January 1

RECOGNIZING GOD’S PURPOSES IN A RECIPE

Father, thank You for bringing me to this place and this time today. I ask You to speak to me right now, and to let Your Word breathe life into my heart. Please use these next few moments to bring me to more of a fullness of You and to learn more of Your Glory and how to leave the footprints of Jesus everywhere I go today. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen!

Read Exodus 12:46

Ok, so you may be thinking this is somewhat of a strange verse to begin a year-long look at the life of Jesus. I would say that at first glance, I agree. But upon deeper examination, it is the perfect place to start. This seemingly insignificant verse, stuck in the regulations about eating the Passover lamb, contains beautiful and wonderful truths about God.

My initial thought, when God led me to start with this passage, was one of how am I going to write a meaningful devotional using this verse. Yes this verse in true Old Testament prophecy form has a double meaning; it speaks of the Passover lamb that each Hebrew family would sacrifice, and also points to the day when Jesus would be put on the cross and would choose to die thus resulting in His legs not being broken by the Roman guards (c.f. John 19:31-37). Still how does this apply to today I wondered? How does this verse become relevant and even more how does it teach us to walk like Jesus? Then as I was walking through my parents’ house on Christmas Eve, in the stillness and quietness of night, it hit me.

Earlier I referred to this verse as seemingly insignificant, and in a large part it is. The Passover was around three thousand years ago. Most Christians (save for some Messianic Jews) do not celebrate the Passover today. Yet it was in this set of instructions that God spoke of the greatest moment in human history. It was in the middle of the directions to prepare a meal that God gave a hint that something bigger and greater was on the horizon. Millions of men and women across the world today will prepare meals, some for a few, some for many. It is a common thing. Yet God chose this common practice to remind us of His eternal plans.

As I write this my life has taken some interesting and even frightful turns the past few months, yet I find comfort in the fact that God speaks of His plan and His purposes in the day to day ordinary happenings of life. So how does this verse teach us to leave Jesus’ footprints? By reminding us to stay focused on Him no matter what and teaching us to do even the mundane and insignificant tasks with His purposes in mind.

Leave His footprints as you walk today!