The yolk is heavy and the burden is light. I mean what does that even mean? Does it mean that we just let go and the heavy stuff will just become light ? I have a big problem with surrender most of the time. I try and I try and yet again I try and when I don't succeed I will try again. Especially when it comes to baking and relationships two of my favorite things. I love to cook and to show off my skills in the kitchen , yet not a lot of people close to know that about me. Relationships on the other hand well everyone knows my ins and outs or so they think. Its actually pretty unique because God doesnt want us to try so hard that we break ourselves.I remember making my dad breakfast and all he could say was "I don't eat breakfast". No thank you it looks amazing just a cold "no thank you". God isnt like that at all He doesnt need us to seek His approval for the small things sure we need to life our lives in a way worthy of our callings and walk in fear of the Lord daily. HOwever ,  God is proud of us and I believe when we realise just how much of a Father He truly is than only can we live in His fullness and glory.

Selah x

Water from a rock (an exegesis)

Water from a rock Exodus 17
By Yolandi Isabella Kruger

1The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”

Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”

3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

5 The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah[a] and Meribah[b] because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

2  We have a profound mystery revealed to us in Exodus 17:1-7. The picture of Gods people rejecting Him, in their disbelief demands us to see God true fulfillment in His salvation, I will be unravelling this scripture, as it is an echo of the goodness of God through out the ages, and the ultimate fulfillment of His love and glory in us through his son.

Through out the entirety of the bible , it is safe to say that there is a clear picture of God’s faithfulness through his unending love. In contrast , we see the hardened hearts of `his elect people, always rejecting Him. In Exodus 17 we are reminded of such unbelief of `God to the point where people demand proof of `His true favour. Gods chosen ones had complacent hearts and they were not interested in knowing God relationally. The entire process of obiedience comes into question when we survey this text. The first 3 things that they faced was 1) a lack of trust in Gods provision 2) a lack of faith that in this case goes hand in hand with trust and 3) a lack of submission to authority i.e earthly authority (Moses) and spiritual authority found in (God). However , both God and Moses (Moses being the vessel) earned authority through God's help by helping them cross the red sea , by protecting them from the army and by causing a physical miracle to occur ( water from a rock).  God also goes on to provide His faithfulness and love despite the Israelites attutide towards the leader (Moses whom he had appointed) and Himself. I think what is also important to realise when analyzing this text is that the rock being struck and poured out as a drink offering reflects the symbolic , symbol of Gods son Jesus. .

What this means to me is that this text is significant because it is a reflection that echoes the New Testament and shows us clearly that Jesus is the rock of ages. It leads directly to the story of salvation and that there is a freedom from captivity that is depicted in the text . Gods people are in a bad situation and they have no where to turn and in the worse it gets the harder it is for them to stay in an honest faith towards their situations. The lesson we can learn from this is that no matter how hard a situation God can still essentially get us out of “Egypt” whatever Egypt might mean to us in the natural sense. I honestly believe the covenant that God creates and the breakage of bondage and sin in this text refers brightly to the New Testament where Satan is defeated and Jesus pays the price and furfills the law.

Also secondly if we look at Moses as a leader and his relationship with God as a whole we can actually refelect back and realise that he had a sort of a shared identity with God and that propelled him to become a Shepard and steward of Gods word. If we live in a manner that is more worthy of God by sharing God ( Jesus’s) identity we can live fuller lives that are filled with God promises and miracles.

The important revelation that stands out in this text is that if we ask God and faithfully believe that He will supply He will. Not only will He supply all of our needs He is also the only one who can provide us with what we need even though Moses was able to perform in faith , even Moses became tired and weary. God is the only one who remains stable and faitful because God may move in the natural but his ways are supernatural and He is infinite. I get eternal salvation

conclusion Exodus 17 has a great deal to do with salvation , Gods promise , the beauty of community and supply in the form of land. We can conclude from this text that God is a faithful God that looks after His children and a God who is true to His word because of His sovreigneity and we can also conclude that God is a God of supply that gives freely , but not always on our own terms but in His own timing as we see in the stories of Abraham and Isaac and again in the promise leading up to the promised land.

4 Piper, J. (1993) Justification of God, The. Grand Rapids: Baker Pub. Group.

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MINB408A Identify the basic themes of the New Testament [Student ID Number]

References
Alter, R. (2004) The five books of Moses. New York: W.W. Norton & Co..

Grenz, S. and Olson, R. (1992) 20th Century theology. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.

Hayes, J. (1979) An introduction to Old Testament Study. Nashville: Abingdon.

Piper, J. (1993) Justification of God, The. Grand Rapids: Baker Pub. Group.

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The promise of the Lord

Its been 4 years since I played the piano. In my heart a block was put up against my dreams because I never could go to Julliard or even the Tish school of arts. It was a dream that God had placed in my heart when I was born. My mother often fondly tells me how my small little 1 year old mouth would open as if singing when my grandmother would play classical tunes on the piano...However , I was disappointed so I buried my dreams in a deep place.

Yet in disappointment we tend to place our dreams aside for other things , we make time for things that aren't really that important in our lives so that we don't have to focus on what we have replaced. A year and a half ago I put that fear aside and went to Hillsong college to study worship , but no one told me it would be even harder to actually take up an instrument again. People gave me words from all over and one actually said "Its time to sing out like a canary Yolandi and take up an instrument."

It wasn't until this morning that pure release happened as I walked to my piano in the next room. I gleefully went over and opened the piano and started to play and sing to God. No more fear of the unknown. Just an open door ready to learn what God has in store. I am finally ready to admit that God has called me to write songs , but also to preach. There is no limit in the world of Jesus. Yet we limit ourselves in such a terribly frightening way. 4 years wasted because of fear. God doesn't want us to fear anything , He calls us unto greatness. Maybe my dream of going to Juliard wasnt a reality but God is a reality and if we do things to honor Him instead of ourselves the reward is so much greater. Don't give up your dreams because you feel you can't reach a certain goal or whatever your situation or reason may be. Let God in let him heal past disappointment and look to the future and the promise that He has for you.

Sarah and Abraham are two of my favorite characters in the Bible because they both struggled to see Gods promise for their own lives so they did their own thing clashing and head butting over everything and eventually Ishmael was born out of that sense of fear and they had to stand in front of God in great repentance because of their own impatience. Let us not be Sarah and Abraham but if we are or if we find ourselves as a body of Christ to struggle to see Gods ultimate promise to repent and be ready to do whatever waiting it may take to see the promise of the Lord. When it gets all too much meditate on Gods great word and soak into His plan for your life I can assure you that there will be rough times ahead as you journey with God , no one ever said it would be easy. The road to the cross was anything but easy , but with God by your side you will learn how to deal with hard times and in the end I can assure you that there will be laughter to the Bible tells us that there will be a time of laughter and joy. It is all in the season of life but one thing that remains the same is Jesus. He never leaves and He never changes and thats something really special.

Let us pray :

Thank you Jesus for this glorious day. Thank you that even though we face daily trials of whom there are many in this present day. We pray that Your hand will be upon us and that the wind of Your spirit will guide us into new revelation and that Your peace will guide us like a mighty hand. We ask for rest and restoration from past dissapointments and for patience to wait on Your appointed promise.

Amen

Meditation :



Isaiah 40:29-31

He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

His blessings are countless. I remember when I first experienced Gods blessings and favor when I came to Australia for the first time in 2011. It was an exciting time and I was full of joy as I stepped off of the plane that day. What brought me through a journey of meeting amazing people , friends that I will keep forever and mostly the blessing of provision. Without going into a long essay of my life , God is ready to bless you. Actually He has already blessed you. The promise of blessing is everywhere in the Bible , sometimes we take that blessing for granted. We try to push Gods timing for our lives instead of being content with what we have. My hope for you today would be that God would give you the patience to see the small blessings that are already in your life while you wait on His appointed time.