Exodus 3 - GNTD & GNA

DALL·E 2024-10-16 11.46.48 - A black student sitting at a desk, focused and writing an exam in a quiet exam hall. The student looks calm and composed, with pens, pencils, and pape

Avoiding stress during exams is essential for maintaining focus, performing well, and staying healthy. Here’s a biblical, practical, and actionable guide to managing stress effectively during exam time:

1. Start with Prayer and Trust in God

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Tip: Whenever you feel overwhelmed, pause and pray. Surrender your worries to God.

Action:

Start and end your study sessions with a short prayer.
Keep a prayer journal where you express your concerns and ask God for peace.

2. Stay Organized with a Study Plan

1 Corinthians 14:40 – “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.”
Tip: A well-organized study schedule prevents last-minute cramming and reduces stress.

Action:

Break your syllabus into manageable chunks, covering a little every day.
Use tools like a study timetable or to-do list to track progress.

3. Take Care of Your Body

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit… Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”
Tip: Eating well, exercising, and sleeping enough will help your brain function better.

Action:

Exercise: Take short walks or do light stretches between study sessions.
Sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night to improve concentration.
Eat Nutritious Foods: Include fruits, vegetables, and water to keep your energy up.

4. Take Breaks and Rest

Exodus 20:8-10 – “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy…”
Tip: Rest is essential to recharge your brain and avoid burnout.

Action:

Take 10-15 minute breaks every hour to relax your mind.
Set aside one day a week to rest and engage in something you enjoy.

5. Avoid Comparison with Others

Galatians 6:4 – “Each one should test their own actions… without comparing themselves to someone else.”
Tip: Comparing yourself with classmates can lead to unnecessary anxiety. Focus on your progress and efforts.

Action:

Remind yourself that your journey is unique, and God has a plan for you.
Celebrate small achievements along the way, like completing a topic or practice test.

6. Practice Deep Breathing and Relaxation Techniques

Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Tip: When stress creeps in, breathe deeply and meditate on God’s presence.

Action:

Deep Breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and exhale for 4 seconds. Repeat several times.
Play soft, relaxing worship music while you study or during breaks.

7. Stay Positive and Speak Life Over Yourself

Proverbs 18:21 – “The tongue has the power of life and death…”
Tip: Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations rooted in Scripture.

Action:

Speak aloud Scriptures like: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Avoid saying things like “I will fail” or “This is too hard.” Instead, say, “I am prepared, and God is with me.”

8. Engage in Fellowship with Others

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 – “Two are better than one… If one falls down, the other can help him up.”
Tip: Talk to family, friends, or mentors when you feel overwhelmed.

Action:

Join a study group for encouragement.
Share your concerns with someone who can pray with you and provide guidance.

9. Limit Distractions and Focus on the Present

Matthew 6:34 – “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”
Tip: Avoid worrying about the future or dwelling on past mistakes. Stay focused on what you can do today.

Action:

Set specific times to study without distractions from social media or phone notifications.
Tackle one subject or task at a time to avoid overwhelm.

10. Trust God with the Outcome

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”
Tip: After you’ve done your best, trust God to handle the rest.

Action:

After each exam, pray and thank God for the strength to finish.
Avoid overanalyzing your performance, trust that God’s plan is perfect.

Conclusion

Managing stress during exams is about trusting God, planning wisely, taking care of yourself, and staying focused on the present. Remember that success is not just about grades—it’s about learning, growing, and relying on God’s strength. Following this guide will help you stay calm, focused, and productive throughout the exam season. You’ve got this! God is with you every step of the way.

God Calls Moses

1 One day while Moses was taking care of the sheep and goats of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, he led the flock across the desert and came to Sinai, the holy mountain. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him as a flame coming from the middle of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire but that it was not burning up. 3 “This is strange,” he thought. “Why isn't the bush burning up? I will go closer and see.”

4 When the Lord saw that Moses was coming closer, he called to him from the middle of the bush and said, “Moses! Moses!”

He answered, “Yes, here I am.”

5 God said, “Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals, because you are standing on holy ground. 6 I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” So Moses covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the Lord said, “I have seen how cruelly my people are being treated in Egypt; I have heard them cry out to be rescued from their slave drivers. I know all about their sufferings, 8 and so I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them out of Egypt to a spacious land, one which is rich and fertile and in which the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites now live. 9 I have indeed heard the cry of my people, and I see how the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 Now I am sending you to the king of Egypt so that you can lead my people out of his country.”

11 But Moses said to God, “I am nobody. How can I go to the king and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 God answered, “I will be with you, and when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will worship me on this mountain. That will be the proof that I have sent you.”

13 But Moses replied, “When I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ So what can I tell them?”

14 God said, “I am who I am. You must tell them: ‘The one who is called I AM has sent me to you.’ 15 Tell the Israelites that I, the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, have sent you to them. This is my name forever; this is what all future generations are to call me. 16 Go and gather the leaders of Israel together and tell them that I, the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to you. Tell them that I have come to them and have seen what the Egyptians are doing to them. 17 I have decided that I will bring them out of Egypt, where they are being treated cruelly, and will take them to a rich and fertile land—the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

18 “My people will listen to what you say to them. Then you must go with the leaders of Israel to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has revealed himself to us. Now allow us to travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord, our God.’ 19 I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless he is forced to do so. 20 But I will use my power and will punish Egypt by doing terrifying things there. After that he will let you go.

21 “I will make the Egyptians respect you so that when my people leave, they will not go empty-handed. 22 Every Israelite woman will go to her Egyptian neighbors and to any Egyptian woman living in her house and will ask for clothing and for gold and silver jewelry. The Israelites will put these things on their sons and daughters and carry away the wealth of the Egyptians.”

الله يكلّم موسى

1 وكانَ موسى يرعى غنَمَ يَثرونَ حَميِّهِ كاهنِ مِديانَ، فساقَ الغنَمَ إلى ما وراءَ البرِّيَّةِ حتّى وصَلَ إلى جبَلِ اللهِ حوريـبَ‌. 2 فتَراءى لَه مَلاكُ الرّبِّ في لَهيـبِ نارٍ مِنْ وسَطِ العُلَّيقَةِ. ورأى موسى العُلَّيقَةَ تـتوقَّدُ بالنَّارِ وهيَ لا تحتَرِقُ. 3 فقالَ في نفْسِه: «أميلُ وأنظرُ هذا المَشهدَ العظيمَ. ما بالُ العُلَّيقَةِ لا تحتَرِقُ؟» 4 ورَأى الرّبُّ أنَّهُ مالَ ليَنظُرَ، فناداهُ مِنْ وسَطِ العُلَّيقَةِ: «مُوسى، مُوسى». فقالَ: «نعم». 5 قالَ: «لا تقتَرِبْ إلى هُنا. إخلَعْ حِذاءكَ مِنْ رِجلَيكَ، لأنَّ المَوضِعَ الّذي أنتَ واقِفٌ علَيهِ أرضٌ مُقَدَّسَةٌ». 6 وقالَ: «أنا إلهُ آبائِكَ. إلهُ إبراهيمَ وإسحَقَ ويعقوبَ». فستَرَ موسى وجهَهُ خَوفا مِنْ أنْ يَنظُرَ إلى اللهِ.

7 فقالَ لَه الرّبُّ: «نَظَرْتُ إلى مُعاناةِ شعبـي الّذينَ في مِصْرَ، وسَمِعْتُ صُراخَهُم مِنْ ظُلْمِ مُسَخِّريهِم وعَلِمتُ بِــعَذابِهِم، 8 فنَزَلْتُ لأُنقِذَهُم مِنْ أيدي المِصْريِّينَ وأُخرِجَهُم مِنْ تِلكَ الأرضِ إلى أرضٍ رَحْبةٍ تَدرُّ لَبَنا وعسَلا‌، إلى موطِنِ الكنعانيِّينَ والحِثِّيِّينَ والأمُوريِّينَ والفَرِزِّيِّينَ والحِوِّيِّينَ واليَبوسيِّينَ. 9 والآنَ ها صُراخُ بَني إِسرائيلَ وصَلَ إليَّ ورَأيتُ كيفَ يَجُورُ المِصْريُّونَ علَيهِم، 10 فتَعالَ أُرسِلُكَ إلى فِرعَونَ لِتُخرِجَ شعبـي بَني إِسرائيلَ مِنْ مِصْرَ‌». 11 فقالَ موسى للهِ: «مَنْ أنا حتّى أذهبَ إلى فِرعَونَ وأُخرِجَ بَني إِسرائيلَ مِنْ مِصْرَ؟» 12 قالَ: «أنا أكونُ معَكَ، وهذِهِ علامَةٌ لكَ على أنِّي أنا أرسَلتُكَ: إذا أخرَجْتَ الشَّعبَ مِنْ مِصْرَ، فا‏عبُدوا اللهَ على هذا الجبَلِ».

13 فقالَ موسى للهِ: «إذا ذهَبْتُ إلى بَني إِسرائيلَ وقلتُ لهُم: إلهُ آبائِكُم أرسلَني إليكُم، فإنْ سألوني ما ا‏سمُهُ‌؟ فماذا أُجيـبُهُم؟» 14 فقالَ اللهُ لِموسى: «أنا هوَ الّذي هوَ‌. هكذا تُجيـبُ بَني إِسرائيلَ: هوَ الّذي هوَ أرسلَني إليكُم».

15 وقالَ اللهُ لِموسى ثانيةً: «قُلْ لِبَني إِسرائيلَ: أنا الرّبُّ‌ إلهُ آبائِكُم، إلهُ إبراهيمَ وإسحَقَ ويعقوبَ أرسَلتُكَ إليهِم. هذا ا‏سمي إلى الأبدِ، وهذا ذِكْرِي مدَى الأجيالِ. 16 إذهَبْ وا‏جمعْ شُيوخَ بَني إِسرائيلَ وقُلْ لهُم: الرّبُّ إلهُ آبائِكُم، إلهُ إبراهيمَ وإسحَقَ ويعقوبَ، تراءَى لي وقالَ: تفقَّدْتُكُم ورَأيتُ ما فعَلَ المِصْريُّونَ بِكُم. 17 فأنا أعِدُكُم أنْ أُخرِجَكُم مِنْ مِصْرَ حيثُ تُعانونَ الذُّلَّ إلى أرضِ الكنعانيِّينَ والحثِّيِّينَ والأمُوريِّينَ والفَرِزِّيِّينَ والحِوِّيِّينَ واليَبوسيِّينَ، إلى أرضٍ تَدرُّ لَبَنا وعسَلا‌. 18 فيسمعونَ لكَ وتدخُلُ أنتَ وشُيوخُ بَني إِسرائيلَ على مَلِكِ مِصْرَ وتقولونَ لَه: الرّبُّ إلهُ العِبرانيِّينَ قابَلَنا، فدَعْنا الآنَ نسيرُ مَسيرَةَ ثلاثةِ أيّامٍ في البرِّيَّةِ ونُقَدِّمُ ذبـيحةً لِلرّبِّ إلهِنا. 19 وأنا أعلَمُ أنَّ مَلِكَ مِصْرَ لا يدَعُكُم تذهَبونَ إلاَّ إذا أجبَرَتْهُ يَدٌ قويَّةٌ. 20 لِذلِكَ أمُدُّ يَدي وأضرِبُ مِصْرَ بجميعِ عَجائبـي الّتي أصنَعُها فيها، وبَعدَ ذلِكَ يُطلِقُكُم مِنَ البِلادِ 21 وأهَبُكُم حُظوةً عِندَ المِصْريِّينَ حتّى إذا ذهَبتُم لا تذهبونَ ولا شيءَ معَكُم 22 بل تطلُبُ كُلُّ ا‏مرأةٍ عِبرانيَّةٍ مِنْ جارَتِها ومِنَ النَّازِلةِ في بَيتِها مَصاغَ فِضَّةٍ وذهَبٍ وثيابا، فتُلبِسونَها بَنيكُم وبَناتِكُم. وهكذا تَسلُبونَ المِصْريِّينَ‌».