numbers 11-13

complaints....complaints.....complaints!!!!  The story of Israel and the story of humanity; how much is it like the our own personal story?  We are so busy complaining about what we don't have that we fail to be thankful for what we do have.  Part of the story of the Exodus is surely about God's faithfulness and patience in the face of Israel's impatience and faithlessness.

Manna from heaven is never quite enough, we need MEAT.  So God gives them meat in the form of quail...so much quail that every family gathered 60 bushels!  Wow, never doubt the ability of God to provide. 

Moses is feeling the burden of leadership when the faithful are complaining.  Have you ever tried to herd cats?  Moses is so distraught at the seeming failure of the people to follow that he asks God to deliver him from the burden of leadership by taking him home.  Leading is sometimes lonely.  Develop a close walk with God so that the burden can be shared with one who can handle all of your discouragements.  Even Moses' brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, are grousing about Moses (perhaps some sibling rivalry).  God responds emphatically that Moses is his man.  Get in line or suffer the consequences.  We need to be careful about our complaints.  They can be hurtful in a multitude of ways; to ourselves, to the leadership and to the body.  Voice your complaints to God and listen for his counsel and then take them to the leadership.  The worst way to deal with your complaints is to speak them inappropriately in ways that can create division in the body.

Moses sends spies and they return fearfully.  Isn't it amazing....God has delivered them from the most powerful nation on earth (Egypt), they have witnessed awesome miracles (parting of the Red Sea, manna, quail, fire by night, and column of smoke by day), they have seen God at work on the mountain, received instruction from the very hand of God (10 commandments) and yet they are fearful that God will not finish the good work that he has started and promised by granting them this land of milk and honey.  Oh, ye of little faith.  We look at their story and are amazed at their failure, but how often have we failed to walk by faith?  How often have we settled for less because we weren't sure that our God was big enough?  Here is the key......first we must discern God's will (that is the hard part) and then we must walk on resolutely.  I am convinced that our journey through the scriptures will give us a greater capacity to know God's will for our lives and for the life of Faith.  Praying and finding time to reflect and listen in the quiet are also ways to tune into God's voice.  My prayer often is that I will not succumb to the temptation of grasshopper thinking.  My God is more than able and in case you haven't been told lately, if you are worshiping Jehovah-Jireh, the God of creation and the author of life....your God is big enough, too.