...the end of book four.

A few of my favorite lessons from Numbers.

1. I realized how easy is is for us to believe and trust men over God's promises - 10 guys were able to convince 600,000 soldiers they were doomed if they try to enter the land God was giving them.  We need to live by faith...and not by sight. 
2. Living with a teenage daughter, it was refreshing to see how God dealt with the rebelliousness of Israel as they complained and disobeyed.
3. God is protecting me even when it sometimes doesn't feel like it - the story of Balaak and Balaam.

I also found a wonderful blessing - Numbers 6:24-26.  I have a friend going through a difficult time right now and I love praying this blessing over her when she comes to mind:

"May the Lord bless you and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace."

I just love it!

Also, my favorite verse is numbers was 14:17:

"Lord, prove that your power is as great as you said it would be."

God wants us to take him at His word.  Moses wasn't afraid to call him on His promises...and neither should we. 

What? No pity party?

Numbers 27

I really admire the way Moses reacted when God reminded him that he will not be entering the promised land because of disobedience. 

Pretty sure I would have begged God to change His mind.  I'd remind him about all the times that I did obey Him. 

How terrified I was when He called me to approach the Pharoah on behalf of His people.  I really didn't want to - but I did. 

How I trusted Him when my enemies were chasing after me and and He led me straight to the sea - to what seemed like a dead end.

Yup, I would have pleaded, begged and cried.  And when that didn't work - maybe a bit of bargaining, or a touch of manipulation.   

And then, if God still didn't change His mind, I'd throw a little pity party for myself.  I'd probably go off somewhere alone, crying and feeling very sorry for myself.  Wondering if God even loved me. 

But that's just me.  

Now Moses, he simply asks God to appoint a new leader.

His main concern was that the people would have someone to lead them into battle.  He didn't want them to be "sheep without a shepherd".  (27:17)

Oh!  To be selfless like that!  In my darkest hour to be more concerned with the needs of others.  

That is my prayer today.

 

Watching us from the hills....

Numbers 22 - 26

I just love it when I'm come out of a trial or challenge in my life and realize that God has been at work the entire time. 

The story I read today, portrayed such a picture.  I've never read this story before, never even heard of the guys in it.  But what a beautiful account of God working behind the scenes, "watching us from the hills" while we are unaware. 

Balak (a Moab king) wanted Balaam (a prophet) to curse the Israelites because he was scared of them.  He referred to them as a "vast horde of people covering the face of the earth", fully understanding that the reputation of their God preceded them.

Balaam said he'd let Balak know in the morning because he had to seek God's counsel and his answer would be based on "whatever the Lord directs me to say."   Well, it turns out God told him NOT to curse Israel because He had already blessed them.  They are His people.

Balak knew that Balamm's blessings fell on those he blessed and the people whom he cursed were doomed and by this time he's getting desperate, so he offers him money and says he would do anything Balaam wanted if he would curse even a portion of them!

Balamm asks God over and over, building alters for offerings, but the Lord was very clear - He had made a promise to Israel and would carry it through.  In fact, not only did He command Balaam NOT to curse them, but He asked him to bless them 3 times...and curse Balak's people!

Balak was furious, but Balaam had said from the very begining that he was powerless to anything against the will of the Lord.

What I love most about this story is the Israelites had no idea  this was going on behind the scenes.  They're just living life, as usual, going about their own business.

In in the distance, Balak and Balaam are "watching them from the hills" (23:9), and God is busy at work protecting them.  Blessing them and cursing their enemies - through His prophet, Balaam.

All because of a promise that He would no go back on.

"Has he ever spoken and failed to act?  Has he ever promised and not carried it through?" (23:19)

It's amazing to know that every promise I read, every word spoken by God, my protector, is a truth that he will not go back on. 

....and I'm so very blessed to be learning more and more of His promises every day.

A little advice.....

Numbers 21

"There's nothing to eat here, and nothing to drink and we hate this wretched manna!"  (21:5)

"I'm so bored.  I have NOTHING to wear.  There's nothing to eat or drink around here.  I always have to be home earlier then my friends.  I hate my room, it's so small!"  

The first quote was from the Israelites in a passage I read this week.

The second quote?  My teenage daughter, earlier that same day.  

I couldn't help but notice they are eerily the same.  I curiously read on to the next few verses, wondering how God was going to respond...."Come on God, give me some good parenting wisdom here.  Gimme something good.  I'm all ears."  

Apparently, He sends poisonous snakes....

*silence*

"OK.  Reading on...."

...and many were bitten and died.

"Well, then..." 

I did read on to find that, once again loving His children with an unfailing love, He extends grace to them by giving them way out.  A loop hole.  

He does not take away the punishment, (even though they begged Moses to pray for snake removal) - He just tells them instead to "look up".  "Look up at the pole and you will recover from the bite."

He didn't take away the snakes.  He didn't even stop them from getting bit.  They still suffered the punishment - but they were rescued from death.

One more very important thing I noticed was that God only extended grace after they repented.  After they admitted that they had sinned against God by speaking against Him.

So, now I only have one thing left to figure out...

..where can I get a snake?

I joke. 
A little.

...don't judge me until you've had a teen.

God don't play favorites!

Numbers 17-20

"Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice...and the water gushed out.  So all the people and their livestock drank their fill." (20:11)

Moses was supposed to command the rock and instead he struck the rock.  So, after all the times Moses has obeyed God's commands and after all the times he's trusted God, he does one little thing wrong and as a result, God's not going to allow Moses to be the one to lead the people into the promised land.

After reading this passage today, my first thought was, "Wow.  It's no wonder people (including myself, at times) have this image of God, just waiting for us to mess up to He can punish us or withhold blessings from us."

But the more I began to meditate on it, I felt in my heart that God was saying, "Do you want me to start playing favorites, now? How fair would that be?" 

The only fair and just thing for God to do was punish Moses for disobeying.  I had just read and journaled a couple of days ago how a just and holy God does not ignore sin, it has grave consequences and now I was expecting Him to "ignore" Moses' sin because of all the times that he did obey?  If He had ignored Moses sin, then He would be contradicting Himself.

Imagine if we lived in a society that believed in not punishing murderers for crimes they committed because of all the people they didn't kill!  Or if we allowed our children to talk back to us because "most of the time they listen". 

I'll bet God wished He didn't have to punish Moses.  He desires to savor victories with us, He would have loved to see the look on Moses' face as He entered the promise land! To share that moment with the man He chose from the very beginning.  Moses wasn't the only one that missed out....God did too. 

I'm so thankful that I serve an unchanging God.  One who never changes.  He is who He says He is and He does what He says He'll do. 

He doesn't play favorites and like any loving parent, He doesn't love us any less when He disciplines us. 

He's just doing what He's gotta do.

Grasshoppers vs. Giants

Numbers 13-16

Whoa!  God is MAD!  Moses sends twelve guys to go and check out the land God is giving them and they come back and say, "No way are we going to conquer them!  They are giants!  We are like little grasshoppers compared to them!"

There are just 2 out of the 12 that try to encourage the people to move on into the land that God is handing over to them - Joshua and Caleb.

What surprises me is that these ten guys were able to convince 600,000 soldiers that they will be swallowed up if they go there!  God has already promised them!!! It's their word versus God's!  ....and yet they believed the men. 

How often do I listen to my friends advise or lies from the enemy over God's promises?   Imagine the victory I would have conquering the "giants" in my life if I would just learn to turn to God and trust what He has to say. 

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Like Joyce Meyer says, "Instead of turning to the phone, we need to turn to the throne."  *smile*  I like that one.
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But, really now...how many more miracles do they need to witness first hand before they will finally trust that what God says is truth?  

So, they start weeping and wailing, complaining and making rash decisions - like going back to Egypt!  

...and God was MAD!  He asked Moses, "How long will they reject me?  I've done so many miracles for them!" 

Imagine how God must have felt.  When I read statements like that - God feeling regected, or God is grieved, or He's please -it makes me feel that much closer to knowing who He is. 

I love it.  Although, it makes me sad that He felt feels rejection from those He loves sooo much.     

I can relate.  I'm the mother of a teenager.  

At any rate, He's had enough and so He decides to destroy them...

...and Moses changed His mind. 

Moses reminded God that he made a promise.  He pleads with God to show His power once again so that generations to come will not be able to say, "The Lord was not able to bring them into the land He swore to give them." (14:16)

He even went so far as to quote God's very own words, saying, "Remember God??  You even said, 'The Lord is slow to anger and rich in unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion.'"(14:18)

However, he also recognized that He does not leave sin unpunished and told God as much.  

So, God pardons them.  But...(as a result of their rejection), He goes on to say, "Those living today, will NEVER see the promised land."   It is the next generation that He will lead into the promised land.

He declares the people of Israel, 20 years or older, will wander in the wilderness for 40 years and die there.  He also strikes dead the ten leaders that didn't have faith in the first place and convinced Israel to feel the same. 

Another lesson in this passage - My actions shouldn't be based on my feelings!  I need to learn, understand and live by God's promises and not my feelings!  Because my feelings and emotions change every minute of every day - as opposed to   God's promises.  They stand true.  Day after day.

You know, this is is the 3rd time I recall someone convincing God to change His mind which brings me to my third lesson in this passage of scripture - prayer.  

I think I have a lot to learn about my prayer life, and the manner in which I can and should approach God, from Moses in chapter 14: 5:19)  

• Have faith - "...he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us! ...They (the giants) have no protection, but the Lord is with US!  Don't be afraid of them!"
• Obey - "Do not rebel against the Lord..."
• Know His promises and what He's already done  - "...the power you displayed in rescuing these people from Egypt."
• Acknowledge His power  - "Please, Lord prove that you power is as great as you have claimed it to be."
• Quote scripture - "For you have said...".

This passage has been filled with some great lessons and revealing truths about who God is.  There are days that feel "extra" blessed to have access to His wonderfully amazing, living, Word, and today is one of them!

What? No power locks?

Numbers 8-12

Finally!  The Israelites are moving on to the promised land!  I just love how God guides them...as a cloud.  I can't imagine how they must have felt, after a year or so, the cloud lifts from the tabernacle and starts along it's journey....

How excited they must have been!  God, Himself, guiding them!!

But ooooh nooo.  They start to complain again.  It's not enough that God is providing shelter from the scorching desert sun (the cloud), and being the ultimate personal tour guide - complete with free meals (manna).  Noooo, they have to complain because they don't have meat to eat!

Even Moses is grumbling at this point, asking God to spare him the misery of carrying the burdens of everything.  He's so aggravated He asks God to kill him!

Reminds me of my old babysitting days.....

God, once again shows them His power.  He sends meat, he sends them quail.  Enough to feed them for a month!  600,000 soldiers, and their families.  

It was actually pretty funny the way God did it.  (Chapter 11:19,20) 

He said, (in my own words, however very close to His) "You want meat??  I'll give you meat..and it won't be for just a day or two, or for 5, 10 or even 20 days!!  You're going to eat it until you can't stand it anymore - you'll be gagging on it!!"

The bible says in verse 20 that God felt rejected.  Do I make God feel rejected?  The next time I go on and act like the Israelites (because I will), complaining, ungrateful, discontent, I need to realize what I am ultimately doing.  I'm rejecting God, and all He's done for me and given me. 

Who cares if I have to clean my safe, warm house, every single day?  So what if my sometimes, unreliable (second) car doesn't have power locks?  God has provided for me in ways that I didn't even have to ask for.  

And for that I am thankful, even if it means renewing my mind on a daily (or hourly) basis .

Cause I can be a bit forgetful at times.   

Where's Waldo?

Numbers 5-8

God spends a little time preparing the Israelites as they move into Canaan.  He knew the land was dominated by pagans and that His people would be influenced by them.  He demanded holiness, He wanted them to live in a completely different way....

He wanted them to stand out.

The "daily walk" bible explains by saying: "God's purpose is to insulate us from the influence of evil, not isolate us from the people to whom we can be a testimony."

Israel was to witness about the true God in the midst of corruption and they couldn't do that from the wilderness.  

I know I'm certainly not hiding in the wilderness - I'm not isolated.  But am I insulating myself as I rub shoulders with a decidedly impure world? 

And more importantly are the people around me influenced by my distinctive lifestyle?  or do I simply blend into the world around me....

I'm not JUST an elbow!

Numbers 1-4

Wow.  An account of everyone in the nation of Israel, where they camped and what their job was.  That's some tough reading, but I know it's there for a reason - and I'm excited to find out why!

You know, it made me think.  God had an act of service for each one of them.  No was was more important than the other, no matter how small their task was. 

Like our bodies.  My elbow is JUST as important as my knee cap and my knee cap wouldn't be much good with out my leg!  Everything works together. 

So often people compare themselves to each other, rating themselves in importance of their service to God, thinking, "Oh I just help out in children's church, or I only shovel the walk way for my neighbor each time it snows, or I just send small notes of encouragment when someone is ill or sad...or lonely" -- instead we should be reminding ourselves that "We are not just elbows!  I play a very important role in the kingdom and this is MY act of service!"  

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Quick question, I'll have to google it.  Why doesn't anyone have last names in Old Testament (and most don't in the NT)?  They were usually refered to "son of" or "wife of".  Hmmmmm.