Today’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 14:1 through Numbers 15:41
After the Israelites heard the report from the twelve spies the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night…Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt.” (14:1-4)
When I read today’s passage I thought, “How stupid can you get?” My hindsight vision was a perfect 20/20 as I critiqued the Israelites’ many mistakes. But what if I change the name, situation, and outcome and insert my story…
How many times have I heard a report and immediately began to cry, bawl, kick, and scream and THEN take matters into my own hands and craft a plan with my limited information?
…Too, too many times I’m sad to say.
The first mistake that comes to my mind is about 17 years ago, I felt the Lord speak to me to resign from my position as a Mary Kay Sales Director and wait on Him for the next step. At first I was obedient but when a major life change came along I thought, “surely God doesn’t want me to resign NOW”, so I changed my mind and retained my status as a Senior Sales Director. After two years of struggling in areas that had always been so easy, having no passion for my job, and getting myself into serious debt; I finally realized I had to resign. Things would have worked a lot better if I had just listened to the God who parted the Red Sea!
Thanks to Moses’ intervention the Lord forgave the Israelites. This is huge! God was ready to disown and destroy them (14:12). This is a picture of God’s forgiveness of our sins today…
Jesus is in heaven interceding to God on our behalf! I love that!
Let’s face it, we mess up and need God’s forgiveness just like the Israelites. And just like the Israelites there are consequences (not one of those people entered the Promised Land) to our disobedience.
Thankfully God forgave my disobedience just like He did the Israelites.
And just like the Israelites I had to deal with the consequences.
It took years for me to recover from that time both emotionally and financially, but I did recover. I think too many times we ask and expect God to get us out of places we got ourselves into. Sometimes He does but many times, especially in the area of finances we have to grow our way out of it!
Thank you Lord for your forgiveness!
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©2012, Dianne Guthmuller
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 16:1 through Numbers 18:32
This is so true. So often I shake my head at the Israelites but then I have to search my own life. It always ends with me shaking my head at myself!
Marietta, thanks for stopping by The Journey! I do a lot of “head shaking” as well! I’m so glad I got to meet you at Writers Advance! Blessings!