Week 9/ Day 1:
Hebrews 11:25
“He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”
Journaling Assignment #1
Write the verse and read it several times. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you His heart in this verse. Don’t forget to practice the first 25 verses together several times today.
Journaling Assignment #2
Spend today defining the following words, not by looking them up, simply based on what comes to your mind. There is no right or wrong. This is just a jumping off point. Take the time to reflect; be honest and open with yourself about your thoughts and feelings. We have nothing to do in the space except grow and learn! I will even provide my journal notes each day so that you can see the mess that the Lord is working with here!!
chose
mistreated
fleeting
Kinsee’s Stream of Consciousness Journal Notes
Chose: To choose indicates a choice. This means that you are not being forced into a decision. Most of the things that we encounter in life are choices. Some come with consequences and others with blessings. For instance, I can choose whether or not to commit to volunteering in my community. If I choose to volunteer, I will undoubtedly be blessed by serving. There will not necessarily be consequences if I choose not to volunteer. However, if I choose not to pay my taxes, I will face dire consequences. I cannot choose not to pay my taxes without facing dire consequences. We can also choose to be over committed. Just because something is a good thing does not mean we have to say “yes.” We have to seek wisdom when choosing how to spend or time and resources. Not everything is a choice. I cannot choose how long my life will be, I cannot choose if I will be healthy and I cannot choose how other people will act.
Mistreated: This is one of those words that defines itself. It means that someone is not treated well. This can be a subjective judgement. My adolescent son feels that he is being mistreated when I tell him it is time to put his book away, turn off the lights and go to sleep. My perspective is different than his. However, his perception is his reality and he will defend it passionately. There are other times when the mistreatment is so vile that it cannot be denied. The holocaust is one such example. The horrific loss of life and torture of innocent people was clear to anyone with a sane mind.
Fleeting: We often hear the phrase, “life is fleeting.” This implies that it is moving quickly and will not last long. Vacation days in July feel fleeting, flu days in February do not! However, the reality is that, in light of eternity, life is so brief. It is easier to see when we look at the passage of time in the lives of children. When you don’t see a family for a few years, it is amazing the changes in the children. In just a few years they go from infants to toddlers with phrases and opinions. Then it is from toddlers to school age when they become independent and their individual personalities are made clear. The adolescent years is the passage in which we see children turn to adults. Each phase is quick and dramatic in development and growth. Each phase is fleeting.
Journaling Assignment #3
Jot down anything from this verse that jumps out at you. Include other scriptures that come to mind. Cross references add great insight into each verse. It is powerful to keep notes of what the Holy Spirit draws out of the verse in your heart and also to study Scripture in light of Scripture.
Week 9/Day 2:
Hebrews 11:25
“He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”
Let’s Dig into Some Truth
Moses chose to identify with the Israelites, the people of God, rather than the Egyptian royalty with whom he had grown up. He did this in a very dramatic way. In Exodus 2, we find the account of Moses observing an Egyptian beating an Israelite and in response he kills the Egyptian. The following day Moses observed two Hebrews arguing and tried to intervene. The men rejected him and criticized him for murdering the Egyptian soldier. Moses was left without a group with which he could identify. He had murdered an Egyptian, changing forever his relationship with the royal family. And the Israelites did not want anything to do with him. After all, he had spent the past 40 years living with those who had been persecuting them. God, in His sovereignty, used this incident to draw Moses out of Egypt and into Midian where He would further prepare him to lead the people in the Exodus 40 years later.
Reality Check #1: We make choices continually all day, every day. Some choices are small and we make them almost without thinking while other choices are huge and we spend large amounts of time thinking and talking with others before we make any decisions. It is critical that we pray for God’s wisdom when making choices because He is the only One who can see the big picture. We need to get into the habit of being intentional in our choices. Each choice can either draw us closer to or further away from God. When we are seeking to do the will of God, He will direct our steps and bring clarity and wisdom into our decision making process. We read of this truth in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” The more we practice this discipline in the small decisions, the more we will be able to rest in His wisdom when we face the big choices of our lives.
The Israelites were being grossly mistreated by the Egyptians. Moses was choosing to step into this reality. The Hebrews were overworked, beaten and faced the murder of their infant sons. There was no one in Egypt to stop what was happening. It might have seemed as if God had forgotten His people. He had not. With the flight of Moses from Egypt, He was advancing His plan of liberating the Israelites and forcing Pharaoh to face the consequences of his sins.
Reality Check #2: There are times when I have little pity parties because I feel that I am being mistreated. Why doesn’t anyone else in my house fold laundry, take shoes up the stairs and put bikes away? Does anyone see what I am doing all day? Why is that group of ladies responding to me in such an unkind manner? We also feel indignant when it appears that our children are being mistreated. I have actually considered verbally taking down an 8 year old who hurt the feelings of my son! Thankfully, I refrained. Perspective check… self-pity is actually selfishness. When I demand that everything meet my standards for fair and balanced, I am denying my own inability to see the world as the Lord sees the world. He has given me the privilege to care for my family. He has trusted me with the opportunity to love those who are acting prickly towards me. He is calling me to teach my children to turn to Him when they are hurt by friends and family. And most of all, when I am feeling mistreated, it is time to stop and evaluate how I am treating those around me. When I ask the Lord to reveal my sin to me, I am growing. When I simply focus one the sins of other people, I am losing ground. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eyes?” (Luke 6:41).
Moses recognized that the pleasure derived from sin is fleeting. Remember, he had spent 40 years in the household of Pharaoh. He had witnessed first hand the lives of those who had every material possession that they could dream of. My assumption is that he had also witnessed that these possessions brought no lasting peace or significance. The choice that Moses made exhibited a profound insight into the human experience coupled with a wisdom that can only come from the Holy Spirit.
Reality Check #3: What comes to mind when you think of sin? There are the “biggies” such as alcoholism, adultery or murder. It is easy to see how any pleasure gained in these sinful endeavors would be fleeting and quickly replaced by painful consequences. What about the sins that are more “acceptable” in our Christian circles; gossip, jealousy, lying, idolatry, vanity? In an effort to make my life more comfortable, I can engage in sinful behaviors that put a temporary band aid on my pain and insecurities. These sins may be judged more kindly in the mind of a human, but all sin is equal in the eyes of God. My sin is hurtful to the heart of my Lord and it also comes with painful consequences. In an effort to feel better about myself, I might slander someone else. This is a temporary band-aid that will end in the consequence of broken relationships and loss of trust. In an effort to feel valuable, I can put physical activity in the place of spending time with the Lord. While my scale may make me feel validated in the short term, eventually my body will break down and there will not be a solid spiritual foundation to maintain my heart. The truth is found in Judges 10:14, “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.” This is a terrible trade! What sins do you engage in to gain a fleeting relief from pain and discomfort? Exchange those for the true answer to peace, relationship with Jesus Christ.
Journaling Assignment #4
Take time to record the “reality checks” that the Lord provided to you as you were digging into His truth today.
Week 9/ Day 3:
Hebrews 11:26
“He considered disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”
Journaling Assignment #1
Write the verse and read it several times. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you His heart in this verse. Don’t forget to practice the first 26 verses together several times today.
Journaling Assignment #2
Spend today defining the following words, not by looking them up, simply based on what comes to your mind. There is no right or wrong. This is just a jumping off point. Take the time to reflect; be honest and open with yourself about your thoughts and feelings. We have nothing to do in the space except grow and learn! I will even provide my journal notes each day so that you can see the mess that the Lord is working with here!!
regarded
value/treasure
reward
Kinsee’s Stream of Consciousness Journal Notes
Regarded: The way in which we regard something is the way that we think about it. We can regard something in our lives as a positive or negative factor. We regard responsibilities as important or inconsequential. It is human nature to spend more time, energy and money on the areas that we regard as important and/or pleasurable. My youngest son regards making the baseball team as important and so he spends several hours every week practicing and honing his skills. He does not regard memorizing subtraction facts with the same respect and, therefore, the practice there is painful and under much duress!
Value/treasure: The way in which we regard a subject is directly linked to the value that we assign to it. I greatly value the relationships in my life and make them a priority as much as possible. The things that we value most in life become our treasures. I consider my children to be my most precious treasures. For many career and success is the treasure trove of life. Wealth allows for the purchase of material goods that can be treasured by those who possess them. Whatever it is that becomes the treasure in our lives also becomes the thing that we will most vehemently protect. You can take a lot of things from me, but mess with my boys and we will have a problem. They are my treasure and I will fight to protect them. In the financial industries we see many fall into fraud and schemes in an effort to protect their financial treasure. There are countless workaholics burning the candles at both ends in a desperate attempt to protect the treasure of their success.
Reward: I define reward as a prize for doing something well. This can be a trophy or MVP award in the world of sports. It can be a monetary bonus given in the workplace for a job well done. For me it is often a cookie or an ice cream cone to celebrate a success or even just a really good day. A reward is recognition. It is validation. If you receive a reward that means someone sees you and values what you are doing. Perhaps that is why we all crave rewards and desire to be validated and encouraged.
Journaling Assignment #3
Jot down anything from this verse that jumps out at you. Include other scriptures that come to mind. Cross references add great insight into each verse. It is powerful to keep notes of what the Holy Spirit draws out of the verse in your heart and also to study Scripture in light of Scripture.
Week 9/Day 4:
Hebrews 11:26
“He considered disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”
Let’s Dig into Some Truth
Moses regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ. That means that he thought about Christ. We have to stop here because Christ was hundreds of years from starting His ministry on Earth. How is it that Moses had any regard for Him at all? The answer lies in the mystery of the Trinity, three in one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Moses knew God and the Holy Spirit was already working in His life. Moses had a personal relationship with God and to know God is to know the Holy Spirit and Jesus. While the appearance of the Holy Spirit and Jesus are different in the New Testament, the existence of them is the same. In Genesis 1:26 we see the Trinity working together in the very beginning of creation, “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness,” We may not understand how Moses encountered the Trinity, but in this verse from Hebrews, we clearly see that He does.
Reality Check #1: What are the deciding factors that you use when making major decisions in your life? What do you regard in those moments? I think that if we are experiencing disgrace, that is likely to occupy a great deal of our mental and emotional energy. It is easy to dwell on pain and injustice. The more important question is what is your regard for Christ? The first and most important aspect of our lives is how they line up in regard to Christ. The Bible is clear about the importance of this priority; “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4). Am I living a life that is centered on Him? Am I making decisions that reflect His goodness and His glory? Am I spending more time concerned with disgrace in my life or the sin in my heart? Where do we place our greatest regard? Let it be Jesus.
The first 40 years of Moses’ life were spent engulfed in the treasures of Egypt. It is profound that at this point, he does not find any value in all the material possessions at his discretion. Moses is looking for something that transcends this life. He has seen material wealth fall flat and he recognizes that it offers no lasting value.
Reality Check #2: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). It is easy to justify the treasure that we choose for ourselves. My children are my treasure, the world tells me that makes me a good mother. If your treasure is material possessions, the world will tell you that you are a good provider. If your treasure is your identity at work, you will be esteemed as a conscientious employee. In reality, if our treasure is anything other than Christ, it is only a matter of time before our house of cards will come tumbling down. My children are not built to carry the weight of my identity and joy. They cannot be my treasure. Material possessions come and go like the wind. They cannot be your treasure. Jobs shift and change, companies open and close. Your success cannot be your treasure. The only unchanging anchor for our souls is Christ, He is the only eternal treasure.
I wonder what reward Moses regarded as he felt the disgrace he received for the sake of Christ? It was not esteem, he was rejected by the Egyptians and the Israelites. It was not wealth, he ended up living the life of a shepherd for 40 years and then wandering in the desert for the next 40. Moses never even entered the Promised Land. His reward was not one of destination, it was one of relationship. Moses gave up everything to gain a relationship with God. God called Him and He obeyed, not perfectly but faithfully. The only reward that Moses needed was to walk with the Lord on the path that He had chosen for him and that is a reward that could never be taken away.
Reality Check #3: It is very easy to live for worldly acclaim. I don’t need a Noble Peace Prize or millions of people cheering my name. I am content with a parent/teacher conference that goes well! We are all desperate for the reward of validation. The problem is that we are looking to have our broken cups filled up by other broken cups. Christ is the only one who can validate and sustain us for eternity. As humans we are all seeking and so we cannot find one another. The Good Shepherd will always find you, forgive and accept you, just as you are. “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?” (Matthew 18:12). He is the only reward that we need. Christ is enough, for now and for eternity.
Journaling Assignment #4
Take time to record the “reality checks” that the Lord provided to you as you were digging into His truth today.
Week 9/ Day 5:
Hebrews 11:27
“By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.”
Journaling Assignment #1
Write the verse and read it several times. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you His heart in this verse. Don’t forget to practice the first 27 verses together several times today. Who are we meeting today?
Him who is invisible:
In the very first verse of Hebrews 11, we defined faith as “assurance of what you do not see.” Our entire lives revolve around this faith, around Him who is invisible. The One true God, the creator of the Universe, the One in whom we have faith, the One we cannot see. Faith can seem overwhelming and maybe a little crazy. If we are going to spend 15 weeks studying the chapter of faith, we should go ahead and admit that to ourselves. God is big enough to handle our honesty. What does it mean that Moses “saw Him who is invisible?” Did he actually see God? Perhaps. Or, he might have “seen God” in the beauty of His creation. He might have “seen God” in His protection and provision throughout Moses life. He might have “seen God” in the presence of His Spirit offering peace, power and guidance. You see, while faith can seem overwhelming when we focus on “what we hope for” and “what we do not see,” it can be empowering and life changing when we focus on “Him who cannot be seen.” We experience God everyday. The Holy Spirit can give us eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts to receive His presence. A beautiful sunrise, a rainbow after the storm, a phone call from a friend, a hug from a child, a whisper of a promise deep in your heart, these are all ways that we can “see Him who is invisible” Moses had the courage to follow his faith and God used him in a mighty way.
Journaling Assignment #2
Spend today defining the following words, not by looking them up, simply based on what comes to your mind. There is no right or wrong. This is just a jumping off point. Take the time to reflect; be honest and open with yourself about your thoughts and feelings. We have nothing to do in the space except grow and learn! I will even provide my journal notes each day so that you can see the mess that the Lord is working with here!!
anger
persevered
invisible
Kinsee’s Stream of Consciousness Journal Notes
Anger: I don’t like anger, it makes me uncomfortable. I would much prefer everyone just be happy and at peace. I dislike my own anger even more than other peoples. It scares me and makes me feel out of control. I tend to find myself saying things like, “I am not angry, just frustrated” in an effort to lessen the blow. The truth however is that I am angry! I think the goal should not be to avoid anger, but to understand it. What is making me or someone in my life angry? And then, how should we handle that anger? These are much more useful tools than just renaming and minimizing this powerful emotion.
Persevered: This makes me think of the “Little Engine That Could.” I love that story! That little blue train refused to give up and by the end of the book it had pulled the bigger engine all the way to the top of the mountain, saving the day and delivering all the toys! The message is if you persevere you will succeed. But will you? I could persevere until my dying breath and I still would not be able to flap my wings and fly. I have to stop and consider, where I am digging in and committing to persevere. Am I making the right choices and do I know when to walk away?
Invisible: Something that cannot be seen. When I watch American Idol or other similar shows, the judges often talk about the “it” factor. This is a charisma that cannot be seen but can be felt by everyone. Just because something is invisible, does not meant that it does not exist. Emotions are invisible, but their effects are very visible. The wind is invisible, but it blows the leaves on the trees. What is invisible has an impact that is visible, we just have to look for it.
Journaling Assignment #3
Jot down anything from this verse that jumps out at you. Include other scriptures that come to mind. Cross references add great insight into each verse. It is powerful to keep notes of what the Holy Spirit draws out of the verse in your heart and also to study Scripture in light of Scripture.
Week 9/Day 6:
Hebrews 11:27
“By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.”
Let’s Dig into Some Truth
Moses was confronted with the king’s anger. I believe that the king was angry because he was afraid of losing control. This is a dangerous and desperate type of rage. People, like the king in this verse, who are fighting to maintain control of something will do anything and hurt anyone to hold onto their perception of control. Of course, we know that is is actually God whom they are battling because He is the only One with ultimate control. They are engaged in a losing battle and the only question is what will the collateral damage look like on their way down. Moses was not afraid because He was trusting in the One who was in control and He knew the truth. Anything that the king did to him had to first go through the hands of God. Therefore, he kept his eyes on a faithful God and not the angry king.
Reality Check #1: Anger is a powerful emotion. Anger is not a sin. Anger can, however, lead to sin. The warning is found in Ephesians 4:26, “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” When I begin to feel angry, I need to stop and pray for the Lord to show me what emotion is underneath the anger. Studies have found that anger is an emotion that does not make us feel vulnerable and so we tend to focus on it rather than an underlying emotion such as fear or hurt. We do not need to be afraid of anger, but we do need to be aware of anger. If I trust the Lord enough to ask Him to teach me through my anger, I will grow closer to Him and also have the opportunity to be a healthier and more stable person. We can also pray for wisdom when we are dealing with an angry person. The Lord can allow us to see the person through His eyes and give us compassion instead of anxiety or defensiveness. The Holy Spirit can work in anger, we just have to surrender it to Him.
Moses persevered not just in his escape from Egypt but also during the next 40 years as he was living the life of a shepherd in Midian. Moses was sure of God’s call on his life and so he was able to trust His timing. Moses’ perseverance might not have looked like an intense battle against foreign armies at this point. Instead, the perseverance that Moses needed was patience and steady growth to become the man whom God would use to lead His people out of Egypt.
Reality Check #2: When I choose a path, grit my teeth and persevere, my motives are most often selfish and short sighted. When I am patient, and obedient to the roads that the Lord is calling me to walk, He gives me supernatural perseverance for the task. This does not mean that it is easy. Writing this Bible Study was a calling that took me by surprise. It is a long story for another day but the cliff notes version is that I am a stay at home mom, not a writer or a speaker. And yet, the Lord keeps calling me to write and to speak! I cannot write or speak even one single word without the power of the Holy Spirit and I am so blessed by the new gift that He has given me. That being said, the 20 or so hours that I am spending writing each week have to come from somewhere and the other things that take up my hours have not gone away! The perseverance needed for this project has looked like a husband stepping up to the plate to help with dinner, laundry and bedtimes. A mother faithfully praying and encouraging me. It has been friends sending uplifting and truth filled texts and email and it has been children who, by the grace of God, have bought into this dream with me and are willing to complete some homework on their own. This God given perseverance is not gritting my teeth and powering through, it is trusting God and resting in His provision. I embrace the promise found in 1 Thessalonians 5:24, ”He who called you is faithful and He will do it.”
We have already established that just because something is invisible does not mean that we cannot see the effects of its existence. Moses experienced God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in a very real way. He may or may not have seen them with his eyes, but his heart saw them and responded in faith. His encounter with the Holy Trinity empowered him to persevere in His obedience.
Reality Check #3: God is not surprised by our struggle to believe that which we cannot see. “Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe’” (John 20;29). We can pray for faith. God will not reject our prayer. We cannot see Him with our eyes, but He can open our hearts to see Him in supernatural ways. Blessings abound everyday that point to the existence of God, we just need the spiritual eyes to see them. Slow down, pray for faith and take time to marvel at the ways in which you can see Him who is invisible.
Journaling Assignment #4
Take time to record the “reality checks” that the Lord provided to you as you were digging into His truth today.
Week 9/Day 7:
Reflection Day
1. Reflect on your notes from this week.
2. Practice the verses hat you have memorized so far.
-Write them.
-Recite them to a friend or family member to check for accuracy.
-Use them as a prayer to the Lord.
3. Read Hebrews 11 in its entirety a couple of times.
4. Pray for endurance throughout this journey.
5. Remember…
“He who has called you is faithful and He will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve God’s will, His good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).
Scripture Memory Strategies
1. Copy the Scripture several times. Then try to write it by memory.
2. Set an alarm on your phone for 4 times each day. Each time you hear the alarm, practice your scripture.
3. Showers! The shower is a perfect time to recite your scripture.
4. Traffic. As you sit, instead of getting frustrated, use the time to practice.
5. Accountability. Find a friend working on scripture memory as well. Recite your scripture to each other one day a week.
6. What else? List some ideas that might work for you!
