Numbers 14 (Part Two) - Giving me something to complain about

The Israelites worst fears and complaints came true. They were destined to die in the desert.

God says He heard their murmuring and says, As ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you.

That's SCARY! God says if I complain, He will give me something to complain about. It certainly makes me want to be VERY careful when I complain, even to my husband. I so want at least one person to whom I can spill all my worries and criticism.

Yet this story certainly gives me pause...

Numbers 14 (Part One) - Standing in the gap

After the people of Israel accepted the report of the ten spies and fell to bemoaning and bewailing their fate, they sought to overthrow Moses and Aaron. God revealed to Moses what they deserved - total annihilation. Yet Moses fell on his face and interceded for the people.

Although it appears that Moses changed God's mind, it was actually God who gave an intercessors heart to Moses. Ezekiel 22:30 describes Moses as the man God chose to stand in the gap. God revealed to Moses what we deserve for our sins, but He also revealed His mercy and grace. Moses, rather than changing God's mind, saw God's heart.

So too, I need to recognize the tug at my heart to intercede for others. It is so much easier to judge and be harsh with others, to point out to God all they are doing wrong. But then God says, You're right, here's what they deserve. And He reveals what I also deserve. I have found this usually leads to me praying for us both!

Thank you God for softening my hard, judgemental heart. Create an intercessors heart in its place.

Numbers 13 - Bless what I am about to do

Moses sends out the 12 spies to go into the Promised Land and report back. This turned out to be a disastrous decision and led to 40 more years wandering in the desert. Yet in verse 1, it appears that God is the one telling Moses to send out the spies... what gives?

Well, the rest of the story is told in Deuteronomy 1:22-24. It seem the people were scared and nervous about entering this new land. They begged Moses to send in the spies first. Moses thought that sounded rights and so assented.

Apparently the people pressured Moses into this decision. Without consulting God, he went ahead and made the decision, and God turns around and says, Fine, if you want to send out spies, go ahead.

How many times do we embark on a path that seems right, and once we are on our way, ask God if this is the right thing to do? We want Him to bless the mess we are creating. We go back to God and say, This is the right thing to do, isn't it. Stop me if it isn't... Yet sometimes, God lets us continue.

I need to develop a mechanism by which I seek God before every decision, because many times, not only will He not "bless my mess" but I may end up with disastrous results.

"Doing", "going" or "being"

Stuff Christians Like has an excellent post today. It mirrors exactly what I have been thinking. I considered putting it here word-for-word, but decided to expound on my own thoughts.

I have been worried a lot lately as I see the church struggle with what I believe is an almost works-based salvation. We are constantly being told we need to "go" and "do". We must go... somewhere... and do... something for God or we are fat, lazy Christians. Get off your butt, people!

But I believe we have it exactly backwards and it hurts my heart everytime I see a fellow Christian exhorting us to "go", "do". What we need are Christians fully committed to Christ, to making Him Lord, to submitting to Him, to trusting Him, to listening to His voice, to worshipping Him, to becoming the person He wants us to be.

He doesn't NEED us to go and do anything. He's GOD! But rather, He invites to help, like a father invites his child to help wash the car. It makes the car messier and it takes longer to get the job done, but in the process, dad is teaching, molding, bonding, modeling, and loving his child. Someday, the child gets better at washing cars, or maybe not, but the relationship and the memories of washing the car with dad are priceless.

Does that mean we aren't supposed to serve? Of course we will oftentimes find ourselves serving God in one way or another, but it will be because He called us and invited us to join Him. He knows exactly what needs to be done and who is the best person to do it. I trust Him to speak to the person He wants to serve, and I trust Him whether that person is me or if He is telling me to wait before jumping in.

Feeling burnt out? I don't believe burn out is inevitable. But it certainly is unavoidable if we are "going" and "doing" without the call and direction of God. Jesus said, "My meat is to do the will of the Father." Pressing into God, hearing His voice, following His path, doing what He says, or just resting in His presense, that is the will of God. It is the only thing that will sustain and nourish our souls, not some big cause or work.

Coincidence?

Last week, two interesting headlines appeared side by side in my newpaper:

Opening Up Heaven: Poll finds more Americans expect people from a diversity of faiths to find a welcome

Megachurches evolve while continuing to grow

The first article highlighted a growing trend among Americans to believe there are many paths to heaven. The second highlighted the growth of attendance at megachurches and their evolving methods of spreading their message.

Now this is no knock on megachurches, but I found it interesting that at the same time that we see church membership growth, we also find an increasing lack of solid theological beliefs. Any good researcher would have to do further study to see if it is causal or correlational. That is, is one causing the other? Are churches causing the theological beliefs to change in a negative direction or are people flocking to solid churches as they see many people around them being caught up in heresies? I don't know. I hope it's the latter. Or, it could be purely coincidental.

The poll did find that those who attend these large churches are more likely to tithe, attend worship services weekly, and believe that heaven and hell absolutely exist than the general public. So that's good news.

But I have to wonder if churches, in their attempts to grow and attract more people, are letting some of the foundational truths of the gospel slip to the sidelines. If they are not, they need to at least be cognizant of the fact that America is rapidly becoming a melting pot of religious ideas and if the voice of truth is not carried out loudly and clearly, many wonderful, good-intentioned people will be led astray. It's not enough to get them in the door if you are not going to disciple them and lead them into a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. A growing church, full of people following their own hodge podge blend of spirituality, is a tragedy of eternal consequence.

Numbers 12

Numbers 12:3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

Apparently, Moses was the most humble man on earth. We know this because he told us so. And, he was not surpassed until Jesus came on the scene.

Now, this humility intrigues me. My first thought was how did he get so humble? Then I realized the answer: 40 years in the dessert.

Moses started out with an amazing resume. God had placed him in Pharaoh's court. He had the wealth, the education, the status, and the visibility to be the perfect leader for the rebellion. He must have also had a noticeable physical presence because he killed an Egyptian slave driver, someone I am sure took pride in being able to defend himself against anyone who might challenge him.

Moses felt like his whole life had led up to this point. He was ready to start the revolution with himself at the helm. But the long awaited revolt sputtered out, leaving Moses rejected and humiliated. So off into the dessert he goes.

Fast forward 40 years and we see Moses begging God to leave him out of the whole "slave-freeing debacle". He'd already been humbled and humiliated once, he couldn't take it again. But it was through exactly that kind of meekness that God wanted to showcase His power.

I love how God works. To the things we think are our strengths, He says, "Nope, don't need that." We make plans, God laughs. We're ready to jump to the front and do something for God in a big way. He says, "Wait a few years. I have to humble you a bit. I've got time." Paul, too, after being instantly converted on the road to Damascus, spent the next 12 years or so relearning everything he thought he already knew. That was why, many years later, he could honestly say that the rich heritage he had been "blessed" with was worthless. God had to spend years undoing all that Paul had spent years becoming.

So often, I want God to do something - NOW. I want instant wisdom, instant forgiveness, instant love, instant fruitfulness, and my frustration is high when He appears to be taking His time. God is showing me that a few years in the dessert may be just what I need.

Stop Complaining - Numbers 11

Numbers 11 begins with the people complaining to Moses how sick they were of manna - the miraculous gift God provided every day to sustain them in the desert.

So God sends quail. He promised them meat they would eat until it came out of their noses and became loathsome to them, because they rejected the blessing He was already pouring out on them.

It goes on to say that while they were chewing the new found bounty, they were struck with a plague and buried for their greed.

There's a lesson in here somewhere!

So here's my struggle - stop complaining. Not forever, of course. I can't make that kind of commitment! But what if I didn't complain today? What if I went just one day without complaining and lived a life of praise instead? What if I put all of my complaints aside, just until I go to bed tonight, and give myself permission to complain later? And what if I make this same commitment tomorrow?

Can I do it? Can I fast from complaining and praise God instead? We'll see!