Mizpah in the Morning

By Mark Warner

The deeper meaning of the word mizpah is to maintain consciousness of your unity with God and to hold singleness of thought and purpose, keeping your attention steadily fixed in His direction. By looking away from the forces of materiality and maintaining the "upward focus," or the broad vision, you are ab

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
• Release date: Jun 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9798885904940

Book preview

Introduction

I

N 1992 I HAD TWO MEETINGS, THAT I WILL NEVER forget with Tom Shoemaker. In the first meeting after I had shared the mess that I had made of my life and all of the harm I had done to others, Tom told me that I should come back and we would take everything I knew about God and put it on a shelf and he would show me how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

When I came back for the second meeting we each had a King James Bible in hand and Tom went over various scriptures in the New Testament and I committed my life to Christ. It was a memorable moment and a clear moment in time when the direction of my life changed. Tom encouraged me to get my own Bible, as he had supplied both Bibles we used and to become a student of the Bible. He told me to read it to study it and to allow the Holy Spirit to teach and guide me.

I then became a daily reader of the Bible and have been for the last 30 years. Tom taught me how to start out learning about the Bible. Read the gospel of John, then go to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John again. Then I should read and study the rest of the New Testament in the order it was written. After reading and studying all of the New Testament, I was then given the keys to the Old Testament. Tom encouraged me to look for things in the Old Testament that pointed towards Christ. To continue to be a student of all of God’s word. My guide was the following verse:

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

The Bible was to be my guide and the tool to change me from the inside out. This has led me, originally under Tom’s guidance, to lead a Bible study in my home. Eventually to write multiple Bible studies, to serving in church in as a deacon first and later as an elder. I have had the opportunity to go on 3 mission trips to India, to teach church leadership classes and to lead a Bible study for over 10 years.

In 2018 I started to answer the call that the Lord had put in my heart, to write. This has led to the writing of this daily devotional. The format is simple. Scripture first and foremost. Then what the Lord has put on my heart about that scripture. There is then a place after that for you to write your thoughts, other scriptures that you feel apply and any questions, concerns or praises that you have. There is scripture from every book in the Bible, in the order it was written.

Why is this so important for you? Because you are experiencing a drought. It’s a drought of God’s word in the world today. The solution to a drought is a good rain. You need the Living water of Jesus Christ in your life to stem the drought and the best way to do that is to learn about Christ, through studying the book written about Him, the Bible.

Now there is a scripture for every day of the year, and you can certainly just read the scripture for the day you’re in. However, if you are new to your relationship with Christ or haven’t read the New Testament, feel free to start in John and follow Tom’s original instructions to me. My hope and prayer is that however you choose to read this devotional, with the leading of the Holy Spirit, you will be encouraged to read the Bible on a daily basis.

Mizpah

Mark Warner

Genesis 31:48-49

48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between you and me this day. Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49 also Mizpah, because he said, "May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.

January 1

Genesis 3:1-5

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’? 2 And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

God wants to provide for you. He wants to commune with you. He desires to have a close relationship with you. He wants your life to be free of distractions, so that you can focus on Him.

The Devil of course is on a different path. He wants to pull you away from God. He wants to distract you, so that you will focus on things other than God. Look how he distracts Eve, Did God really say that? The Devil wants to distort or blur, Gods instructions, so that there is separation between you and God. Lies always cause separation. The Devil thrives in separation. You need to be a truth teller and just as importantly, a truth seeker. If you are seeking the truth, the Devil’s lies, can be easily cast aside. You live in a world where the truth can seem to be of little value. Don’t buy into the Devil’s lies. Truth is not for sale. Seek God’s truth and rise above the Devil’s lies. On the first day of the New Year, make seeking God’s truth, a priority in your life and leave the Devil frustrated, because he can’t gain a foothold or any traction in your life.

January 2

Genesis 4:3-7

3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

6 So the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.

Two brothers bring an offering to God. Abel’s offering is pleasing to God and Cain’s is not. Cain essentially picked some flowers and said, Thanks God. Abel takes one of his most prized possessions and sacrifices it to God. Abel sacrificed some of his time and his resources to God. Unfortunately in this story Cain does not listen to God’s words of correction. God says, Don’t waste your time being angry. Address the problem. If not it will overwhelm you. Cain becomes so angry over this situation, that he murders his brother Abel. Cain fails to heed the words that if he doesn’t correct his behavior, it will lead to a greater sin. How you handle correction, has an impact on your spiritual growth. If you refuse to acknowledge your mistakes, your heart hardens, in a refusal to change, you will be trapped in sin and caught in a downward spiral, like Cain. If however, you are open minded to correction and willing to make changes in your behavior and attitude, then you have the opportunity, for an upward spiral of spiritual growth.

January 3

Genesis 6:13-16

13 And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. 15 And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.

You probably have a picture of what the ark looked like, in your mind. In that picture the ark probably looks like most boats, with a rounded hull that comes to a point, to cut through the water. The dimensions given for the ark, in scripture, are for a boat more like a large rectangle. The ark wasn’t designed like most boats, to cut through the water moving forward, it was designed to go one direction, up. However no matter what you think it looked like, the ark is much bigger than you would imagine. A cubit is 18 inches. Based on the dimensions listed in Genesis the ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. That’s longer than a football field, about half as wide and the height of a two story house. The ark also had 3 levels to it. Noah builds this by hand. This is obviously quite a task. Now think about God’s request. Build a boat, not just any boat, but a small cruise ship, sized boat. Noah evidently is quite a carpenter. So if you ever feel like God is asking a lot from you, think of Noah and know that when God makes a request, He will use the special abilities that you already possess, to accomplish the task. Also know that even if it doesn’t feel like it in your present circumstances, the Lord has you headed in a positive direction, up and towards Him. So stay on the path towards the Lord and enjoy the benefits of His leading and be grateful that He hasn’t asked you to build an ark.

January 4

Genesis 9:12-16

12 And God said: This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.

You’ve probably heard that at the end of a rainbow, there is supposed to be a pot of gold. Of course I’m sure you don’t know anyone who has ever found the end of a rainbow, let alone the elusive pot of gold. To actually see a rainbow you have to have the sun behind you, the rain in front of you and you have to be at the correct angle. So to see the rainbow you have to be in the perfect spot. A rainbow is a beautiful thing to see and it isn’t something, that you see every day, so when you do see one, it has a way of lifting your spirits.

Based on this scripture, the rainbow is a sign of God’s covenant, or promise, that He will never again flood the entire earth. The rainbow shows a unique side of God. He loves color and beauty. He can take the tragic and turn it into something special. So here’s the kicker, if you form a relationship with God. If you accept Christ as Lord, you are actually standing in the Lord’s glory, at the end of the rainbow, with a priceless gift, salvation. That, of course, is something far greater than a pot of gold. So the next time you see a rainbow, know that if you have a relationship with Jesus, you can have confidence, that you’ve already found the elusive pot of gold. So stand in the Lord’s sunlight and know that, with Christ, you are standing in the perfect location, so enjoy the view.

January 5

Genesis 15:13-15

13 Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.

Moving is never fun. You end up in a new neighborhood. You have to find out where everything is. You have to go to a new school or start a new job. You aren’t as close to friends and may have to make new friends. You may have to find a new church. You have to meet the neighbors. You may have some trouble adapting.

Now in this scripture, God gives Abram a prophecy, his family will go to a strange land, and they will have to move. They will struggle with their neighbors. They will become slaves. They will get stuck with hard labor jobs. They will feel under appreciated. But no matter how difficult it’s seems, they need to know the Lord will deliver them out of bondage. They will be blessed in the end, by their captors.

This prophecy is 200 years before Abram’s descendants go into Egypt with Joseph. It will be 400 years after that, before Moses will lead the Israelites out of Egypt. You serve a Lord who is patient and who always delivers on His promises. If you are going through a difficult time, know that it is just a season, and the Lord will bring better times. The Lord is in the business of shaping people through difficult times. If you are going through a season of molding, know that help is on the way and appreciate the moment, because the best is yet to come, if you rely on the Lord.

January 6

Genesis 19:15-17

15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city. 16 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.

Lot had made a choice to live in the wicked city of Sodom. He was living there with his wife and two daughters. Lot enjoyed the benefits of the city life, but was ignoring the depravity that was around him and his family. It is easy to get caught up, in the comforts that you live in and ignore things that are going on around you. If you do it long enough, bad habits can start to creep in. Something that you once considered repulsive, or that you would never do, becomes something that you start doing.

The good news is that, just as the Lord had Angels come in and save Lot and his family from destruction at Sodom, the Lord still has that same interest in saving you. He wants you to avoid destruction. Listen for that still small voice, calling you to make changes in your life. Don’t ignore it, embrace it and know that if you are avoiding His guidance, it will very likely result in negative consequences. So keep your heart and mind open to hear God’s leading.

January 7

Genesis 24:12-14

12 Then he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.

Eliezer who is Abraham’s most trusted servant, is sent by Abraham to go back to his country of origin and his family, to get a wife for Abraham’s son Isaac. Eliezer ends up back in Abraham’s hometown at a well, looking for a wife for Issac. Some things haven’t changed in over 4000 years, as men still go to watering holes looking for women. However the focus isn’t about men and women and watering holes, but how Eliezer approaches this task. Eliezer doesn’t rush head long into the problem. Eliezer doesn’t only listen to his thoughts. Eliezer doesn’t create a very narrow way for his mission to be fulfilled. Instead Eliezer starts out with prayer. He humbly submits his request before the Lord. Eliezer then gives the Lord his plan, and it’s a plan that the Lord can work with. There is some flexibility in the plan. You will have to go through difficult situations. When you encounter a difficult situation follow Eliezer’s example. Pray for guidance. Submit your plan to the Lord. Allow some flexibility in your plan, to allow the Lord room to work. The solution to any dilemma, is always with the Lord. So if you want resolution, you need to go to the Lord, so that you can receive His guidance and direction.

January 8

Genesis 26:6-9

6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. 7 And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, She is my sister; for he was afraid to say, She is my wife, because he thought, lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold. 8 Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. 9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?

Isaac said to him, Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’

Abraham had asked Sarah his wife, who was also his half-sister, as they traveled into different areas, to tell people that she was his sister and not his wife, so that they wouldn’t try and kill him, for his beautiful wife. Abraham was relying on a half-truth or a lie, to save him. In this situation Abraham’s reliance was on what he could do, and not what God could do to resolve a potential problem. Despite this behavior, God still took care of Abraham and Sarah, even though they went about it the wrong way. However this behavior of lying or telling half-truths, was learned by his son, Isaac. So Isaac repeated the same mistake that his parents made. You probably don’t think of the negative consequences of your actions, for your children or others. You need to be aware of how behavior that is not God honoring, can create negative consequences. The trap is that it is very easy to justify the wrong behavior, for what you may consider a good cause or a good reason. You need to recognize that it doesn’t matter what the reason is, behavior that doesn’t honor God, never produces anything worthwhile in the long run.

January 9

Genesis 31:1-3

Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this wealth. 2 And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before. 3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.

It’s easy to get accustomed to how things are.  To be comfortable in the current state. Bills are being paid. Job is going well. No real trouble at home. No overwhelming challenges in sight. But circumstances are always changing. When your circumstances start to change negatively, how do you respond? Do you retreat and hide? Do you go into crisis resolution mode? Do you ignore all the signs, until the roof caves in? Do you drive yourself, and everyone else crazy, by trying to fix everything you possibly can? Of course God has a way that He wants you to respond, when your circumstances start to change. You are to seek His guidance. You are to pray for discernment and direction. You are supposed to dig into scripture a little more. You are to pray more often. If you are doing these things, you are more likely to see when things are changing. Jacob gets two warning signs. The family starts treating him differently and the Lord tells him to get moving. You also will get warning signs, to follow the Lord’s guiding, if you are plugged in and following Him. When these signs come, you need to respond positively and if you do, then you have the opportunity, to benefit from following the Lord’s leading.

January 10

Genesis 31:45-49

45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 Then Jacob said to his brethren, Gather stones. And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between you and me this day. Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49 also Mizpah, because he said, "May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.

Laban is Jacob’s father in law. Laban has not always been honest with Jacob and at times there have been difficulties between the two of them. Jacob decides he has had enough, sneaks away, to go back to his home land and Laban chases after him. When they meet up, the two men resolve their differences. They create a marker to show their commitment to each other. From this we get the term Mizpah: may the Lord watch out for us when we are apart. What a wonderful statement. What a wonderful way to live life. What would the world look if people started living by the term Mizpah? What would the world look if you embraced living by the term Mizpah? If you looked to resolve problems rather than instigate them. If your focus was more on the Lord, then everything that goes on in the world. If you lived your life like Christ was actually watching you? Mizpah can be a statement for time apart, from a friend or loved one, or a way of living. What will it be for you?

January 11

Genesis 37:18-23

18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, Look, this dreamer is coming! 20 Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!

21 But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, Let us not kill him. 22 And Reuben said to them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.

Joseph is the second youngest of 12 brothers. He is clearly, his father’s favorite son. This causes resentment from all 10, of his older brothers. When Joseph comes to check on his brothers, at his father’s request, they are so filled with resentment that they want to kill him, but Rueben, the oldest brother, talks the other brothers, into throwing him into a pit instead. Reuben wants to save Joseph’s life, from his brothers. He is the oldest brother, he could have stood up for what is right. He could have challenged his brothers, with the consequences of their actions, if they followed through with their plan. Instead he tries to use deceit and dishonest methods, to save his brother. Throw Joseph into a pit, let him stay there and maybe everyone will settle down, is Reuben’s plan. However when Rueben walks away from his brothers, trying to clear his thoughts, his brothers sell Joseph into slavery. Rueben comes back and is upset at what happened, but he fails to recognize the true problem. Compromising your morals, turning your back on God, never results in anything good. It will inevitably create greater problems. Rueben needed time to gather his thoughts. He went on a walk, but he didn’t drop to his knees and ask for direction. You need to recognize that our reliance always needs to be on the Lord. You can’t settle for self-guidance. You need God’s guidance. At the door step of decision, don’t settle for compromise, instead reach out to the Lord and acknowledge your need for His guidance.

January 12

Genesis 42:21-23

21 Then they said to one another, We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.

22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us. 23 But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter.

Joseph was sold into slavery. Falsely accused of rape. Imprisoned with no trial. Forgotten and left to rot in prison. Yet through divine providence, he rises to a leadership position in Egypt. He is the second in command to Pharaoh, King of Egypt. His brothers come to Egypt, to get grain to try and survive a great famine. They don’t recognize their brother and Joseph tests their hearts. Many years have passed, since his brothers sold him in to slavery, with the intent that it would be a death sentence, but it is very clear that the brothers are haunted by remorse and regret. They have done a wrong to their brother, in anger that torments them. If you allow yourself to embrace, anger, resentment and act out on it, you can guarantee, that you will be left with a heart full of regret and remorse. The solution. If you are filled with anger and resentment against someone, pray for the Lord to remove it. He is waiting for you to reach out and ask for help and stands ready to provide relief. Anger and resentment left unchecked will disable you. Anger and resentment given to the Lord, provides freedom. Take the first step towards freedom from anger and resentment and ask the Lord for His help.

January 13

Genesis 45:4-8

4 And Joseph said to his brothers, Please come near to me. So they came near. Then he said: "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Joseph decided it is time to reveal himself to his 11 brothers. His younger brother Benjamin, was not part of the decision to sell Joseph into slavery. The other 10 brothers have lived with the guilt of their actions, for many years. Joseph however, with his time as a slave and time as a prisoner, has a different perspective. As a slave or a prisoner, he would have been restricted with what he was allowed to do. Those restrictions on his freedom, however created time. Joseph used that free time, to grow his relationship with the Lord. That is why he could say to his brothers, you meant it for harm, but God was behind the scenes orchestrating things, so that it could be used for good.

Now you probably don’t see yourself as a prisoner. But is your time, held hostage by the time you spend on your cell phone, social media or Netflix. Has your life become out of balance with busyness, so that you aren’t growing your relationship with the Lord. If you want a new perspective, a closer relationship with the Lord, give yourself a Joseph experience. Set aside time daily and use it to honor God with, make it a priority above all other things you spend time on. Don’t give God the scraps of your time, give Him the best you have to offer. If you do, the Lord will bless you because of the time that you give Him and He will also give you a new perspective and eventually your life a new direction. That’s what the Lord did for Joseph and He can certainly do that for you.

January 14

Exodus 3:7-9

7 And the Lord said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

When the Israelites followed Joseph into Egypt in the beginning, they were treated very well. Joseph was Pharaoh’s right hand man and the Israelites were looked on kindly. However Joseph and Pharaoh died and things started to change. The Israelites were growing in number and a new Pharaoh decided to oppress the Israelites and to make them slaves. It’s very easy when things are going well, to feel blessed by the Lord, it’s much harder to feel blessed when things become difficult, or aren’t going well. But the Lord hasn’t forgotten you when times are tough. He is always doing something behind the scenes, that you can’t see and you don’t know about, to improve your situation. However He still expects you to learn, from whatever it is that you are going through. Recognize that in this scripture while the Israelites were being persecuted, the Lord is preparing Moses, to deliver them out of slavery. Help is on the way, but the Israelites just can’t see it. It still works that way for you. Keep your focus on the Lord, no matter the circumstances and know that, in the Lord’s time, help is on the way.

January 15

Exodus 7:19-20

19 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, Say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.’ 20 And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the Lord commanded. So he lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

Moses is commanded by God, to go to Pharaoh and ask him to let the Israelite people go, on a three day journey to sacrifice to the Lord. Pharaoh doesn’t want his very valuable slave labor, to get any personal days, so he refuses to honor Moses request. When Pharaoh refuses, there is going to be a consequence. In this case all of the water in Egypt, from the Nile River, is turned into blood, making it unusable and of course, undrinkable.

Let’s look at this event from a different perspective, what are the similarities to Christ?