Tag Archives: moses

The “you”-es and the “I”-es

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
January 23, 2026:  SOAP #5895   Exodus 6-8; Luke 23

SCRIPTURE:  Exodus (NIV) 7:2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”
6 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them.

OBSERVATION:  Moses needed to remember what God had said.  He especially needed to remember the “you-es” and the “I-es”  God had clearly laid out the assignments.  In the 5 verses above, there are 4 you-s but there are 12 I-s and my-s. 

God gave Moses and Aaron their assignments; He would do the rest!  Their assignment was something they could do.  They were physically able to do what God commanded them to do.  It was not all that was needed, but it was all they could do.  The rest of the challenge of getting Israel out of Egypt, was God’s part. 

APPLICATION:   SOAP devotions did not originate with me, nor was it my idea to start writing them.  God clearly and specifically assigned me to write SOAPs.  Writing them was something I could do, after all He was the one giving the inspiration.  The spread of the SOAPs has all been HIS work.  The supply of needed finances are His responsibility. 

For the past 16 years, I have been faithful to do my part in writing the SOAPs, but what is that compared to His faithfulness for the (soon to be) past 78 years.  And through the SOAP ministry, God has completed some until He directed me into writing and posting SOAPs. 

PRAYER:  Lord, it is my pleasure to do as you direct.  May you be glorified in the fruit of this simple ministry.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Much Better than my “Best-Guess!”

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
January 21, 2026:  SOAP #5893   Exodus 1-2; Psalm 88; Luke 21

Much better than my “best-guess!”

SCRIPTURE:  Exodus (NIV) 1:22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”
Exodus (NIV) 2:1 Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.

OBSERVATION:  The Jews in Egypt had grown to such a number that Pharoah made a plan to stop their growth:  he would have each baby boy thrown into the Nile river.  Moses’ mother, tried to hide her baby, but it was impossible to hide him from Pharoah’s soldiers.  So, she came up with a plan, she would hide him in the reeds along the Nile river. It was a God-plan! 

God used the very thing that was meant for the death of the baby boys, the river, to became the salvation of Moses!  Pharoah’s daughter found him and brought him to live as her son!  And Moses’s mother became his nurse! 

APPLICATION:  Oh, how we wish God would deliver us from the trouble and turmoil we see around us.  We complain and ask, “Why…what are you doing…why must I stay here?”  We cannot fully understand God’s plans…that is until we have lived it out.  Only then will we really see how the trouble we are experiencing will be used by God to fulfill His promises and bring Him glory. 

That which the devil would use to defeat us can be the very thing God uses to bring victory!  We should never despair!  God used the very household of the one trying to destroy the Israelites to bring their salvation!

PRAYER:  Lord, I am learning to trust you!   You often work through the trouble around me for my good.  You are Trustworthy!  Your ways are higher than my ways.  You see further into the future than I do.  When I start to make decisions by my “best-guess” I will pause to consider what you are saying.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon
Also on:  soapsbyleon.wordpress.com

A Notable Difference!

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 27, 2025: SOAP #5593:  Judges 1-3; 1Corinthians 12

SCRIPTURE:  Judges (NIV) 3:1 These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): …
4 They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD’s commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses.

OBSERVATION:   God had a plan laid out very clearly through Moses that they were to completely drive out all the inhabitants of the land.  However, they did not obey.  Here (verse 1,2,4) we see that God can even use their disobedience.  God is sovereign.  He is never boxed in.  Our disobedience may foil His best plan, but He remains with numberless ways to bring about His plan.  What trouble these remaining Canaanites would cause the Israelites, but God would use them for His glory.

God used these nations to teach the Israelites who had no battle experience how to war.  God would use these nations to bring temptation to Israel, to put a choice before Israel.  Who would Israel choose to serve?  Would they remember what God had done for their nation, or would they forget and make their choices based on present conditions? 

Israel’s choices would be obvious to all; and God’s pleasure/blessings would also be obvious to all.  Not only was God teaching Israel, He was/is also teaching all who would read and learn.

APPLICATION:   The same God has laid the same choices before us today.  If we have lived long enough we should be able to see how God has blest us when we walked close to Him and the difference in how the world treated us when we did not follow God’s ways. 

If you have not been a believer very long, talk to someone who has been a believer and follower of Jesus for years and see if they can give some personal examples of the difference of living close to Jesus verses living without relying on Him. 

PRAYER:  Lord, I want to have a close, daily relationship with You.   Be my best friend.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Programmed for Victory

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
January 23, 2025: SOAP #5529:  Exodus 6-8; Luke 23

SCRIPTURE:  Exodus (NIV) 6:6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.’” 9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.

OBSERVATION:   What promises!   And consider who it is that is making these promises!   It is none other than The Creator of the Heavens and Earth!   If anyone had the power to keep such promises, GOD DID!!! 

If God almighty made such a promise to me, I believe I would be shouting, and dancing, and having a happy party!!!  But not the Israelites, no. They were so discouraged, they did not even hear the promises, or Who it was making such great promises!   We often criticize them, but we must be careful. Because we do the same thing!  

APPLICATION:  Knowing us as well as He does, He has given us a whole book filled with His promises!   If we forget we can go back and read them again!  

And knowing us as well as He does, He has given us the Holy Spirit to accompany us throughout our lives!   He accompanies us 24 hours a day.   He teaches up; He reminds us; He guides us!   We are never left alone.  We must apply what we have been given.  

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ who suffered and died in payment for our sins.  We are so blest!    AND thank you for your Word, written and available.  It teaches us to live in victory.  AND thank you for the Holy Spirit!  His presence assures us that we will always have someone to guide us and remind us of what you have said.   Heavenly Father, you have programmed us for victory and you have provided for our victory.  We rejoice.  Amen 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon