journey onWord with us

There have been many times in my life when my words and actions caused me great remorse. Your memory bank probably contains recollections that make you wonder, “How could I have said that, or how could I have done that”? Can you imagine if your lack of discretion was memorialized in print? Moses was a man to be admired, a man listed in what Christians call the hall of faith in Hebrews chapter eleven. But we see a vivid description of his failure when the Israelites were grumbling by the waters of Meribah.

Psalm 106:32-33
By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord, and trouble came to Moses because of them; for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips.

Beyond his words, was the lack of trust in smiting the rock when the Lord told him to speak to it! And having looked at this same event just one post ago, I believe we can glean more from this moment in time, and Moses’ later reactions. Two particular thoughts deserve our attention.

Being a humble servant, you would imagine that Moses would have deep remorse and repentance for his actions. You may be surprised to know that his lingering response modeled 21st century emotions.

Deuteronomy 3:23-26
At that time I pleaded with the Lord: “O Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.” But because of you the Lord was angry with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the Lord said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter.”

Notice that the Lord refused his request: he was not going into the Promised Land. Moses was also having a major struggle: he blamed the children of Israel for God’s decision to not allow him to enter the Land. Before we condemn Moses, we must admit that we would have probably begged with the Father for entrance. And isn’t it easy to blame others rather than accept the fact that we, ourselves, had failed?

Have you ever thought about why striking the rock was such a big deal? Disobedient, yes, but he was refused entrance to the Promise Land.  Speaking of the children of Israel: I Corinthians 10:3-4 says, “They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.”  Although, I certainly don’t have all the answers, read the following words and seek to gain a sense of the moment.

“The events here contrast with those in Exodus 17. In the Exodus passage, God told Moses to smite the rock, picturing our Lord’s death on the cross. But here He told him to speak to the rock, for Jesus Christ died but once…Here is the explanation of why Moses was to speak to the rock and not smite it: Christ our rock has risen from the dead; He is our living High Priest; and He gives us the spiritual blessings we need as we ask for them. A person does not have to be saved over and over again, nor does the gift of the Holy Spirit have to be repeated”.

Warren Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament

Christ died once for our sins and did not need to be smitten again. So as we look a bit deeper at an Old Testament passage, we can glean two important truths: saints struggle, and Christ died once for our sins and that was enough! Seek the Word, admit your struggles and embrace the cross.

Talk about an adventuresome life! Moses’ journey takes us from the riches of Egypt to the backside of the desert. Through the lens of Scripture we see Him at the burning bush and leading the children of Israel through the Red Sea. He spent time on the mountain with God, and brought back the Ten Commandments. Leading a band of people who were easily disgruntled would have been an adventure enough.

As we follow Moses’ life and leadership through the pages of God’s Word, we see him as a man with weakness and sin, but also deeply dedicated to the Lord. But after nearly 40 years in the wilderness, it happened: an event that kept Moses from going into the Promised Land. Have you ever wondered why?

In Numbers chapter twelve, Moses is called the most humble man on the face of the earth. But only a handful of verses into the chapter, we see a picture of an indignant man, who acted rashly, and lost his opportunity to lead his people into the Promised Land. The Israelites were grumbling again about the lack of water. Moses was instructed to take the staff and speak to the rock. God told him it would pour out water. Remember at an earlier time when the children of Israel were unhappy about the lack of water, Moses was instructed to smite the rock. He had done as God commanded and water flowed. But this time, he disobeyed and instead of speaking, he smote the rock twice.

Numbers 20:10-12
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?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

A man of deep humility was overtaken by rash, angry words. He said “must we bring you water out of this rock?” Although there can be varying opinions on why this was such a glaring failure, there is no question that Moses directly disobeyed God’s design and desire, and in his own power, struck the rock. Centuries later, we struggle with the same problem, taking God’s design and doing it our way. Whether we do it out of reaction or rebellion, we choose our own means and method.  God has always placed a high value on obedience whether it was smiting a rock, or living our way in the 21^st century.

Lessons learned from this scene can be very helpful to any Christ follower. The Father wants obedient children: He does know best! God’s grace is seen through this scene as, even with Moses’ lack of trust, the water came for the people. I personally see the beauty of God’s grace in that He let Moses see the Promised Land before he died. You and I will often fail as Moses did, but is your heart set on obedience?

“Tune in” on Thursday for the conclusion of this story …

A sad, but true picture of unbelief is played out before our eyes in the 14^th chapter of Numbers. If you grew up in church, you undoubtedly have heard the story of the twelve spies that went to scout out the land of Canaan. They spied the land for forty days and then gave their findings. You know what happens next: ten were afraid and gave a negative report. But two men, Joshua and Caleb, showed great faith and were blessed of God. This tragedy is highlighted by the fact that the ten fearful spies were struck down by God with a plague. Unbelief also led to the needless wilderness journey that lasted forty years. In the midst of the rubble, we see God doing what He always does, blessing a life of faith.

Numbers 14:24 (NIV)
But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.

Numbers 14:24 (MSG)
But my servant Caleb-this is a different story. He has a different spirit; he follows me passionately. I’ll bring him into the land that he scouted and his children will inherit it.

Numbers 14:24 (KJV)
But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

Wholeheartedly, passionately and fully are strong words. Who in your life is a wholehearted follower of Christ? Don’t think about someone who follows religious guidelines, but that person whose faith really makes a difference. That person could be you! Caleb followed God passionately, and honored Him when it would have been easier to side with the ten fearful spies. Faith that matters will many times make hard choices. And by fully following the Lord, Caleb showed his family the beauty of faith, and a legacy of a God honoring his life.

Don’t measure your faith (or anyone else’s) externally … it’s an inside job. Grow daily, seek Him passionately, and just see what He does. Let your spiritual measurement be,

“Am I growing more in love with God and in love with people?” If you are, something is happening on the inside that only God can do. Steadfast, wholehearted faith will work for you just like it did for Caleb. Could your world be blessed if you have the Caleb spirit?

Another sad, but true story happens when any of us shifts from faith to unbelief. Many reading this may have slowed in your spiritual passion. Some readers may feel they have never been wholehearted. And still others may never have accepted Christ as Savior. But there is hope! Because the God of Caleb still reigns! Believe these words: For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (I Chronicles 16:9a) That includes you!

And never forget, that your journey is not walked alone.  We are ready always to come alongside.  Email us @ journeyonwordwithus@gmail.com

As I view the journey wanderings of the children of Israel, I am less than impressed. But as I correspondingly view my own journey adventures, I am left asking myself the same question that I might have asked of them.  “How do you (I) so easily get distracted from God’s grace and miss the beauty of His miracles?” You may view the Israelites and yourself in much the same vein. A recent reading of Numbers chapter 11, gave me an instructive picture of whining, as well as Moses and God.

God gave His children manna, but that was not good enough. Complaining begins, and there is a cry for meat to eat. “But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” (v6) God removes them from the bondage of Egypt and provides for them, but they want meat, not manna. My first thought is, “are you kidding me?”  But then, I quickly feel compelled to look at our twenty-first century responses to God’s provision and care, before I rush to judge my brothers and sisters. We may not be complaining about manna and meat, but most Christ followers do struggle at some level with what God has provided vs. our own wants.

Moses, the great leader, is at his wit’s end. He is weighted by a burden He cannot carry by himself, and lets the Father know.

Numbers 11:13-15
“Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now-if I have found favor in your eyes-and do not let me face my own ruin.”

Listen closely to Moses’ cry to God, as he feels nearly crushed by the weight of his burden.  Do you ever have that feeling? Moses was certainly God honoring, but he was also very human. And in his desperate moment, God came through. Careful reading of Numbers chapter 11, shows how God took the Holy Spirit that was on Moses and put that same Spirit on the seventy elders so that he would not have to carry the burden alone. God is never limited by our weaknesses, and he hears our cries.

And what about the meat? God answered, and blew in quail.  But at the same time, struck the children of Israel with a severe plague. Their craving was costly.

So what can we learn from the whining, from Moses, and about God?  First and foremost, The Father is a provider.  An all-knowing, loving provider. Enjoy His manna, and let Him worry about when it’s the right time to bring us meat. Moses showed his weakness and God provided him with direction and help in his time of need. God is patient. Embrace your weakness, and trust Him for direction. We are also reminded that God is holy and just and will discipline us when needed. Never being satisfied, is as ugly today as it was on the Israelite journey.

We can’t re-do yesterday, but praise God, it ended at midnight.

In any endeavor to read through the Bible, it is universally accepted that the book of Leviticus presents one of the most significant potential roadblocks to success.  I am certain that many of the strongest resolves were broken before the reader reached the final verse of its final chapter.  Leviticus is a book where the epic tension of the two R’s (rules vs. relationship) seems reduced to an open and shut case of, “the rules have it!”

As I began the daily reading Tuesday, I got only a single verse into it before I skidded to a stop.  For a reason I am not fully aware of even now, I paused after reading the first few words of the second verse of Leviticus chapter 26.  It reads …

“Observe my Sabbaths …”

And as I sat and allowed those few words to echo in meditation, I “saw” the assumedly wide chasm between the two R’s all but completely disappear.  Now, there is no arguing that “Remember the Sabbath” is a rule.  It is number 4 on the “Top Ten” list.  But inherent in this command from the great I AM, is a priority on relationship.  God first modeled this “rule” for us, in choosing on the seventh day of creation to rest.  The creator of the universe, the source of all energy, the possessor of omnipotent power, rested.  Did he need to?  The obvious answer to that question is, “No”.  Well then, there must have been a reason why he rested.  And then at a pivotal moment in the history of his people, why he commanded that his day of rest be remembered in their individual lives.

Sabbath, or “shabat” in Hebrew, is literally translated as “rest” or the “cessation of work”.  On the seventh day of creation, God stopped working and rested.  Not from a place of fatigue, but rather of “finished”.  Creation was complete, and God stopped.  And I also believe that during this cessation, he rested and communed with his creation.  And from these literal translations, it is not difficult to conclude why he commanded the remembrance of this in the lives of his people.  It was a delineation between the work they did in, and of themselves, and the true source of all the fruits of their labor.  And a proper silence in which to worship their God, and commune with Him.  It was a rest that produced peace, and nurtured and grew relationship.  And I love the early picture of God’s provision for his people in the desert.  Each day God would provide manna.  And each day there would be just enough for that day.  Except on the sixth day, when God provided enough for two days.  He was true in supplying their need to live in obedience to his command.  How amazing is that!

It is so easy, isn’t it, to fill our lives with the “stuff” of work, and family and service.  Things that in their proper context can be very good.  But also things which can rather quickly crowd our lives and attentions, and create a barrier between us and the Creator in who’s image we were created.  Take the time to “cease work” and “rest”.

The ancients certainly did, and today, we can also take relationship activities and shroud them in rules.  Flee from that, and pursue instead the opportunity to “cease work” and “rest” once a week, and commune with your Creator.  He so desires a close relationship with you.  One that is not defined by the practice and particulars of a ritual, but rather time and presence given in love, motivated by what He has done for us.

Do you ever feel like, “last week was too much!”?  Work dominated, family issues kept you moving, and you struggled for that elusive sense of balance. Today starts a new week and you may already be thinking it will be “too much!”, again. We must be careful, or life will be driven by emotions that cause us to look back with discouragement, and forward with a bit of dread. To live focused on yesterday and tomorrow will cause us to miss living in the moment, which will cause us to miss incredible moments of opportunity to care and love. Since your workload and activity calendar will likely stay full, what can you do to achieve that sense of balance?

If you are anything like me, you do not lack desire to live in the moment. But you struggle with consistently making the right choice. My wife handed me a poem weeks ago that fits the dilemma both you and I face this (and every) week. It was written by Helen Mallicoat, and the words are timeless.

I was regretting the past and fearing the future.
Suddenly my Lord was speaking:
“My name is I Am”. He paused.
I waited. He continued,
When you lived in the past with it’s
mistakes and regrets, it is hard.
I am not there.
My name is not “I Was”.
When you live in the future,
With its problems and fears,
it is hard.
I am not there.
My name is not “I will Be”.
When you live in the moment,
it is not hard.
I am here.
My name is “I Am”.

When Moses was having dialogue with God about leading the children of Israel, “God said to Moses, “I Am who I Am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I Am has sent me to you.’” (Exod. 3:14)  Today, if you are in Christ, “I Am” resides in you in the person of the Holy Spirit. And “I Am” will guide and teach us, if we submit to him, to truly live in the moment. Our choice will not be easy, but it will have incredible results. It may be wise to stop right now, and pray, “Lord, I give you this day, and I will live in the moment”.

Reading through the early part of the New Testament gives us a great picture of this principle. None of us are busier than Christ, yet His pace didn’t seem hurried; He stopped and met needs, spent time praying to the Father, mentored the disciples and cared for the masses. As He lived in the moment, lives were changed. I wonder if you and I can accomplish more by living in the moment rather than regretting yesterday and fearing tomorrow. Think about it, and live today in the moment.

Can God be trusted to guide our lives? — yes! Can we trust the Bible? — absolutely! Do we believe that it has the answers for life’s questions? — yes! Is accepting Christ as Savior the only way to heaven? — absolutely! Does God answer prayer? — yes! Can the Father give us joy on the journey? — absolutely! These truths are almost like a creed that could easily be recited. But I am concerned that horizontal focus (earthbound) tends to overshadow our vertical relationship (trusting the Father).

A personal illustration may help. Although I know that He gives me joy for the journey, today was one of those days of earthbound, frustrating human logic. I wanted to pout, and had good reason to do it! (Did I really??)  After praying for different issues, why was I not trusting? Why did I get discouraged when God didn’t move quick enough? Why was I grumpy when “my” plans didn’t fit as I wanted? Could it be because I wanted to lead my life and fit God’s design into my plans? You may have experienced similar days recently.

Mark 8:34-37 — The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language
Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?

All of us will have “rough days”, but does your general pattern of life model the words of Christ? Most Christ followers would say, “I want Christ to lead me”, but we fight for the driver’s seat. When Christ leads, love, sacrifice, obedience and sometimes suffering will be the required. On the days, and sometimes seasons, when we are in the driver’s seat, love turns inward, sacrifice seems too radical, obedience is optional, and suffering is to be avoided at all costs. To find the joy available from God, and the you He means for you to be, lose your life … and He will save it.

Are you finding a struggle at the steering wheel? — yes! Does God understand your struggle? — absolutely! Can you have more joy by letting Christ lead? — yes! Do you believe that you can trust Him? — absolutely!  Are you willing to radically commit to letting Him lead? — _________!

At Journey onWord With Us, we are not just about writing devotional posts, or words of challenge or encouragement.  We are here when you are struggling to fill in that blank. Or, ready to come along side you when you make a decision to fill in that blank.  Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out.  We are always ready to share the reason for our hope in Christ.

We say that expectant mothers have “that glow” about their faces.  Some may glow when they are in love.  Others buy the manufactured glow of a tanning bed!  But one of the most intriguing glowing faces in all of Scripture, is that of Moses.

From the time his life was spared as a baby, through the wilderness wandering, to receiving the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, the life of Moses reads like one of the greatest adventures ever written.  But it’s the account of Moses and the Glory of God, that gave me the most pause for thought.  In Exodus chapter 33, we learn that the relationship Moses has with the Lord is so close, so extraordinary, that God calls him a friend.  He knows him by name.

Exodus 33:11 & 17
11  The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.

17  And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name”

Then, in response to this blessed declaration by God, Moses asks the unthinkable, the incredible … ”Now show me your glory.”

And even more incredibly, God honors his request, and protects Moses from the death that would result from looking directly into His face.  The Lord passed by, as Moses stood shielded by God’s hand in the cleft of the rock; and he was only allowed to see the back of the Lord.   After 40 days and nights on the mountain with God Himself, Moses returned to the Israelites.  He returned completely unaware that his face was actually glowing.

Exodus 34:29
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.

The Glory of God was reflected on the face of Moses!  God’s glory!  What will it be like for us to see His glory … when we arrive in Glory?!  It’s not the sun, moon, or stars that make Heaven so bright; it’s God Glory.  It’s not the essence of an angel that makes them brilliant and shining. It’s the fact that they live where God lives, and His Glory is reflected upon them!  The name seraph means “burning one” or “shining one.”  It is believed that these angels dwell in such close proximity to God that they burn with holy brilliance!  Isaiah Chapter 6 describes these angels as using two wings to cover their faces – even the angels must protect themselves from the brilliance of God’s Glory when they are in His presence.

This blog was designed with the idea of offering encouragement through the daily journey that we all travel in this world. Encouragement in the face of pressures, worries, and upsets. And, if you are having a day today that is anything like the day I had earlier this week, think on this … one day, we will look on the face of God in all His Glory.  No need to hide in the cleft of the rock.  No need to cover our faces.  No need to fear.  I wonder if our faces will reflect His Glory?  I wonder if our faces will glow?  I think they will.

Yesterday ended at midnight.

I think it’s a safe assumption that everyone reading this article is facing some faith adventures today. It could be a health journey, a job scenario, maybe a financial mountain or just an everyday “will I trust Him?” moment.  God in His wisdom uses these “refiners” to help us learn (and re-learn) dependence. As you read the next few paragraphs, let your mind travel back to a stormy day in the life of Christ and His disciples. Faith will rise to the forefront, and we can certainly relate to the dilemma.

Our context can be found in Mark 4:35-41. After a day of teaching, Christ gives His disciples an adventure in trusting Him. He informs the group that they’ll be heading across the Sea of Galilee. He is leading them into the storm! Sometimes storms result from our disobedience. But at other times, the Father’s design is to send us headlong into troubled waters … but never without an anchor.

Scripture tells us that this was a furious squall.  So intense that the waves broke over the boat. And the disciples had some serious concerns about drowning. Can you believe that Jesus was sleeping while all that was going on?! You may not mouth words like those of the disciples, “Teacher, don’t you care that we drown?”  But you (and I) have had similar thoughts. They had waves, and we have our “storms”. As you view today’s faith adventure, are you looking with eyes of faith, or do you have that drowning feeling? Christ’s rebuke of the storm and His disciples is instructive, even today.

With the words, “Quiet! Be still!” Christ calmed the wind. The Creator of the Universe was in control of nature. It is amazing to me that Christ followers accept His control over our eternal destiny, yet we struggle with the daily storms. If you are anything like me, you have met some stormy days with strong faith, but in many others, sinking seemed inevitable. But we should never doubt that He is in control. Preparation for the rough waters will determine how we respond when the storms come. Are you letting Him prepare you?

Christ also had strong words for his disciples after calming the storm. “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” His rebuke gives us a strong indication that they were not responding with faith to His teaching and miracles. All of us have an opportunity today to respond with faith in the midst of our storms. I am often rebuked that even after so many wonderful faith builders, I still get that drowning feeling. But today is new, God is still in control, and you and I can choose to view our personal storms with eyes of faith. It is your choice!

Who is the most famous person you have been privileged to speak with? At that moment, you probably had a sense of awe in starting the conversation. Your palms were sweaty and you feared saying something dumb, or inappropriate. Rising far above any awe-struck conversation is the opportunity that we have to communicate with God. Through a relationship with Jesus Christ we are given entrance to the throne room. God wants to spend time with us, and there is no need for sweaty palms or a fearful heart. At the moment of your salvation, you were adopted into His family (Romans 8:15). So why, if God wants to spend time with us, and we need Him, do we struggle so much with the issue of prayer?

One of the primary reasons, I believe, is that we view prayer in the wrong context. Whether you are new to faith or a long time follower of Christ, chances are, your prayer life often frustrates you. Could it be that too much emphasis is put on “my requests” and “His answers”? Surely we are to seek God with our burdens, no matter the size. And our Father wants to meet us at our point of need. So what is the right context?! Note the words of author Dr. Larry Crabb, in “The PAPA Prayer” …

“The chief purpose of prayer is to get to know God, to deepen our relationship with Him, to nourish the life of God He’s already placed within us, and to do it all to satisfy His desire for relationship with us”.

If you would permit me to ask a personal question, “are you building a relationship with your prayer life”?

During the earthly ministry of Jesus, prayer played a critical role. After an evening of healing, we see a vivid picture of Christ’s relationship with the Father. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). View His life, and you will see constant and deep communion with the Father. Search scripture and you won’t find Christ just giving God His laundry list of requests. He needed and wanted to spend time in prayer. Could it be that we sense so little victory and enjoyment in prayer because we aren’t building a relationship, but simply conveying our needs?

Most parents know the needs of their children and desire to meet them. Those same parents long to meet needs in the context of a relationship. God knows our every need and wants to bless our lives as we spend time with Him, sharing our hearts, and listening to His. You can give God lots of requests, without sharing your heart and listening to His. But you may find that in spending time relating to Him, your prayer life becomes more meaningful, enjoyable and victorious. I wonder if those who see great answers, seek a relationship over the laundry list.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne
of grace with confidence, so that
we may receive mercy and find
grace to help us in our time of need.

If you are not approaching your prayer life with confidence, it’s time to think about replacing your approach with a new one. You may find that more relating and less requesting will give you greater confidence. Remember, He wants to give us mercy and let us find His grace. Try letting your prayer time be more sharing your heart, and quietly listening to His. And don’t worry; He knows what you need!