Be Careful What You Wish For.

The Israelites were tired of being vegetarians. Or manna-tarians.  It was all-manna, all the time.  Manna tasted like a pastry made with the finest oil—it was delicious.  At least the first time.  But anything could get tiresome. Yet the people did not simply wish for variety.  They let their hearts become rebellious. They cried out:

“Who will give us meat? We remember the fish we ate in Egypt, and the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. But now our appetite is gone. There’s nothing to look at but this manna!” Numbers 11:4-6.

The people were so ungrateful they angered God. So God told Moses he would send meat: “You will eat not for one day, or for two days, or five days, or 10 days, or 20 days, but for a whole month—until it comes out your nostrils and becomes nauseating to you—because you have rejected the Lord, and cried ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt’” 11:19-20.

But Moses had a question. “I’m in the middle of 600,000 foot soldiers … all the fish in the sea could not provide enough meat.” Yet God sent quail into camp until they were piled 3 feet deep.  The people gathered quail for three days, “and the one who took the least gathered 50 bushels” 11:32.  Why gather so much? Because they did not trust God to provide all month long.  So without meat, they were rebellious and angry, then when meat arrived, they hoarded the meat rather than trust God to provide.

So God sent a PLAGUE.  “While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the Lord’s anger burned and He struck them with a severe plague” 11:33.

God, never let us forget your GOODNESS.  When we are satisfied, make us grateful. When we are not, help us trust you. Teach us Paul’s secret: “I have learned the secret of being content in any situation, whether having abundance or suffering need: I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens me” Philippians 4:12-13.

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Prayer for the Traveler.

People like rituals to ensure safety while traveling.  One of the most famous is praying to Saint Christopher.  For centuries Catholics have prayed to Christopher for “traveling mercies” when setting out on a journey.  According to Catholic.org, Christopher, a tall, strong man known for helping people cross a dangerous river, is the patron saint of bachelors, transportation, traveling, storms, epilepsy, gardeners, holy death, and toothaches.  Some wear necklaces of Christopher hoping for his protection. In the 1950s, many kept statues of Christopher on the dashboard of their cars for protection while traveling. Today (according to some brief online shopping) it looks like visor clips and various medallions that attach to the car are more popular than the statues, which, even with a magnetic base, must be prone to falling.

However, the Bible forbids us to pray to anyone but God Himself, see Deuteronomy 18:10-13 (and other verses).  And why bother Christopher anyway, when you can talk to the Omniscient God of the Universe, the Creator who made you, who loves you, and who knows what is best for you?  God says “Call unto ME and I will answer you” (Jeremiah 33:3).  Why would you ever pray to anyone else?

Nevertheless, prayer when you travel is an excellent idea.  Moses and the children of Israel traveled forty years in the wilderness.  Moses had a prayer for every journey.  (I bet it was a good one!)

“Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say:

‘Arise, Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and those who hate You flee from Your presence.’

When the ark came to rest, he would say:

‘Return Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel’” Numbers 10:35-36.

Although I had not thought about it when reading this passage before, today I think I will put these words in the car and consider praying them as I begin and end my journeys.  Why not?  A prayer to GOD HIMSELF, based on GOD’S WORD (actual scripture), and used for forty years by Moses, certainly beats a prayer offered to a dead man who never saw an automobile, a freeway, or a traffic accident.

“Arise, Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered!”

In other words,

“LET’S GOOOOOOO!”

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Don’t Just Stand There! Do Something!

Wait. Is that cliche^^ Biblical?  Everyone says it. I’ve had bosses tell me “when in doubt, do something; take the initiative.” They want their people hustling, busy, working, go, go, go!  That may be sound advice for employees. But I wonder whether God would tell his children, “don’t just stand there! Do something!”  As a young believer, I questioned my motives, and was more comfortable waiting on God’s leadership. I would pray and prepare myself for any answer—but I would not move until I sensed his direction.  Yet I felt alone in that approach.

Then I read Henry Blackaby’s words on the subject.  He says we are impatient and must learn to slow down with God. We need to learn the discipline of WAITING ON THE LORD.  He writes that too often Christians say “don’t just stand there, do something!” as if taking action—ANY action—is better than being still before the Lord.  It is not.  Truly Biblical advice would be, “DON’T JUST DO SOMETHING. STAND THERE!”  Consider how God led Israel in the wilderness:

“When the cloud was lifted above the tent, the Israelites would set out. Where the cloud stopped, there they camped. At the Lord’s command they set out, and at the Lord’s command they camped. [Whether many days or a few days], they would camp at the Lord’s command, and set out at the Lord’s command. Sometimes the cloud remained only from evening until morning. When the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out…. Whether it was two days, a month, or longer, the Israelites camped and did not set out as long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle” Numbers 9:17-22.

Dear God, teach us to WAIT on you. Help us seek you and wait patiently for your answer. Don’t let us run ahead, causing problems. Give us the faith to BE STILL AND KNOW that you are God, YOU will be exalted among the nations. You will be exalted in the earth, Ps. 46:10.  Thank you for guiding us!

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“LORD TEACH US TO PRAY”… FOR EACH OTHER. Numbers 6:22-27.

Some Bible passages will forever remind me of acting out certain scenes on stage. In one scene, a disciple turned to me and said, seemingly out of the blue, “Lord, teach us to pray.”  And, playing the part of Jesus, I answered, “You should pray like this: Our Father, who art in heaven, your name is holy….”  This scene of course, is from Luke 11:1-4, wherein Jesus gives us the model for prayer commonly known as “the Lord’s Prayer.”

But there is an older prayer given to us in the Bible, a prayer that is entirely other-centered.  Do you remember it?  It makes an excellent prayer guide to use when praying for your family or anyone you care about.  God dictated it to Moses specifically to help the Israelites know how to pray for and bless each other:

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying… ‘in this way shall you bless the sons of Israel. You are to say to them:

‘THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU.

THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE TO SHINE UPON YOU AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU.

THE LORD TURN HIS FACE TOWARD YOU AND GIVE YOU PEACE.’

In this way you will put my name on the Israelites and I will bless them” Numbers 6:22-27.

I know you’ve heard the popular song with these words—and the song is amazing.  But I memorized these words years ago and have prayed them for my family many times.  Think about it—how awesome is that, that God told us how to bless our families, and gave us exact words to use.

NOW DO THESE TWO THINGS—

  1. Read the prayer again and see if you understand all the phrases. 
  2. Then pray the words over your family and friends.  Take the time to actually ask God to bless them in each of these ways.

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A Blessing.

Today my Bible reading included my favorite blessing in the Bible. This is my prayer for each of you—God not only wrote this prayer, but He also told Moses to use it as Israel’s official blessing:

“Tell Aaron and his sons that this is how you are to bless the Israelites:

‘May the Lord bless you and keep you,

May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you,

May He turn His face toward you [smile on you] and give you peace.’”

Numbers 6:24-26.

That is my prayer.

*The brackets [ ] indicate a paraphrase added to provide a more modern wording.

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Giving and Giving Back.

When I was a child, our church launched a building campaign so we could replace our decaying building downtown with a new and much larger building on the west side.  Everyone knew the slogan “two by two” meaning we would give two times as much for two years. That is, we would “tithe twenty percent” for two years.  But how do you “tithe” 20 percent, when the word “tithe” literally means “tenth”?  (We learned to call it a “double-tithe.”)

People sometimes ask whether God requires a tithe from believers today.  He clearly released us from the law.  No one preaches we should keep kosher (and give up shrimp and catfish!).  But God always required His people to give something back.  Farmers would give the first fruits of the harvest.  Ranchers would give the best of their sheep, goats, and bulls.  And God even laid claim to the first born males among the human children:

“Every firstborn belongs to me.  At the time I struck down the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated every firstborn in Israel to Myself, both man and beast.” Numbers 3:13.

Rather than take the firstborn male from every family, God takes the tribe of Levi in their place.  Then the men are counted.  “The total number of all Levite males is 22,000” 3:39.  But the total number of firstborn males in the other 11 tribes was 22,273.  So there were not enough male Levites to “redeem” the nation’s firstborn males.

“As the redemption price for the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites, collect five shekels for each person…” 3:46-47.

God has always asked us to give back.  Who gave Israel fruit, grain, livestock, and children?  God.  Couldn’t He have simply given them 10% less?  Yes. But God wants His children to actually do the giving.

Giving to God from what He has given us is the way we worship Him and show our gratitude.  Whether you give 10% or more or less—give generously out of obedience.

“The Lord loves a cheerful giver” 2 Corinthians 9:7.

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Watch Your Eyes. Numbers 4:20

People say “watch your mouth.” We know we can sin with our mouths. My dad used to tell me: “You’re a good kid, but your mouth is gonna get you in a lot of trouble.” But I thought my eyes were harmless, that I could look at anything and remain innocent. I was wrong. Your eyes CAN sin.

Job says, “I made a covenant with my eyes, not to look lustfully on a woman.” Job 31:1. Had he seen Bathsheba instead of David, he would not have taken that second look. He controlled his eyes.

Do you? It IS possible. God promises that you CAN say no to every temptation. Don’t lie to yourself.

Consider the Kohathites. This Levite clan was disfavored because of sin, but God still had a plan for them. When the tabernacle was moved, they did a lot of the heavy lifting. HOWEVER, they were forbidden to LOOK at the holy objects in the tabernacle. Other Levites had to go in first and cover the holy things with blankets and manatee skins. (Yes, manatee skins!).

“The Kohathites are not to look at the holy objects for even a moment, or they will die.” Numbers 4:20.

CONTROL your eyes. There are “eye sins.” Watch your eyes, or suffer the consequences. Remember 1 Corinthians 10:13.

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Logistics of the Exodus.

Have you ever planned a trip? It is challenging. One person can plan and pack for a one-week trip in a matter of minutes. But what if you are bringing a family, or a group of families, or a youth group? There are variables to consider: food, fuel, clothing for various activities and weather, chronic health problems and illnesses contracted en route, active times and rest times, times when people can elect to participate in different things, there are educational activities and fun activities. Even the best trip planners will not be able to keep everyone happy. You will hear whining and you will see someone’s true colors.

We have all been on group trips. Can you imagine a group trip with thousands of families—all of whom have known only slavery for generations? Being a slave creates a sense of helplessness and dependence. Rather than cherishing independence, slaves get comfortable leaning on the crutch of DEPENDENCE. The master provides a job, food, shelter, healthcare, everything.

Do you know how many former slaves were part of the EXODUS? God led Moses to conduct a census.

“All those registered numbered 603,550.” Numbers 1:46.

The men of fighting age—not including Levites—numbered 603,000. If you add Levites (22,000; see Num. 3:39), old men, plus women and children, the total descendants of Israel leaving Egypt numbered as high as 1.5 million people.

Can you imagine trip planning for over a million people, many of whom are accustomed to some degree of fear and helplessness? Have you ever been to a sold-out college stadium? Many of them can seat 100,000 people. Imagine all the fans at the Super Bowl, for example. Now imagine all the fans from 15 Super Bowls, all walking the same way at the same time. They would destroy everything in their path. There would be no food, water or anything left for those at the back. Except—if God miraculously provided.

And that’s what He did. Every day for 40 years, God provided manna to feed a million people. Every day He provided clean water. He was faithful. He knew their needs and their fears, and for forty years He held them in His hands, protected them, and provided for them—miraculously.

He will do the same for you. Trust Him!

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The Seeds You Plant Determine What You Harvest.

After God promises blessings to the obedient, he promises curses to the disobedient. But one thing remains consistent: PEOPLE REAP WHAT THEY SOW.

“If you do not observe My commands and you break My covenant, I will bring terror on you—wasting disease and fever that will cause your eyes to fail …. I will turn against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies…. I will proceed to discipline you seven times for your sins…. I will send WILD ANIMALS against you that will deprive you of your children, ravage your livestock, and reduce your numbers until your roads are deserted…. I will send pestilence among you….  Ten women will bake bread in a single oven…. I will act with FURIOUS HOSTILITY toward you…. You will EAT THE FLESH OF YOUR SONS, YOU WILL EAT THE FLESH OF YOUR DAUGHTERS…. I will reduce your cities to ruins…. I will put ANXIETY in the hearts of those of you who survive… the sound of a wind-driven leaf will put them to flight” Leviticus 26:15-36.

I counted TEN CONSEQUENCES of sin.  How many can you find?

God offers his people choices: a carrot and a stick. You can drive a mule by dangling a carrot on a string in front of him and he will walk toward it pursuing the reward, or you can beat him with a stick and he will walk away from the stick, pursuing an end to his pain.  We do the same.  Sometimes we are motivated by rewards, other times by pain.  For example, I am motivated by competition, grades, and academic rewards.  But I am also motivated by debt, joblessness, and looming financial disaster. 

I believe the best of us, the most earnest, devout Christians, remain subject to both God’s carrot and his stick. But no matter your circumstances—never take your eyes off his GRACE. 

And remember: YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW—AND YOU REAP MUCH LATER THAN YOU SOW.

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You Reap What You Sow. Leviticus 26:3-8.

God created the world to follow rules. Science was based on the Christian notion that if God is a God of order, then his creation must also be ordered, and thus, Creation should be predictable. Pagans and other religions had always believed creation was controlled by random chance or the cavalier whims of uncaring gods.  Before Christians proved that Creation was predictable, there could be no science. Science means guessing at a rule (a hypothesis) and using experiments to prove or disprove that hypothesis—and that only works if creation is known as an entity that NEVER CHANGES. It is predictable.

Another rule that applies to our world is that you REAP WHAT YOU SOW.  That is, you harvest what you plant.  If you plant good things, you will reap good things. If you work hard, you will be rewarded. If you are lazy, you will not. Farming is an excellent example:

“If you follow My statutes and faithfully observe My commands, I will give you rain at the right time, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will bear fruit. Your threshing [part of harvesting] will continue until grape harvest, and the grape harvest will continue until sowing time. You will have plenty of food to eat and live securely in your land.  I will give peace to the land, and you will lie down with nothing to frighten you. I will remove dangerous animals from the land, and no sword will pass through your land. You will pursue your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword. Five of you will pursue 100, and 100 of you will pursue 10,000” Leviticus 26:3-8.

Sure, there are exceptions: Job suffered though he did NOT deserve it—and sometimes we are spared suffering that we DO deserve. But most of the time, you REAP exactly what you SOW. Finally, remember, you REAP much LATER than you sow.  Have patience. Turn your life around. Begin good habits. Stop bad habits.  But don’t expect instant results. 

YOU REAP MUCH LATER THAN YOU SOW.

Keep sowing good things!

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