66th Week Numbers Chapters 10-14 (Click on Title for Video Introduction)

Click on Title for Video Intro

Monday, Numbers Chapter 10

Numbers 10 

Verse 31

Bart Strayer

Verse 31 Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the desert.”

THOUGHT

I like Moses. I think the best character quality he displays is humility. There is so much Godly power in our humility. Over the years, I have noticed this time and time again. I still have a lot of work to do on being humble. (That was a nice humble thing to say, don’t you think?) God’s Word says that in order for Him to increase, we must decrease. That is very true stuff.

In Chapter 10 we read of the dialogue between Moses and his father-in-law. Hobab had been traveling with them from the beginning and Moses understood his gift of direction that he brought to the mass of people. Moses gave him the power to guide the people. From the text, it is clear that Moses understood what power Hobab had as a guide and what would be missed if he left the group. God made Moses the leader of this mass of people, but Moses had a heart-felt need for Hobab. Can you imagine the dialog if Moses would have been a type-A, over-confident, control freak?

Hobab: “I’m going home to my people.”

Moses: “Thanks for the help, I got it from here. Good luck in the future.”

It always amazed me, particularly in the American corporate setting where competition is high, how we can compliment and belittle all in the same sentence.

PRAYER

Father, help us understand true humility. We want You to increase in our lives. Father, we let go of those areas that keep You at bay.  We relinquish control to You. Become bigger in our lives. In Jesus Name.  AMEN

Tuesday, Numbers Chapter 11

Numbers 11
Verse 1
Bart Strayer
 
Verse 1:  Now the people began to complain, and when the Lord heard this, the Lord’s anger was kindled.
 
THOUGHT
How many of you know the Lord doesn’t like a complainer? I must admit, sometimes I get confused between asking for the Lord’s help in an act of submission and downright complaining. The Bible says to make your petitions known to the Lord. However, as I have experienced, there is a difference between complaining your petition to the Lord and asking for the Lord to work on your behalf. Please take time to understand the difference.
 
Whenever I feel a whine coming on, I try to remember to start off my prayers with thanking God for all that He has done and then end with handing my issue off to the Lord.
 
PRAYER
Father, forgive us when we complain. You have been so faithful in our lives. We acknowledge that we forget all the times You have provided all we need. We thank You for loving us and wanting to be our provider. In Jesus Name. AMEN

Wednesday, Numbers Chapter 12

Numbers 12 

Verse 9

Bart Strayer

Verse 9:  The anger of the Lord burned against them, and He struck Miriam with a leprous condition.

THOUGHT

Picking a fight with a Godly man is futile. What I loved about this chapter is that we plainly see what God’s favor looks like on a man. Something similar exists with our pastors and other Christian leaders. When God calls someone to leadership, His anointing is on them. I have come to see this over the years when I deal with the Pastors at my church. It almost seems at times that there is a hedge of protection around them. It causes pause when talking with them. You tend to guard your mouth. As we see in this chapter, Aaron and Miriam did not and suffered the consequences.

PRAYER

Father, we thank You for our Christian leaders. Lord, help lift them up. May we never be thorns in the sides of our Pastors. Continue to guide and lift them up daily. May the wind always be at their back. Guard us when in their presence. AMEN

Thursday, Numbers Chapter 13

Numbers 13

Verse 30

Tanya Ruden

Verse 30:  Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

THOUGHT

I am glad I am not Moses at this moment. I can just envision this meeting. You have 12 people who went to investigate the land and their differing opinions to what they saw, along with differing opinions of what to do next. I can just envision Caleb being like Gaston in Beauty and the Beast — “Let’s go kill the beast!!”  After hearing all of the wonderful things the land possessed, it wouldn’t be hard to get the people excited to go take it over. And sometimes, once you build momentum, reasoning goes right out the window, and you just act which is what I see Caleb doing. 

Moses will need to keep the people focused on listening to God’s voice and His call so that they do not fall into the hype of a group of people. May we remember as people of God to listen to God’s voice in our lives and not let the ‘momentum’ of events or circumstances drown that out. It can happen so easily.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, first I want to thank You for the wonderful support of the Salt Shakers to my family’s life. I can’t imagine how down and out I would feel without their prayerful support at a time in life where I have begun to question Your lack of answers in my life. Thank You for their words and faithfulness as they are a lesson to me to hang in there, to remain faithful, and tell stories of answered prayers at times when things feel so silent. I know You have big plans for my family, for all of us for that matter.  Help us remain faithful. Lord, help us to always listen to Your voice in our life. May we not be hasty in decisions because of circumstances or words of others, but may we reason with You, our Bible and our support systems, knowing You will guide us to right decisions.  AMEN

Friday, Numbers Chapter 14

Numbers 14

Verse 3

Tanya Ruden

Verse 3:  “Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”

THOUGHT

I am so thankful for you fellow Shakers that hold me accountable to stay in the Word. I cannot tell you how many times I have likened my current situation in discussions with Alan to Moses’ journey to the land “flowing with milk and honey.” Alan and I both felt very called by God to leave Wichita and based on our job offers and things going so well when we first left, it seemed it was God’s plan for our lives...kind of like Moses.  

When he first left for the desert, things went their way.  They felt God’s presence in the things that happened (parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of the “bad guys”).  But then what — they are stranded in a desert for what seems like forever, waiting to see and get to this promised land.  When they get so close, they can almost “taste it”.   They aren’t sure they will get to it...kind of like us.  Now we are in Des Moines in an uncertain economy, waiting for our home to sell, hoping for a new job or just to maintain our current job and at times feel close enough to a new deal on our home, only to

be devastated and angry moments later when it doesn’t go through.

We praise God that we know how Numbers ends, and that we can have hope that God will not call us into a desert to leave us there (I hope I didn’t ruin the end of the story for anyone).  Praise God He sent Jesus to forgive our sins, and we no longer have to suffer punishment for sin like some in today’s story did.  Walk in the path God is leading, and you will not be led astray.

PRAYER

Dear God, thank You for reminders in old stories of fulfilled promises. May we live in this hope each day. Help us to never doubt Your calling in our lives or bad mouth You to anyone, especially in a manner such as “God called me and left me” because we know that You never leave us.  When we feel alone, You are carrying us. Forgive us for all of our sins, big and small.  God Bless our weekend. AMEN