Ellen Chauvin | Soaked & Sprouting

Soaked in God's Word, Sprouting Seeds of Faith

Bible Bites: From Beginning to End, God is with Us

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Do you like appetizers? My husband and I do! Some evenings, instead of a nice meal with meat and veggies, we will throw together some of our favorite appetizers. Small bites that are so scrumptious, they satisfy our hunger.

Scripture has appetizers, too! It’s those small connections you see that make you go “Ahhh, that’s beautiful. I’ve never noticed that before.”

I call these scriptural appetizers Bible Bites. Here’s one I saw recently that I’d like to share with you.

While I was reading and studying Leviticus (yes, I did. I read Leviticus. It was not part of a One Year Bible Reading Plan. I CHOSE to read and study it! Call me crazy!) I saw two verses that seemed familiar to me.  

“Moreover, I will make My dwelling among you, and My soul will not reject you. I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.” Leviticus 26:11-12, NASB

I know this verse, but it certainly wasn’t from reading Leviticus so often! Where have I seen it before?

After some digging and searching, I found it. And it’s from an equally challenging chapter of scripture: Revelation.

  And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them” Revelation 21:3, NASB

What a beautiful picture it painted:

God is with us from beginning to end. From the garden to the grave and beyond. He always walks with us. We are His people, and He is our God.

Isn’t that glorious? Such a small bite of scripture, but oh, so satisfying! A little nugget of truth to carry with us and chew (meditate) on throughout the day.

Taste and see that the LORD is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him! Psalm 34:8 CSB

Grace be with you,

Going Home & Coming Home: Exodus and Ezra

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This month marks the tenth anniversary of this blog! Ten years! God has been so faithful to provide. To celebrate, I am playing “re-runs” of some of my favorite blogs. I hope you enjoy them – again ?

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This blog post is a “Bible Bite” – a short and tasty tidbit from God’s Word. Today, we’ll be talking about going home and coming home. Let’s begin in Exodus.

“I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians.” Exodus 3:21-22 NASB

God knew Pharaoh wouldn’t let the Hebrew people go easily. Pharaoh wouldn’t give them anything for their journey home, either. He was a meanie! But God! He provided for His people. The material the Israelites plundered and carried out of Egypt became part of what they used to construct the tabernacle. God sent them on their way with building supplies.

I image the Egyptians were happy to provide what was needed. After all, they’d been subject to God’s plagues: Bloody water, frogs, gnats, flies, diseased livestock, boils, hail and fire, locusts, darkness and finally the unthinkable-death of the first born child in each family. Horrors! I would’ve kicked them out too! Get out! And don’t come back!

Next, we have the Israeli exiles returning from Babylon. They had been captives for 70 years. Slaves in servitude, like their forefathers in Egypt. After 70 years, God stirred the heart of King Cyrus to allow the exiles to go home and rebuild.

Jerusalem and the temple had been destroyed long ago when Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to the city and surrounding area. The Hebrew people would be freed slaves, traveling with nothing, going home to nothing. Zilch. Zero.

But God.

“‘Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’ All those about them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering. Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods;” Ezra 1:4, 6-7 NASB

God provided, so His people could come home and rebuild His temple. Going and coming, building or rebuilding, God will provide all you need. Amen and amen!

What a beautiful story of God’s faithfulness!