PHARAOH - DIG 'EM OUT

Wow, what a surprise to find Pharaoh selected to be one of the 52 Men in the Bible. Here’s a man who tried to live up to his job description through oppression, wielding entitled power and familial authority, but ended up on the receiving end of God’s anger because he wasn’t prepared to acknowledge that he had got it wrong.

Stop digging!

It’s vital to know when you are wrong, to admit that you have made a mistake and to accept that there is another way. Following directions when driving isn’t really in the same league as leading the powerhouse nation of Egypt, but even the small things can cause us big problems and lead us down the wrong road. Failing to admit when we get it wrong often causes us to ‘dig our heels in’. 

As Carl says, ‘If you are currently digging your heels in…then dig ‘em out!’ It could be something at work, in your marriage, with your children, at church, or in a club you belong to. Before it’s too late, check out what your motivation is and see if meekness or humility is needed before it gets too late to hold your hands up and apologise.

BEZALEL - D.I.F.G.

It’s great that Carl highlights one of the lesser known and under-appreciated men of the Bible. I haven’t met too many guys with the name Bezalel –in total, none – but I have met many who have been like him in so many ways.

Who are you doing it for?

DIY is not on my top ten list of things to do, but I am always grateful for those people who have practical, creative, artistic abilities who can ‘make stuff’. I’m not sure where I would be without them or where the Kingdom would be without them. People who mend my car, paint my house, clean my windows, service my gas boiler, where would I be without them? Probably walking, living in the 1970’s still, unable to see out of my windows and cold!

‘God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.’ (Romans 12:6 – NLT) And when each person uses their skill and ability, whatever it is, then everyone, the individual and the whole, finds the meaning and purpose that God – the skill giver – gave it to you for.

Let everything you do, whatever it is, point people to Jesus. Give it back to God and see what happens to you and to the people around you. What you do will be ‘an act of worship and a sure sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the world.’ Do It For God!

MOSES - BOOT CAMP

I’ve known a few people who have made it into the Army, but to get there each one of them has had to pass the physical fitness test and that test has meant a lot of training in preparation so that they can get through. Running a certain distance in a certain time carrying packs of your own body weight takes some doing, but do it they do so that they are ready for the next step.

How much are we prepared to go through in order to be ready for the next step?

Moses seemed to have what it takes to keep going, to get through and be available for the next step. He never seemed in a hurry, never seemed to get bitter, understood that there were consequences to his actions – good and bad – and even the total disappointment of not being able to go into the ‘Promised Land’ didn’t stop him trusting his good, old friend, God.

That’s a solid, secure character. That’s someone who understands that 40 years of preparation and 40 years of preparation and 40 years of preparation, gets you ready for eternity.

Pick it up!

Meekness can only exist where great strength is under strict control! Waiting, being obedient, waiting, leading, waiting, coping with frustration, living with disappointment, wandering, dying. That’s Moses, ‘possibly the most humble man that ever lived; an example of power in meekness.’ (Carl Beech) I’m not going to argue with that.

Pick your load up and let’s get in training for even greater things ahead.

JOSEPH - THE COAT OF MANY TROUBLES

‘Poor, poor Joseph, what'cha gonna do?’ This line is repeated at several points in ‘that musical’ about Joseph, but rather than feeling sorry for him just look at his story and you will see that his life was actually pretty rich. Why? Because he made some really important decisions, whether in the pit, the prison or the palace.

Joseph didn’t mope around feeling sorry for himself, he got on with the life that other people threw at him, made some great choices at just the right time and put himself in a great position – available for God to use.

Okay, he might have been annoying and arrogant at times, like us all, but, as Carl Beech says, he ‘displayed incredible self-discipline and never gave in to circumstances.’ He was thrown in a pit, sold into slavery, rose up the ranks, thrown in prison for something he didn’t do, saved the nation and was reconciled with his family. How do you do that? You keep God first and remember that everything you do affects God, whether it is your disobedience or your obedience, and that was enough to keep Joseph available whatever the place he was in.

Isn’t it amazing that when we are in a place that pleases God, ‘it blesses everyone near you as well.’

Hang it up!

So wherever you are, whoever you are with, whatever the temptations you are facing, whatever the circumstances, if you hold the line today, God is going to bless you and everyone who is near you as well.

Hang the coat up and stay faithful to God.