What set Moses apart from all the others in Israel? Why did God choose him to lead the people out of Egypt? Was Moses so special? I wonder if I would have liked Moses as a leader or if I too would have grumbled against him from time to time.
There is nothing like someone standing out in the crowd to bring out the jealousy and resentment in people. That was true of Aaron and Miriam and it was true of many of the people of Israel. When Aaron and Miriam started talking about Moses, God didn’t take it lightly. If his own brother and sister did not have confidence in his leadership, what would happen to the rest of the people? God called a meeting and spoke specifically to Aaron and Miriam. “When a prophet to the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” Numbers 12:6-8
God made it very clear that he personally selected Moses from among all the people to be the leader. He gives us a couple of clues as to why he chose Moses. “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” Numbers 12:3 “He is faithful in all my house.” Numbers 12:7b
Soon after this, Moses, at God’s command, called out 12 leaders to explore the land of Canaan, the land promised to Israel by God. When they came back, they reported how great the land was and showed them the fruit from the land. But all but two of them also brought back a report of the ‘giants’ in the land and assured the people they could not take the land because they could never fight those ‘giants’ successfully. “And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, ‘The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size… We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.’” Numbers 13:32-33
This is a leadership nightmare! To have the leaders among the tribes frighten the people rather than encourage them was undoing everything the Lord had done through Moses up to that point. It was at this point God told Moses that he was ready to wipe out the whole bunch and start over with Moses’ family. And what leader wouldn’t agree? God offered to Moses to get rid of all his enemies, all those who were not ready to follow him. I wonder if most of us wouldn’t say, “Thanks God, go get um!” But not Moses. He was “more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” Numbers 12:3 And instead of cheering God on to their destruction, he pleaded in their behalf for God to forgive them. And God did, but not without punishment. God told Moses, “No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it [the Promised Land].” Numbers 14:23b They spent many more years in the desert until all who were 20 years old and older at the time of the uprising had died. Only their children along with Joshua and Caleb (who had tried to encourage the people that God would be with them and they could go into the Promised Land) were to go on to the Promised Land.
Four words jump out at me as I read these chapters: humble, obedience, trust, and contempt. As I study this piece of the history of Israel, I wonder that God continues to be patient with any of us. How often have I not trusted God – held him in contempt? Yet, “The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.” Numbers 14:18a When I do not trust God, I cannot be obedient. I see the ‘giants’ and I run. But when I am humble, when I believe that God knows better than I do and I trust him, I can be obedient and overcome the ‘giants’ in my life. The question is, will I hold God in contempt with my distrust and end up taking a few more laps around the desert before being willing to obey and lose the blessings he has for me? Or will I take him at his word and move forward with him, trusting him to fight the ‘giants’ for me and deliver me safely to the ‘Promised Land’.
Lord, thank you for being trustworthy even when I lack trust. Thank you for your patience with me as I learn to walk in faith and trust you with every detail of my life. Thank you for your awesome love that reaches into every corner of my life and compels me to follow you. Amen
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Broken Promises
We’ve all done it somewhere along the line… made a promise that we failed to keep. Maybe it was a simple, “I’ll call you right back,” followed by getting busy with something and forgetting until the next day or two that we were supposed to call them back. Or maybe it was a bigger thing like broken wedding vows. Or often we tell people, “I’ll pray for you,” when we hear they are struggling with something and then get busy with our own lives and completely forget to pray for them.
“But Peter insisted emphatically, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the others said the same.” Mark 14:31 Shortly after this emphatic statement, Peter disowned Christ, not one time, but three times, just as Christ had predicted he would.
We never know what we will do in a time of trial until we are in that time of trial. But Jesus had good advice for preparing. He took the disciples to Gethsemane and told them to sit there while he prayed. Then he took Peter, James and John a little further in and said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.” Mark 14:34 Jesus went a little further and fell to the ground and prayed a deep prayer of submission to the Father. He had a promise to keep – a promise that was made over and over from the beginning of time. It was the most heart-wrenching thing anyone would ever have to do – take on the sin of the world and die on the cross. He asked God to take it away, but then submitted to God’s will, not his own.
I promised to love and follow Christ no matter what happened in my life. I had read the book of Job many times and each time, I resolutely promised that if God ever allowed such sorrow to come into my life, I would still follow him. I read and held on to verses like, “Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him…” Job 13:15 And, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” Habakkuk 3:17-19
Even as I made these promises to God, I hoped that it would never be necessary to be tested on this. Many times I had played the scenario in my mind – how would I respond if the State Police came to the door to tell me that one of our sons or my spouse had died in a car accident or had been murdered? Would I faint? Would I scream or at least cry out loudly? Would I yell at God for letting such a thing happen?
As I studied Christ and his disciples, I learned something important: Pray – keep in touch with the Father through the good times as well as the hard times. In Gethsemane, Jesus told the disciples, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Mark 14:38
Trust – God can be trusted. He keeps his promises. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.” John 14:1
Be steadfast – “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!” John 16:33
I had a promise to keep. January 24 was my Gethsemane. When we received the call that our 28-year-old son had died, we had to decide how we would respond. Yes, it is still a decision to make. Even as we held each other absorbing the shock, the first words out were, “He gives and takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21 paraphrased. How glibly we sing that song when there is nothing being taken away! How hard it is to sing when the loss is great!
Faith that hasn’t been tested is no faith at all. It is merely an idea. Once it has been tested, it becomes real. I now understand the words ‘sorrowful’ and ‘anguish’. I am beginning to understand what Jesus meant when he said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” John 14:34 It is the feeling that it would be better to have never been born than to have to go through this pain. “Yet, not as I will, but what you will.” John 14:36 It is a time of submission – not just resignation to something we cannot change, but purposeful submission to being willing to walk with God ‘even though he slay me.’ It is a time of understanding that God has the big picture and I need to trust him to carry out his perfect plan – even when I can’t understand the ‘troubles’ I’m having.
There is a peace that comes with that submission. Just as Christ submitted to the cross because of his great love for us, I can submit to God because of my great love for him, ‘even though he slay me.’ In my mind, it is the picture of a dog rolling on his back, belly up, to a human who has the power to harm him or rub his belly. It is the most submissive position they can have. A dog who has learned to trust the human puts his whole life on the line trusting that it will be a belly rub. Can I be that submissive to God? Can I trust that even in my most vulnerable moments he will respond in love?
Yes, my faith has been tried. And I have found a God who keeps his promises. How tenderly he has cared for us in the midst of our ‘trouble’. How often he has comforted us, held us as we wept, and encouraged us through his Word and his people.
Lord, I choose to follow you, even though you slay me. I fully submit my life and everything I have to you and your purposes. I trust in your great love. Amen.
“But Peter insisted emphatically, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the others said the same.” Mark 14:31 Shortly after this emphatic statement, Peter disowned Christ, not one time, but three times, just as Christ had predicted he would.
We never know what we will do in a time of trial until we are in that time of trial. But Jesus had good advice for preparing. He took the disciples to Gethsemane and told them to sit there while he prayed. Then he took Peter, James and John a little further in and said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.” Mark 14:34 Jesus went a little further and fell to the ground and prayed a deep prayer of submission to the Father. He had a promise to keep – a promise that was made over and over from the beginning of time. It was the most heart-wrenching thing anyone would ever have to do – take on the sin of the world and die on the cross. He asked God to take it away, but then submitted to God’s will, not his own.
I promised to love and follow Christ no matter what happened in my life. I had read the book of Job many times and each time, I resolutely promised that if God ever allowed such sorrow to come into my life, I would still follow him. I read and held on to verses like, “Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him…” Job 13:15 And, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” Habakkuk 3:17-19
Even as I made these promises to God, I hoped that it would never be necessary to be tested on this. Many times I had played the scenario in my mind – how would I respond if the State Police came to the door to tell me that one of our sons or my spouse had died in a car accident or had been murdered? Would I faint? Would I scream or at least cry out loudly? Would I yell at God for letting such a thing happen?
As I studied Christ and his disciples, I learned something important: Pray – keep in touch with the Father through the good times as well as the hard times. In Gethsemane, Jesus told the disciples, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Mark 14:38
Trust – God can be trusted. He keeps his promises. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.” John 14:1
Be steadfast – “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!” John 16:33
I had a promise to keep. January 24 was my Gethsemane. When we received the call that our 28-year-old son had died, we had to decide how we would respond. Yes, it is still a decision to make. Even as we held each other absorbing the shock, the first words out were, “He gives and takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21 paraphrased. How glibly we sing that song when there is nothing being taken away! How hard it is to sing when the loss is great!
Faith that hasn’t been tested is no faith at all. It is merely an idea. Once it has been tested, it becomes real. I now understand the words ‘sorrowful’ and ‘anguish’. I am beginning to understand what Jesus meant when he said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” John 14:34 It is the feeling that it would be better to have never been born than to have to go through this pain. “Yet, not as I will, but what you will.” John 14:36 It is a time of submission – not just resignation to something we cannot change, but purposeful submission to being willing to walk with God ‘even though he slay me.’ It is a time of understanding that God has the big picture and I need to trust him to carry out his perfect plan – even when I can’t understand the ‘troubles’ I’m having.
There is a peace that comes with that submission. Just as Christ submitted to the cross because of his great love for us, I can submit to God because of my great love for him, ‘even though he slay me.’ In my mind, it is the picture of a dog rolling on his back, belly up, to a human who has the power to harm him or rub his belly. It is the most submissive position they can have. A dog who has learned to trust the human puts his whole life on the line trusting that it will be a belly rub. Can I be that submissive to God? Can I trust that even in my most vulnerable moments he will respond in love?
Yes, my faith has been tried. And I have found a God who keeps his promises. How tenderly he has cared for us in the midst of our ‘trouble’. How often he has comforted us, held us as we wept, and encouraged us through his Word and his people.
Lord, I choose to follow you, even though you slay me. I fully submit my life and everything I have to you and your purposes. I trust in your great love. Amen.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Treasure in Heaven
The Bible is the most amazing Book of Wisdom. It continues to be relevant thousands of years after it was written. Each circumstance in our lives makes us more sensitive to specific pieces of wisdom. I love reading it over and over because each time I read it, it has something different or more poignant for me to absorb.
Since our son left this earth sooner than we expected (though assuredly in God’s timing), verses concerning heaven and eternity jump off the pages. Psalms of distress and sorrow read differently. Today is a ‘sorting, packing and giving’ day. I will be going through household items, boxing them and preparing them to go to an organization that helps refugees get resettled. As I hold and bless and give these things to others, they are filled with sweet memories of time spent together here on this earth.
This morning, I read about the Rich Young Man who came to Jesus asking about inheriting eternal life. When Jesus spoke to him about keeping the commandments, the young man responded that he had kept them meticulously since he was a boy. I wonder, was he trying to get Jesus to say, “Good job! You’re in!” and expecting a pat on the back? Or was he really wanting to gain more wisdom?
Jesus response then was, “One thing you lack. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Mark 10:21
In a nation where the prosperity gospel is regularly preached, it is easy to interpret the ‘treasure in heaven’ as all the things we think we need and wish for on this earth – a bigger TV, a new car, gold, silver, diamonds, a big house that is self-cleaning, etc. But today, as I sort through Andrew’s things that were useful on this earth and pass them on to other people who can use them, it occurs to me that I have a treasure in heaven and it is not gold or silver or diamonds or things. It is my son. And it is my grandmother, my grandfather, and my friends who have gone before me. Those relationships don’t die – those people are among the “cloud of witnesses” cheering us on and ready for us to join them when our time on this earth is finished. (Hebrews 12:1-3)
More than ever, things have become just that – things. While they serve us here on this earth, they do not have eternal value. Only what we do with those things has eternal value. Do we use the things we have been blessed with to love and serve others, or do we hoard and accumulate until they suffocate us? Andrew was good at holding his belongings with ‘open hands.’ He was blessed with a car – he was quick to give rides to those who needed them. He was blessed with food – he was quick to invite friends and neighbors to eat with him. He was blessed with health and energy – he was quick to serve others in whatever way he could. He sought God's forgiveness if he hesitated even for a moment. Those people and acts of kindness are the eternal treasures stored up in heaven. Each person he served was someone loved by Jesus and hopefully, many of them will someday be with Andrew in eternity saying, “Thanks for your kindness. You helped me find hope when I had none. You helped me find Jesus.”
Lord, give me wisdom as I sort through things today. Help me to enjoy the memories and then pass on the blessings to others who have need of them. Amen.
Since our son left this earth sooner than we expected (though assuredly in God’s timing), verses concerning heaven and eternity jump off the pages. Psalms of distress and sorrow read differently. Today is a ‘sorting, packing and giving’ day. I will be going through household items, boxing them and preparing them to go to an organization that helps refugees get resettled. As I hold and bless and give these things to others, they are filled with sweet memories of time spent together here on this earth.
This morning, I read about the Rich Young Man who came to Jesus asking about inheriting eternal life. When Jesus spoke to him about keeping the commandments, the young man responded that he had kept them meticulously since he was a boy. I wonder, was he trying to get Jesus to say, “Good job! You’re in!” and expecting a pat on the back? Or was he really wanting to gain more wisdom?
Jesus response then was, “One thing you lack. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Mark 10:21
In a nation where the prosperity gospel is regularly preached, it is easy to interpret the ‘treasure in heaven’ as all the things we think we need and wish for on this earth – a bigger TV, a new car, gold, silver, diamonds, a big house that is self-cleaning, etc. But today, as I sort through Andrew’s things that were useful on this earth and pass them on to other people who can use them, it occurs to me that I have a treasure in heaven and it is not gold or silver or diamonds or things. It is my son. And it is my grandmother, my grandfather, and my friends who have gone before me. Those relationships don’t die – those people are among the “cloud of witnesses” cheering us on and ready for us to join them when our time on this earth is finished. (Hebrews 12:1-3)
More than ever, things have become just that – things. While they serve us here on this earth, they do not have eternal value. Only what we do with those things has eternal value. Do we use the things we have been blessed with to love and serve others, or do we hoard and accumulate until they suffocate us? Andrew was good at holding his belongings with ‘open hands.’ He was blessed with a car – he was quick to give rides to those who needed them. He was blessed with food – he was quick to invite friends and neighbors to eat with him. He was blessed with health and energy – he was quick to serve others in whatever way he could. He sought God's forgiveness if he hesitated even for a moment. Those people and acts of kindness are the eternal treasures stored up in heaven. Each person he served was someone loved by Jesus and hopefully, many of them will someday be with Andrew in eternity saying, “Thanks for your kindness. You helped me find hope when I had none. You helped me find Jesus.”
Lord, give me wisdom as I sort through things today. Help me to enjoy the memories and then pass on the blessings to others who have need of them. Amen.
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