“Give us this day”...our daily portion of Bread who is Jesus. That’s how the Lord taught his followers to pray. This morning I am allowed an omer-ful of Jesus. He’s everything I need. Jesus gives me enough strength, peace, love, purpose, joy, patience, and courage to live victoriously for the next twenty-four hours. I am fed with the bread from heaven.

The children of Israel, about two million of them, were hemmed in on every side. They felt the ‘squeeze’ of God. The army of Egypt in pursuit behind, monstrous walls of water on either side, and an unknown future in the wilderness ahead.

Pharaoh lived in that darkness. He had a dark, cold, hard heart. He should have relented when Moses first said, “Let my people go” (Exodus 5.1). After eight serious plagues Pharaoh should have known better. But pride kept him from bowing before his Maker and his Maker’s spokesman. The leader of Egypt would rather have destroyed the land of Egypt than submit to the God of Moses. Even his closest advisors warned him…

“Let the people go… Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”

God expects me to recognize His mighty hand before it’s too late. He will require of me exactly what He required of Pharaoh...

“...humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God…” (1st Peter 5.6). 

Like the staff of Moses, the word of God imparts living insights when you share with others. God’s truth in you will take on a life of its own with the potential to transform all who hear its life-giving message. You will be surprised, perhaps even a little frightened by the intensity and rawness of its power.

Moses was the greatest leader who ever lived, second only to Jesus Christ. I am inspired by the character of this man who, when encountered by people in need, “stood up and helped them.”

This podcast is an overview of week 4 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Genesis 50; Exodus 1 – 17; Matthew 16 – 20. 

According to Biblical record, Joseph "held steady under fire" when enemy "archers with malice attacked shooting their hat-tippe arrows," (Genesis 49.23f The Message)

Does your soul occasionally and silently scream surrender when adversity threatens to crush your spirit and diminish and darken your hope.

“Hold steady under fire.”

Are you ever tempted to hurry to your own defense before others can vindicate you?

“Hold steady under fire.”

Have you suffered lonlieness when no one seems to care? Are you afraid, hurt, wounded, and bleeding? 

“Hold steady under fire.”

Who is God? The answer is simple. God is God. No one else is God. God alone qualifies to be God. In His words: "I am God."

This truth of who God is has serious implications for the rest of us who aren’t God and reminds us of two life-altering truths...

There was something unnatural about Jacob’s relationship with Joseph. It was unfair for a father to love a child that intensely. Killing Joseph would finally achieve the equality that every child in the family deserved. Equality was a noble virtue. If Jacob couldn’t treat all the boys equally, Judah and his brothers would force him to. In this case, the end clearly justified the means, or so the brothers thought...

Who has blessed, supported, defended, encouraged, or befriended me in the past? Have I forgotten all about them? An old acquaintance? My aging aunt and uncle? A professor from college? My fourth grade Sunday School teacher? A co-worker?

It’s time to be a real friend and return the favor.