- If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. 5 If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him. Exodus 23:4-5 – While unlikely for us to experience the exact situations depicted in this passage since most of us are not around donkeys and oxen that often, we can feel how this command would have laid heavy on those who heard it. God was directing His people that the ways you might feel about someone doesn’t give you the right to set aside what is the right and loving thing to do towards them. They may be your enemy, they may hate you, and they may have even hurt you and your family, but that doesn’t give you permission to forsake doing what is right in God’s eyes towards them. In our context, we may see that our coworker, who only trash talks us, left his wallet in the chair. We may desire to see it stolen by someone and them having to deal with the damages of that, but the right thing to do is bring it to them. You may hear about how the person who always complains and spreads rumors about you at church is now dealing a tough family issue. Your desire may be to think, “serves them right for all they did,” but God’s heart is for you to reach out and extend your love towards them in this time. What we see in our Exodus passage would have been vastly counter-cultural for the Israelites and would have challenged their norms greatly. A people though that chooses grace over bitterness would be one that fostered reconciliations and would draw the masses to themselves. This is God’s heart for His people today. Live so counter-cultural that people see the worthlessness of the world and the worth of living for Jesus. Yes, loving our enemies will be uncomfortable at times and the last thing we may want to do, but if it draws people to Jesus then it’s worth it. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3167
- Exodus 23 Daily DEVO Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Exodus 23:20 – Behold means to see, observe, look. God was telling His people to see, observe, and to look at how He was going to lead and protect them on this path He prepared for them. To take the time and open there eyes to the fact God was was them and working on their behalf. Let’s behold as well. Let’s take the time to see, observe, and look as well at all that God is doing. When we forget to take that time, life has a way of distracting us from what God is doing and we can begin to think He’s absent or has forgotten us because all we see is the daily struggles. Take the time today to behold. God is working in your story and He’s protecting you on this path He’s prepared for you. We just have to be willing to stop long enough to look. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 817
- You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. Exodus 23:9 – These sort of words come up all throughout the words God speaks to the Israelites. He commands them to be kind and compassionate to the sojourner, the traveler with no safe place to rest. Show love and care for them instead of cruelty. Show them everything you wished you were shown when you were in their place not that long ago. It’s important for us to remember that not long ago we too were slaves to sin, chained to our sinful ways with no knowledge of God’s true love. Thankfully many of us have found the truth and life Jesus gives and we are no longer where we used to be. Yet, just because we are no longer there doesn’t mean we can look cruelly on those who still are. Be the person who helps the one that doesn’t know Jesus know Jesus. Be the one who offers love, care, and compassion. Maybe someone did that for you in your journey to Jesus, maybe not, but make sure the people around you that don’t know Jesus have this help. Be the person in someone else’s story that shows the love Jesus would show them. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1906
Daily DEVO 