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When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket … put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river (Exodus 2:3).
Read Exodus 2:1–22
As a mother, my heart aches for Moses’ mother and the anguish she must have experienced as she placed her baby in a basket in the water. How counterintuitive it must have been for her to let him go to protect him rather than hold him close. Her body would have been literally aching for him (ask any breastfeeding mother who is away from her baby when they are due for a feed).
What fate did she imagine might befall her son? There were so many risks – drowning, starvation, capture, murder. What courage and faith Moses’ mother demonstrated by putting him into the water! Our list of heroines in this story, starting yesterday with midwives Shiphrah and Puah, continues to grow.
The next heroine is quick-thinking Miriam, Moses’ sister, who seized an unexpected opportunity when Pharaoh’s daughter saw Moses. Not only did this reunite Moses with his family, but it also gave them income from Pharaoh’s own pockets as Moses’ mother was paid to breastfeed her own baby! I have so many questions about Miriam: Did her mother ask her to watch over baby Moses, or did she do that of her own accord? How old was she? Did she feel scared when she addressed Pharaoh’s daughter?
Pharaoh’s daughter. Perhaps the most surprising heroine in this story. She had compassion for baby Moses and rescued him, against her father’s mandate that all Hebrew boys be destroyed in the Nile.
In his papyrus basket (tevah in Hebrew), Moses was delivered from dangerous waters, with echoes back to the Ark (also called tevah) as a rescue from the waters of death. Perhaps this is also a foreshadowing of our own baptisms, as we are baptised into Christ’s death to be rescued from death, sin and evil. We are free to dance, just as Miriam did when the people of God crossed through the waters into freedom.
When are you touched by water in your daily life? As you bathe, cook, clean, farm, paint – whatever you do – you might like to remember your baptism and the blessings it brings. Perhaps you will also dance a little …
Loving God, you hear our cries. Thank you for rescuing us from death. Give us joy as we dance in the life that you give. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Renée lives on Ngunawal country with her family and belongs to the community at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, ACT. She works as a teacher and enjoys listening to music, reading, walking in nature and the challenge of solving cryptic crosswords.
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But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live (Exodus 1:17).
Read Exodus 1:6–22
I love a story with a strong, smart, courageous woman as the protagonist. The first couple of chapters of Exodus are full of heroines.
Shiphrah and Puah are the courageous Hebrew midwives who disobeyed a king. They are the quick-thinking women who outwitted Pharaoh. They undermined his plans to kill, and they delivered babies safely, including Moses, who would later be delivered into the hands of Pharaoh’s family. Eventually, Moses helped to deliver the Israelites.
I wonder if Shiphrah and Puah knew the impact of their actions. Were they there when the people of God crossed through the waters into freedom? Did they join in the dancing? Shiphrah and Puah were ordinary people who were faithful to God. They wanted to do the right thing, even if it meant disobeying the king. They were faithful to God even though they couldn’t see the big picture and didn’t know how profound their actions would be. A small amount of almost undetectable yeast created something that grew into huge significance.
God used these two ordinary women to subvert the plans of a power-hungry king on a killing spree.
What injustices are happening in our world today? Are there powerful people causing death and destruction? Who are the vulnerable people who are suffering? How can our faith inform our responses to these situations? What small act of faith and courage can you take?
Loving God, you call us to act justly. Show us how we can be light in the world and give us the courage to act. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Renée lives on Ngunawal country with her family and belongs to the community at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, ACT. She works as a teacher and enjoys listening to music, reading, walking in nature and the challenge of solving cryptic crosswords.
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realise that Jesus Christ is in you? (2 Corinthians 13:5a)
Read 2 Corinthians 13:1–14
For the past two days, you’ve been invited to reflect on unity: we are united with God and each other. Today’s reading combines these ideas in a way that can lead to challenging questions: Do I realise that Jesus Christ is in me? Do I really know who Jesus is? Am I living in the faith? Has my life been transformed?
I sometimes think of transformation as something dramatic – a conversion on the road to Damascus or a saint who has lived in the slums with the poor her entire life. My next thought is usually something like, ‘Well, that’s not my life’ or ‘There’s no way I can do that.’
I wonder if transformation is something internal that can manifest in different ways externally. I wonder if transformation is about deeply knowing the presence of Jesus Christ in me and allowing that to shape how I see myself. I wonder if transformation is about becoming more aware of the presence of God in others and allowing that to shape how I see others and the world. Once I see myself, others and the world differently, then this can impact the way I speak and act. It can change the way I interact with other people and the world.
How can the presence of Jesus in us help us to see differently? Through the cross, we can come to know and learn more about who Jesus is. This cruciform lens can transform our seeing and our being. It challenges what the world values and instead points us to humility, generosity and service.
What helps you to deeply know Christ’s presence in you?
How might knowing Christ’s presence in you make a difference in your life today?
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me. (St Patrick’s Prayer)
God, awaken my whole being to your presence in me. Challenge my way of living so my faith may be lived out in humility, generosity and service. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Renée lives on Ngunawal country with her family and belongs to the community at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, ACT. She works as a teacher and enjoys listening to music, reading, walking in nature and the challenge of solving cryptic crosswords.
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
We are speaking in Christ before God. Everything we do, beloved, is for the sake of building you up (2 Corinthians 12:19b).
Read 2 Corinthians 12:11–21
The theme of unity from yesterday’s reading can also be found in the passages from Corinthians for the next two days. In today’s passage, we read about the unity between Paul and Titus (‘with the same spirit’ from verse 18), Paul’s call for respect from the Corinthians and his desire for unity within the Corinthian church.
What things can be barriers to unity in our churches? Paul provides a comprehensive list in verse 20: quarrelling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit and disorder.
When we honestly search our hearts and lives, we can see that we don’t always strive for unity. But when we see our failings and repent (verse 21), we can begin to change with the help of the Holy Spirit.
As we commune together, receive forgiveness and live in unity with the help of the Holy Spirit, we build up our community.
Flip the list of unity barriers from verse 20, and we can find positive, helpful suggestions that build up our communities: respectful conversations, gratitude, selflessness, encouraging words, truth, humility and order.
Here are some questions to consider:
- Respectful conversations: Do we give each other the gift of our undivided attention? Do we listen deeply? How can we have difficult discussions – or even disagree – in respectful ways?
- Gratitude: What are you grateful for about your church community? Can you think of one thing you are thankful for about your church community each week on your way to/from church? Challenge yourself to make it a different thing each time!
- Encouraging words: Who can you thank? Who is going through a tough time and might appreciate a thoughtful card, phone call or email?
What areas of unity can your church or faith community focus on?
May we be one, sharing life together with the Father and his only Son.
Now we have life in this world of death; Heaven has begun, he makes us one.
(‘May we be one’ by Robin Mann, AT 172)
Triune God, we are sorry for the times when our words and actions cause division rather than unity. Help us to build each other up and strengthen our community. Amen.
Renée lives on Ngunawal country with her family and belongs to the community at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, ACT. She works as a teacher and enjoys listening to music, reading, walking in nature and the challenge of solving cryptic crosswords.
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them (John 17:26).
Read John 17:20–26
The words of today’s passage, part of Jesus’ prayer on the night before he died, seem to weave and cross over each other like a complex tapestry. I tried to tease apart the interwoven phrases and wondered if this was futile. Perhaps the interconnection of ideas is a literary illustration of a key theme in this text: unity.
‘They may be one’ is written three times, and there are many references to the unity within God and the unity between God and people.
What might this mean for us today? What does unity look like as part of God’s kingdom? We needn’t look far to see the opposite of unity: we see people divided based on politics, culture, race, sexuality, age, wealth and many other factors. It is in our families, churches, communities and world. Am I an instrument of unity and peace? Do my words and actions point to the God of love? So often I fall short.
The tapestry of text in this passage reminds us: God is love. God loves all people. God’s love is in us. We are called to share this love with all people.
When we are aware of the self-giving love of God in us, we can better share this love with others. We can be a vessel for that love, a conductor that passes this divine love generously and freely. Wouldn’t that be unifying?
When we are awake to God’s presence in us and each other, we can be united by this. We can work on being together, rather than divided. This unity and love in action, led by the Spirit, may guide others to know and love God too.
May we be one, bound in love forever, growing close together day by day; growing as God fills us with his life.
We are joined in him; he makes us one. (‘May we be one’ by Robin Mann, AT 172)
Loving God, open our hearts to see your presence in others, so that we may love freely and be united through and in you. Amen.
Renée lives on Ngunawal country with her family and belongs to the community at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, ACT. She works as a teacher and enjoys listening to music, reading, walking in nature and the challenge of solving cryptic crosswords.
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice (Psalm 97:1).
Read Psalm 97
‘The world is going to hell in a handbasket’ is an excellent idiom that describes the feeling that things in our world are out of control. It’s a strange phrase. A handbasket, a simple and mundane object, juxtaposed with the serious notion of hell, adds a layer of irony and emphasises how easily our world seems to slip into chaos.
Psalm 97 is part of a collection (Psalm 96 to 99) that reflects a major theme in this section of the Book of Psalms: no matter the chaos that seems to be going on in our world, we can trust that God reigns over all.
The imagery in Psalm 97 is striking. We have the divine presence of Almighty God hidden in the thick darkness of the Shekinah cloud, fire reminiscent of the pillar of fire of the Exodus, and the dramatic imagery of the mountains melting like wax before the Lord of all the earth. These vivid pictures speak of God’s unmatched power and majesty. Yet, amid this awe-inspiring description, we also find reassurance: ‘Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne’ (Psalm 97:2b). God’s rule is not cruel or arbitrary. It is built on what is right and fair.
In a world where injustice and uncertainty often dominate the headlines, Psalm 97 realigns our focus. The chaos around us doesn’t change who God is. He is still in charge. He is still just. He is still worthy of our praise.
And we find solace and encouragement in verse 11: ‘Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.’ Even in the darkest of times, Almighty God shines light and joy into the lives of those who trust him. His sovereignty doesn’t just command awe; it provides peace, purpose and hope.
God of peace, who brings light to the universe, shine your light into our chaos. Bring help to those facing injustice. Give us your peace, purpose and hope in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Stephen Abraham is a retired Lutheran pastor and musician who served as a school pastor and church planter in Mawson Lakes, South Australia. Having to retire due to a spinal injury that leaves him largely housebound with chronic pain, Stephen still preaches, takes chapel and serves his local church and school. He also writes and records personal songs, worship songs and Christian meditations, which he shares on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/StephenAbrahamMusic
Our true superpower
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But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Corinthians 12:9a).
Read 2 Corinthians 12:1–10
Now we come to the ultimate superpower Paul reveals as he engages the super-apostles at Corinth. But it’s not authority given by the extraordinary experience of being temporarily ‘caught up into Paradise’ of verses one to four (which many regard as Paul self-referencing his own conversion experience). No, it is far more unexpected than that amazing experience. It’s not supernatural insight, powers of miraculous healing or signs of great power. Paul’s superpower is – wait for it! – weakness! His prickly thorn in the flesh (verses seven to nine).
What? No! It can’t be – but it is. Paul, this most faithful servant of Christ, was not spared from suffering. Instead, God used that suffering to reveal a deeper truth: his strength shines brightest when we are at our weakest. We often think our usefulness to God depends on our strength, success, abilities or gifts. But Paul’s life tells a different story: God works most powerfully when we are broken, letting go of our need to be strong and allowing his grace to sustain us.
Instead of resenting brokenness, Paul embraces it: ‘Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me’ (2 Corinthians 12:9b). My sisters and brothers, this is our superpower. God’s strength in our brokenness.
So we don’t need to pretend we have it all together. In fact, I’d argue based on this that one of the most powerful things we can do in this lifetime is to let down our guard and share our vulnerabilities with those God brings into our lives. For when we are weak, then we are strong.
Loving Father, thank you for the gift of your grace. Help us not hide our weaknesses but bring them to you, trusting that your power is made perfect in them. Teach us to rely not on our strength but on yours, for you are our true superpower. Amen.
Stephen Abraham is a retired Lutheran pastor and musician who served as a school pastor and church planter in Mawson Lakes, South Australia. Having to retire due to a spinal injury that leaves him largely housebound with chronic pain, Stephen still preaches, takes chapel and serves his local church and school. He also writes and records personal songs, worship songs and Christian meditations, which he shares on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/StephenAbrahamMusic
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Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45).
Read Luke 24:44–53
When I was 14 and in high school, I knew my vision wasn’t very clear. For years, I couldn’t read the whiteboard in class, and peering forward while squinting hard in the front row to try and make out the letters was giving me headaches. Mum took me to the optometrist, and yes, I needed glasses for distance vision. A week later, we picked up my glasses. While driving home to our farm, I was simply overcome: ‘Mum, I can see trees at the top of that hill! Mum, I can see sheep in that paddock! Mum, I can see! I can see!’
The risen Lord Jesus is standing before his disciples, not only as their resurrected friend and teacher, but also as the fulfilment of everything written in the law, the prophets and the psalms. It’s a profound moment. Jesus doesn’t simply show them his hands and feet. He opens their minds, enabling them to truly understand the Scriptures about his coming, life, death and resurrection.
I imagine the experience was like me suddenly seeing the world clearly for the first time – overpowering, profound joy. A massive ‘ah ha’ moment. Is it any wonder that verses like Psalm 110:1 from yesterday are quoted throughout the New Testament record? The apostles finally saw things clearly!
Jesus goes on to explain that his suffering, death and resurrection were not tragic accidents but part of a divine plan. And with this revelation, he gives his followers a mission: preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name to all nations. He doesn’t leave them to do this alone. He promises ‘power from on high’ to equip and embolden them to be his witnesses.
Lord Jesus, open our minds to understand your word. Fill us with your Spirit and send us out with joy to be witnesses of your resurrection. Amen.
Stephen Abraham is a retired Lutheran pastor and musician who served as a school pastor and church planter in Mawson Lakes, South Australia. Having to retire due to a spinal injury that leaves him largely housebound with chronic pain, Stephen still preaches, takes chapel and serves his local church and school. He also writes and records personal songs, worship songs and Christian meditations, which he shares on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/StephenAbrahamMusic
by Pastor Stephen Abraham
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The Lord says to my lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool’ (Psalm 110:1).
Read Psalm 110:1–7
The most quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament is Psalm 110:1.
Full of battle language and allusions to defeating enemies and instigating a new era, Psalm 110 is perhaps the premier messianic victory psalm.
When you have defeated an enemy king, you put your foot on their neck. His neck = your footstool – like the ultimate ancient mixed martial arts (MMA) fight victory pose!
But there are questions:
- Who does God himself call ‘my lord’ (verse one)?
- Who is this ‘lord’ who sits at God’s right hand (verse one)?
- Who is the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) of all kings (verse one; verses five and six)?
- Who is this king who is also a priest (verse four)?
- Whose reign as king/priest lasts forever (verse four)?
Matthew, Mark, Luke, Paul, Peter and the writer of Hebrews all testify that this great messianic psalm is fulfilled in one person alone in all of history: the crucified and resurrected Christ Jesus. As Peter says in his great Pentecost sermon in Acts 2:32–36:
This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
‘Melchizedek’ (meaning ‘king of righteousness’) is one of the most mysterious figures in Scripture. Genesis 14:18 calls him the King of Peace (Salem). The priesthood of Melchizedek serves as a foreshadowing of Christ’s priesthood in at least three key ways. Firstly, in both Melchizedek and Christ, the roles of king and priest are united (see Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 7:1). Secondly, Melchizedek is portrayed as a priest appointed directly by God, without reliance on lineage – a trait Christ shares, as he comes from the tribe of Judah rather than the Levitical priestly line (compare Hebrews 7:3). Thirdly, Melchizedek’s priesthood appears self-contained, with no record of predecessors or successors in his priestly line, just as Christ’s priesthood stands alone.
Lord Jesus, reigning King and eternal High Priest, rule in our hearts and lives. Defend us from every enemy and strengthen us in faith through your word. Amen.
Stephen Abraham is a retired Lutheran pastor and musician who served as a school pastor and church planter in Mawson Lakes, South Australia. Having to retire due to a spinal injury that leaves him largely housebound with chronic pain, Stephen still preaches, takes chapel and serves his local church and school. He also writes and records personal songs, worship songs and Christian meditations, which he shares on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/StephenAbrahamMusic