2010 – Day 38. Feb. 7 – Running Out of Cope

Study from Numbers 10 – 11; Passage for Reflection: Numbers 11: 11 … NIV 11 He [Moses] asked the LORD, "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?

My Journal for Today: To any Brother or Sister who might be reading here with me, … can you identify with the despair which Moses felt when all of God’s people began to grumble, even though God was meeting all their needs and leading them toward the promised land? They were tired of the manna and WANTED meat; so, they clamored to Moses like little children who get tired of one thing and want another. And here was poor Moses, feeling the burdens of about 600,000 men (let alone all their families), … people under his guidance who had begun to murmur and grumble for something more and different than God was providing.

Ever been there? Well, maybe not exactly; but maybe you’ve been in a place where you felt like things were overwhelming and your coping mechanisms had reached their limits? Have you ever been in a place where you felt the burdens of your family or where the circumstances of the day were just too much for you? And maybe you, like Moses, began to strike out at those around you … maybe to your wife … or maybe even to God, saying something like …“WHY ME, Lord!? What did I do to deserve this?” I’ve been there; and I’ll bet you have too! And if you read on in today’s passage, which was Moses’ royal pity party, you’ll even read that Moses was so despondent, he even prayed for God to take his life (see Num. 11: 15).

I’ll bet you know and believe – as I do – that God hears every prayer of every believer, anytime or anywhere, even when we’re having a first class pity party; and aren’t you glad that God doesn’t automatically say “YES” to everyone of our selfish demands? If He did, Moses would have been a dead man in that moment; and so would have others in Bible lore who became depressed and prayed to die, … men like Elijah or Jonah. But fortunately for our well being, God knows exactly what we NEED; and though He hears all our prayers, He knows what is best for His kids; and God, our Heavenly Father, will always give us what we NEED, not necessarily what we want.

But God also has an infinitely incredible sense of humor when he’s trying to teach His selfish kids a lesson in humility. And here were God’s kids, clamoring for meat; and so, what did the Lord do? Well, He gave them exactly what they asked for; and all of a sudden they had to deal with so much meat (in the form of bird meat) that they choked on what God gave them. Today, I think of what so-called “christians” are clamoring for from God. For example, we hear people who call themselves “Christian,” asking for God to give them homosexual marriage, which actually mocks what God’s word says about human sexuality and His institution of marriage; and as we can read in Romans 1: 18 – 32, mankind is doing many things in our culture which are an outright mockery of God’s principles. And I’m concerned that God, as He did with the grumbling children of Moses’ day, is going to give our culture all the pornography, all the homosexuality, and all the godless marriage for which He hears His kid’s clamoring. And then, the result is going to be mankind choking on exactly what they have grumbled for; and the rain is going to fall on the righteous as well as the unrighteous as God shows His kids just how foolish are their selfish demands.

Well, my friends, maybe I’m venting here just like Moses was; but I need to remember that God is still in His Tabernacle (Who is Jesus); and He resides in my heart; and whatever He does, He will do for my good and for His glory [see Romans 8: 28]. Therefore, if He sends a social plague on this land to show us His presence and His power, it will be what we NEED and what we deserve. But in the process, let me pray for His mercy.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, have mercy on Your remnant in this world who know that You do love mankind; and who strive to follow Your ways. And if You need to chastise Your children for our disobedience, have mercy on us, oh Heavenly Father. Amen