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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Word Wednesday by KM Wilsher


No crossword puzzles, vocabulary or word games, I don't have the mind to come up with those. On Word Wednesday I want to talk about what we are reading in the bible this week. It’s not a Bible study, sermon or deep devotional, just a place to reflect on a verse or passage that may have touched us this week.

So this week I’m reading in Numbers. What a difficult book to read, at least in the beginning with all the lists. But Numbers 14:1-4 is what really guided me this week. You remember the story from Sunday school? God had Moses send a few men into the land of Canaan to see whether the land was good or bad, what the people were like, what the cities were like. Canaan was the Promised Land. God was hoping to give them a preview of its glory.

When the men returned they told the Israelites all about Canaan it’s huge, delightful fruit, beautiful cities and large peoples. They reacted in fear.
Numbers 13:31
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are.

32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.

And even negativity!

Numbers 14:1-4
1 That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.
2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert!
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?
4 And they said to each other, We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.

However, in Numbers 13:30, a man named Caleb had Faith:
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.

I then thought about my reaction to my own future “land of Canaan”. I’m going to open a business this year. My education is proving to be a huge mess. I joined a new church last summer. Most of the time when I think on these things, I begin to fear them. I thought, “Well, that is just what the Israelites felt – fear”. It really got me thinking that my reaction to my future must be Faith and not fear! I want to be like Caleb! I don't want to return to Egypt - No Way!

What verse has touched you this week?

10 comments:

Kathryn Hupp-Harris said...

1 That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.
2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert!
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?
4 And they said to each other, We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.


I think everyone can apply this verse as a metaphor to their faith.

We want God's help. We want God to act and guide us in our lives, but part of being a rich follower of Christ means enduring trials and uncertainty that we bring about through our own sinfulness.

We blame God when he uses our transgressions to teach us a lesson in life, and we end up questioning our own faith and God's presence in our lives.

We say: "God, when I decided to become your follower, I thought you would take care of me. Where are you now when I need you?"

Well, God's there. Many times, he's carrying us (like in the Footprints Poem), but what we don't realize is 1. How much more difficult enduring troubles would be if we didn't have faith in God's presence; and 2. How much deeper our faith and character will be after surviving hardships.

Whew...OK. Can I go back to bed now?

KM Wilsher said...

wow! LOL! whoo hoo, kat! hee hee
Thank you and well said. We need to post your comment on the home page!

I especially liked:
1. How much more difficult enduring troubles would be if we didn't have faith in God's presence; and 2. How much deeper our faith and character will be after surviving hardships.

I've been really convicted by these Truths this week. Thanks for your addition! I am better for them!

Now you can go back to bed hee hee

Billy Coffey said...

So very true. Often life's greatest blessings come disguised as hardships. At least, that's what I've found.

KM Wilsher said...

Me too, Billy. Thank you for stopping by!

JC Lamont said...

I'm reading a really deep devotional this year called Worship the King, and lately it's been talking about the Potter and the clay.

One of the things he mentioned is that we focus on "clay-esteem" and "clay actualization" or "clay fulfillment", and how we have to make a shift from clay-perspective to Potter-perspective.

That's a bit tough, esp when life really seems to focus on us -- my life is about me, your life is about you. Which sounds all fine and well, but for the Christian, my life is suppossed to be about Christ. What does He want me to do today? What does He want me to accomplish?

Anonymous said...

Great choice of verses, Gzusfreek. I read the Bible in a year last year, and I remember reading this story.

Caleb's faith was so admirable. Maybe that's why I named my newest main character after him **smile**

Thanks for sharing this with me, it's a nice way to start out my day today...with a little faith!

KM Wilsher said...

JC, Nice. Sounds like a wise devotional - Worship the king, right! Not myself. What does He want me to do?

Lynn, I wondered if you were inspired by Caleb - right? I hope to start my day with Faith!

Thanks for the comments JC and Lynn!

Brandon Barr said...

I love how Caleb trusted in the might of God. Even when there was obviously danger in the land of Canaan. Caleb also overcame the pressure of standing out amongst the other spies.

It goes hand in hand with what God is really teaching me...not to fear man. To live before God, not before man.

This verse has been a great strength:
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

KM Wilsher said...

Brandon, I liked: "teaching me...not to fear man"

And this verse, "for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal"

Great stuff to start my weekend with!

:-)

Travis said...

K-
Did you say you were going to start a business? What kind and when?