Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

Exodus 32:1
When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”
Moses spent 40 days and nights on top of Mount Sinai receiving the instructions which were to be the foundation of the people of Israel’s lives. He was given not only the Ten Commandments but also detailed plans for the building of the tabernacle, which would be the focus of the people’s worship. However, while this was happening, the people were desperately impatient. They became restless and decided to look for some different gods to lead them. Incredibly, Aaron, Moses’ brother and trusted co-leader, took the lead in this and commanded the people to bring him their gold rings so they could be melted down and made into a calf to worship. He then set up an altar for it, and the people worshipped with huge enthusiasm. All of this was too much for God, who tipped Moses off about these horrifying developments. He rushed down the mountain and in his fury smashed the stone tablets that the Lord had given him.
This was a truly dramatic incident, and it might feel rather remote from our lives. However, it is a good reminder of how quickly people can change their minds. One moment the people were assuring Moses they would do everything that the Lord commanded them (Exodus 24:3), and the next they were busily making another god. It reminds us of the parable of the sower. Jesus described those who were like the seed that fell on rocky soil. When they heard the message, they immediately received it with joy, but because they hadn’t put down roots, they didn’t last long (Matthew 13:20-21).
We need to draw some important conclusions from this. Firstly, we must learn the importance of us putting down deep roots in our faith so that, however great the difficulties, temptations and frustrations of life, we will remain strong in God. It also reminds us that we shouldn’t assume people are firmly rooted in God just because they express strong faith. We need to take responsibility for constantly encouraging our Christian brothers and sisters to dig deeper in their faith and become truly resilient for Him.
Question
How deep are the roots of your own faith?
Prayer
Loving God, help me to become stronger in my faith day by day, so that I will be able to strengthen and encourage others in their faith. Amen

Exodus 23:9
You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.
The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 400 years, so they had a huge experience of being foreigners. Throughout that time, they knew their true home was elsewhere, and that one day they would enter the land that the Lord had given them. This meant that, of all people, they had reason to be sensitive to the vulnerabilities of the foreigners in their community. Time and again, the law of Moses reminded them of this important responsibility.
When I lived in India, I had the huge privilege of living with an Indian family. They generously took me into their home where we shared meals, worship, leisure and a lot of laughs. They couldn’t have been more generous. However, I didn’t speak their language at all at first, and was never fluent. Their customs were very unfamiliar to me and I often felt rather lost. It was only the kindness and consideration of the lovely family which meant that I felt secure and at peace. I certainly learned what it meant to care well for a foreigner!
The duty to care for foreigners is one that God places upon all of us, and the challenge is constantly increasing. The number of migrants internationally is now nearly 300 million people – almost double the number from 1990 and three times the number from 1970. This poses a huge challenge to Christians throughout the world, and it is great to see churches involved with many networks to support these people, recognising the colossal challenges that they face. One of the key needs is for them to learn the language of their new host country and to be offered a place to meet with other people from their home country. Such initiatives are an exciting, contemporary way of living in obedience to God’s ancient law.
Question
In what way are you and your church able to reach out to foreigners in your own community?
Prayer
Loving Father, help me to show Your love and care for foreigners. Amen

Exodus 23:8
Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth.
I had never really thought about bribes until I spent two years living in India. There, we spoke about bribes on a regular basis. Soon after I arrived there, a servant girl was murdered near where we lived. Her body was found at the bottom of a well. I was very alarmed by this, as you can imagine, and was relieved when my Indian host told me that the murderer had been found. I asked what would happen to the murderer and my host explained straightforwardly that nothing would happen because he had bribed the police. I was deeply shocked.
Bribery takes place in many countries on a regular basis. In India, it was well known that the only way to get a delivery of full gas canisters was to bribe the delivery driver. Bribery was just a normal part of life, so this led to endless conversations as to how Christians should respond. Some Christians, including my wonderful host, were very clear that they would never bribe anyone. But many others acknowledged that it was an inevitable part of living in a poor society and that they would pay whatever it took to get the goods and services they needed. The people of Israel were clearly very familiar with this whole issue and knew the power of bribes to make even really good people twist the truth.
Bribery may not be a big problem in our lives, but we all live with the challenge of making wise, ethical decisions day by day. Whether it’s paying tradesmen in cash to help them avoid paying tax or making inflated insurance claims, we all live with the temptation to bend the truth. God calls us to be truthful and just, whatever the situation and however great the temptation.
Question
How would you respond if bribes were a regular expectation in our society?
Prayer
Lord God, help me to act in a way that will honour You, however great the pressures. Amen

Exodus 23:5
If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help.
These laws make fascinating reading. Here, the people are told that they have a responsibility to other people, whoever they are. If you see the donkey of your enemy struggling, the immediate ungodly response would be to say of the owner: “Serves him right. Just what he deserves.” But God declares that our responsibility is to give practical support to other people, whether they are our close friends or enemies.
This law reminds us of the words of Jesus, who went even further. We are not merely to be caring towards our neighbours – we have a responsibility to love them. This command, more than any other, shows that Jesus was turning normal human thinking upside down. Jesus seemed to take it for granted that His followers would have enemies, just as He Himself had throughout His ministry. There is no way of avoiding that, but the person who walks in Jesus’ steps has a completely different way of approaching enemies. The love that we have for our enemies might have no impact on them at all, but there is a possibility that it will bring healing and restoration, so we must keep on loving. However hideous the actions of our enemies, they are loved by God, and we need to model our lives on Him.
Following God is never easy. The demands of the Old Testament law were tough, but Jesus made them even tougher. It is crystal clear that we cannot obey any of them in our own strength. We are totally dependent on God’s power to enable us to live in His way. Let’s seek His Holy Spirit’s strength today as we live for Him, and look for creative ways of bringing His love to the people around us, whoever they are.
Question
In what way are you challenged by Jesus’ command to love your enemies?
Prayer
Lord God, help me to be loving towards everyone today, whoever they are. Amen

Exodus 23:2-3
When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice. And do not slant your testimony in favour of a person just because that person is poor.
Telling the truth is absolutely crucial in a healthy society. However uncomfortable and awkward the truth might be, it needs to be proclaimed and followed at all times, or society is in peril. That means we must not bend the truth, even when we are seeking to help vulnerable people. When I first read this verse, I thought it was a misprint. Surely the greatest danger is of bending the truth because a person is powerful and influential. But in saying that we mustn’t slant the truth in favour of a poor person, God is saying that we mustn’t play around with the truth, whoever the person might be and however vulnerable and needy they are.
We all seek to tell the truth. We have been brought up to do so, and we know it’s the correct thing to do. But these verses are right in identifying the pressure of the crowd. If we have views that are very different from those around us, we don’t want to stand out and feel stupid. If a particularly unpopular person at work is being unfairly criticised or mocked, it would be much easier to keep quiet than to stand up for them, but truth and justice would demand that we do precisely that.
Our conviction that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life is not a generally held view. However, if we are convinced that it is indeed the truth, we need to be willing to share it, however hostile or offensive the reaction. Speaking the truth is our calling as Christians, whatever the audience, subject or reaction.
Question
In what situations do you find it difficult to speak the truth?
Prayer
Loving Father, help me to be utterly truthful in everything that I say today. Amen