Our Worthy Brief is a daily Christian newsletter designed to encourage, inform, and edify believers in their daily walk with God. Our online Christian magazine incorporates our daily devotional (Worthy Devotions) along news from around the world provided by our Christian News service, Worthy News.

Worthy Brief - Christian Newsletter » Newsletters » 2016 » April » Worthy Brief - 4/4/2016

Worthy Brief - 4/4/2016

Friend, just wait!

Exodus 24:15-18 Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD abode on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and on the seventh day He call to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. The sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud as he went up into the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Patience is one of those things… so hard to learn it ... so hard to practice it faithfully in our daily walk. It's one of those things I truly wish we didn't have to learn -- but God requires it of us! As I was reading through this passage again in Exodus, it dawned on me that Moses sat on the mountain for six entire days before the Lord spoke to him. He had to patiently wait for the Lord for six days!

So often we think we can just do as we please with our lives and then come running to God for a few minutes of prayer and get an answer right away but I don't believe it is always that simple. Even Moses needed to be prepared for six full days in order to be able experience the awesome presence of the Lord! If Moses had to wait six days – then it should not surprise us if we need to wait 60 days, 60 months or even 60 years for the Lord to prepare us to receive His blessing!

The funny thing is as I'm writing this devotional, my daughter is clinging to me, insisting "Abba, hold me! Hold me now!" And I'm saying to her, "Elianna, just wait a couple minutes and let me finish writing this devotional and I will give you a treat!"

Hmmm ... perhaps the Lord is saying to us today -- Be patient my child, if you wait on me I will give you a treat!

Friend, be encouraged! The Lord is preparing us for great things. Spend more time seeking Him and worshipping Him. Keep waiting at His feet. He will meet us!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Negev Desert, Israel

Editor's Note: Watch George's message: Which voice will you listen to in the last days?

Today's Breaking News
Around the World
Russia Doubling Nuclear Warheads
Russia is doubling the number of its strategic nuclear warheads on new missiles by deploying multiple reentry vehicles that have put Moscow over the limit set by the New START arms treaty, according to Pentagon officials.
Satellite image of red River Nile evokes biblical legend
A newly released satellite image of Egypt's Nile river shows the river colored deep red, bringing to mind the biblical first plague in which the waters of the great river turned to blood.
Obama says world should carry out its end of Iran nuclear deal
US President Barack Obama said Friday that world powers should carry out their end of the Iran nuclear deal and allow companies to do business in the Islamic republic.
IS 'madmen' would gladly use nukes, Obama warns summit
More cooperation is needed to prevent the Islamic State group's 'madmen' and other extremists from getting a nuclear weapon, US President Barack Obama warned Friday as global leaders met in Washington.
Caught between White House and its critics, lawmaker pledges to renew Iran sanctions
The top Democrat handling foreign relations in the Senate says he will endeavor to get Congress to reauthorize Iran sanctions before year's end, a key goal of pro-Israel activists.
Nusra Front, Syrian rebels attack government forces near Aleppo, gain ground
Syrian rebels and the al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front have mounted an offensive against Syrian government forces and on Saturday took a strategic hill south of Aleppo from government control, a monitoring group said.
Panama Papers: Mossack Fonseca leak reveals elite's tax havens
A huge leak of confidential documents has revealed how the rich and powerful use tax havens to hide their wealth.
Islamic State executes 15 of its own near Raqqa, Syria: monitor
Islamic State has killed 15 of its members in the largest execution of the militant group's security services so far in Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia executions reach record high as beheadings set to double this year
Saudi Arabia has already executed 82 people this year and is on course to behead twice as many prisoners as it did in 2015, according to new statistics compiled by a leading human rights organisation likely to raise fresh concerns about the UK's close ties to the Kingdom.
Shocking leak exposes corruption, secret accounts linked to Putin, Assad, FIFA
Millions of sensitive documents were leaked from a large and secretive Panama wealth services firm, according to reports Sunday.
Iraqi forces take northern edge of IS-held town
Iraqi forces took the northern edge of the Islamic State-held town of Hit, west of Baghdad, on Sunday in an operation led by the country's elite counterterrorism forces, military officials said.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Hamas and Fatah take tentative steps toward unity
Once again, there are reports of rivals Hamas and Fatah drawing together ahead of an agreement on Palestinian unity.
IAF 'very disturbed by significant rise in ballistic threat'
The Israel Air Force is "highly disturbed" by the drastic rise in the threat of ballistic missiles to Israel, and the ongoing Middle Eastern arms race, a senior air force official said on Sunday.
Steinitz: Israel very prepared to deal with nuclear terrorism
U.S. President Barack Obama urged world leaders on Friday to keep up efforts to safeguard vulnerable nuclear facilities to prevent terrorist groups like Islamic State from getting their hands on an atomic weapon or a radioactive 'dirty bomb.'
Report: German intelligence spying on Netanyahu's office
German intelligence agency BND has reportedly been spying on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office for several years, German weekly Der Spiegel reported on Saturday.
Israel investing NIS 11 million in LGBT tourism
The Ministry of Tourism is preparing to invest an impressive NIS 11 million to promote LGBT tourism to Israel. The ministry is planning a campaign targeting multiple countries, including many in Europe, that is intended to promote Israel as a liberal country and entice members of the LGBT community to visit.
Star of David found engraved into an ancient Temple arouses bustle in Egypt
Egypt has recently been witnessing a great commotion following the archeological discovery of two Star of David engravings in an ancient Temple in the southern city of Aswan.

Inside the United States
Mississippi lawmakers approve religion bill amid gay-rights protests
A Mississippi measure that would allow people with religious objections to deny wedding services to same-sex couples and provide wide protections for actions decried as discriminatory by gay rights advocates passed the state legislature on Friday.
U.S. military suicides remain high for 7th year
The Pentagon reported Friday that 265 active-duty servicemembers killed themselves last year, continuing a trend of unusually high suicide rates that have plagued the U.S. military for at least seven years.
Marijuana Advocates Protest With Giant Joint Outside White House
Activists who think President Barack Obama has been 'a big zero' on marijuana reform plan, raised a huge, inflatable marijuana joint near the White House on Saturday.
Move to OK commercial drone flights over people
A government-sponsored committee is recommending standards that could clear the way for commercial drone flights over populated areas and help speed the introduction of package delivery drones and other uses not yet possible, The Associated Press has learned.
Calif. legislature approves $15 minimum wage
The California legislature approved a bill Thursday to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour, up from $10. The legislation passed both houses in the state legislature and is now headed to the desk of Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, who said he would sign it.

U.S. Politics
Clinton 'unborn person' comments anger both pro-choice, pro-life sides
Democratic primary front-runner Hillary Clinton ran afoul of both the pro-life and pro-choice sides of the abortion debate Sunday when she said constitutional rights do not apply to an "unborn person" or "child."
Paul Ryan in Israel dismisses talk of being Republicans' compromise pick
House Speaker Paul Ryan on Sunday rebuffed relentless speculation that he might emerge from Republican infighting as the GOP's presidential candidate, telling The Times of Israel that there were 'lots of reasons' why he hadn't run for president this time, and that he wasn't about to change his mind.
Kasich predicts open convention: 'It's going to be so much fun'
Republican presidential candidate John Kasich said he thinks he has a good chance at a contested convention this summer.
RNC chief Priebus moves to steer Trump away from third-party bid
Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus insists that he doesn't think Donald Trump or any other GOP presidential candidate will make a third-party run if he loses the nomination. But if someone does, the GOP will be ready.

Christian News
India: Attacks continue despite Congressional letter
Despite having received a letter last month from the U.S. Congress requesting that India's prime minister condemn the sectarian attacks on his nation's religious minorities, PM Narendra Modi remains unmoved.
Tennessee Senate Committee Votes to Make Bible State's Official Book
A bill that would designate the Bible as the official book of Tennessee has passed the state's House of Representatives and a Senate committee, and now goes on to another Senate committee for approval.
Funeral of Muslim Shopkeeper Killed for Wishing Christians 'Happy Easter' Attended by Hundreds
Hundreds of mourners paid their last respects at the funeral of Muslim shopkeeper Asad Shah at a mosque in Glasgow, Scotland, on Saturday, days after he was stabbed to death by a fellow Muslim for posting a message on Facebook wishing Christians a happy Easter.