Old Paths Journal

Exodus 32:32
“Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin––; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.”

Israel had committed the unpardonable sin against God by setting up the golden calf in the wilderness. Aaron took their golden earrings and necklaces and made the calf, and the people took their clothes off and danced around the golden calf to their shame. One would wonder what would lead this people to do this after God had so wondrously delivered them from Egypt and through the Red Sea.

After Moses received the ten commandments, he went down to meet the people only to see their wickedness. The next day after Moses dealt with the people, he went to the LORD to ask forgiveness. The verse above is Moses’ prayer to God. He asked God to forgive the people, and then suddenly the statement ended by a line. Many look at the “––“ in the sentence as a line, but it is more than just a line. It breaks the sentence and shows the heart of a leader who is so burdened for God to forgive those he led that he could no longer word his prayer to God. The only thing that God in His infinite knowledge could put down to show the prayer of Moses’ heart was a line. That line represents several things that every Christian should emulate.

First, the line represents the love of a leader for the follower. Moses could have agreed with God to destroy the people, but he loved them so much that he was willing to put his own eternity on the line for those whom he led. He asked God to blot his name out of the book if He would not forgive them. Christianity needs people who love others this deeply. This is a selfless Christianity that will not only change lives, but it will change a society. Churches will never change their community until they get the type of selfless Christians like Moses who deeply loves those whom they are trying to reach.

Second, the line represents the intercession of one for another. Moses couldn’t word what he felt for those for whom he was praying, so God put a line to show the power of intercessory prayer. This line is a good representation of James 5:16 which says, “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” You will never see God do a great work through your life until you learn to intercede for others like Moses. Let me ask you, are you so deeply grieved for the needs of others that when you pray for them there are no words to say to God about what you feel? It is this type of intercessory prayer that makes a difference. Oh, the need for a Christianity that intercedes for others like Moses. Line Christianity is an intercessory Christianity that shakes Heaven’s doors and springs God to action. You will never see God do great works through your life to help others until you have this type of intercessory prayer.

Third, the line represents that God understands the prayer of the heart. God can understand what you are saying even when your prayer becomes so earnest that only the groanings of the heart can be heard. There will come a time in every Christian’s life when the only thing you can do is pray through a groaning heart because there are no words to express how you feel. Let me encourage you that God understands that type of prayer.

My friend, do you practice line Christianity? This is the type of Christianity that makes a difference in others and in society. If you want to be a difference-maker, you are going to have to become a line Christian.

Exodus 23:8
“And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.”

When God gave the requirements for a judge, impartiality should be one of the greatest attributes that a judge exhibits. The judge literally holds a person’s future in their hands. If a judge displays partiality, he could ruin a good person’s life or let a guilty individual go free because of his partiality. In the case of capital punishment, a judge holds a person’s life in his hands. It is vital that a judge shows impartiality when considering each case.

However, it is just as important for a Christian to be impartial as it is a judge. Though a Christian may not rule in a person’s life, they do influence their spiritual future, and it would be devastating to allow partiality to become a part of a Christian’s daily life. The most impartial being is God. When God offered salvation, He offered it to the world. When God gives judgments for sin, He always deals with the act and never the individual’s person. There are several things in this chapter that you should consider that will help keep you from being impartial towards others.

First, don’t allow money to influence your judgment. Verse 6 says, “Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.” Money is the great influencer. A Christian must never allow money to influence their treatment of others. Pastors and leaders must be especially careful of this. Just because someone has money does not mean that they should get away with things for which a poorer person would be punished. If a person tries to use their wealth to influence, that alone should be a warning sign that they want to use their finances to get away with doing wrong. Be careful as a Christian to keep the ground level in judgment with the poor and wealthy. Evil follows a biased judgment based on money. If someone tries to use their money to influence, you would be wise to distance yourself from that individual.

Second, don’t allow personal gain to influence your judgment. The verse above warns about allowing gifts to pervert your judgment. It doesn’t make it right to let someone get by with wrong because you personally gain. In fact, if you allow personal gain to influence your judgment of people, you are as guilty as the perpetrator who did the wrong. Don’t be the type of pastor, leader or Christian who allows personal gain to influence who you spend more time with and who you promote to influential positions.

Third, don’t allow closeness to influence your judgment. Verse 9 says, “Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger…” God wanted the stranger to be treated the same way as the citizen. Likewise, you should never allow your closeness to an individual to influence your judgment of a situation. Nepotism always leads to injustice. Nobody deserves leadership who allows their family to get away with things that others could not. Leadership that bases decisions off how it influences family or close friendships is wrong. The relationship an individual has with you should never influence any decision you make.

My friend, Christians must be impartial for the sake of Christ. The best way to influence people for right is to be impartial. Always remember that partiality hurts people and our ability to help them. If your life exhibits impartiality all of the time, you will find you will be better able to influence more people for right.

Exodus 17:4
“And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.”

When you read about the journeys of the children of Israel, you can empathize with Moses as he constantly dealt with their foolishness and murmurings. There is little doubt that the one thing that weighed on Moses spirit the most was their murmurings. These people murmured from the time that he started leading them in the land of Egypt all the way to the death of Aaron. In the verse above, you can see the pressure Moses was under when he “cried unto the LORD.” The murmurings of these people weighed on him so heavily that at one point he lost his temper and disobeyed God’s command so that he could prove a point to the people.

What is the reason these people murmured so much? I believe the reason was their shortsightedness. They quickly forgot what the LORD had done for them and only focused on the immediate. They depended on man to supply all their need instead of going to the same God to Whom Moses went to get their needs supplied. Their shortsightedness was a result of their lack of faith. There are several lessons you can learn from the murmurings of these people.

First, your murmurings are a result of shortsighted living. If you stop focusing on the immediate, you will see that God has always provided in the past. The only reason a person can’t see God’s faithful provision from the past is because they are living in the temporal. My friend, before you ever start murmuring, stop and remember all that the LORD has done for you in the past. Remember how you thought you were not going to make it and how God came through just at the right time. The same God Who came through at the right time in the past can and will come through for you in the present if you will be patient.

Second, murmuring is shortsighted trust. The only reason a person murmurs is because they believe man is supposed to supply the need. The last time I checked, the Scriptures teach that God supplies our need. Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Do you think that your leader doesn’t want what you want? Do you think that your leader enjoys seeing you not having what you think you need? Christian, what you don’t understand is that your shortsighted faith in man is discouraging your leader. They want you to enjoy what you have, but every time you complain to them you weary them. It is another load that they are going to have to carry because your faith is shortsighted.

Third, prayer is the answer to shortsighted faith. Your leader can only get what you need by going to God in prayer. In the verse above, Moses went to God the same way the people could have if they were not shortsighted. Let me remind you of 1 Peter 5:7 which says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Let me also remind you of Hebrews 4:16 which says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” God is the answer to your need; not murmuring and complaining to your leader.

My friend, just like the song says, “I must tell Jesus,” you must tell Him your needs. Don’t be a shortsighted Christian. Don’t let your faith be placed in man. If you keep your faith focused on Jesus Christ, you will keep yourself from murmuring and having a shortsighted faith.

Exodus 2:17
“And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.”

Two incidents in Moses’ life showed signs of a leader in the making. The first incident was when he saw his brethren being beaten by an Egyptian; he saw their helplessness and he slew the Egyptian. The second incident is seen when Moses fled to the wilderness after it was discovered that he slew the Egyptian. He came to a well and saw seven ladies trying to draw water from the well, but they were driven away when the other shepherds arrived. It says in the verse above when Moses saw what was done, “…but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.”

These two incidents, though they were very different in nature, had one identifying mark of a leader in the making. The identifying mark of a leader in the making was that Moses helped the helpless when no one else would stand. He didn’t have to be told to help them, but it was in his character to help them. Even though it was not right for Moses to kill the Egyptian, the instinct to help those who were being hurt is the instinct of a leader in the making.

You can’t make people leaders, but you can see the identifying marks of a leader in their actions. Many of these identifying marks will reveal themselves through the incidents of their lives. Moses’ life shows a few identifying marks of leaders in the making.

First, leaders in the making do right without having to be told to do right. Nobody had to tell Moses to stand for those who were being hurt, but he did it because it was right. A leader in the making will always be the one who does what is right because it is the right thing to do. If you have to be told to do right all the time, you are a follower in the making. Leaders can’t be told to do right; they have to do right. Leaders have the initiative to self-motivate themselves when others have to be told what to do.

Second, leaders in the making rise to the occasion and stand for right. When nobody else would come to the defense of these ladies, Moses came to their defense. A leader in the making is discovered. You will always find when something needs to be done that the leader in the making will stand for right. The leader in the making usually stands alone and does what is right, even if standing for truth means they will become an outcast. Many times real leaders have to stand alone. One of the biggest reasons our society is in the shape that it is in today is because many so-called leaders run with the crowd instead of standing for right. A leader in the making is easily identified because they are the one who always stands for right, and they usually stand alone.

Third, leaders in the making give of themselves to help the helpless. Moses helped those who could not help themselves. You will find that leaders in the making tend to gravitate to help those who nobody else helps. In other words, a leader in the making doesn’t need the crowd’s approval to help the outcast; they just help them even if they must do it alone.

The secret to being a leader is to be a good Christian. These three characteristics should be evident in every Christian’s life; however, when you see these characteristics in a young person, watch them because they are a leader in the making.

Genesis 45:28
“And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.”

When a person gets saved, there is a struggle that goes on within them between the old and new man. Ephesians 4:22-24 describes this struggle when it says, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” The only way to win this struggle is by putting on the new man and refusing to let the old man continue to corrupt your life.

Jacob had a transformation happen in his life when God changed his name from Jacob to Israel. Before this change happened, he lived a life of deception. After God had changed his name, he seemed to struggle between being Jacob the deceiver and Israel the prince with God. It is interesting that every time God talks about Israel, there was a vision to go forward. In the verse above Israel says, “I will go and see…” There was always a vision when he allowed the new man within him to control his life. Yet, every time he allowed the old man to control him, there was doubt and a tinge of deception. It all came down to which man he yielded to. If he chose the new man, he acted like a prince with God; however, if he chose the old man, the old life of deception and doubt controlled him.

Every day you have a choice between the new and the old. The new man will give you a godly vision to do something with your life, whereas the old man continues to bring you back to those old sinful habits that brought heartache and sorrow. A few things you must remember concerning the struggle within.

First, it is your choice to which man you yield. Nobody makes you yield to the old man; it is a choice. You can “put on” the new man if you choose to do so. Every minute of the day you are going to have to decide to which man you are going to yield, but let me remind you that if you choose to yield to the old man, you are going to continue to experience the heartache that the old man brings.

Second, the new man can only be put on by renewing the “spirit of your mind.” There is only one way to renew your mind, and that is through God’s Word. Ephesians 5:26 says, “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,” It is God’s Word that can wash your mind of the habits and lusts of the old man and renew your thinking process so that you exemplify the new man.

Third, the new man is only put on by separating yourself to do God’s work. Ephesians 4:24 says, “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” You will never put on the new man by spending time where the old man lives. My friend, the struggle within will be lost to the old man if you continue to spend time where the old man lives. You must separate yourself from the old man’s associations if you want to win the struggle within.

The struggle within is only won by putting on the new man. You will find when you put on the new man that your vision for the LORD will grow. It is your choice; which man are you going to choose to put on?

Genesis 40:14
“But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:”

The request that Joseph made in the verse above seems to be a reasonable request. He was in prison for something he had never done and helped people he didn’t have to help. When the time came that one of those he helped could have returned the favor, we find that this man forgot the goodness that Joseph had given.

I’m afraid most of us are at times guilty of forgetting to show kindness to those who helped us or contributed to our lives. Just like the butler was probably caught up in the moment of being released from prison, we can get so caught up in the LORD’s blessings on our lives that we forget to show kindness to those who contributed to our blessings. I don’t believe it is intentional, but it does happen.

My question for you is, who is the Joseph in your life who asked you to remember them but for whatever reason you forgot them? It doesn’t take much time to stop and thank those who helped to make us who we are. There are several things I would like to mention to help you not to forget those who deserve your gratitude and recognition.

First, don’t let the only time you recognize people be when you are admonishing them. Sadly, many times we can get to the point that the only time we bring someone up is when we are correcting them. If you are guilty of this, you need to change your ways. People should be praised more than they are admonished. Many followers have become discouraged because they are recognized more for their shortcomings than they are for their successes. The Scriptures teach us to give honor to those who are deserving of it. You may not mean for this to happen, but you must be aware of how often you admonish people instead of praising them.

Second, don’t let the wave of success cause you to forget to take the time to thank those who helped you to get where you are. There are many people who have helped you to get where you are, don’t let them go through life not hearing you thank them for the investment they’ve made in your life. Your parents, pastor, Sunday school teacher, school teacher and many others have invested in you, and you could be a source of encouragement to them to continue investing in others if you would simply recognize them publicly.

Third, make it a regular part of your weekly schedule to remember those who’ve invested in you. You don’t have to remember everyone every week, but you could take time weekly just to write a note or make a phone call to thank those who had a part in your life. It could also be someone who is a co-laborer who deserves your gratitude. You will be less likely to forget people if you make it a regular part of your weekly schedule to show people your gratitude for their help and investment.

Fourth, don’t wait to show your gratitude. The best time to show gratitude after someone has helped is immediately after their help. The more you put it off, the more likely you are going to forget to thank people for what they have done.

My friend, don’t let your life be one that forgets those who deserve your recognition or gratitude. People will be more willing to help you in the future if you show gratitude to those who presently help you.

Genesis 24:5
“And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?”

In the verse above, Abraham faced a situation that seemed harmless. His son Isaac had no woman to marry, and he wanted to be sure to find a good wife for him. When he commissioned his servant to find a wife for his son among his kindred, the servant was concerned that the young lady wouldn’t be willing to follow him. In the verse above, the servant asked if he could bring Isaac back to the land if the young lady were not willing to follow, and Abraham wisely refused the offer. Abraham understood that he didn’t come out to go back, but he came out to stay out.

Every Christian needs to make the same decision that Abraham made in that he didn’t come out to go back, but he came out to stay out. With so many Christians going back to the world, there can be a temptation to go back with them, but you must not go. Three principles must be learned if you are going to stay out of the world.

First, there will always be a good excuse to go back. The servant’s request seemed to be a reasonable request, but Abraham didn’t come out to go back. There is always a reasonable excuse to go back, but the reason is unreasonable to God. When you made the decision to come out of the world, you didn’t make that decision to go back to it. The reason the flesh gives to go back may seem to make sense, but it is never a good reason. Whatever your reason may be to go back, it is never a scriptural reason.

Second, going back is a heart direction. The servant certainly didn’t have the same heart that Abraham did, and that is why he wanted to take him back. Anytime a person desires to go back it reveals the direction of the heart. I have yet to see a person go back who didn’t drift towards the world. Going back is the direction towards which the heart is pointing. Good excuses can be given as to why you want to go back, but it is revealing the heart’s direction. A person’s desire to go back only reveals that their heart has already gone back. You can reason that a person has a good excuse, but God’s direction is always forward and not backwards. God’s will never takes a step backwards; the excuse to go backwards is only a cloak to cover the heart’s worldly leanings. The heart’s direction will eventually be revealed when you give your excuse to go backwards.

Third, don’t be satisfied with staying out and allowing your children to go back. I love it that Abraham wasn’t going to stay out but send Isaac back. Every parent needs to make this same decision that you didn’t come out to send your children back. If it is good enough for you to come out, it is good enough to keep your children out. As a parent, you must fight to keep your children from going back to the world. If the world cannot get you to come back, it will always try to pull your children back. You must resolve that your decision to come out and stay out is not only good for you, but it is good for your children as well.

Christian, you came out of the world because it destroyed your life. Time and distance may soften the memory of the world’s hurt, but the world’s grip hurts as much today as it did when you came out. Resolve today that you came out to stay out, and don’t let anything pull you or your children back.

Genesis 16:9
“And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.”

One of the people in Scriptures who is often looked down upon is Hagar. Let’s face it; she was the other woman in an affair. Yes, Sarai was part of this plan of this adulterous affair, but Hagar went along with it when she had to know that it wasn’t right.

However, Hagar was obviously a person who wanted to obey the LORD. When she ran from the presence of Sarai because of the treatment she received, she was open to the LORD’s commandment and obeyed in spite of how difficult it would be. Yet, I believe that her obedience revealed her heart. She was more interested in pleasing the LORD than personal comfort. She knew when she obeyed the LORD that her situation would get worse, but she desired the LORD’s blessing on her life so much that she was willing to obey in spite of the consequences of obedience. Four things are seen about obedience through Hagar’s life.

First, obedience won’t always be easy. Obedience isn’t doing what want to do, but it is doing what you wouldn’t do when you are told to do it. Hagar would not have returned to her master, but God told her to, and she obeyed. If the only time you obey is when it is going to be easy, you will find that you will never obey. There are going to be times when what you are supposed to do will be hard to do, but if you want God’s blessings on your life, you will have to do the hard thing and obey. The degree of difficulty that obedience takes reveals the degree of submission you have for the LORD.

Second, obedience often makes you return and correct your wrongs. When Hagar returned, she had to face the music of her immoral relationship with Abram. You will find that when you start obeying, you will have to face some of the things you have tried to avoid throughout your life; however, if you want to be right with the LORD, you will do whatever it takes to make your past wrongs right. It is not going to be easy, but if your heart is right with the LORD, it will be something you desire to clean up.

Third, obedience sometimes makes life worse. Hagar knew that if she obeyed, she would have to deal with Sarai’s hard dealings. God never said that obedience would make everything get better; in fact, there are going to be times when you obey and life’s situation will get worse. This will reveal your heart and your desire to please the LORD. My friend, there are going to be times when you obey and your life will become worse, but if you want to please the LORD, you will still obey. There have been several times in my life when obeying the Scriptures made my life more difficult, but if I wanted to keep the LORD’s blessings, I had to obey. Don’t think that obedience will always make life better. It will at times make it worse, but you will have the pleasure of knowing that you did the right thing and pleased the LORD.

Fourth, there is always blessing in obedience. Hagar did have a child through the whole ordeal, and that child became her source of blessing. Christian, life may not become better because you obeyed, but you will always get God’s favor through obedience. You are going to have to decide whether you are going to obey the LORD and have his favor or obey self and displease the LORD. The LORD always took care of Hagar throughout the difficulty of obedience, and He will take care of you if you will obey.

Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

Having a good day can be an every day occurrence if you start your day off right. I am not saying that you won’t have any problems if you start your day off right, but I am saying that you will have the wherewithal to make it through your problems and by days end be able to say that it was a good day.

There is no better teacher to teach you how to have a good day than creation. Every day that God had when He created the world ended good. If you learn to follow the pattern that started this world off right, you will find that you can have a good day every day. Let me show you several things that are easily identified that started this world off right.

First, start each day fresh. There was no yesterday when the world was created. Don’t let yesterday’s happenings influence today’s attitude. You need to get up every day and say, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

Second, start your day off with God. The verse above says, “In the beginning God…” You will never have continuous days that are good unless you start them off with God. You must get God involved with your day. I know many people read the Scriptures in the evening, and it is good to end your day with God, but it is better to start your day with God. Don’t allow yourself to be so presumptuous that you believe you can live your day without God. Get up early enough so that you can spend time putting God into your day. Because He made your day, He knows what to give you in the Scriptures to help your day go right. Don’t miss His instructions to help you have a good day.

Third, come to God as a blank sheet and allow Him to give form to your day. Verse 2 says, “And the earth was without form, and void…” You must allow God to form your mindset for the day. Every day when I open God’s Word, I don’t presume what I am going to learn, but I ask God to show me what I need to learn. God can’t form your day if you have already put your form to the day. The best day is the day that you allow God to fill the form of your day. You will do this by being a blank sheet of paper and ask God to help you fill it through His Word.

Fourth, ask the Holy Spirit to guide your day. Verse 2 continues to say, “…And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Christian, you must yield yourself to the Holy Spirit if you want your day to be right. You won’t have a good day if your spirit is guiding your day. Let the Holy Spirit guide your thinking, and allow Him to control what you say. You will find that the Holy Spirit will help you to avoid things that will hurt your day, and He will guide you down the pathway that will help you to have a good day.

Fifth, live a separated life throughout your day. Verse 4 says, “…God divided the light from the darkness.” You are going to have to avoid sin if you want to have a good day. Sin will ruin every day, so don’t let it ruin yours. Living a separated life helps you avoid those things that will ruin your day and life.

You can have a good day. These five things will give you a good day every day if they are followed. Always remember, if you start your day off right, you will be able to end it right too!