God Teaching His Children

Deuteronomy 8:5---Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.

The word "discipline" means "to teach". God is always trying to teach His children. The verses in yesterday's devotion showed us that trials in life teach us how much we need to depend on God's Word. We need to learn the lesson of humility. The teaching method God often uses is discipline. In this verse, we are told about the heart of the teacher. He has a Father's heart. No wonder Jesus called God 'Daddy' (Abba). The word of God tells us that even Jesus learned through the things He suffered. If Father God would take His beloved Son, Jesus, through difficulty to teach Him, then how much more do we need it? We often pray to be delivered from illness, to escape a trial, to be rescued from situations, and we should look to God when we are in trouble. The lesson we see in the wilderness wanderings of Israel is that of attitude toward the test. Israel often failed by murmuring about the test instead of learning the lesson God was trying to teach, the lessons of humility and dependency. What will you do when the next trial comes your way? What should be your response? Some demand that God remove the test, the teaching tool, without learning or even acknowledging the lesson. Others run to a man to find a solution and refuse to acknowledge the test comes from a loving Father.

Trials of Life Are to Humble Us And Show Us Our Need

Deuteronomy 8:3-4---And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

God tested Israel in the wilderness in order to know what was in their heart. It was not as if our all-knowing God couldn't see their hearts. They needed to see how faithless and proud their own hearts were. So do we! Because of our sinful nature, we get the ridiculous idea that we are independent creatures. We think we can take care of ourselves. That is why we are taken through wilderness experiences. When the LORD sets his love upon you, the most gracious thing He can do for you is to show you the truth. The truth is that you are a dependent creature, dependent upon the word of God for air, water, food, ability, and life itself. God alone is ascient (self-sustaining). How do you think Moses survived two forty-day fasts without water? The Word of God sustained him. How could the nation of Israel live for 40 years in a desert? The Word of God brought water from the rock, bread from the sky, and kept their clothes from wearing out. When we realize this fact of total dependency, we are humbled. Jesus knew it to be true. He said, "I can do nothing by myself." As a man, He knew He had become dependent on the Word of His Father, and so He spoke and acted what He heard and learned from the Father. The effect of the humbling truth that we are totally dependent on the Word of God should change the way we speak and act if we are to accomplish anything of lasting value. Recognize the reality of how needy you are.

Delivered From The Power Of The Enemy

Deuteronomy 7:7-8---The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Why does the LORD set His love on certain ones? In the case of Israel, we see that He simply chose to love them, and it was in keeping with the oath He made to their forefathers. That oath began with the man of faith, Abraham. Our relationship with God can affect future generations that follow us. God chose to love the world. He set His love upon the world because of what Jesus did. The result of Jesus' life of faith is the same type, but it is the ultimate fulfillment of the shadow in Abraham. We, too, were delivered from the land of slavery, slavery to our old nature. We, too, are delivered from the master of this world, Satan. He no longer has a claim to our lives. He has no right to our souls. God made a promise to crush the head of Satan so that we could be redeemed and out from under the power of the enemy. This verse applies to us today. God has set His affection on you and chosen you. Thank Jesus for making that possible. Live in the knowledge of the truth that God has set His affection on you because of Jesus' life of faith and death in your place.

Education May Change but God's Word Never Changes

Deuteronomy 7:2---And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

Many people stumble upon this portion of Scripture. It is amazing how modern "science" justifies the brutality of some cultures and condemns Christian history as un-Christian. If a culture is faithful to its beliefs, though those beliefs slaughter innocents and destroy indiscriminately, we are told we just don't understand their culture. But when power mongers live in disregard to Christian principles, yet operate in the name of Christ, it is condemned as Christianity's dark side. Look at any culture today that does not have a Christian heritage and ask yourself if you would honestly want to live there. Yet, few educators will acknowledge the wonderful blessing faith in Christ has brought to the world. The passage today is often cited as an example of the brutality of the Old Testament God. What is ignored is that the Children of Israel were in Egypt 400 years while the cup of iniquity of these people was filling up. They had the truth during the time of Melchizedek, at the beginning of that 400 year period, but they turned from it and became increasingly wicked. By the time Israel entered the land, the people there were slaughtering babies by the thousands to Moleck, burning them alive. (12:31) The other god they worshipped, Baal, included self-mutilation and perverse sexual practices in public worship. When cultures become that evil, life becomes unbearable and filled with misery and disease. It was God's mercy to command (and only the Creator has the right to) that those cultures be wiped out. They were influencing the world for evil, and God was replacing them with Israel to influence the world for good.

He Has Brought You Out To Bring You In

Deuteronomy 6:23---And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.

All through the wilderness wondering, the people complained that God had brought them out to let them die in the wilderness. Someone had their ear. Does someone have yours? God's intention is to bring you out of the world to bring you into fellowship with Him. The Israelites kept complaining that God was going to let them die in the wilderness. They feared never making it. That was the worst of both worlds. They couldn't enjoy Egypt nor could they enjoy the Promised Land. All they had was the Desert wandering. When they finally were ready to go in, they had such a lack of faith in God's ability to conquer their enemies that they requested dying in the desert. The Apostle Paul wrote that if we have no hope of resurrection, if all we have is here, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. In other words, if this desert wandering is all we have, let's go back to Egypt. In today's verse, God declares that His whole purpose in bringing us out is to bring us in. It is not to take away pleasurable things. It is to give you real pleasures (Psalm 16:11). God will finish the work He started when He first drew you to Himself. He will change you into His image (Romans 8:29). He will bring you into the Promised Land of unbroken fellowship with Him. We struggle with all the distractions of life and wonder if we will ever get there. He brought you out to bring you in! Don't get comfortable in this desert, pilgrim.

The Fear (RESPECT) Of The Lord

Deuteronomy 5:29---O that there was such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!

The church of the last century took a giant swing from preaching the fear of God to preaching the love of God. Both are important and both are needed. We need to see the entire character of God, as a focus on only one aspect is sure to get us off balance. When Jonathan Edwards preached his famous sermon, Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God, the listeners had such a vision of hell that they clung to their pews for fear of falling in. Today we almost laugh at that image but remember that people were coming to Christ and confessing their sins. When Moody began to be popular he preached along this same vein, until he heard a young evangelist preach on the love of God. He saw people accepting Christ and was upset. Then he began to realize what a wonderful drawing power the love of God has on a man. "We love Him because He first loved us." He saw it was true in the Scriptures. Gradually American preaching started to shift from hellfire and damnation to the love of God. Neither emphasis is wrong, for both are true of the nature of God. God hates sin because it destroys us. He hates sin because it is contrary to who He is and because He is good. He is a just and righteous God that will give a just sentence to those who insistently rebel against His goodness. Hell is real and is perfect justice for all who will be sent there. In today's passage, we see again that God has good intentions for us. To disobey means to walk toward destruction and evil. That is why we need to fear the Holy One and heed His commands. We can love Him and fear Him when we realize His commands are out of concern and love for us, to keep us from the Destroyer.

Finding Happiness

Deuteronomy 5:21---Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor's.

Hello America! Lust will be our undoing. What God has given to another should cause you to be glad for them, not envious. Envy and selfishness are clear signals that we are walking in the flesh (our old nature). To desire to have your neighbor's possession shows you have allowed your heart to become idolatrous (putting a thing before God). What follows is theft, adultery, working on your Sabbath, and ignoring God to get what your heart has fixed itself on. Every day commercials bombard us with things to lust after. Advertisers always imply that the possession of the thing will bring you happiness. That has some truth. Things often do bring a shallow and temporal happiness. Things never affect the genuine joy of the heart. Satan said in Genesis 3:5, "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Satan promises way more than he delivers and never tells you the full price you will pay. The Ten Commandments are almost doable until we get to this last one. The problem with man is "his 'wanter' is broken". We should be desiring the truth, things of God, righteousness. Instead, we set our hearts on creations, not the Creator.

Life, A Vapor

James 4:14---Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

It seems like just yesterday that I was waiting anxiously to turn 16 years of age, and it took forever to get there. Since that time the years have flown by. On the 30th of this month, I will retire from Hospice Chaplaincy. The many journies I have taken with hundreds of families will forever be in my heart and I will never forget them. While I will step away from Chaplaincy I will continue to carry on through Danny V. Ray Ministries to do my best to point men, women, boys, and girls to the Lord Jesus Christ. I will continue to pastor the Gordon Avenue Baptist Church in Adel, Georgia. Thank you to the many who supported me through Chaplaincy and for your prayers as we seek God for direction in the days to come.

Acknowledge The Heart of God

Deuteronomy 4:39-40---Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath there is none else. Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, forever.

Moses reminded the people of the ways in which God had made Himself known to them. Then he spoke these verses. I believe God has shown each person reading this devotional a revelation of Himself. It is because He has drawn each of us uniquely that we are responsible to acknowledge and take to heart that the LORD is God in heaven above and earth below. There is no other! There should be no valid competitor for our allegiance. There should be no usurpers to His lordship over our lives. If we are bowing to anything else, in any way, we are not rendering to God the response He deserves. Is there "no other" god in your life? Take that to heart this day. The enemy of our soul would love to distort the reason God directs and instructs us, just as he did in the Garden of Eden. God wants us to keep His instructions "so that it may go well with you and your children". In the Old Testament, the Spirit was not indwelling believers. That made generalized rules necessary as standards of conduct and health. Today the Spirit indwells every believer to instruct us specifically in every situation, "so that it may go well with you and your children". God can do His work without you, but He wants to include you to bless you and your children. Many of us have fallen prey to the enemy's lie in the Garden and think God wants uninformed slaves.

Who Do I Need To Forgive

Deuteronomy 4:29-31---But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) 

Moses warned the people that if they worshipped other gods and did not keep the covenant, they would become captives of other nations. God states that the reason is that He is a jealous God. The word for 'jealous' in Hebrew includes the meaning of a white-hot fire. God is passionate about those He has chosen. He will bring into their lives whatever it will take to turn them back to Him. He promises, in this passage, that if from that place of slavery, you will seek the LORD you will find Him. But that is accompanied by a big "if". The condition is looking for Him with all our heart and soul. That is why Israel went into captivity, their hearts were mixed, thinking satisfaction and fulfillment lay in God plus something else. God allows distress to come into our lives to return us to Him. Then we get a sense of the reality of life without Him and become desperate to be in Him. That is when He will help us turn back to Him. Why? Why would God want His unfaithful bride back after she so willingly sought other lovers? The LORD our God is a merciful God. Mercy forgives and forgets and loves once again. We have been recipients of this mercy as Israel was. It is now our duty to be merciful to others. Forgive and forget and love again so that you will be a reflection of the wonderful God who loves you.

Sharing With Your Children

Deuteronomy 4:9---Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

Israel had seen so much since the days when Moses began to confront Pharaoh. If they could just remember all God had done and the lessons that He had taught them. If their children could only learn those stories by vivid storytelling so that they would cling to the lessons. What a difference it would make in their future and the choices they would make! It would save them from such heartache and sorrow. They were warned to be careful and watch themselves closely so as not to forget, letting the lessons slip from their heart. We have the same warning in the New Testament. (Hebrews 2:1) We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. And how much more it applies to us who know all that God did to provide us the Way of salvation in His only Son? We need to teach our children the lessons of the Word as well as those from our own lives. We need to remember the testimonies of when God met us and share them with our children. We need to share the wonder of when the Word came alive to us and spoke to us personally. When we do that, we not only encourage their faith, but we set an example that will affect future generations. Never fear to share your personal walk with God with your children. They need to hear about it. It also reminds you of the lessons you have learned and helps prevent them from slipping from your heart.

Forsaken Of The Father

God Is Near You When You Pray

Deuteronomy 4:7-8---For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statute and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

Our God fills the universe, and yet He is near everyone, ready to commune with hearts that are receptive to Him. He is overall and yet willing to have a personal relationship with those who seek Him in truth. There has never been a god invented by any religion that is so great and so loving as the God of the Bible. We did not invent our God. He revealed Himself to us. He continues to reveal Himself to us as long as we continue to seek the wonder of His infinite greatness. Though Israel was a nation with the privilege of seeing Him move on their behalf, all the nations that came in contact with Israel could witness the same and decide if they wanted to pursue the God of Israel. He would be just as near any of them that sought Him whenever they prayed to Him. What really made Israel unique was that they had the recorded word of God. The laws that they received were full of the Creator's instructions that kept them from the diseases and injustices that the nations around them experienced. The revealed Word gave them a new culture, the culture of God. Even the culture was meant to be a witness to the nations.

Be An Encourager

Deuteronomy 1:38---But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

How appropriate that the one whose name in Aramaic is Jesus, should lead them into the Promised Land. Now, Jesus of Nazareth leads us to inherit all that God has for us. There in the wilderness, Moses was telling the people that Joshua, son of Nun, was going to need their encouragement. Leadership is listed as one of the gifts in Romans 12:8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Just because some have and use this gift does not mean they can do it on their own. They need others using their gifts as well. The first gift mentioned in the Romans passage is an encouragement.We think of the gifts as uniquely New Testament, but they have existed to some extent in the Old Testament too. Leaders tend toward discouragement because they see more of the problems than most. They are also the target of criticism when things are not going well. Some are not satisfied because their personal preferences are not acted upon and let the leader know it. A number of times Moses had experienced discouragement while leading with God's direction. Moses knew how needed encouragement is. Encourage your leaders. Of course, they can get a big head and become prideful like anyone else, but most are in need of hearing an honest encouraging word. Look for the things that you sense is the leading of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of the Elders around you, and encourage them with the testimony of how it has ministered to you.

Dealing With Trouble

Numbers 33:55---But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

Moses warned the Children of Israel. He told them they needed to drive out all the inhabitants of the land God had given them. We know from archeology that the people that lived there practiced some very dark religions that included the burning of live babies and lewd sexual fertility practices. God was establishing a nation that represented Him at the crossroads of the world. If the impression the world received was mixed with evil then the message too would be mixed and unclear. Unfortunately, they did not endure to see God's will done in this matter. It caused them many problems, and they were tempted to incorporate the religion of those people into Judaism. It was easier at the time of taking the Promised Land to avoid those areas that were the most difficult to conquer. It was harder for later generations to deal with the descendants of those people. That principle carries on to this day. If we will deal with the difficult issues in our lives when we are made aware of them, we will save ourselves and our children problems in the future. If we compromise and do not allow the Lord to take full possession of our hearts, our children and we will pay the price later. When the Lord makes you aware of an unsurrendered area in your heart, don't compromise. Deal with it. Make it His. You can justify anything if you want, but you and your children will pay the price. That thing will be barbs in your eyes, skewing the way you see the world. It will be thorns in your sides, causing you to move in directions you would not otherwise.

The Lord Before Me

Numbers 27:16-17---Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD is not as sheep which have no shepherd.

Moses was not going to be allowed to go on with the Children of Israel into the Promised Land. He had a heart for the people and knew they needed a strong leader to turn them from sin. They needed a commander who would go before them into battle and inspire them to keep up the fight. Where would you find someone like this with a heart like Moses, who would plead for the people before God? He prayed the above prayer, asking God to send a man with a real shepherd's heart. God answered that prayer in Joshua. Joshua is the Old Testament form of the New Testament name Jesus. In that day, God fulfilled that prayer in Joshua. However, Joshua didn't completely finish the job. As great a leader as he was, some of the enemy remained in the land. One enemy group deceived him into making a treaty. The Children of Israel grew weary and would not drive the others out. The result was constant battles throughout Israel's history. Along with that came the influence of idolatry that was the greatest of all poisons to Israel. Ultimately, God answered that prayer in Jesus. He is our Shepherd. Unlike the first Joshua, He can lead us to victory over all enemies. He is not tricked into any compromises. A man became our Shepherd. He protects, leads, feeds and cares for us, the sheep of His pasture. Thank God for the ultimate answer to this prayer and for His great ability to lead us into complete victory without compromise!

God Does What He Say

Numbers 23:19---God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Balaam tells the heathen king that is trying to curse Israel, "Look, I told you before, and God doesn't change His mind. Israel is blessed! If God blesses them, I can't curse them!" Sometimes we wish God would change His mind. If we knew all His reasons, we would probably change our mind. Too often we think of God as we do man, and that is where we run into trouble. As Jacob said of Rueben, man is "unstable as water". Like a liquid, we fit the container of our circumstances. But God never changes! He has no need to lie. Since He is all knowing, He was never misinformed about any given situation. Being all-powerful, He never lacked the power to carry through on His purposes. Being everywhere present, nothing has ever escaped His attention or sneaked up on Him. He will not change His mind. The wonderful thing about that is we know He will forever accept what Christ has done in our place. He will never one day decide it wasn't enough. He will never demand more than what Jesus already did for you. He has spoken and He will act. Satan can never succeed with a surprise attack on Him. God has promised, and He will fulfill. Balaam forgot his own words and later tried to get financial gain by tempting Israel into compromise. He may have reasoned that if they compromised they would then lose God's favor. Our minds can "reason" our way around what we know is true. God never changes! What He has said is the way it is. Don't try and figure a way around it.

Dealing With Conflict

Matthew 18:15-17---Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglects to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.

This is the only passage in the New Testament that tells how to practically go about resolving a conflict between brothers in Christ. If we would follow it carefully, we would resolve many conflicts before they got to the point of being irreparable. Step one: The one who is offended goes to the one that offended him, one on one. 90% of issues will be resolved there. Usually, it is a misunderstanding or something that was done unintentionally. Do it quickly before bitterness takes root. Once you become embittered, no response will be sufficient to restore the relationship. Step two: If there is no resolution, the offending brother refuses to listen, then take along two or three witnesses. Ideally, there should only be five people at the most that know about the problem. We get into trouble when we start telling others and forming groups to support one another's perception of what happened. Everyone wants to get support and sympathy, but the godly way is to keep those that know limited in an attempt to resolve the issue. Finally, if the brother refuses to listen, then take it to the church. Some interpret this to mean the elders of the congregation you attend. Others believe this means to bring it before the entire church body for resolution. If the brother refuses to listen to the church, (this assumes the church will be of one mind) treat him as a pagan or tax collector. This is one of Jesus' few teachings about what the church needs to do. Jesus is referring to believers that gather to worship. It really did not exist at the time, so Jesus is looking into the future and specifically addressing a future need for His followers in a corporate setting. Then the question is how to treat a pagan or tax collector. Is Jesus saying how the Jews treated them or how He and His disciples did? One of them was a tax collector. Treat them as those in need of salvation, loving them, but not considering them a part of the body of the local church. That would still offer hope that things could be restored if they would repent.

Look To Christ And Live

Numbers 21:8-9 ---The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live."  So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

After more wandering in the wilderness because of their refusal to trust God, the Children of Israel became impatient. They began to complain again about their conditions. It was their own actions and their own requests that had placed them there, but they began to blame it on Moses. It is always easier to point the finger at someone else than to consider our role in our difficulties. God sent poisonous snakes amongst them as a judgment. (There are still poisonous snakes with a fiery bite in that region of the desert) The people began to cry out to Moses for help. Our song changes from a whine to a plea when we are in a life and death situation. The LORD's instruction was to take a pole and place upon it a bronze snake. If the people would just turn and look at it they would be healed from the deadly venom. Here is another wonderful picture of what God did for us. Bronze is representative of judgment. The snake is the cursed being that was used by Satan to trick Eve and thereby bring the venom of sin and death into the world. One day that sin would be judged upon a pole. All we need to do to be cured of sin's deadly venom is to look and live. If we will have faith that sin has been judged in the One who hung there, we will live. Thank the LORD for His wonderful plan of salvation. Look and live!

Water of Life

Numbers 20:8, 10-11---"Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink." He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" ¹¹Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

This is the second time the LORD commanded Moses to bring water from the Rock. The first time God told Moses to strike the rock with his rod. This second time Moses was told to speak to the rock. Instead, Moses spoke some harsh words to the complaining people and struck the Rock twice. We can hardly blame him for being upset. This incident was cited as the reason he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. What is so horrible? We must remember that the LORD spoke clearly to Moses. Moses was not trying to discern what the LORD was leading him to do. In 1 Corinthians 10, we learn that this rock is a picture of Jesus. The first time we come to Him for the water of life, we find that He had to be struck for us that the water of life might flow out. He was struck in our place upon the cross. Once struck, He need never be struck again. All we need to do is speak to our Rock, and the water of Life is freely given to us. What an awesome picture God was painting! But Moses marred it. Notice that in Moses' anger he also said that he and Aaron were the ones bringing out the water from the rock. Jesus alone can do that. Moses fell into the fatal error of many leaders. He suggested that he is the one who meets their needs, pointing to self instead of God. We must always be careful to give God all the glory.

Don't Give In To Fear

Numbers 14:44-45---But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp. Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.
The Israelites had come right up to the border of the Promised Land but refused to go in because of fear. When they heard the alternative, they changed their mind. "If it was God's will before, won't God bless us if we do it now?" They wanted to save themselves from the consequences of sin by obeying now, but it was too late. They had already complained, whined, and refused to obey. The cloud did not lead them even though they were now willing. They decided to go anyway without Moses and the Ark of the Covenant, without God. They were soundly defeated. Timing and circumstance affect the will of God. It was God's will for them to enter in when they first heard the report. After their reaction to the report, it was no longer God's will. They had to reap the consequences of their decisions. You can't go back in time and make it right. You have to face the music. If at any time you decide to go back to escape the consequences, God will not be with you. Deal with the consequences of sin the best you can. If you are repentant, God will be with you as you face them. Since they had failed to obey, the next best thing was to obey God in the days to come, not go back and try to change things. Obey instantly when the first instruction comes. It is a tough lesson with heavy penalties. Learn to obey the first time. Realize that God's instructions are the best route for you.

Spiritual Legacy

Numbers 14:28, 33---Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.
The nation had come right up to the boundaries of the Promised Land and been afraid to trust God. They wanted to kill Moses and Joshua and elect a new leader to take them back to Egypt. Their lament was, "If only we had died in Egypt or in this wilderness." So God gave them their request. They wished they had died in the wilderness, and their sentence is exactly what they asked for. That is often the sentence God gives a man, what he demands. If we could just have faith that what He has planned for us is so much better than our own ideas, we would move forward into the Promised Land. Instead, many demand death in the desert. That is a sad thing, and yet it is what we asked for. But the really sad thing is that our children suffer from our faithless choices. While we are wandering in the wilderness, they are wandering with us. Instead of settling them down in the Promised Land, and giving them a better start in their life, we leave the battles ahead to them. Faith and the fruit of it is the greatest inheritance you could possibly leave your children. A nice cave in the desert near a spring does not compare. How is your life affecting your children? Are you beginning a legacy of faith or building a foundation for them on shifting sand? Our lives affect so much more than our own daily comfort. What are you sowing?

Intercession For Others

Numbers 14:18-19---The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven these people, from Egypt even until now.
The LORD was ready to exterminate these whining people when Moses interceded for them. Because of the fact that God knows the future, I think He was not as desirous to destroy them as much as He was to bring out the heart of intercession in Moses. Moses interceded with God according to the character of God that had been revealed to him. He's saying, "Wait a minute. You told me You were abounding with love and forgiveness. You are just, but then there is that wonderful side of You that is so great in Love. Exercise that love now, and forgive these people." When we plead with God according to His wonderful attributes, we are standing on a sure footing from which to plead. We can make a case that is legitimate. The people would be punished, but at the same time, God would exercise His great love. God answered Moses prayer because He was pleading according to the attributes of God. That is how we should pray too. Do you know God is abounding in love? You can count on that. Just as He forgave them all the way from Egypt to the entrance of the Promised Land (a picture of our journey from the world to heaven), so will He forgive you when you look to His wonderful attributes. He forgives us not because of what we do but because of who He is. Yet, there is a warning here. We may not arrive at all He had for us because of our insistence on sin. That sin will affect generations to follow. Learn from these rebels who are so like us, and cast yourself upon the LORD.

Take Heart, God Will Finish His Work In You

Matthew 16:21-23---From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest, not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
From a study of the chronological life of Jesus, we see this turning point came right before the transfiguration. Three of the disciples would witness the glory of Jesus. Their eyes would confirm what they had been thinking in their hearts. Yet, they still had an earthly kingdom mindset. Jesus had to prepare them for the shock they were about to face; seeing Him suffer at the hands of religious leaders, killed, but rising again to life. Peter had just been commended for his perception of the revelation of God that Jesus is the Messiah. Then Peter became an instrument of Satan. How did he go from one extreme to the other so quickly? He turned back to mind the things of men. When we have a heavenly mindset, influenced by the Holy Spirit, the ways and preferences of man are not a priority. We seek out the ways and preferences of God. When that means pain and loss, there is a temptation to retreat to man's ways. Peter loved Jesus. Yet, his love was brotherly kind of love, and he knew it. It was not the love of God that prefers others above your self. We often resort to minding the things of men. It is our old nature. We think it is safer, but if we could see through God's eyes, we would see it is foolishness. It ends in vanity. It is the ways of God, the mind of Christ, that produces fruit that remains. May the Lord help us to see beyond the present pain, filling our minds with His thoughts, to see the eternal good He produces through suffering and loss in this life. Peter did not cling to His revelation that Jesus was Messiah for very long, but God is not done working in Peter. There are still some crash landings and recoveries that are ahead in the story, but it ends with God finishing the work He started in him.

Trust God to Defend Your Godly Decisions

Numbers 12:1-3 ---Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?" they asked. "Hasn't he also spoken through us?" And the LORD heard this. (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

Moses family didn't approve of his marriage. We don't know what happened to Zipporah, his first wife. The new wife was an Egyptian, probably one of the multitude that came out with the Israelites to worship the God of the Hebrews. I think Moses was big enough to make his own decisions and godly enough not to be second-guessed. The real issue is leadership. Who has the final say? "Shouldn't we vote on whether or not this is the right decision? God speaks to us too! Why should he remarry at his age (80+yrs)?" Yes, He does speak to them. We just saw in the last chapter how His Spirit was placed upon the elders. The question remains, who will have the final say? It is a power struggle and not the last one we will see in the desert. The power belongs to God. He's in charge. He is leading through his servant Moses but helping him with the elders. This most humble of men does not defend himself and his decision to marry, but God will defend him. We can know that if we are walking with the LORD, in humble submission to Him, that we need not defend ourselves. The office of the prophet as the intermediary between God and man has since ceased (Luke 16:16). The Holy Spirit communes with each of us, and we have His Word. Still, the principle is the same. We will often be questioned, and sometimes our whole family will be against us (Matthew 10:36). We should know that we need not argue our case. If it is a righteous decision, the LORD will defend us. If it is not a godly decision, we will see the fruit and learn from our mistake. That is genuine humility.

High and Mighty

What The Cross Means To The World

A Difficult Expression, A Gentle Response

Matthew 15:26-28---But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
After Jesus gave the crowds some hard sayings, only the disciples remained (John 6:66-68). Jesus then journeyed outside the region He regularly taught in. He led the twelve to Tyre and Sidon. There were communities of Jews there, but we have no record of any teaching or interaction except this one story. A Canaanite woman came to Jesus to plead for her daughter's healing. She must have heard stories of His work on the shores of Galilee. She pleaded for mercy, but Jesus told her He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As she continued to plead, Jesus gave her a very hard saying. "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." Let us put this into some perspective to see if we can read between the lines. Jesus already had gone to Samaria. They were not considered Jews by the Jewish standard, yet Jesus ministered to them. They declared Him to be the Savior of the world. Jesus was thrown out of His hometown for reminding them that prophets were often sent outside Israel to Gentile people. In the story following our text, Jesus went to the region of Greek cities and fed the 4000. (Mark 7:31f) Yet, He told the disciples to go only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel (Matthew 10:5). It seems that there was a turning point here in the ministry of Jesus. He knew it was coming, for He knew the prophecies (Isaiah 11:10; 42:6). It was God's plan to offer salvation to the Jews first. The Apostle Paul follows the same pattern in His ministry (Acts 13:46-48). This Gentile woman's response was filled with faith. Compare that to the Jews response to Jesus' hard saying to them (John 6:52,66). Jesus often comes to us with a hard saying to test and strengthen our faith. Jesus' saying actually drew her closer instead of driving her away.

Is Anything Too Hard For God To Do?

Numbers 11:21-23---And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the Lord's hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.
The people were whining about not having meat to eat. Moses was very discouraged. God promised meat for a month along with some valuable lessons. Moses just couldn't see that it was possible. He looked out over the camp and couldn't imagine how God could do it. His response to God was an exaggeration. Certainly, all the fish in the sea could have fed them. Even the flocks they drove before them could have fed them. When we are discouraged, even the practical looks impossible. God's response is worth memorizing and keeping at hand when you think He has promised more than can be delivered. Has the omnipotent God lost some of His power? Can't the One who created the world and everything in it provide anything at any time He chooses? Is anything out of His reach? Don't limit the Eternal One! He can do whatever He says He will do in keeping with His perfect character. This was going to be a lesson for Moses and for you and me. You and I have seen what God can do when we read these true stories. We have seen what He has done in the lives of people we know and in our own life. We have seen that God can do what we considered impossible. Never doubt God's capability to do what He has promised. He is able! You have seen it. You will see it again. Trust Him, and climb out of your pit of doubt up into the sunlight of faith.

Lord, Keep My Heart Satisfied With You

Numbers 11:4-6---And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul has dried away: there is nothing at all, besides this manna, before our eyes.
They started wailing again. It's easy to join a pity party. The rabble and troublemakers are always among us. They point people toward the temporal and not to Jesus, the eternal. They point to the things that you do not currently possess and not to the blessings at hand. They crave the things of the world and not the things of God. Did the manna cost? Here they are with the miraculous provision and they are whining for something more exotic. It would be hard to have the same meal day after day, and a miracle loses its awe to us when we see it daily. How we remember the good but not the bad! Their babies were fed to the crocs and their backs to the whips, but they want to go back for a nice dinner. The real problem is that they are not hungry for God. Jesus said that He is the manna that comes down from heaven. They are tired of focusing on one thing. They'd like a little worldly diversion. It shows they had not grown spiritually, and though they were out of Egypt, Egypt was not out of them. Watch out for the allurement of the world. It promises its delicacies but neglects to tell you of the price you will pay for them or how temporal their satisfaction is. The Promised Land has plenty to satisfy, but you must be prepared by learning to put first things first. Which will it be for you, forward, or backward?

Coffee ☕️ And Conversation

Look For The Good

Matthew 13:56-58---And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
At first, Jesus' hometown folk were impressed with Him. When they figured out what He was saying, they looked for reasons to be upset with Him. A person that does not like the message will soon accept a critical spirit and begin to find fault in the messenger. The Greek word for 'offense' is skandalizo which comes from the noun skandalon. Skandalon is the word used for the trigger of a trap. It is the lever that causes the trap to spring shut. When we look for faults in others, we are searching for something to grab hold of for accusation. The accuser of the brethren is Satan. We don't realize that when we seize that trigger, the trap closes in on our mind. From that time forward all that person's perfections appear in our mind as flawed. We assign motives that were never in that person's mind, thinking we are more spiritual. Remember, the unredeemed find fault in the church every day. It is not a sign of spirituality, but of immaturity. Those hometown folk that was with Jesus did not accept the call on His life, even as He read it from the Word of God. "How could this man be the one Isaiah wrote of? We know His sisters! He didn't study under a great rabbi! How dare He claim a relationship with God that is greater than ours and instruct us!" When Jesus shared that His message would go to the Gentiles and reminded them of examples of the same in their own Bible, they tried to kill Him. It is sad that He could not do miracles there because of their refusal to believe and have faith. The trap they had sprung on themselves not only kept the miraculous from blessing the city, but it prevented them and those they influenced from entering the kingdom of heaven. The very people Jesus had grown up among, as a living example of a holy child, teen and young adult, refused the salvation they had been waiting for. Don't reach for that trigger! If you already have, repent! God can free you from the trap if you will confess your sin. The revelation of an error in another is the call to intercede, not condemn. Isn't that how you would like Jesus to treat you? (Ephesians 4:32; Matthew 6:14,15)