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God Is In The Details

He Is In The Minutiae

God cares about even the minute details of my life. How encouraging! How sobering! Yes, everything about my life—even the things that are not visible to anyone else—matters to God. That is why I must learn to practice the presence of God in my ordinary moments throughout the day—how I think, what I do and say, how I respond to others. It is all worship to God—or at least it should be.

The Journey// Focus: Exodus 21:1

The Lord gave Moses the following laws for his people…

God cares about the details of our lives—how we treat one another, how we can get justice when our rights are violated, how we are responsible for our actions, and even our inaction—the things we should have done. That is why God gave Moses a series of rules to guide the lives of the Israelites as they lived in their newly formed society.

Some of these laws seem arcane: “Suppose the slave loves his wife and children so much that he won’t leave without them [when given the chance to buy his freedom]. In that case, he must stand beside either the door or the doorpost at the place of worship, while his owner punches a small hole through one of his ears with a sharp metal rod. This makes him a slave for life.” (Exodus 21:5-6)

Some of the laws seem quite clear cut and totally relevant for today: “Death is the punishment for murder.” (Exodus 21:13) Whether you are pro or con with capital punishment, there was a very direct order from God about how to deal with someone who willfully took the life of another. In that sense, having a discussion about if and how it fits in society today is a relevant topic.

Some of these are hard to discern the clear intent behind the law: “Suppose a pregnant woman suffers a miscarriage as the result of an injury caused by someone who is fighting. If she isn’t badly hurt, the one who injured her must pay whatever fine her husband demands and the judges approve. But if she is seriously injured, the payment will be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, cut for cut, and bruise for bruise.” (Exodus 21:22-25) So would this suggest that killing the unborn is murder or not? A case could be forcefully made either way.

What we have here are a series of laws, provided by God, to govern the civil life of the newly formed society of Israel—laws that are arcane, laws that are still culturally relevant, laws that reside in the gray area of justice and morality. And though we may never know the real intent behind some of these laws, and how or if God wants us to apply them today, what we do know for certain is this: God cared about the details of the everyday lives of his people, Israel.

And since God never changes, that means he still cares about the everyday details of the lives of his people—that is, you and me. So what does that mean for us today? It simply yet profoundly means that God is involved. It means everything that happens to us and through us is known by an ever-watchful God. It means that my behavior matters to my Creator. It means that God wants me to be very careful how I live, how I act toward others, and that I follow his design for life as closely and as respectfully to his will as I possibly can. It means that all of life, my eating, breathing, sleeping, walking around life is to be offered as a pleasing sacrifice of worship to him.

That is what worship is, after all: the offering of everyday life to God. And since he has concerned himself enough to provide details on how I ought to live, then I ought to live each and every moment with the careful sense that what I do counts before him.

God cares about even the minute details of my life. That is so encouraging while at the same time so sobering. Yes, it all matters to God.

Going Deeper: Give thought to your every move. Learn to offer every detail of your life to God. Throughout the day, practice the presence of God. God cares. And you have opportunity in any given moment to please your Maker by how you live.

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Whatever Became of the Fear of the Lord?

It's Time To Rediscover It

Whatever became of the fear of the Lord? We have become so comfortable with sin that our fear of judgment has been lost. Punishment and consequences seem to have no governing effect. Cheap grace has made holy living a squishy concept, not the normal way of life for far too many believers. It is time we rediscover a holy fear of the Lord.

The Journey// Focus: Exodus 20:18-20

When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear. And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!” Moses answered them, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!”

I sometimes wish that God would show up like he did on Mount Sinai—peels of thunder, flashes of lightning, the whole nine yards—and just scare the bejeebers out of us. We have become so comfortable with sin that our fear of judgment have been lost. Punishment and consequences seem to have no governing effect. Cheap grace has made holy living a squishy concept, not the normal way of life for far too many believers. We have virtually no fear of the Lord and no fear of sin.

God showed up on Mount Sinai as he gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, and from the camp around the base of the mountain, the Israelites watched the fireworks with fear and dread. So great and awesome was the divine display that when Moses returned, the people pleaded with him to be their go-between with the Almighty. They had witnessed God’s unsurpassed holiness from a distance and knew they could never stand before him because, at their best, they were fundamentally unholy.

In reply, Moses said something quite interesting: “Don’t be afraid, for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!” What? Don’t fear, God is just showing you how to fear. And that fear will keep you safe.

To understand Moses’ confusing statement we need to distinguish between two types of fear:

  1. The first fear is that which comes from our sense of guilt, and the punishment it deserves. This type of fear may be a conscious awareness of unworthiness, but even if the fear is subconscious, it still has a tormenting result in our lives. This type of fear leads to all kinds of bondage, insecurity and harmful behavior to assuage it.
  2. The second kind of fear comes in the form of respect. It recognizes the complete authority of God over our lives, and his complete justification for holding people to account who violate his right to rule. This fear of the Lord is healthy, whether conscious or subconscious, and promotes an attitude of belief in, love for and complete trust of God.

Both fears can motivate righteous behavior: the first fear for a time; the second for a lifetime. The first type of fear is what the Israelites had, even though Moses had called them to the second type. Their fear at this point was short lived, for after Moses returned to the mountain for further instruction in the law, and lingered there for several days, the people’s fear abated and they did the very thing the law commanded them to eschew: they built an idol, a golden calf, and worshiped it, indulging in all kinds of wanton behavior as they did. (Exodus 32)

And as a result, the punishment they feared when Moses first came down came upon them. Their fears were justified.

So I guess wishing God would show up with peels of thunder and flashes of lightening wouldn’t be that effective after all. Apparently scaring the bejeebers out of us is short-lived, because it scares us into the wrong kind of fear.

God wants us to live in holy fear—the one that comes from a mature knowledge of his holiness and a respect for his right to lovingly rule our lives. It is that kind of fear that is the best motive for holy living—and the surest way to the blessings God longs to shower us with. That kind of fear comes not from peels of thunder and flashes of lightening, but from a surrendered heart.

Holy Spirit, lead us into a holy fear of the Lord.

Going Deeper: Ask the Spirit of God to reveal to you what holy fear is, and ask him to lead you into a mature, authentic experience of the fear of the Lord.

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Don’t Miss The Point

God Wants Us As His Very Own People

SYNOPSIS: This is the stuff Hollywood loves: Thick smoke, peels of thunder, flashes of lightning, God’s voice booming from the thick cloud, Moses walks from the fog carrying the Ten Commands. It’s hard not to get caught up in the special effects and the sheer drama of this scene, but don’t miss the bigger picture in the finer details of this account: God’s holiness is not relegated to Exodus; He still desires a holy people. And since our track record shows we’ll never live up to God’s holy standard, we’ll face His justice. But given this, God’s mercy far outweighs His justice. God is a forgiving God. In fact, forgiveness is His name. (Ex 34:5-7) And His forgiveness still freely flows to thousands upon thousands of generations.

The Journey// Focus: Exodus 19:4-6

You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Here is the story of Exodus 19—and it doesn’t get any more dramatic than this:

On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain[b] trembled violently. As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. (Exodus 19:16-19)

This is the stuff Hollywood loves: Smoke covering the mountain, peels of thunder, flashes of lightning, God’s voice booming from the thick cloud, Moses reappearing from the fog carrying the Ten Commands. It is hard not to get caught up in the special effects and the sheer drama of this scene.

But don’t miss the bigger picture in the finer details of this account. There are some unforgettable and enduring truths here that we New Testament Christians tend to set aside because of the new covenant we now live under in Jesus Christ, who was the perfect fulfillment of this law delivered in these chapters.

The first point is this: God wants us to be his very own people, set aside for his holy purposes. Just as he told Israel that he had selected them out of all the peoples on the planet to be his—and with it, if they honored him, unbelievable and unending blessings—so he has chosen followers of his Son to be his new community.

In his book, Ruthless Trust, Brennan Manning suggests that wherever you come across the word “Israel” in the Old Testament, you should substitute your own name there and personalize that passage to yourself. In general, that’s not a bad way to read the Bible. The point is, God is still searching for a covenantal people—the job is still open, and you are fully qualified.

The second point is this: God is holy and he demands holiness in us if we are to be his very own people. One of the unmistakable themes in this passage (and throughout the Bible) is the holiness of God and the requirement of holiness from us if we are to be in relationship with him; if we are going to live within his favor. When God told Moses he was going to appear and give Israel his law, he warned them first to purify themselves:

“Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.” (Exodus 19:10-11)

Hebrews 12:14 says, “without holiness no one will see the Lord.” For sure, we are judged positionally holy before God when we are redeemed. But then we are called to give great effort to progressive holiness along the way between our salvation and our eternal home. Don’t ever forget: God’s holiness was not relegated to the Old Testament. He is still holy, and he still desires holiness among his people—and that includes you and me.

The final point is this: God’s justice is far outweighed by his mercy. As you read the next chapter, within the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:5-6 you will see that. Most people get stuck on the first part and miss the second half; the world dips their quill from the ink of the former clause to write God into a corner without considering the outrageous grace and beauty of the latter.

“I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

Yes, God is holy and demands purity among his people. Yes, God is just and therefore must punish sin. For sure, sin has far reaching consequences—even jumping generations, sadly affecting children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. But don’t miss it—God is a forgiving God. In fact, that is his name: Forgiveness. (Exodus 34:5-7) And his forgiveness freely flows to thousands upon thousands of generations. Forgiveness—God is just dying to give it. In fact, in Christ, he did!

For sure, there is not a more dramatic section in all of Scripture. But don’t lose sight of the big picture amidst the drama of the details. It makes the story all the more dramatic—irresistible so!

Going Deeper: Re-read the Ten Commandments, this time, focusing on it not from a rule orientation, but from a perspective of relationship. That is the whole point of God’s Law: He is looking for a people he can love, and who will love him.

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What Jethro Can Teach You

And So God Commands

There is hardly a better investment in this life than recruiting, mentoring, and releasing leaders into the service of that over which God has given you authority. God’s blessing on a thing is never an excuse to settle for that—it is never the end. The blessing is only the beginning for more blessing, which always requires a realignment of the way we administrate God’s favor. God blessed Israel—that was good—but a release of even more blessing required Moses to release leadership to others to help administer it—that was better. Is there someone in your sphere of influence you can train for leadership? Do it—it’s a worthy investment of time, energy and resources.

The Journey// Focus: Exodus 18:13-17

Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law, Jethro, saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?” Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.” Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good.

This story in Exodus 18 provides us with some helpful insights into why we should raising up leaders and how we can go about it—whether that be in our home, business, church or any other arena of life where God has given us influence.

First, the why: in the work of the Kingdom, good is often the enemy of the best. You will notice in Exodus 18:9 that “Jethro was delighted to hear of all the good things God had done for Israel.” Israel had witnessed the mighty hand of God — divine protection, outstanding miracles and supernatural progress. But they had settled for something less than God’s best. As the story continues, Jethro watched Moses wearing himself out administrating the blessings, so he said Exodus 18:17, “What you are doing is not good.”

God’s blessing on a thing is never an excuse to settle for that—it is never the end. The blessing is only the beginning for more blessing, which always requires a realignment of the way we administrate God’s favor. God blessed Israel—that was good—but a release of even more blessing required Moses to release leadership to others to help administer it—that was better.

So Jethro showed Moses how he was to recruit leaders to take on ministry—which would release Moses to even greater productiveness. Here are six laws of leadership recruitment that worked for Moses, and will work for you:

The first law of leadership recruitment is SELECTING. The Exodus 18:21 calls Moses to “select capable people—they fear God, are trustworthy and hate dishonest gain.” Your assignment as a leader is to continually watch for people with leadership potential. How do you identify those capabilities? Jethro says they are to: One, have a deep reverence—they have the fear of the Lord. Two, have proven themselves dependable in smaller matters—they are trustworthy. Three, have pure motives—they hate dishonesty

The second law of leadership recruitment is EQUIPPING. In Exodus 18:20, we see there must be an ongoing, systematic program to train all people in the principles of Godly leadership. Not everyone will become a leader, but everyone can benefit from the principles of leadership. That’s because they all will have roles of influence somewhere…home, business, community. Training all the people in your sphere of influence will expand the leadership pool from which you recruit.

The third law of leadership recruitment is MENTORING. In the last part of Exodus 18:20, Jethro said, “Show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform.” Basically, your responsibility is to reproduce yourself in the lives of others. If you’re not doing that, you are not a leader—or a very effective one. But good leaders show by their lives and their actions a good pattern for others to follow. That implies you have an intentional plan for mentoring, and not just a hope that others will pay attention to what you’re doing.

The fourth law of leadership is EMPOWERING. In the last part of Exodus 18:21, Jethro says that Moses is to appoint them as “officials”. In other words, don’t just give them a title and a responsibility, give them authority to lead.

The fifth law of leadership recruitment is ACCOUNTABILITY. In Exodus 18:22 Jethro says that with responsibility and authority there must also be accountability: “Have them bring the difficult cases to you.” There is to be a system where the new leader circles back to the chief leader, whose discernment will always be needed. So they will have to be accountable to you, and you will have to stay involved monitoring their ministry progress and effectiveness.

The sixth law of leadership recruitment is SANITY. In Exodus 18:23, Jethro says to Moses, “if you do this, you will be able to stand the strain of leadership and all the people will be satisfied.” Leadership should never drive you crazy or stress you beyond your ability to cope or destroy your personal life. Leadership is meant to be a joy. And your leadership is meant to produce deep satisfaction in the lives of those you lead. The presence of unrelenting stress in the leader’s life and dissatisfaction among the people is a clear indication that these godly principles of leadership development have been ignored.

Then Jethro gave the best reason of all to put these principles to use when he said to Moses and by extension, to you and me, in Exodus 18:23, “And so God commands.”

There is hardly a better investment than in recruiting, mentoring, and releasing leaders into the service of that over which God has given you authority.

Going Deeper: Is there someone in your sphere of influence you can train for leadership? Do it—it’s a worthy investment of time, energy and resources.

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Your Divine Force Field

Yahweh Nissi - Your Banner

One of the things that I quickly had to come to grips with when I entered the pastoral ministry was that there were people who didn’t like me. Yeah, I know, hard to believe! Not because I was unlikeable (not in every case, anyway), but simply because I represented something at a subconscious spiritual level within them that rubbed against the fur of their fallenness. I’m not alone in this experience. Anyone who steps out to do God’s will gets attacked. Why? C.S. Lewis hit the nail on the head: “There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.” That means if you’re doing God’s will, you will be attacked. But it also means that if you’re doing God’s will, you will be victorious!

The Journey// Focus: Exodus 17:8-9, 13

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” … So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

One of the things that I quickly had to come to grips with when I entered the pastoral ministry was that there were people who didn’t like me. Yeah, I know, hard to believe! Not because I was unlikeable (not in every case, anyway), but simply because I represented something at an invisible, subconscious spiritual level within them that rubbed against the grain of their fallenness.

It was likewise helpful for me to learn that I was not alone in this experience. All pastors deal with unhappy people.  And furthermore, anyone who steps out to do God’s will get attacked. Let me say it another way:

THEY WON’T LIKE YOU!

Jesus predicted as much, didn’t he? Now we don’t need to go out of our way to tick the people of the world off, but the truth is, the world will hate us because we represent the Savior, whom they crucified. And the sooner we get over our neurotic need to be liked, we can get on with being the distinct witness God has called us to be and the world desperately needs us to be.

In the case of the Israelites, escaping Egypt by the mighty miracles of God and being led to the Promised Land by the mighty hand of God didn’t preclude enemies who would attack them early and often in their journey of faith.

In this case, the Amalekites, who lived on the northern edge of the wilderness through which Israel travelled, stood between the promise and the fulfillment for the people of God. They didn’t like Israel, for no other reason than the reason you and I will get attacked: we belong to God, and since Satan hates God, and everything of God, he attacks what is most precious to God—you and me.

As the story goes, Moses sends out a young general named Joshua to fight the enemy while Moses, aided by Aaron and Hur, stand on an overlooking hillside to lift his hands in supplication for the battle. And of course, God grants his people a stunning and overwhelming victory.

End of story. Yet there are important lessons to take away from this account. Here are a few:

  1. You will be attacked when you do God’s will. Just mark it down and don’t be surprised when it happens. If we naively assume that doing what God asks will be unimpeded, you are on the road to disheartenment. To be forewarned is to be forearmed—an important principle in the spiritual warfare you will face.
  2. You will be attacked by the people you would least expect to attack you. The Amalekites were actually distant cousins of Israel—Amalek was the grandson of Esau. They should have acted favorably toward the Israelites. They didn’t. Psalm 83:4, 7 reveals the Amalekites motives: “Come, let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.” There is some belief that these very Amalekites lived on clear down to Esther’s day when their offspring Haman was still plotting to do away with the people of God hundreds of years later. In the case of Joshua, the record of this battle was written so that he would know that the Amalekites were to be completely annihilated. (Exodus 17:14) Sounds harsh, but the point being, the kingdoms of this world will never think kindly toward the kingdom of God. Again, doing God’s will sometimes stirs unresolved issues of godship even in the lives of people who should know better.
  3. You need support in the battle. Joshua had Moses. Moses had Aaron and Hur. You need somebody, too. So do I. I cannot tell you how many times in facing attack in the ministry that God gave me an Aaron and a Hur to hold up my hands. They were life to me in that moment of attack. You were not meant to do this alone, so ask God to give you spiritual partners who will hold up your hands in those critical times.
  4. You need to record God’s faithfulness in giving you victory against attack as a testimony. Moses instructed Joshua to literally write the account down. (Exodus 17:14). Why? For among other reasons, because it will give you confidence and courage when the next attack comes. The “next” attack? Yes, there will be others. But do not be disheartened (but I am getting ahead of myself).
  5. You need to remember that God is your banner. Moses’ outstretched hands represented his appeal to God: Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, “Because hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.” (Exodus 17:15-16) When you are in God’s will and you are getting hammered for it—whether by Satanic forces from the invisible realm or Satanic inspired forces coming from real people—your appeal is to God Almighty. And he will give you victory!

Here is the deal: when you are doing God’s will, you will be attacked. When you are doing God’s will, you will be victorious!

Going Deeper: Are you in a battle, being attacked by someone you would least expect? Are you facing down a hostile enemy—invisible or visible? Seek our a prayer partner to hold up your hands. Believe me, if you ask, there will be people who will come to your aid.

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If I Were God

Thank God I’m Not

The story of Exodus is the story of God’s patience. That’s the story of your life—mine, too: God has been so patient toward us. What if today you spent some time reflecting on how long-suffering he has consistently been toward you. Think of specific ways the Almighty has endured your immaturity and griping by showing you his kindness and giving you his grace instead. Now, in light of that, translate God’s patience into human patience by extending some to someone in your world in need of your mercy and grace. And if you can’t think of anyone, call me!

The Journey// Focus: Exodus 16:6-8

So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”

If I were God, it is likely that one of two extremes would happen: I’d either wipe out the human race and create a species of robots who never questioned my authority but only obeyed quickly, unquestioningly and joyfully. Or I become a pushover, unable to muster the moral fortitude to do what was required, never get around to punishing sin, and earth would be overrun with wrongdoers doing wrong things.

Anyway, aren’t you glad that I’m not God? I sure am!

That aside, do you not find this chapter, and the many like it in Scripture, so amazing, given the patience and mercy of God? In this case, after delivering Israel by his mighty hand from Egypt with one miracle after another, and after giving them water by healing the poisoned waters at the Marah oasis (Exodus 15:22-27), the Israelites have turned right around and griped yet again about God’s lack of care for their needs.

Now actually, they are complaining about Moses, but he rightly ascribes their griping as, in reality, grumbling against God: “the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him” (the line is repeated twice, in Exodus 16:7 and 16:8) and again in Exodus 16:8, “You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.” Yet God graciously, patiently, mercifully responds to their grumbling with grace—he gives them what they don’t deserve: manna in the morning and meat at night.

If I were God, would I have been so gracious? From my perspective sitting on my loft moral perch thousands of years after the fact, no. But when I think about my own children and grandchildren, it is very likely that I would have endured the Israelites’ immaturity and offered grace in order to bring them to growth in their character. Paul talks of this kind of radical patience with a redemptive purpose in Romans 2:4,

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

Again, I am glad I am not God, and that God is God. Neither you nor I would be around if the equation were changed and I were put in charge. But thank God for his grace, mercy, patience and loving-kindness to us. As King David wrote in Psalm 103:13-14,

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

In light of that, I think there are a least three critical takeaways that we should consider:

  1. We must remember that grumbling ultimately is grumbling against God. So, let’s not—ever!
  2. We should be grateful that God overlooks our immaturity for a while. So let’s grow up—fast!
  3. Given God’s undeserved patience and unmerited grace toward ingrates like us, how much more tolerant should we be in enduring those who test our patience. So, let’s chill—with everyone!

There is a Hebrew tradition that Abraham was sitting by his tent when he saw a weary, old man walking his way. Abraham rushed out to greet him and invited him into his tent. He washed his feet and gave him food and drink. The old man immediately began eating without saying a blessing, so Abraham asked him, “Don’t you worship God?”

He replied, “I worship fire only and reverence no other god.”

Abraham was indignant, and grabbed the old man by the shoulders, and threw him out his tent into the cold night. After the old man was gone, God called out to Abraham and asked where the stranger was. Abraham replied, “I forced him out because he did not worship you.”

God answered, “Abraham, I have suffered him these eighty-three years, although he dishonors me. Could you not endure him one night?”

We who have been the recipients of the patience of God, how can we do no less than to allow the patience of God to liberally be extended to others through our lives?

Thank God for his extreme patience. And yes, thank God I am not in his place!

Going Deeper: Reflect on God’s patience toward you. Think of specific ways the Almighty has endured your immaturity and griping. Now, in your world, who is it that needs the extension of your mercy and grace?

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No Whining

Choose Trust Instead

“The people complained and turned against Moses!” Same song, second verse in the musical known as Exodus. And what you and I must learn from this cast of Israelites is that nothing is as polar opposite to trust as complaint. But nothing is more precious to God than our trust, especially when the evidence is against trusting in that given moment. More than anything—more than sacrifice, more than service, more than singing, trust says, “I love you” to God. On the other hand,  Nothing says, “I can’t depend on you” like whining. Choose trust—no one who ever did has lived to regret it!

The Journey// Focus: Exodus 15:22-25

Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”). Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. So Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink.

There is nothing so odious to God as his people complaining when things don’t go their way. On the other hand, there is nothing so pleasing to God as his people trusting him in the midst of things not going their way. Whining or worship, two polar opposite choices we are given in any set of circumstance—and two choices that have far reaching consequences in our journey of faith.

Now let’s be fair to the Israelites in Exodus 15. Even though they had just been delivered from Egypt in the most extraordinary way—remember, the ten plagues, and to cap it off, the parting of the Red Sea—they were now three days into the desert on their way to Canaan and they had no water. Imagine carrying your little ones, who are now parched and crying for water, and you can do nothing about it. Imagine being a nursing mother, or a father herding your livestock and your four little ones, and you have nothing to quench their extreme thirst, and no prospects of water in sight. Imagine thinking you and your loved ones are going to die of thirst—literally! You think you wouldn’t complain against the decisions your leader had made to put you and your family in this predicament? Think again!

But let’s also be fair to God. He must have been disappointed that the Israelites had so quickly forgotten his mighty hand of provision, yet he responds so graciously to their whining. He didn’t yell at them; he didn’t punish them. He had pity on them and provided safe, cool, life-giving water by instructing Moses to throw a tree into the bitter pool of Marah—and it was cleansed. You think that prefigures the cleansing, life-saving power of another tree upon which the Water of Life was crucified? Then God goes a step further and covenants yet again, in response to their trust, to provide them with life and health. (Exodus 15:25-26)

Now, why didn’t God just provide water for them right away? Why put them through such a painful ordeal? I don’t know—he is God and I am not. But I suspect that Exodus 15:25 is the key: to test their faithfulness to him. The Israelites had 400 years of Egypt in their system, and God had to systematically remove it from them in order to have a people unto himself—a people who had come to trust in him ruthlessly. In fact, in Deuteronomy 8, as Moses is recounting their journey as they near the Promised Land he offers this retrospective on these very events:

Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good. So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. (Deuteronomy 8:1-6)

The people were desperate, and in their desperation, they acted out of fear, not faith. And if we were to be honest about it, we would have been right with them. But God graciously, mercifully overlooked their grumbling in the moment and gave them what they needed. But it was a test, and he expected them to grow in their trust through a test they had failed. By the way, isn’t it true that wise students learn most from failed tests while unwise just keep on failing? Later on, the Israelites failed again, and this time their complaining was met with discipline. (see Numbers 14 and 16) Keep that in mind.

The point being, the life of faith will be full of tests that will lead us to either whine, which, at its core, is distrust, or worship, which at its core, is trust. But behind it all, which we must keep at the forefront of our minds, is the faithfulness of a God who will never fail us. He will stretch us, but he will never ditch us. And because of his impeccable trustworthiness, we can, should and must choose trust over complaint—100% of the time. That is not easy, since we still live in earthbound bodies of flesh that are prone to self-centeredness and whininess, but it is eminently doable and infinitely wise.

Yes, God will stretch us, but no, he will never ditch us. So, no matter what, lean into God!

Going Deeper: Take some time, today if possible, and read, then re-read Deuteronomy 8. Ask the Holy Spirit to saturate your soul in the hope that God has for your relationship with him that this chapter describes.