any less true. 

We see a pattern through the story of the Israelites that God foretold what the story of the Israelites would be, including even the suffering they would face. Abraham was told about the 400 years the Israelites would spend in Egypt. The suffering of the people as slaves was foretold. And, Moses was told about the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart which would ultimately lead to the Israelites plundering the Egyptians on their way to freedom and the Promised Land. 

This makes us bristle because, in the modern world, our comfort, safety, and happiness are the greatest good. Nothing else is as important as those things. Honor, virtue, courage, and grace are deemed unworthy if they get in the way of our pursuit of these modern ideals. So, when we read that the Israelites would be forced to endure hardship, slavery, death, and injustice, we just can’t believe it. Why would a good God do this? 

God actually tells us why this happened. In Exodus 7:5, God says, “The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.” God did these things for his name’s sake. The plagues spoke to the glory of God. They demonstrated that ‘God was god, and there is no other’ (Isaiah 45:5). 

The values of comfort, safety, and happiness are not esteemed in the Bible. In fact, the greatest good turns out to be the glory of God, which is exactly what God has brought about with the plagues. His name was made great. 

When we read this emphasis on making God’s name great, we may have some concerns. Some may even say that God is egotistical because he desires for us to glorify him, for us to worship him, and desires to make his name great. 

The basis for greatness and glory can only be found in God. 

When God commands us to worship him foremost in our lives, he is actually establishing boundaries for our worship that will keep us from sin and heartache. When we step outside God’s created order, we fall prey to greed, selfishness, and an endless pursuit of desires and addictions that do not lead to fulfillment or joy. We have a belief in faux modesty in our culture. Though in practice we exalt ourselves daily, we say that don’t. We place that same value of faux modesty on God, and so, we question when God seems to buck against that value. 

John Piper said, “Does my opposition to God’s God-centeredness reveal that my supposed God-centeredness is just a cover for wanting myself at the center, and the use of God to endorse that because he is so centered on me?” 

Who is at the center of your world? Is it God or is it yourself? Is your life’s work to make great the name of God or your own? 

For a more in-depth look at how the plagues depict Yahweh vs. Egyptian gods, read this previous SeekGrowLove post by Sean Finnegan. 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Cayce writes about discipleship, productivity, and homemaking at her blog https://amorebeautifullifecollective. You can find her latest post on prayer here. You can also listen to A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. How did the plagues make God’s name great? 
  2. In Psalm 23, God “guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (v. 3). How does guiding us along right paths give glory to God? 
  3. Matthew 20:20-28 tells the story of the mother of Zebedee’s sons coming and asking for Jesus to exalt James and John in the coming kingdom. Jesus responds by stating, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” How does becoming a servant bring glory to God and make his name known? 

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Choosing to Believe in God’s Faithfulness

OLD TESTAMENT: EXODUS 5-6

POETRY: PSALM 23

NEW TESTAMENT: MATTHEW 20:1-16

Moses overcame the excuses we read about in Exodus 3-4. He traveled to Egypt and met Aaron in the wilderness at the mountain of God. Together, they went and told the people. “The people believed, and when they heard that the LORD had paid attention to them and that he had seen their misery, they knelt low and worshipped” (Exodus 4:31). 

I wonder what Moses thought would happen next. He had spoken to the people, and due to the signs Moses had shown them, they believed that God would deliver his people. Did they think it would happen right away? Did they think that Pharoah would just let them go? What did Moses think? Was he prepared for a resounding no? 

Moses went and told Pharaoh to let God’s people go, but Pharaoh responded, “Who is this God that I should listen to him?” Pharaoh’s response was to make the Israelites labor harder. God had told Moses at the burning bush that “the king of Egypt will not allow to go, even under force from a strong hand” (Exodus 3:19). Even so, it seems like Moses begins to doubt that God will do what he said he will do as he sees Pharaoh make the Israelites’ lives even harder. 

The Israelites begin to complain, saying that it would be better if Moses had never come (Exodus 5:19-21). Moses cries out to God, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.” (Exodus 5:22-23). Those old insecurities pop up again as Moses repeatedly tells God, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me since I speak with faltering lips?” (Exodus 6:12, 30) 

Moses had the promise of God to fulfill his covenant with Abraham. God said he would deliver the people. But, Moses began to doubt as he looked around at his current circumstances. He tells God, ‘You haven’t even rescued your people at all. You’ve made things worse.” 

We often fall prey to a certain kind of prosperity gospel preaching. We believe that if we work for God and do what he asks, we will see big returns right away. No waiting. No fussing. No pain. No problems. 

This is simply not the way God works. When we act in faith, we know that eventually, we will see a return for what we are working towards. However, that return is not promised to be quick or readily apparent. We work for a lifetime, and with the benefit of time and wisdom, we can look back and see the faithfulness of God. It is a fruit that takes decades not days. A fruit that may not be seen until the Kingdom. 

When Moses didn’t see immediate results, he began to doubt God’s intentions, his power, and his goodness. (Even though he was told that Pharaoh would have a hardened heart!) We have also been told that “in this world, we will have trouble” (John 16:33). How often do we doubt God’s intentions, his power, and his goodness in the face of the trouble of the world? 

We can “take heart” because Jesus has overcome the world!

~ Cayce Fletcher

Cayce writes about discipleship, productivity, and homemaking at her blog https://amorebeautifullifecollective. You can find her latest post on remembering God’s story in our lives here. You can also listen to A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Do you think Moses expected Pharaoh to let the Israelites go right away? Why or why not? 
  2. How do you persevere in your calling in the midst of setbacks and ‘troubles’? What are some practical ways you can stay encouraged to “keep fighting the good fight?”
  3. What is a past example of God’s faithfulness that you can remember when you face troubles in the future? 

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Those Dangerous Excuses

OLD TESTAMENT: EXODUS 3-4

POETRY: PSALM 23

NEW TESTAMENT: MATTHEW 19

My son is fully in his threenager stage of life. Our days go something like this: 

“Jonah, go wash your hands. It’s time for dinner.” 

To which he responds, “Mama, I’ve already told you three [pronounced like tree] times. I’ve already washed my hands, and I’ll eat when I’m done playin’.” 

You can imagine my response to this. Let’s just say I have plenty of opportunities for correction and discipline throughout the day. 

Many times, I can recognize my own voice in what he says. What I say, he repeats in his cute toddler-growing-up way. In the conversation I mentioned before, his main goal was to keep playing, so he was just saying whatever he thought would lead to that outcome. He has a tendency to want to keep doing whatever he is currently doing. So if he’s playing, he wants to keep playing. If he’s at church, he wants to stay at church. If he’s at home, he wants to stay at home. This means starting the next activity involves a lot of excuses as to why he can’t quit what he’s doing and move on to the next thing, even if there are good things in store for him when he does. 

In today’s passages, we read about several excuses given as to why someone couldn’t follow through with what they were asked to do. In each case, the excuses were made because the person didn’t want to leave their comfort zone and change their life. 

In Exodus 3-4, Moses was leaving his flock to go find the lost sheep. On the way, he saw a burning bush. The LORD spoke to him there, calling him to go shepherd the Israelite people as they left Egypt and traveled to the Promised Land of Canaan. Moses gives a series of three excuses. He first asked what he should do if the Egyptians didn’t listen to him – probably thinking that it was a lost cause to go and try to ask the Egyptians to give up their unpaid labor. Then, he says that he is not a good speaker, calling himself “slow of speech and tongue.” Finally, he just comes right out and says, “Lord, please send someone else.” 

To each of these excuses, God responds with a resounding, “Go, I will be with you!” God doesn’t point to what Moses was capable of. Instead, he draws Moses’ attention to what he – God – can do through Moses. For the first excuse, God shows how Moses will be able to do wonders through God’s power. In the case of the second excuse, God points to how he is the creator. He will teach Moses what to say. In the last pleading excuse, God gives a helper to Moses in Aaron to be a mouthpiece for him. 

To each of Moses’ excuses, God gives a clear path forward, showing how he in his might and power will make what he has said come to pass. 

Our passage in Matthew 19 repeats this theme of excuses. The rich young ruler had attempted to live righteously, following the law. Jesus told him that he lacked one thing: He needed to sell his wealth and give to the poor. The rich young ruler went away sad, probably full of excuses. He didn’t want his life to change. 

We have been called ourselves. When we hear the gospel, we must change. When we hear God’s leading in our life, we must act. But, all too often, we are filled with excuses. We don’t want to leave our comfort zone, and we think of a million reasons why this is the case. 

Today, don’t focus on why you think you cannot accomplish something for God, or why you think you cannot move forward in faith. Instead, focus on what God has done and will do for you. Trust that he will lead you to “green pastures” and “quiet waters.”

~ Cayce Fletcher

Cayce writes about discipleship, productivity, and homemaking at her blog https://amorebeautifullifecollective. You can find her latest post on biblical ideas creating an ideal schedule here. You can also listen to A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Moses was asked to go down to Egypt, but he didn’t want to go because he felt inadequate. Have you ever felt inadequate when you have been asked to do something for God? How can you overcome those inadequacies and act in faith? 
  2. What excuses have you given when it comes to following Jesus in faith? 
  3. Psalm 23 focuses on how God, as a good shepherd, leads to good things. What are some good things to which God has led you in your life? 

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In Need of a Shepherd

OLD TESTAMENT: EXODUS 2

POETRY: PSALM 23

NEW TESTAMENT: MATTHEW 18:21-35

The hot, dry desert sun beat down on the reddened backs of the laborers, scars crisscrossing their backs from where the whips had cracked. Generations after generations of Israelites had born and died as outcasts and slaves in Egypt, living as foreigners and aliens in a pagan land. They had been the victims of genocide, their babies torn from their arms and murdered. The only sin the Israelites had done to the Egyptians was existing and multiplying. It was the Egyptians’ fear that caused them to mistreat the Israelites and make their lives bitter. 

Yesterday, we considered how we were like sheep that had gone astray. The theme of sheep and shepherds runs deep throughout the Bible. Abel was the first shepherd and his sacrifice was the one that God preferred. Noah, Abraham, and Isaac all were wealthy with livestock, but the next patriarch who is described primarily as a shepherd is Jacob. He builds his wealth through gathering up the speckled and spotted sheep of Laban. These vast herds of sheep followed his family to Egypt where the Israelites settled in the land of Goshen nestled in the Nile Delta. Shepherds were detestable to the Egyptians at that time. The Nile Delta was actually the best in the land for their family. 

Jacob’s family lived in peace and grew to be a mighty numerous nation. After years and years in the land, the Egyptians turned against them and began to subjugate the Israelites with forced labor. “The Israelites groaned because of their difficult labor, they cried out, and their cry for help because of the difficult labor ascended to God. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the Israelites, and God knew” (Exodus 2:23-25). 

The Israelite people needed a shepherd. They needed someone who would come and deliver the people from the misery of their Egyptian enslavement to a better life. During this time, I’m sure that they dealt with doubt. They may even have dealt with unbelief, feeling that nothing would ever change in their lives. 

But, they had the truth of the promise of the covenant of God to fall back on. Abraham was told in Genesis 15:13-16 that his descendants would be foreigners and aliens, enslaved and oppressed, for 400 years. God ended this prophecy by saying, “However, I will judge the nation they serve, and afterward they will go out with many possessions.” 

In Exodus 2, we read that God saw and knew the Israelites’ groaning and misery. At that moment, he was setting in motion a plan to deliver his people and bring to pass the deliverance of them to the promised land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

That plan would be fulfilled with none other than a shepherd boy (or old man- since Moses was close to 80 at the time). Moses was away finding a lost sheep when he encountered God in the burning bush. A type of our savior, he went to rescue the Israelites and save them from their enslavement. 

Moses would go from being a shepherd in the land of Midian to a shepherd of God’s people. 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Cayce writes about discipleship, productivity, and homemaking at her blog https://amorebeautifullifecollective. You can find her latest post on cultivating good habits here. You can also listen to A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Why are sheep and shepherds such an important and repetitive theme throughout the Bible? What is God trying to teach us about ourselves by using this pattern? 
  2. Abraham was told the prophecy that his people would live in enslavement and oppression through no fault of their own. We read about the effects of this enslavement in our scripture today. How do you make sense of suffering in light of the sovereignty of God?
  3. Read John 10:11-18. In John 10:11,  Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” How is Jesus a good shepherd to us? 

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Breaking the Sin-Cycle

Old Testament: Isaiah 1-2

Poetry: Psalm 59 

New Testament: Hebrews 4

In yesterday’s devotion, we were reminded of the importance of obedience and the dangers of disobedience. Even though the passages that we read yesterday were years and years removed from our reading today in Isaiah, similar themes run through both. Israel was continuously going through a sin-cycle of disobedience, discipline, and then a decision to return to God. In Isaiah 1, we see the harsh consequences of sin again. Verse 5 says, “Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint.” Sin has eternal consequences, and it also has consequences in our daily life. Because of the Israelites’ sin, their home was destroyed, and all of the things that they loved were taken away. Even though sin was destroying them from the inside out, they still refused to submit to God. 

In many ways, we can talk about sin with the same language that we use for other negative repetitive behaviors, like addiction. People who are addicted to something keep returning to it even if the actual desire to do the thing isn’t there. They may actually hate the thing that they do, but they can’t seem to stop themselves from returning to it (which sounds a lot like my relationship with social media). Israel continued to return to sin despite the pain that it caused. 

In verses 18-20, we see a promise to the Israelites. It says, “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” On their own, Israel could never break out of the sin cycle. When they rested on their own power, they fell back into disobedience. 

But, we don’t have to rely on our own power to break our addiction to sin. This promise for the Israelites – the promise to be made clean, to be freed from sin – found its fulfillment in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.” We now have been grafted into the body of Christ. The promise that was given to Israel has been given to us as well. This is why we can break the sin-cycle in our lives. We don’t have to rely on our own works; we find our rest in him. Hebrews 4:9-11 says, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” We can enter into this state of rest because Jesus has done the work for us. He was the sacrifice that made us clean. Just like the Israelites waited for the Promised Land, we wait in hope for the Kingdom, our eternal glorious place of rest. We have to hold fast to the truth and choose to live rightly. 

How then should we live? Isaiah describes a life that is lived rightly: “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” (Isaiah 1:16-17). 

Let’s pursue righteousness as we wait for the fulfillment of the promises of God. 

~Cayce Fletcher

***You can find more of Cayce’s writing at www.amorebeautifullifecollective.com.***

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Why is it so hard to change our behavior on our own power?
  2. In what ways does it comfort you to know that the Holy Spirit can help you break the sin-cycle?
  3. Do you feel as though you are resting in Christ, or are you relying on your own works?

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Rebellion, Discipline, and Obedience

Old Testament: Isaiah Introduction (See Below)

Poetry: Psalm 58

New Testament: Hebrews 3

After several years of teaching, I recently had the opportunity to stay home with my two kids. My oldest is three, and he has a mind of his own. Much of my day is spent doing fun things, like playing outside, reading books, and building Lego towers. But, with a toddler, there are always going to be times of correction. Discipline now is necessary for a happy, healthy, well-adjusted human later on. But disciplining through rebellion has its share of tears, tantrums, and yelling of “No.” 

Today, we read about a similar situation of discipline. There are two choices we have in life. We can choose to be obedient to God, submitting to his word, or we can choose to pursue our own desires, rejecting God’s word. One path is the path of righteousness and life. The other is the path of sin and death. In Psalm 58, we read about the harsh judgment reserved for those who are not righteous. In verse 10, “The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.” 

As Hebrews 3:7-8 says, “There as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness.’ We must take care of the condition of our hearts. If our heart is soft to God’s leading, we will listen in obedience to what he says, and we will do it. However, if our heart is hard, we will be more likely to reject God’s commands. 

How do we know the condition of our heart? It’s important to look at our actions. If what we do is lined up to God’s word, then we have a heart to listen to what he says and follow it. I’ve heard it described as a plumb line that we use to measure up our actions. If we are out of line, God’s word will call us out. 

What does a hard heart look like? If you notice that your actions are consistently not matching up with godly living as described in the Bible, that is a good indication that you have hardened your heart to his teaching. You are living in rebellion. Those words seem harsh, but they line up with the way that Hebrews describe them. If you consistently read that you should do something but you don’t, you are not living righteously. Just like the notifications on your phone, you swipe out of and never look at or the alarm you press snooze on, you are desensitizing yourself to the effects of sin. You’ve become “an evil, unbelieving heart” that is “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (v. 12-13). 

We need to encourage each other to pursue a righteous life of obedience. That is what we are called to do. 

~Cayce Fletcher

***You can find more of Cayce’s writing at www.amorebeautifullifecollective.com.***

Isaiah Introduction

The book of Isaiah was written by the prophet Isaiah to the southern tribe of Judah at a time when the Assyrian empire threatened Judah’s destruction.  The name Isaiah means “the Lord saves”.  Isaiah is quoted in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament prophet.

While Isaiah predicted that Judah would eventually be defeated because of their sins; he also predicted a message of hope – the coming messiah (a suffering servant), would come to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth.

Some have suggested that the first 39 chapters of Isaiah focus on doom and gloom, similar to the 39 books of the Old Testament; while the 27 last chapters (40 – 66) of Isaiah focus on hope and restoration, similar to the 27 books of the New Testament.

There are many prophecies in Isaiah about the “last days”, the “Day of the Lord”, the promised messiah (Jesus), God’s suffering servant (also Jesus), conditions in the millennium, and the coming Kingdom of God.

One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

–Steve

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Have you walked through a season of rebellion? What was the outcome?
  2. What is the importance of obedience?
  3. What is the current status of your heart? How do you know?

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The Good News

Old Testament: 1 Chron 4-6

Poetry: Ps. 141

New Testament: Colossians 1

Last year, the young adults at my church went through an in-depth study of the gospel. We discussed what the gospel is and why it is so important to be able to “give an answer for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). What is your understanding of the gospel? Go ahead a pause for a minute and try to sum up what you think the gospel is in a few sentences. 

It’s important to be able to quickly and succinctly sum up what the gospel is. Yes, we can go deeper in our theology. Some things about our Christian walk take a whole life time of wisdom to be able to truly understand. However, when it comes to the basic building blocks of our faith, we need to have an answer for it. We need to understand what we believe. This is the first step towards spiritual maturity. 

In today’s reading, Paul begins his letter to the Colossian church. He give thanks to God for the people in the church and then describes to them why Christ should be so highly esteemed. This passage is a good go-to passage for understanding what the gospel is. Paul begins in Colossians 1:18-20, “And [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was please to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” The gospel, or good news, is the reconciling of us to God through the blood of Jesus. Jesus’ sacrifice made peace between God and man. Not only that, the gospel also points to our hope. Jesus was the firstborn from the dead. His resurrection is proof and assurance of our future resurrection. 

Paul goes on to describe how the gospel changes us in verses 21-22. He says, “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.” When we were not reconciled, we lived doing evil deeds. We were in darkness. Because we have been justified before God, we also can be sanctified. This is the process of being made holy, blameless, and above reproach before God. We are learning how to be made righteous, be made perfect. This is a process that takes a lifetime. The gospel changes everything about us, maybe not right away – but instead through consistently trying to live for God in the best way we can. 

This is why it is so important to understand the gospel and be committed to living for God throughout our life. We will be sanctified “if indeed [we] continue in the fath, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that [we] heard” (v. 23). Hold fast to the one who saves! 

~ Cayce Fletcher

You can read more devotions and studies written by Cayce Fletcher at amorebeautifullifecollective.com. 

Reflection Questions: 

  1. What is your understanding of the gospel? Write down a 1-3 sentence description of what the gospel is.  
  2. Using your understanding of the Old Testament, why was Jesus’ sacrifice necessary to justify us before God?   
  3. What has the gospel changed in your life?   

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