January 25, 2008 by Nancy

Scripture: Exodus 12:11 (Msg)
And here is how you are to eat it: Be fully dressed with your sandals on and your stick in your hand. Eat in a hurry; it's the Passover to God.

Observation: After a long and drawn-out stand-off with Pharaoh, Moses succeeded in attaining permission for the children of Israel to go and worship. In fact, not just to worship but to go for good. Pharaoh and his people had paid a terrible price for his stubbornness as all of Egypt was destroyed and finally, the first born sons were lost. As they prepared for this final sign, the Angel of death and his passing over of the homes of the faithful, God's instructions to the children of Israel were to be ready. They were told to eat their meal fully dressed with their sandals on--unusual in their culture--and to bake bread without leaven because there would be no time for it to rise. Essentially, they were to be on the alert for what God would do and be ready to follow immediately when He revealed Himself.

Application: I believe the same is true today. While I don't have the drama of ten plagues and the tragedy of the deaths of all first-borns, I still serve the almighty, all-powerful God who is at work in the world today. And I am instructed to be ready to follow. I am to act in obedience and then I am blessed with the privilege of waiting expectantly for God to reveal Himself. When He does, will He find me faithful? Ready to follow where He leads? Or will I be reclining at the table, my sandals off and my life is disarray? I want to be ready to follow. In order to do that, I should be pursuing what I know to be true--practicing the disciplines of my faith (worshiping with other believers, tithing, praying, studying the scriptures, serving others)--in order to be ready when God reveals Himself.

Father, I want to be ready, to follow at a moment's notice. Forgive me for the times I make wrong choices--ignoring what I know to be Your desire for my life and pursing the things which bring me temporary satisfaction. Help me today and tomorrow and the day after that, to do the simple things I know to do. Help me to embrace Your best plan instead of exchanging it for a poor substitute. Please use me as You see fit. Make me ready and shape my life into a useful tool for You.
Amen.