Gnats? Gnuts!

For Saturday, January 25, 2025:

Exodus 8:17 NLT: “Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them. When Aaron raised his hand and struck the ground with his staff, gnats infested the entire land, covering the Egyptians and their animals. All the dust in the land of Egypt turned into gnats.”

Gnats? Gnuts! Gnats would have given the frogs something to eat, but that’s not how it worked. The frogs were gone, but Pharaoh’s heart was hard. He was determined to not believe in the God of Moses.

Gnats are those tiny, miniature flies, biting and blood-sucking, thereby making everyone’s life miserable. You see them in the air and try to swat them, but always seem to miss. Gnats swarm by the thousands, and Pharaoh’s magicians could not duplicate what was happening. In fact, they encouraged Pharaoh to go ahead and believe in Moses’ God. This plague of gnats was beyond anything they could duplicate.

The one with the hardened heart was too proud to admit defeat, and that’s what hardened heart means – never acknowledging that you’re wrong even when you know that you are. Stubborn! Our takeaway is to always confess our sins and humble ourselves before the Lord. Don’t be obstinate and stubborn like Pharaoh. Our God is patient, loving and forgiving and will gladly welcome you back home! Today is the accepted day to commit or recommit yourself to the Creator God of the Universe!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Pride!

For Thursday, November 14, 2024:

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 NLT: “What gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! Yes, you are our pride and joy.”

Pride, like many other things, is best enjoyed in small doses. It shouldn’t be about what we did or how we accomplished a task. It should be that we’re proud of the result, which honors the Lord, and God being pleased fills us with joy!

For example, Paul isn’t selfishly taking credit for the Thessalonian church. He’s praising what THEY have done, the fact that they stayed true to God’s Word. Draw a mental picture of Paul standing alongside Jesus as they both look down upon the Thessalonian church with pride, those loyal believers in an ever-hostile land. Together, their pride is rooted in that church standing its ground, despite the fierce opposition!

Rather than deterring us, Satan’s roadblocks inspire us to work even harder at completing our assigned missions! God always wins!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship