Norman Van Eeden Petersman | Reformed Perspective

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Daily devotional

May 12 – I am and I will

The LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will dri...

Daily devotional

May 11 – I’m Pharaoh and I will not

“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'" But Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD,...

Daily devotional

May 10 – Let me go

Moses took the staff of God in his hand. And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that ...

Daily devotional

May 9 – Are we sufficiently equipped for what lies ahead?

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Daily devotional

May 8 – It shall not harm you

The LORD said to Moses, "Put out your hand and catch it by the tail"--so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand-- "that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you." – Exodus 4:4-5 Scripture reading: Exodus 4:1-5; Psalm 121 "Put out your hand and catch it by the tail.” Now, don't try this at home. You can throw sticks on the ground as much as you like – that part is just fine. But grabbing a snake by its tail is a very risky business. A venomous snake moves most swiftly to strike anything which touches its body. That's why when you're snake catching, you try to nab it right behind its head and grasp it there. The tail flails around, but the head can't move if you have it securely grasped. God gave Moses a remarkable sign. He was to confront Pharaoh, whose emblem was a coiled serpent, and demonstrate that the serpent would not strike them. No harm would come to them from actual serpents, from Pharaoh as the Serpent Ruler of Egypt, or even the ancient Serpent who was anxious to harm God’s people. Moses will seize the serpent by the tail – and its mouth will be shut – its power will be stripped – and it will yield to the rod of the shepherd and literally become a rod again. The sign given by God to Moses makes plain that the serpent shall not harm his people. We know this with even greater clarity because Christ Jesus has bound our great adversary and tempter, Satan. By rising from the grave, Jesus has conquered every foe. By His action, He has gained us the victory over the powers of sin, death, and the darkness of the evil one! Suggestion for prayer Praise our Heavenly Lord for His victory which has gained us an everlasting peace with Him and an everlasting security from our foes through Jesus Christ! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Norman Van Eeden Petersman is the pastor of the Vancouver Associated Presbyterian Church in BC....

Daily devotional

May 7 – Who shall I say you are?

Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.’” – Exodus 3:13-14 Scripture reading: Exodus 3:13-22 Jesus shocked the crowds in the temple when He declared, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” In a misguided attempt to protect the name of the LORD, they picked up stones to throw at Him. What was His offense, in their eyes? Jesus was declaring that He was God. Yet, Jesus was rightly revealing His Name to the crowds just as He had previously revealed Himself to Moses. For it was the Word of God Who spoke from the burning bush and provided assurance to Moses that it was by divine authority that Moses was to carry out his calling. In a way, we can identify with Moses’ hesitation, can’t we? Moses doubted himself, he feared the people and Moses was worried about Pharaoh. And amazingly, the LORD provides a powerful reassurance to His wavering servant: “Say this… I AM has sent me to you.” I can't do this. Lord, you call me to an impossible task. What is that for you? What part of your life feels impossible right now? Particularly, what area in your heart feels like a no-go zone in your fight to root out sin? What struggle do you face with others that feels like it is an insurmountable challenge? If we focus on Moses, we miss the much greater revelation happening: The LORD God, the maker of the heavens and the earth, made plain this everlasting truth for all who trust in Him: I AM with you to deliver you! Suggestion for Prayer Pray for the LORD’s name to be hallowed on earth as it is in heaven. Pray for assurance that His power is so great that we need not be anxious about anything! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Norman Van Eeden Petersman is the pastor of the Vancouver Associated Presbyterian Church in BC....

Daily devotional

May 6 – How can we come near?

God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. – Exodus 3:4-6 Scripture reading: Exodus 3:1-12; Hebrews 12:18-29 To come into God’s presence, we must be pure of any sin and holy in heart and conduct. Like Moses, we are defiled by sin and need a priest who can cleanse us. This was why Moses was told not to come near to the burning bush and the Angel of the LORD who spoke to Him. Yet the great news in Hebrews chapter 10 is this: “Since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith." We are invited to draw near through Christ our High Priest Who has washed our hearts and bodies clean of sin and corruption. Particularly in the aftermath of Jesus’ wondrous work of redemption and the offering of His shed blood and body for our sins, we are granted a new confidence and assurance to draw near to the majesty, splendor, and glory of our God! Jesus Christ has opened up a new and living way for us to come into the presence of our Holy God and live with joy in His presence! God comes near to Moses in the wilderness and gives Moses His Name to proclaim, His plan to carry out and His power to display signs of God’s intent to set His people free. He wants Moses to be His ambassador in Egypt. All that Moses will do serves as a preview of when Jesus would come to rescue His people from a greater foe and secure us forever. In Him, dear Christian, we draw near with newfound boldness and holiness! Suggestions for prayer Praise the Lord that He has completely provided what you need to draw near to Him without terror or dread! Pray that Jesus would be exalted in your conduct as you live in renewed holiness because of His perfecting work in you. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Norman Van Eeden Petersman is the pastor of the Vancouver Associated Presbyterian Church in BC....

Daily devotional

May 5 – God’s ways are not our ways

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. – Isaiah 55:8-9 Scripture reading: Exodus 2:15-25; Isaiah 55 How was anything good to come from Moses’s sudden exodus from the land? Wasn’t he saved from the Nile River for a special mission? He’s 40 years old and well trained. He’s strong enough to be a powerful foe to the Egyptians, single-handedly taking the large lid off the well and imposing enough to drive away the aggressive shepherds. If you were a casting agent for social revolution, you would say Moses was your guy. But God’s ways are not our ways. The might of Moses will be diminished during his 40 years as a shepherd in the wilderness away from the Hebrews of Egypt. It will not be mighty, well-connected Moses who leads the charge into the battle for Hebrew independence. No, God’s plan is to send an 80-year-old Moses to be His voice and a messenger with signs of power. Is this surprising? Yes! Just as a child born in a stable was a surprising turn of events for those who expected a king. Yet Jesus Christ was the Word of God Incarnate and the only One who could bring life to us through His death and resurrection. There is a lesson in the life of Moses that we need to learn too: that God’s perfect plan of deliverance involves times of suffering, hardship and pain for us to endure. But through it all, God is in control! Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Lord would give you peace in your circumstances as you await the day when you will enter the Promised Land of rest for all of God’s people. Pray for contentment when God’s plans for you seem hard to understand or experience. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Norman Van Eeden Petersman is the pastor of the Vancouver Associated Presbyterian Church in BC....

Daily devotional

May 4 – The defender of the oppressed

When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. – Acts 7:23-25 Scripture reading: Exodus 2:11-15; Acts 7:17-29 What was Pharaoh’s fear? In chapter 1 vs 10, he fears that the Hebrews would join the enemies of Egypt and fight against them and escape from the land. Amazingly, that’s exactly what Moses does here. Here’s a son of esteem and privilege in Pharaoh’s court, next in line to the throne according to the ancient historian Josephus. What does he do? He joins the enemy. What’s more, he fights for them and escapes from the land. In this remarkable scene, Moses served as a defender and avenger of the oppressed. This is the inspired interpretation which the martyr, Stephen, sets before us in Acts 7:24-25. Moses strikes the first blow against Pharaoh’s forces. Yet the weary hearts of the Hebrews were not prepared to see that God was giving them salvation by Moses’ hands. They looked at the prospect of deliverance and thought it was too far-fetched and they rejected Moses. When Stephen preached on this text before the Council, he made the point all too clear for them: you are acting with greater disdain and danger to your soul if you reject Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, Who has come to defend the oppressed and avenge all wrongdoing. For unlike Moses, who shrank in fear once he realized what he had done, Jesus unfailingly overcame our great enemy and now He opens the gates of Heaven to all who believe in Him. Moses’ actions were only a preview of the glorious way in which God has now given us salvation through the pierced hands of His Son! Suggestions for prayer Pray for God to remove every obstacle in the hearts of those who think salvation from sin is either unnecessary or simply impossible. Pray for courage to be a witness of Christ our Defender and Redeemer! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Norman Van Eeden Petersman is the pastor of the Vancouver Associated Presbyterian Church in BC....

Daily devotional

May 3 – Delivered

By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. – Isaiah 53:8-9 Scripture reading: Exodus 1:15-2:10; Isaiah 53 We can read many stories in the Bible of times when the LORD miraculously and powerfully delivered His people from the spear and sword of their enemies. He spared the Hebrew children through the faith-filled actions of Shiprah and Puah, the Hebrew midwives. He delivered baby Moses from the very river in which he was supposed to be killed. Moses was brought to the site of death. He was spared. He was rescued from certain death by means of an ‘ark’ – a vessel of deliverance which was safeguarded by the LORD so that Moses might be rescued by a most unlikely rescuer – Pharaoh’s daughter! These are important testimonies to the love God has for you. He hears your cries and answers your pleas. He promises you deliverance from the judgment to come and He sets before you everlasting life. Amazingly, then, the greatest testimony of our deliverance is found in the scene of a man brought to the place of death who was not delivered. Our Saviour was not spared at the site of His judgment. Even though He was entirely pure and innocent, He laid down His life so that we might be saved in Him. This salvation through the payment of our sins and the bearing of our judgment is now finished! You are delivered because Christ was not spared. He was stricken for our transgressions. Through His death and resurrection, we now confidently tell Satan and his whole dominion that we do not fear their power for we have been delivered and we shall be raised again with Christ! Suggestions for prayer Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Praise the name of the LORD for His unfailing mercies and wondrous deliverance of sinners who call upon His name to receive life through His death! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Norman Van Eeden Petersman is the pastor of the Vancouver Associated Presbyterian Church in BC....

Daily devotional

May 2 – The collision of two great powers

But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. – Exodus 1:12 Scripture reading: Exodus 1:1-14; Revelation 12 The Pharaoh of Egypt was shrewd and cunning. He did not know or care about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was most willing to become an enemy of God's people. In this, Pharaoh was taking up the vain battle cry of Satan and all who follow him in rebellion against the LORD God. He thought his human powers could overcome the problem posed by the rapidly multiplying people of God. In these events in Exodus, Satan saw that his attempts to wipe out the people whom God loved were futile. With Satan behind him spurring him on, Pharaoh would see first hand that no ruler or power can stop the LORD God! No chains can deter the LORD’s purposes for his people. No army can ever stand in His way. No waters can hem in His people and not even a wilderness without food and water can actually disrupt God's purpose to save His people! Jesus, our great Saviour from the powers of sin, death and the devil, says to His followers, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Those words are true for all who suffer for His name’s sake as a part of the people of God. When it seems like we're caught in the collision of great powers – when we face grave threats or increasing pressures, we must be and are reminded of this glorious testimony of Christ our Lord: “I have overcome the world." Suggestion for prayer Thank the LORD for delivering us from our bondage to sin and the powers of the evil one. Pray for strength to withstand temptation. Ask the LORD to increase your trust in Jesus Christ alone for deliverance from the powers of evil in this world. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Norman Van Eeden Petersman is the pastor of the Vancouver Associated Presbyterian Church in BC....

Daily devotional

May 1 – The central Character in the story of all our lives

Introduction to the month of May This month we will be looking at Exodus 1-13 in order to see the tremendous way that the historical exodus of God’s people from Egypt foreshadows the wondrous exodus of all who are redeemed from sin, suffering and the tyranny of the devil. Our prayer is that we will see more fully the way that God’s people can have hope and confidence in the work of Jesus for us as sinners in need of God’s mercy and grace. There are a remarkable array of characters in these pages of Scripture and every one of them has a message to tell us in our time of awaiting our entry into the Promised Land (Hebrews 12:22-24)! You will meet villains who oppose the LORD and His anointed (Psalm 2:2). You will meet a people who are reluctant to listen to a man whose presence has seemingly made things worse for them (John 6:66-69). You will meet a redeemer and judge who is reluctant to take up his calling until the LORD gives him a name to proclaim, a series of signs to perform and a stirring message: My people shall be set free to worship Me (Hebrews 10:5-7). In this series of devotions for the month ahead, we’ll look at the story that the martyr, Stephen, appealed to in Acts 7:17-36 to explain that the coming of Jesus Christ was always anticipated in scripture and that He is truly our Saviour and King! **** Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Scripture reading: Psalm 48, 2 Corinthians 1:1-4 God is the central character in the story of all our lives. As Scripture says, “In Him we live and move and have our being” and “we are His offspring.” So when the story of your life is written, it is always the case that God is the central character – whether He is recognized in this role or not. We might think we’re the central character in the story of our lives. It feels like we are! Yet, one part of our faith-filled response to God is that we learn to humble ourselves before Him and see that He is the most important figure in our story. Yet, if a story-teller dropped by your house and wanted to capture your story, I wonder if he might be caught off guard if you said, “First, I need to tell you about God because He is more important and central a character in this story than I am!” The story of the Exodus is first and foremost a story which highlights the greatness of the LORD God. His plan brings comfort to His people. His actions reveal His glory. His mercies reveal His steadfast covenant faithfulness. His powerful triumph over the armies of Pharaoh reveals the splendor of His holy Name to all! As we proceed through this account of trouble and triumph, we will do well to keep reminding ourselves that God is truly the central character in the story! Suggestions for prayer Praise God for being the One who comforts us in all our affliction. Pray for humility to submit to God’s will for our lives and to rejoice that He is the most important character in our life story. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Norman Van Eeden Petersman is the pastor of the Vancouver Associated Presbyterian Church in BC. ...

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Search TAG: Norman Van Eeden Petersman

Daily devotional

May 12 – I am and I will

Daily devotional

May 11 – I’m Pharaoh and I will not

Daily devotional

May 10 – Let me go

Daily devotional

May 9 – Are we sufficiently equipped for what lies ahead?

Daily devotional

May 8 – It shall not harm you

Daily devotional

May 7 – Who shall I say you are?

Daily devotional

May 6 – How can we come near?

Daily devotional

May 5 – God’s ways are not our ways

Daily devotional

May 4 – The defender of the oppressed

Daily devotional

May 3 – Delivered

Daily devotional

May 2 – The collision of two great powers

Daily devotional

May 1 – The central Character in the story of all our lives