"But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it." - Numbers 14:24
You are all very familiar with this historical account - God instructs Moses to send spies throughout Canaan to see what the land is like. I think God is desiring to 'rev up' the people about the land He is about to give them. Numbers 13 tells us it was the season of the first ripe grapes. They cut down a single cluster of grapes and carried it on a pole between two of them. Seriously?! A single cluster of grapes has to be carried on a pole between two of them! I don't know about you, but that would get me a little more than exicted and 'revved up' for what the rest of the land must be like! Plus, God had promised to give the land to them!
And yet, as you know the rest of the story, 2 say 'go', 10 say 'no'. And the whole congregation of Israel aligns with the 10 negative voices; they grumble against Moses and decide it would be better if they returned to Egypt (slavery and starvation versus freedom and mammoth grapes - you'd think that decision would be a no-brainer).
This isn't the first time the nation of Israel has been grumbling, complaining, unhappy, dissatisfied, and whining since leaving Egypt. They just can't seem to keep their eyes focused on God - who He is, what He has done for them, what He promises to do for them, etc. Their vision is short-sighted, on the 'here and now'.
"But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it."
There is someone who had his eyes fixed in the right place! He has a different spirit! He follows God fully! He isn't consumed and controlled by a spirit of dissatisfaction, a spirit of complaining & grumbling, a self-centered spirit. He keeps his eyes on God - who He is, what He has done for them, and what He promises to do for them, and follows God fully.
Oh, that I would have that different spirit and follow God fully! But, to be honest, too often I am controlled by a spirit of dissatisfaction, a spirit of grumbling & complaining, and a self-centered spirit. I forget who God is, what He has done for me, and what He promises to do for me, and I don't follow Him fully.
Numbers 14:24 has really convicted me, challenged me, and 'revved me up' to follow hard after God into the good land that He has promised to me...maybe not physical land like Canaan, but He has promised me good land spiritually, with incredible fruit...it's mine for the taking!
How about you? What kind of spirit do you have?
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Consider Listening Instead of Reading
As we work our way through Leviticus, I know it can be tough to read and stay focused! If this is true for you, feel free to consider listening to Leviticus, instead of reading it!
If you don't have an audio Bible, go to Biblegateway.com. On the left hand side, click on the audio Bibles link. Then you can choose which version you want to listen to. I like the NIV for listening (although I read New American Standard, or English Standard!).
Then you need to choose a 'reader'. I like the Flash Player Read by Dramatized.
This is a fantastic way to still be in God's Word! When I'm working in the kitchen, I like to set my laptop on the counter while baking, doing dishes, etc. and listen to God's Word. It is a good way to redeem your time and make the most of it!
So whether you are reading or listening, enjoy your time in God's Word!
If you don't have an audio Bible, go to Biblegateway.com. On the left hand side, click on the audio Bibles link. Then you can choose which version you want to listen to. I like the NIV for listening (although I read New American Standard, or English Standard!).
Then you need to choose a 'reader'. I like the Flash Player Read by Dramatized.
This is a fantastic way to still be in God's Word! When I'm working in the kitchen, I like to set my laptop on the counter while baking, doing dishes, etc. and listen to God's Word. It is a good way to redeem your time and make the most of it!
So whether you are reading or listening, enjoy your time in God's Word!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
We are moving into a portion of the OT that can be a bit 'dry' to read! This is oftentimes where people give up on reading through the Bible. Hang in there! Stick with it! God still has important things to say to us through His Word.
Again, don't feel like you have to stick with the reading schedule. If it works better for you to finish reading Exodus all at one time, then finish reading Exodus all at one time! That is actually how I will probably read Leviticus - I'll take a part of a Saturday or a Sunday and read the whole book in one sitting. The key is to be reading God's word and become more Christ-like as a result; you don't want to fall into a rut where you are merely reading to stick with a schedule and be able to mark it off your 'to do' list.
As I've been reading this portion of Exodus, I am so thankful, and grateful to Christ for His freeing work on the cross, that we no longer live under the Law. I don't think I could have done it! And isn't that the whole point of the Law! (Galatians 3:23-26)To show us that we can't live that way, we need a Savior, One who will redeem us from our futile way of life.
That said, I believe there are still aspects of the Law we need to take very seriously. One of them is from Exodus 22:18 - you shall not permit a sorceress to live. God is very clear many places in His Word that we are to have no other gods before Him, that we are not to look for guidance and direction from any other source than from Him.
For those of you who are familiar with The Steps to Freedom in Christ, this is the first step - Counterfeit vs. Real. Any time we seek guidance from a source other than God Himself, we are opening a door, giving a foothold in our life, to Satan. Many of us have read our horoscopes at one time or another, some have played with Ouija boards, magic eight balls, or tarot cards, etc. All of these are examples of counterfeit forms of guidance which have their source in Satan and the occult, and which need to be renounced as false. Even if you participated in these things as a game or a joke, they need to be renounced. If you would like more information on this, please feel free to contact me.
Exodus 23:1 - six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest...
The older I get, the more I realize how important this is for my life. For one thing, I don't have the endless energy I used to have and I need a 'down' day to be ready for the other 6 days! But this is a principle that God Himself modeled for us when He created six days and rested on the seventh. "The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath" by Mark Buchanan is an excellent book. Mr. Buchanan says, "Most of us feel utterly ransacked. We are waylaid by endless demands and stifling routines. Even our vacations have a panicky, task-like edge to them. 'If I only had more time,' is the mantra of our age. But is this the real problem? What we've really lost is the 'rest of God - the rest God bestows and, with it, that part of Himself we can know only through stillness.'"
If you aren't already practicing a Sabbath day, let me encourage you to give it a try! I don't think you'll want to give it up once you get into the habit!
Again, don't feel like you have to stick with the reading schedule. If it works better for you to finish reading Exodus all at one time, then finish reading Exodus all at one time! That is actually how I will probably read Leviticus - I'll take a part of a Saturday or a Sunday and read the whole book in one sitting. The key is to be reading God's word and become more Christ-like as a result; you don't want to fall into a rut where you are merely reading to stick with a schedule and be able to mark it off your 'to do' list.
As I've been reading this portion of Exodus, I am so thankful, and grateful to Christ for His freeing work on the cross, that we no longer live under the Law. I don't think I could have done it! And isn't that the whole point of the Law! (Galatians 3:23-26)To show us that we can't live that way, we need a Savior, One who will redeem us from our futile way of life.
That said, I believe there are still aspects of the Law we need to take very seriously. One of them is from Exodus 22:18 - you shall not permit a sorceress to live. God is very clear many places in His Word that we are to have no other gods before Him, that we are not to look for guidance and direction from any other source than from Him.
For those of you who are familiar with The Steps to Freedom in Christ, this is the first step - Counterfeit vs. Real. Any time we seek guidance from a source other than God Himself, we are opening a door, giving a foothold in our life, to Satan. Many of us have read our horoscopes at one time or another, some have played with Ouija boards, magic eight balls, or tarot cards, etc. All of these are examples of counterfeit forms of guidance which have their source in Satan and the occult, and which need to be renounced as false. Even if you participated in these things as a game or a joke, they need to be renounced. If you would like more information on this, please feel free to contact me.
Exodus 23:1 - six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest...
The older I get, the more I realize how important this is for my life. For one thing, I don't have the endless energy I used to have and I need a 'down' day to be ready for the other 6 days! But this is a principle that God Himself modeled for us when He created six days and rested on the seventh. "The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath" by Mark Buchanan is an excellent book. Mr. Buchanan says, "Most of us feel utterly ransacked. We are waylaid by endless demands and stifling routines. Even our vacations have a panicky, task-like edge to them. 'If I only had more time,' is the mantra of our age. But is this the real problem? What we've really lost is the 'rest of God - the rest God bestows and, with it, that part of Himself we can know only through stillness.'"
If you aren't already practicing a Sabbath day, let me encourage you to give it a try! I don't think you'll want to give it up once you get into the habit!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
"Who is as mighty as You are, O LORD?"
As I've been reading in Exodus, I have been noticing over and over the many displays of God's power and might.
Something that caught my attention this time in my reading, which I haven't noticed before when reading Exodus, is that while the Egyptian magicians could duplicate several of the plagues (Nile turning to blood, and frogs) - Pharoah always had to call on Moses to remove the plagues! The magicians apparently couldn't undo what they had done! Only God had the power and might to remove the plagues; only God is all powerful; there is none like Him! Wooohooo!!
If you have time today, read Psalm 89 (especially verses 5-8). This is a Psalm I keep coming back to for praising God and worshipping Him as the One True God.
"O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?" (Ps 89:8)
Something that caught my attention this time in my reading, which I haven't noticed before when reading Exodus, is that while the Egyptian magicians could duplicate several of the plagues (Nile turning to blood, and frogs) - Pharoah always had to call on Moses to remove the plagues! The magicians apparently couldn't undo what they had done! Only God had the power and might to remove the plagues; only God is all powerful; there is none like Him! Wooohooo!!
If you have time today, read Psalm 89 (especially verses 5-8). This is a Psalm I keep coming back to for praising God and worshipping Him as the One True God.
"O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?" (Ps 89:8)
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Keeping An Eye on His Hand
It has been awhile since I lasted published a post! The flu hit Ken hard, and got me a bit lighter; then we were gone for EMI Board of Director meetings in Minneapolis two days; and when I got home, that nasty little flu bug bit me big time! I am still recovering, still not at 100% strength, but am enjoying being alert enough to be back in God’s Word!
This morning while others were in church, I read Exodus 1-9. And as usual, my reading leaves me with lots of questions!
1:16 – the Hebrew midwives are to kill the baby boys, but let the baby girls live. What was Pharoah thinking? I understand that he is afraid of the numbers of Hebrews that they might join with Egypt’s enemies, but where does he think his future slave labor will come from if he kills off all the males?
2:6 – how does Pharoah’s daughter not only get away with defying her dad’s order to cast the baby boy into the Nile (1:22), but why is she allowed to raise a Hebrew as her son?
2:15 – Pharoah’s second death penalty issued against Moses. Did Pharoah suddenly realize he hadn’t ‘educated the Hebrew out of Moses’ and is he afraid Moses might one day rule Egypt with a heart of compassion for the Hebrews?
3:11-4:17 – Moses has all kinds of arguments for God regarding why he shouldn’t be the one to go back to Egypt. I understand Moses’ fears in returning to Egypt, and I understand feelings of inadequacy for a job one doesn’t feel qualified for, but how does Moses miss all that God has been doing for him? Rescuing him from the Nile and a death decree; allowing Moses to be raised in Pharoah’s home – no one else was better qualified than someone raised in ‘the system’ who knew it, understood it, and who could go back and appeal to it.
And on this note, I wonder how many times have I pulled “a Moses”. How many times have I argued with God that I am not the one qualified for what He is asking of me; that there must be someone else more eloquent, more gifted, more skilled for the job? How many times have I allowed fear and feelings of inadequacy or inferiority to blind me to the obvious Hand of God on my life preparing me for such a time as this?
And I wonder if Moses missed out on blessings (and have I, too?) by insisting God send someone else (Ex 4:13-17).
As a result of our time in the book of Job, I have started keeping a Praise journal. The last post of Job (from one of my friend’s) really made me realize how ‘unnatural’ praise/gratitude is in my life. It is hard work for me to live with an attitude of gratitude – and it shouldn’t be! So I have determined to change that by recording praises throughout the day. I don’t want to get caught in focusing on the negatives in life or on fears or failures. I don’t want to miss seeing God’s Hand in my life, nor the many blessings He so graciously bestows. I am hoping that by changing my focus I will realize that when God gives me a Kingdom Assignment, I am the most qualified for the job and He has my back.
If you aren’t already journaling praises and things to be grateful for, why not start today?
How have you seen God's hand on your life? How have you seen Him prepare you for an assignment that only you were qualified for?
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