Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 4:1-9.

“1 Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” 3 Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5 “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

6 The Lord furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign. 9 But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.” Exodus 4:1-9.

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One of the purposes of these miraculous signs that Moses did was that the sons of Israel would believe Moses. And, one of the purposes of the miraculous signs that Jesus did was that people would believe Jesus.

Today, we do not have such miraculous signs so that people will believe us. God has provided us with something better, the Holy Spirit: “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:8.

“I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:2-5.

Today, and every day, we go forward to preach, teach, and live our lives in “demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” with full confidence that God will work within us to accomplish His good pleasure: “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13.

This power working within us is the awesome resurrection power of God! God can and will show His “Irresistible Grace” to others through your witness just as “… you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him (Christ) from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,” Colossians 2:12-13.