Now let’s consider the portrait of our second benefit… write benefit 2 of our covenant relationship with God.
“To glorify God”
A wonderful example of persons living beyond their human responses appears in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9. In one word, how would you characterize the kind of person these words describe? “strong”
Read 2 Corinthians 4:7 and 10, the verses that sandwich the testimony above. Describe why God often insists on pushing us beyond our human limitations.
“Until we are pushed beyond our human limitations, our successes are, or at least appear to be, only proof of our abilities. Evidence of His glory is only clearly visible when we [are] plainly beyond our limitations.”
Read each portion of scripture; then give the segment a caption or title.
1. Exodus 2:23-25; 3:7-10. Your caption: “God hears a need and finds a solution.”
What description mean by the words ‘He remembered’ (2:24)? “Probably more like ‘He had never forgotten.’”
How long were you in your own Egypt?
“I have planned my activities around TV schedules since I was a little girl. (When I was three, my bedtime was 7:30 except on Waltons and Little House [on the Prairie] nights, so it was parent-enabled). Andrea got an Atari when I was 10 or 11 and I was as hooked as they’d let me be. My stuff has always been precious to me, even a grade school collection of empty raisin boxes from hot lunches (only the ones that buzzed well when you blew into them).”
2. Exodus 12:21-30. Your caption: “God Passes Over the Israelites.”
3. Exodus 12:31-36. Your caption: “Pharaoh says, ‘Go!’ and they go.”
To be more than conqueror is to take the spoils from the enemy and appropriate them to yourself.
What did God promise in His covenant in Genesis 15:14? “Abraham’s descendants would come out of slavery with great possessions.”
Check out Exodus 12:35 one more time. Fill in the following blank: ‘The Israelites did as Moses instructed, and ask the Egyptians for articles of “silver” and “gold” and for clothing.’
What is your plunder? Don’t hold back. You are boasting in the Lord your God! By His mighty power you have escaped richer than before.
“Dana: God has been reshaping my life, especially my schedule and busyness level, and use (and sometimes abuse) of free time, but also growing my interpersonal skills – listening (especially not interrupting), caregiving, and being compassionate, being upfront about what is or is not in my comfort zone or someone else’s. Best of all, He has given me a great friend (or 10 great friends, counting furry ones).
“Also, I was in the right place at the right time to help Emery get to church, and I met Anna and Cosmo the next day – opportunities to bring Christ’s love to hurting people.
“(2014 – I’m not sure right now. There are people I hope will be: Joe and Mallory and her parents, but I don’t want to ‘count chickens’)”
4. Exodus 35:4-29. Your caption: “Everyone contributes to the building of the Tabernacle”
The Israelites had few possessions in Egypt. Where do you suppose they got the gold, silver, and the fabrics described in Exodus 35:5-6?
“from plundering their neighbors in Egypt”
Describe how a person can reinvest the plunder she or he brings out of captivity. Give this some thought.
“In my case, I can use all the things Dana has been teaching me to build better relationships with others, be a better example of a believer in Jesus, and all around be a better me.”
Have you already had an opportunity to offer your plunder to God as a reinvestment and see Him bring greater returns? “No”
Dearest Rachel –
It seems a shame that you couldn’t think of an answer to the last question; but then, those sorts of stories of the things one does for others often has a snowball effect that we never get to see. Pastor Scott and his son Junior both talk about a man who worked with their dad and grandfather, respectively, who was indirectly responsible for their coming to Christ because of his work on their forefather, and in turn for the renewal and explosive growth of our church, and the many souls saved that were and are attendant with that.
But it’s not as if this man was ever aware of any of this.
And so it probably is with you. Even more so, in that I don’t even know some of the names you’ve dropped here; Dana I know, of course, as well as Daniel’s one-time girlfriend Mallory (at least, I think that’s the Mallory you were referring to), but Emery, Anna, Cosmo and Joe are names that are utterly lost to me. Were you here, you might be able to tell me about them, even possibly prefacing your descriptions with an “oh, you know Emery; she was involved in this or that along with us back at such-and-such point of time,” but without that, it’s a name that dropped into your life for a brief moment and moved on, without history, future or context. It seems that I don’t get to know all of your stories, honey.
Speaking of which, I can’t help but be amused by your admission of having kept raisin boxes as toy musical instruments. I’m not sure I recall disposing of any in the purge, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they had been there, and I simply didn’t give them a second thought.
Still, I do think that your example lives on beyond you; you just don’t know who’s been affected by it, and how. And moreover, we don’t always get to see the domino effect of what we do for others dovetails into things they then do for others after them, and so on ad infinitum. It’s not really a fair question, when you come to think of it. But of course, first you have to do things for others; and you certainly did that much. I can’t tell you what happened next, but it’s entirely possible that you know about these things now, as seen and related to you from the mouth connected to the All-Seeing Eye.
Letters to Rachel 