The Story of My Life.
I Am a Slave Too! (Pt.1)
The story of Moses and the story of Israel in the first few chapters of Exodus are a clear picture of our lives as well.
In this message, you’ll begin to see yourself in the story of Moses.
BY: Southeast Christian Church
SELAH
Selah is a word used in the Old Testament that means to have an intentional and deliberate pause.
In the Psalms, Selah was used when the reader or audience was invited to pause and reflect on what they had just sung.
We have taken the word selah and used it as an acronym to help prepare our hearts as we approach God each day.
The Story of My Life.
Take some time to slowly walk through SELAH—
Stop, Exhale, Lean-in, Ask, and Hear.
Stop
Before you read, take some time to stop and limit your distractions.
Start by turning your phone to Do Not Disturb so you won’t receive notifications.
Take some time to close your eyes and begin to prepare your heart for the transformation God wants to lead you in today.
Exhale
With your eyes closed, take several slow deep breaths.
As you breathe in, invite God into your time with Him today and as you breathe out, exhale your stress, anxieties, worries, distractions, and sins.
Make your breathing all about receiving Him and removing yourself.
Lean-In
As you continue to breathe, take a posture leaning forward.
Today you want to lean-in to what God wants to teach you and how He might want to transform you.
As you lean forward, tell God that you are ready for any work He might want to do in or through you.
Ask
Now with your eyes closed, breathing slowly, and leaned forward, ask God to transform you today.
Your goal should be to live and love more like Jesus than you did yesterday.
You need God’s help for this to be possible. He loves to help His children, but He is waiting for you to ask.
Hear
Now, stop & listen.
Don’t continue talking but give yourself time to hear from Him.
He will speak to you today through worship, His Word, and this message.
He is ready to speak. Are you ready to hear from Him?
Remember His Promises
The Story of My Life.
Years ago, God made a promise to Abraham (the grandfather of Jacob/Israel mentioned in verse 1).
This promise was that He would take Abraham, a 90-year-old childless man, and turn him into a great nation.
Even though the circumstances that the nation of Israel will find themselves in aren’t great,
the author of Exodus wants us to realize that God is keeping His promise that He made nearly 400 years before.
So, spoiler alert: as we keep reading, you’ll see that God continues to be the God who keeps His promises.
No matter what circumstances you find yourself in, we want to challenge you to do two things today.
First, take some time somewhere to write a few ways you have seen God keep His promises to you.
Then, make a list of things you want to see Him transform in you this year.
Exodus 1:7 KJV
[7] And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
The Story of My Life.
I Am a Slave Too
God had made a promise to the descendants of Abraham.
He revealed to them a wonderful plan that they would be a blessing to all nations, and yet they find themselves in a not-so-wonderful situation.
Have you ever felt like God’s promises don’t align with your reality?
Invitation to SELAH
Before you spend time face-to-face with God today, take some time to SELAH (Stop, Exhale, Lean In, Ask & Hear).
Out of fear of the blessings that God was pouring out upon the Israelites, the Egyptians began the oppressive and sinful act of slavery.
Exodus 1:8-11 KJV
[8] Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
[9] And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
[10] come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply,
and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies,
and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
[11] Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens.
And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
https://bible.com/bible/1/exo.1.8-11.KJV
The slavery of the Israelites was thousands of years ago, but the sin of slavery didn’t go away thousands of years ago.
The Story of My Life.
Just some 200 years ago, our country too was involved in the oppressive and sinful act of slavery.
The Bible also speaks of another slavery that all of mankind has been subject to—sin.
Sin has marked every human that has ever walked on the face of the earth.
Today, you may not be a slave to a specific individual, but you are a slave to sin.
If you truly desire transformation, it starts with authentic and vulnerable confession before God.
Take some time to write down what sin you can’t seem to shake and what sin you continue to fall into.
Don’t be vague, get specific and trust that God has a rescue plan for this sin.
The Story of My Life.
Also Read: You Don’t Outgrow the Need for Jesus’ Grace. – Diademng (thediademng.org)
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing to the world! Join TheDiadem Family here: https://mailchi.mp/63245651a2df/thediadem-family
