Tag Archives: authority

Freedom (John 8:31-32), July 4, 2017

Today’s Podcast

2017-07-04-devotional-Freedom (John 8:31-32)

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Today marks the end of my daily format. With retirement and some changes in life events and personal and family priorities, I will change to a weekly format beginning this month. You can expect “A Little Walk with God” to continue, but it will be released each week on Mondays instead of the daily format you have had in the past. Thanks for your continued support and if you like what you hear, share it with your friends and send me a post to let me know what you think about the new format.
Scripture
1. John 8:31-32
2. Jesus (to the new Jewish believers): If you hear My voice and abide in My word, you are truly My disciples; you will know the truth, and that truth will give you freedom.
Devotional
1. Independence Day. The day a group of courageous men signed a document that started an experiment in democracy that has endured longer than anyone dreamed. 241 years ago, we declared our independence from the tyrannical rule of the king of England and formed the spark of democratic rule among the 13 colonies which would soon form the United States of America.
2. Those early colonists wanted freedom from British rule. Freedom from laws and taxation and governance in which they had no say or influence. They wanted freedom to rule themselves and set their own direction for the formation of this new land in which they lived and died. They wanted freedom.
3. Little did they know what would happen over the next centuries. Little did they understand that the United States would become the most powerful nation in the world both militarily and economically. Little did they understand the influence the constitution they drafted would impact the world of which they were only beginning to explore at the time. They sought freedom for themselves, their children and their children’s children.
4. But what about today? What do we want? We hear a lot about people wanting freedom, but do we really understand what that means or what we really want?
5. Freedom then and now does not mean the absence of authority or rule over us. Without rule and order and authority we would have utter chaos. Just look at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the lack of rule and order in New Orleans. Without order and authority, freedom means people often fall into animalistic behavior. We are better than that.
6. Freedom does not mean absence of authority and order. We need order and authority to maintain peace and safety in our communities. We need government to ensure those basic necessities of life are taken care of in an orderly fashion for the common good of all of us. We need authority in our lives. Freedom includes authority over us. Always.
7. Jesus says following His teachings lets us know the truth and the truth sets us free. So what does that mean?
8. First, we need to understand that following His teachings means being like Him, being a disciple. That’s what disciples were in His day. Students who set aside their past beliefs and understandings and learned from their teacher. They adopted the teachings of their mentor and became like him in every way. They ate and dressed like him. They began to mimic his language and his thought process. They developed his mannerisms and in as many ways as possible began to be their teacher. They grew up in the image of their teacher, indistinguishable from their master.
9. So Jesus is telling those around Him, be His disciple. Be like Him. Do what He does. Learn His teachings. Follow in His footsteps. When you do these things, you will know the truth.
10. When you know the truth, you will be free. What will you be free from? Questions, the unknown, guilt, the burden of sin, fear, lack of purpose. You see, when you know the truth, suddenly you see the world the way Jesus sees it. You understand the reason we are put here on this earth. You know the peace that comes from knowing God’s forgiveness of your sins and the release of the guilt that plagues us because of our disobedience. You fear God as in recognizing the awesomeness of His mighty power, but you no longer fear God as in being troubled about His wrath for your past. You find freedom, real freedom.
11. But with that freedom, you know who you serve. You are clearly and forever under His authority. You know you must and will follow His teachings. He is your Ruler, your King, your Director, your Guide, your Authority in all things. Yet you are truly free. Why? Because when you follow Him, you know the truth. You know Him and He is truth and you are free in Him.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”
Bible Reading Plan – 2 Kings 1-5

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Adonai (Malachi 1:6), May 27, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Topic Introduction with headline.
Scripture
1. Malachi 1:6
2. Eternal One: (to the priests who despise the name of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies) A son respects his father, and a servant fears[b] his master. If I am your Father, then where is My respect from you? And if I am your glorious Master, then where is your fear of Me? From your self-centered oblivion you ask, “How have we despised Your name?”
Devotional
1. Most often in the NIV, CEV, King James and other versions, Adonai is translated as “LORD”. The Voice translates it as “glorious Master”. Adonai was spoken when the tetragrammaton YHWH was written.
2. We don’t understand the concept of Lord the way the people of England did when King James authorized the translation of the Vulgate into a language the common man could understand
  1. Watch TV shows with lords and ladies
  2. Hear about the titles when we hear about Great Britain’s royalty
  3. Still don’t realize the power lords held over their subjects
  4. The title is believed to have come from an old English word meaning “bread keeper”.
  5. Lord refers to someone who has authority, control, or power over others acting like a master, a chief, or a ruler.
  6. In feudal system, the landowners that provided protection, work and food for tenant families
3. Adonai is one of the seven names the Hebrews used for God that once written could not be erased.
  1. Sacred name of God, Lord of lords,
  2. owner of all things
  3. creator of all things
  4. Everything is His
  5. He has authority, control, power over everyone and everything
  6. Creation turns at His bidding
4. May not understand the term Lord the way those who translated YHWH did
  1. May not feel the weight of lordship the way those in the middle ages did
  2. May not understand the power the lord held over His subjects
  3. We can understand God has authority, control, power over all things
  4. He wants us to recognize who He is as Lord, Adonai
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Under whose authority? (Matthew 21:24-25) May 16, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Exodus 25-28

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 21:24-25
Jesus: I will answer your question if first you answer one of Mine: You saw John ritually cleansing people through baptism for the redemption of their sins. Did John’s cleansing come from heaven, or was he simply washing people of his own whim?

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The chief priests and elders came to Jesus questioning His authority. Here He was doing miraculous things in the courts of the temple and they couldn’t believe He was doing them by the power of God. Jesus taught those who would listen the meaning of God’s word and showed them the fulfillment of prophecy through His actions and the chief priests and elders thought He must be working with Satan instead of the Almighty. The crowds were flocking to Jesus, so the chief priests and elders knew Jesus must be doing something wrong to attract so many people. They couldn’t get people to come to the temple in such droves, so Jesus must be in league with the devil to gathering such a throng around Him.

We would never do that, would we? We would never look at someone drawing such crowds in the name of God and say they were doing so by the power of Satan, would we? We would never accuse the miracle workers of slight of hand, trickery, and deceit to draw the crowds they do, would we? Hmmm!

When the disciples came to Jesus and wanted Him to stop those performing miracles in His name, He said to leave them alone. If they were doing so under false pretenses, at least His name was being lifted up. They would be judged by their actions, but His name would still be glorified by their actions if His name was used for the healing ministry they were doing. Hmmm! Do we condemn those who perform miracles in Jesus’ name, calling them charlatans, doing it only for the money?

I wonder what Jesus would say about our conversations today if He dropped into our churches and social groups and homes as we talked about our brothers and sisters. When we begin to belittle our fellow denominations or we start talking about the televangelists or we demean all faith healers when one or two are found to plant fake victims of disease or illness in the audience, are we doing what these chief priest and elders did?

I think we might be. I think Jesus might just ask us to answer a few questions that would cause us to stop us in our tracks, back away slowly with an embarrassed look on our face, and run back into our holes. You see, if people are doing good in Jesus’ name, it’s not our place to figure out their internal motive. If they are doing so for their personal gain, that’s for God to sort out. If they accept funds and use that money to satisfy their own greed and avarice, they will answer for it before God. We don’t need to worry about it.

But they might also be using all that money for the good of others. They might be pouring that money into other ministries and we really don’t know unless we are able to see the books and few of us have that access, do we. What we do know is that Jesus’ name is being lifted up and He is given credit for the healing, the ministry, the miracles that are taking place. And that’s what He wants. Those that are instruments of those actions will answer to God for the motive of their actions.

The same is true when we talk about each others denominations. Are the baptists right? Are the Methodists on the wrong track? Will the Presbyterians be at the head of the line in heaven? Will the Catholics be at the back of the line or the front? Are the Lutherans leading people the wrong direction? We talk about each other a lot. The truth is there is something right in all our doctrines and methods of governance. And the truth is there is something wrong in all our doctrines and methods of governance.

The right is that we all worship God and put our faith, trust, and hope in Jesus, His Son, who gave His life for our redemption. The wrong is we are all sinners and flawed because of it. Every one of our denominations grew out of discord with a parent denomination. God never intended denominations to happen within His church, but we began to have discord from the very beginnings of the church with the arguments about whether Gentiles should undergo the rite of circumcision when they became members of Christ’s body, the church.

Since that time, groups split from one denomination after another. The Catholic, universal church began, but the Orthodox church split from the universal church, then the Greek Orthodox saw they had it right so they split again. Luther came along to address the problem of indulgences levied by corrupt, greedy priests more interested in property than piety and the Protestant religion was born with the Lutheran church, then it split because of governance. Then it split because of doctrine questions, then it split over the treatment of segments of the population, then it split over the question of missions, then it split over… Now churches split over the color of carpet or where the keyboard sits on the platform.

Are we any different than those chief priests and elders asking about the authority of the other ministers around us? Think about it the next time you decide to have one of those ministers of denominations for lunch!

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Why is He so smart? (John 7:12-20) December 20, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – John 7:12-20

Set – John 7

Go! – John 7-8

John 7:12-20
¹² The crowds would talk in groups: some favored Jesus and thought He was a good man; others disliked Him and thought He was leading people astray. ¹³ All of these conversations took place in whispers. No one was willing to speak openly about Jesus for fear of the religious leaders.
¹⁴ In the middle of the festival, Jesus marched directly into the temple and started to teach. ¹⁵ Some of the Jews who heard Him were amazed at Jesus’ ability, and people questioned repeatedly:
Jews: How can this man be so wise about the Hebrew Scriptures? He has never had a formal education.
Jesus: ¹⁶ I do not claim ownership of My words; they are a gift from the One who sent Me. ¹⁷ If anyone is willing to act according to His purposes and is open to hearing truth, he will know the source of My teaching. Does it come from God or from Me? ¹⁸ If a man speaks his own words, constantly quoting himself, he is after adulation. But I chase only after glory for the One who sent Me. My intention is authentic and true. You’ll find no wrong motives in Me.
¹⁹ Moses gave you the law, didn’t he? Then how can you blatantly ignore the law and look for an opportunity to murder Me?
Crowd: ²⁰ You must be possessed with a demon! Who is trying to kill You?

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

During My time on earth, many questioned how I could be so wise about the Hebrew Scriptures without a formal eduation. I spoke about concepts within the law that amazed the people and confounded the scholars. I turned the Pharisees’ arguments upside down on them when they tried to trap Me in their traditions and opened the laws to catch them in their own traps. So many questioned My abilities and My understanding, My sources and authority.

It would be easy to say all of it came from the God side of Me, but that is only half the story. I was completely God, but also completely Man. My mother, Mary, and My earthly father, Joseph, made sure I knew My real heritage from an early age and made sure the scriptures were available to Me. Joseph would read to Me often from the Law and the Prophets before I could read and Mary would help Me memorize long passages of scripture as a young boy.

I would spend time meditating on what those scriptures meant and because of knowing the story of My birth, I could see the prophecies within those scriptures that pertained to Me throughout My life. I saw the truth of My birth in Bethlehem, yet being called a Nazarene living in the town of Nazareth. I understood the cries of mothers since all the boys My age were killed by Herod. My parents fled to Egypt and called out of Rahmah. I knew the story and the scriptures.

Throughout My life I made the scriptures part of My life and they awakened every day as My human life unfolded around Me. But you can use the scriptures the same way, you know. They are about Me, but when you let Me into your life, you can understand the scriptures with authority because of My Spirit in you and confound those around you.

The issue most have in understanding the scripture is they fail to do what I did when I was young and continued to do throughout My life. I made the scriptures part of Me. I learned them. I studied them. I let them speak to Me and through Me. I didn’t try to twist them to suit My desires, but rather made sure My desires fit the scriptures. That’s hugely different from what I hear in a lot of pulpits today. The scriptures haven’t changed. Neither have men and women. The truths contained in My word are as old as creation and I gave them to you to help guide you through life so you might enjoy more abundant living.

In America, statistics tell you high school graduates read less than one book per year after graduation. What a dismal indictment and waste of your education. But certainly you should at least read My book. How else will you understand how to live? I gave you a manual to live by. Proverbs is full of short lessons that if followed will keep you out of trouble financially, in your relationships, with your boss, in almost every area of life. Read a chapter of Proverbs every day and you’ll read it once every month. It’s not hard, but it will change your life.

The book is only 1500 pages in most translations. If you read an hour and a half a day, you can read it in 52 days. About fifteen minutes a day and you’ve read it in a year. Can’t you afford that much time to learn about Me and what My plan for this world and for you might entail? Can’t you spend just fifteen minutes a day in My word to better understand the precepts by which I will judge you at the end of time? Don’t you think if you’re going to have a test over you life it makes sense to read the rule book? It’s there for you.

How did I speak with such understanding and knowledge? I made the scriptures a significant part of My human life every single day…without exception. The Father’s words given to humankind are the most important words you can read each day. I understood that from an early age and lived it throughout My life with you. Make them a part of your daily life, too. You won’t regret it.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Honor your ruler (2 Peter 2:4-17), July 23, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Peter 2:4-17

Set – Isaiah 38; 1 Peter 2

Go! – 2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38-39; Psalms 75; 1 Peter 2

1 Peter 2:4-17
⁴ Come to Him—the living stone—who was rejected by people but accepted by God as chosen and precious. ⁵ Like living stones, let yourselves be assembled into a spiritual house, a holy order of priests who offer up spiritual sacrifices that will be acceptable to God through Jesus the Anointed. ⁶ For it says in the words of the prophet Isaiah,
See here—I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone, chosen and precious;
Whoever depends upon Him will never be disgraced.
⁷ To you who believe and depend on Him, He is precious; but to you who don’t, remember the words of the psalmist:
The stone that the builders rejected
has been laid as the cornerstone—the very stone that holds together the entire foundation,
⁸ and of Isaiah:
A stone that blocks their way,
a rock that trips them.
They stumble because they don’t follow the word of God, as they were destined to do.
⁹ But you are a chosen people, set aside to be a royal order of priests, a holy nation, God’s own; so that you may proclaim the wondrous acts of the One who called you out of inky darkness into shimmering light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received it.
¹¹ Beloved, remember you don’t belong in this world. You are resident aliens living in exile, so resist those desires of the flesh that battle against the soul. ¹² Live honorably among the outsiders so that, even when some may be inclined to call you criminals, when they see your good works, they might give glory to God when He returns in judgment.
¹³ For the Lord’s sake, accept the decrees and laws of all the various human institutions, whether they come from the highest human ruler ¹⁴ or agents he sends to punish those who do wrong and to reward those who do well. ¹⁵ You see, it is God’s will that by doing what is right and good you should hush the gabbing ignorance of the foolish. ¹⁶ Live as those who are free and not as those who use their freedom as a pretext for evil, but live as God’s servants. ¹⁷ Respect everyone. Love the community of believers. Reverence God. Honor your ruler.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

When you see the wicked prosper at the expense of the good, it’s easy to want revenge on them. When you see the wicked getting away with their wrong doing, it’s easy to want to strike back and take justice into your hands. That isn’t My way. My word tells you to continue to do good. My word tells you to that vengeance is Mine. These verses in Peter tell you to obey all authorities I have placed over you.

Sometimes it’s hard to remember that I’m the one that allows authorities to reign. Whether in countries as dictators or elected by the populace, I’m the one that allows the authority to sit in their seat of power. It takes nothing for Me to change the course of events to prevent or change the outcome of elections, battles, coups, inheritances. I allow authorities to reign.

You might not like the person or people in power. They may be good or they may be wicked. It is not your place to judge their heart. Just remember, I allow them their place of power for a reason and I will judge their actions one day, not you. They will answer for what they do, not you. But you will answer for you actions and your behavior. So do what Peter admonishes in these verses.

Listen to authorities placed over you. It is better to suffer for doing good that because you deserve the punishment because of evil deeds. It is better for those around you to know your goodness than to think you are evil and should suffer because of it. Rulers have the power of life and death in their hands. If you die at their hands for your faithful acts of service for Me, others will know and bless you for it. If you die because you act like other criminals who deserve death for their crimes, who will want to follow Me because of your behavior?

Then do the things Peter asks as he concludes what you heard today. Respect everyone. Love the community of believers. Reverence Me. Honor your ruler. When you do these things you others will respect you in return. Even if they do not, you will still be doing what I ask of you and that’s what counts after all. You will live the life I want you to live in front of others so they will know you follow Me. By your actions, they will know there awaits you a better day, a greater prize, a kingdom without end.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

All authority comes from God (Romans 13), June 1, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 13
Set – Proverbs 20; Romans 13
Go! – Proverbs 19-21; Romans 13

Romans 13
¹ It is important that all of us submit to the authorities who have charge over us because God establishes all authority in heaven and on the earth. ² Therefore, a person who rebels against authority rebels against the order He established, and people like that can expect to face certain judgment. ³ You see, if you do the right thing, you have nothing to be worried about from the rulers; but if you do what you know is wrong, the rulers will make sure you pay a price. Would you not rather live with a clear conscience than always have to be looking over your shoulder? Then keep doing what you know to be good and right, and they will publicly honor you.

⁴ Look at it this way: The ruler is a servant of God called to serve and benefit you. But he is also a servant of God executing wrath upon those who practice evil. If you do what is wrong, then you’d better be afraid because he wields the power of the sword and doesn’t make empty threats.

⁵ So submission is not optional; it’s required. But don’t just submit for the sake of avoiding punishment; submit and abide by the laws because your conscience leads you to do the right thing. ⁶ Pay your taxes for the same reason because the authorities are servants of God, giving their full attention to take care of these things. ⁷ Pay all of them what you owe. If you owe taxes, then pay. If you owe fees, then pay. In the same way, give honor and respect to those who deserve it.

⁸ Don’t owe anyone anything, with the exception of love to one another—that is a debt which never ends—because the person who loves others has fulfilled the law. ⁹ The commands given to you in the Scriptures—do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not take what is not yours, do not covet—and any other command you have heard are summarized in God’s instruction: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Does love hurt anyone? Absolutely not. In fact, love achieves everything the law requires.

¹¹ And now consider this. You know well the times you are living in. It is time for you to wake up and see what is right before your eyes: for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. ¹² The darkness of night is dissolving as dawn’s light draws near, so walk out on your old dark life and put on the armor of light. ¹³ May we all act as good and respectable people, living today the same way as we will in the day of His coming. Do not fall into patterns of dark living: wild partying, drunkenness, sexual depravity, decadent gratification, quarreling, and jealousy. ¹⁴ Instead, wrap yourselves in the Lord Jesus, God’s Anointed, and do not fuel your sinful imagination by indulging your self-seeking desire for the pleasures of the flesh.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I’m always surprised by the number of people who want to revolt against the authorities I allow to sit in power over them. They forget that no one sits in seats of power unless I allow it. No election surprises Me. No person in a place of authority shocks Me. No one who wields power moves Me from My throne.

I still know what goes on in every country, every state, every city around the world. I allow people to sit in seats of power for a reason. Sometimes it’s to bring peace and order to the people they govern. Sometimes I use people who sit in positions of power to punish another nation’s people who have grown cold in their love for Me or their fellow man.

Occasionally, I will put someone in a place of authority to punish the people of their own land because of their apostasy. But rest assured I always have a reason for allowing the person to hold their position of authority. It’s never an accident. You may never understand the reason why, but you’re not Me. You don’t have the infinite wisdom I have and cannot see into the future to know why I allow the events to unfold as I do.

You can read the Old Testament and see how I used kings and nations to reward and punish My chosen people and the nations around them. Reading their histories might help you understand I’m always in charge. I never make mistakes. And I use a variety of tools and instruments, sometimes even politics to meet My ends.

You can trust that I know what I’m doing by sometimes allowing unbelievers, even evil people, to hold positions of authority. But ultimately, they too will answer to Me for their actions. I may use them to further My ends, but they still make the choices to act the way they do.

So, in the end, obey the authorities over you. I allow them to be there. Obey Me. And trust Me to help you through even the most corrupt governments. They are only there at My pleasure after all.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

God is in charge (Numbers 17), Feb 25, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Numbers 17
Set – Numbers 17; Mark 4
Go! – Numbers 17-18; Psalms 29; Mark 4

Numbers 17
¹The Eternal One continued.

Eternal One (to Moses): ^2-3 Tell the Israelites that you’ll need twelve staffs—one for each of the extended families. Engrave on each one the respective leader’s name. (Aaron’s name should be on the Levi family’s staff.) ⁴ Bring the staff of each of them into the congregation tent and lay them in front of My tablets of witness with you in the place where I meet you. ⁵ I will indicate the person whom I choose by making his particular staff grow shoots and leaves. This will end once and for all any complaints about your leadership.

^6-7 Moses passed these instructions on to the Israelites, and they all agreed to do it. They each gave their staffs as leaders representing their extended families with Aaron’s staff among them. Then Moses placed them before the Eternal One in the tent of the congregation and before the covenant. ⁸ The next day, when Moses went into the tent where the covenant was kept, it was obvious that Aaron of the Levite family was God’s choice. Aaron’s staff had grown not only little buds, but it had actually flowered and developed fully-ripened almonds. ⁹ Moses carried the staffs out of the Eternal’s presence, showed them to the congregation, and redistributed them to the twelve leaders.

Eternal One (to Moses): ¹⁰ Return Aaron’s staff to the tent and place it in front of the covenant, to serve as a reminder of whom I’ve chosen to lead this people. Let it be a warning to any who would question or undermine your leadership. I have made My choice clear and will kill anyone who persists in challenging it.

¹¹ So Moses returned Aaron’s staff to the tent just as the Eternal told him to do.

Israelites (to Moses): ¹² We’re going to die! We will be destroyed! ¹³ If anyone comes close to the tent where the Eternal One is supposed to meet with us, then he’ll die. Will we all die, then?

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Why would anyone be foolish enough to question My authority? All you need to do is look up at the sky and that should end all questions about who’s in charge. If it’s daytime, ask yourself who can create a sun and keep it in place? Only Me. Who can form the mountains in the distance or keep the oceans within their boundaries? Only Me. Who grow an oak tree from an acorn or a beautiful flower from a tiny seed? Me again. Who makes the rain to water the earth and replenish the streams, rivers, and lakes to nourish the land? That’s Me.

No one can do the things I do, and I do them without even thinking about them. You don’t even think about them because they just happen. I set them in place and they go one day after day and year after year. Like gravity, weather, the seasons, you don’t think about them, they just happen. But how do you think they happen? I put them in place before the world began.

Let there be no question in your mind, I am in control of this world. I hold the ultimate authority over all that happens. Do I let bad things happen? Yes, as a result of the flawed state of humankind. The consequences of sin have changed My creation significantly and everyone alive shares responsibility for the marred state of the world. However, it is still Mine and I will return physically to reclaim it.

The other eleven tribes questioned My decision to put the Levites in charge of leading this new theocracy I formed through My servant, Moses. They should have known I would do something to show My pick. The consequences for those against Me probably seem harsh to you. But in the early days of this fledgling nation, I needed them to understand Moses was the man I put in charge. So I did the spectacular to prove a point. I took a plain staff and let it grow at high speed until it blossomed and bore fruit – overnight. Easy for Me. A first class miracle for all who observed it.

The story is recorded to let you know I chose Moses and Aaron to lead My new nation to the land I promised to give them. It’s also recorded to let you know I’m still in charge. My position hasn’t changed. Take My word for it.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.