Gods Wants Us To Love And Think Like Him

Numbers 22:32-33 -   The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.  The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”

We don’t know much about this man Balaam…except that he had a relationship with God that allowed him to converse with him at will...and he had a reputation for blessings and curses that brought messengers from Balek…asking for him to curse the Israelites. It would have brought Balaam more wealth than he had ever dreamed of having in his life.

It is also a confusing story…for God had told Balaam once never to go with these men…but the second time he asked God…he told him it was okay to go...just to make sure that he spoke only what God said to speak. BUT…that very day…God got so angry at him for going he set an angel in his path…ready to turn him back. His donkey saw the angel and tried to protect him…only to be beaten. Then …in one of the most strange miracles of the Bible…the donkey speaks…and Balaam’s eyes are finally open to the angel….who lets him go past with yet another warning to speak only what God tells him.

God had said no…that should have been it.  We are not given the details of Balaam’s conversation the second time these men came offering him so much wealth…only that God told him it was okay to go. Perhaps my confusion...and the reason for God’s anger was that he knew deep down Balaam wanted to go. Perhaps he really did not understand the hugeness of his choice to go with these messengers…or the dangers of letting his heart be swayed by all that material wealth. I am sure that he did not realize it would cost him his life in the end…I peeked at Joshua…or be used so many times in the Bible as a reference of what not to do later. Read 2 Peter 2…Numbers 31 and Revelation 2.

As I took notes on what I was reading last night…I wrote in the margin…God wanted him not to want to go. Jeremiah 10:9-10 says it clearly… "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? "I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds. God knows what we are thinking….in the deepest parts of our heart.”  God knows when we are just doing what we have to.  He wants the total sell out…the whole of our being…so he can control all those fleshy desires that get us in trouble like they did Balaam.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you want all of my heart.  Forgive me for the pieces of my heart that I have knowingly or unknowingly withheld from you.  Show me how to let go of any pieces that keep you from controlling my whole being…so that you can help me love and think like your son…who following your will….gave his very life ...even though he had asked that the cup of death be taken from him.  Amen.

Thank God For The Thorns

Numbers 21:8-9 -   The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”  So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

As the Israelites came towards the land God had promised them….they had to fight many of the people of the lands they were traveling through.  They won each battle…with God’s help of course…. but still became discouraged from all the traveling and constant battles. Eventually they let their spirits become so discouraged that they began to speak out against Moses and Aaron once again…using the same old excuse that things were better in Egypt. 

God was so upset with them that he quickly sent poisonous snakes among them … many of them dying from being bitten. They repented quickly …asking Moses to pray for them … but God did not take the snakes away.  What he did do was to tell Moses to put a bronze snake on a pole…and if the people who were bitten chose to look at it after being bitten…they did not die.

It made me think of Paul’s reflection in 2 Corinthians 12:7-8…about the thorn God refused to remove from his life. Paul says his thorn was to keep him from becoming conceited. The snakes were a constant reminder that complaining about the aspects of their journey...or the leaders God had raised up for them…..showed a lack of trust in God. Perhaps the thorns I think God has allowed in my life…are meant to teach me the same lessons.

We are never as effective for God when we think too highly of ourselves.  The pride that tries to overtake the humility God wants to drive us to be his servant… can quickly take a ‘God moment’ for someone else…and turn it into a ‘me’ moment that puffs up our spirit in the wrong way.  I will admit quickly that God has allowed more than one ‘thorn’ in my own journey to know him better….and I am very thankful now…although at the moment the ‘thorns’ appeared I was just like these Israelites.

Father…thank you for the thorns you have allowed in my life.  Forgive me for the times that I did not accept them as lessons in faith. Help me to be fully trusting in you…so you can help me be more like Paul….knowing that what I perceive as thorns…can be powerful tools for you to teach me humility….so I can become a better servant of your kingdom.  Amen.  

Trust In God...No Matter What

Numbers 20:2-5 -  Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.  They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord!  Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here?  Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”

The wanderings in the wilderness brought them to another mountain.  It was a tough time for them…for Miriam had died and was buried there…and once again they found no source of water for them or their livestock.  And since the people had never caught on that God could take care of this small issue too...they grumbled and complained to Moses that they never should have followed him here.

It was Moses breaking point.  He went straight to God…and had the directions for how to supply them water….but he let his frustration finally erupt ...and in his frustration hit the rock instead of call out to it like God said. We know this moment to be the reason God did not allow Moses or Aaron to step foot in the Promised Land…but my heart can’t stop thinking about how the thoughts actions of these people drove Moses and Aaron to stop relying on God completely.

What we say and do in the presence of others shows them our complete trust…or our complete lack of faith in God. It is beyond my understanding….how could this people…who had witnessed so many mind blowing miracles…doubt for a second that God could bring them a source of water. Perhaps it was their lack of a personal relationship with God like Moses had.  Perhaps it was the years of abuse and hard conditions they had lived under.  Perhaps it was just easier to complain.

It is a great reminder to me to be careful how I word everything I say.  One simple complaint…or a string of them…could alter someone’s ideas of the God I say I love and trust with all my heart. I have a friend…who is going through some tough times.  She models for me how to react to every new problem when she says…God’s going to take care of this too. I ask her why she thought God was allowing her to go through so much…and she replied … “Cause God knows I’m going to praise him no matter what.”

Father… thank you for the reminder that I need to trust you with everything…even when things seem tough. Forgive me for the times that my words in hearing of others have given them a skewed impression of my love for you…and my trust in you.  Help me to always be positive... to trust in your provision for everything that I need.  Amen.

The Blood Of Christ Purifies All Uncleanliness

Numbers 19:20-21 - But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean.  This is a lasting ordinance for them.

God had very strict rules for those that became unclean. Some sicknesses…almost anything that dealt with blood…and leprosy were some of the ways you could become unclean. This whole chapter dealt with the uncleanliness of touching a dead body. God knew that some of these things would always be a part of their earthly lives…so he gave them a way to purify and clean themselves up...a way to keep the unclean things from separating them from God’s presence.

We no longer have to complete these rituals because Christ took care of all the ways we could become unclean with the precious blood he shed for us on the cross.  Hebrews 9:13-14 sums it up very clearly.  It says… “For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!

I admit that it is way harder to make the effort to clean up our lives and spirit than it is to just let life happen. David Guzik …one of my favorite commentators….added even another layer of thought to my understanding.  He said, “Uncleanliness is easily transmitted – but cleanliness has to be deliberately sought.” It makes it clear to me that the action of wanting to clean ourselves up starts with a conviction and admission of guilt.

I am so glad that I don’t have to keep the ashes of a red heifer around to cleanse myself in...I’d be sprinkling that ashy water on me all the time. I only need to ask God to wash me clean…anytime …as many times as I fail...which for me is more than once daily. He does the rest….and keeps me connected to the source of love that keeps this old gal from throwing in the towel on this crazy world God placed me in.

Father…thank you for the reminder that when I let my choices in life…or just realize that something has made me unclean in your eyes…I just need to stop and admit my guilt so you can cleanse it all way. Forgive me for taking for granted the blood your precious son shed for me on that cross.  Help me to stop more often and examine my life….searching out all the impurities that keep me from being all that you made me to be….so I can ask you to clean every last bit of the world out of my heart.  Amen.

Is God All That You Need?

 Numbers 18:20 - The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.

After God had made it clear to the other Levites that he had chosen Aaron to be high priest…he gave him the details of how each of them was to care for the tent of meeting. Only Aaron and his sons could minister behind the veil...but all the other Levite had specific duties to keep the tabernacle a holy and fitting place for God to reside.

God also made a point to explain to Aaron that they would have no inheritance…no portion of land when they came to Canaan. God had made plans to care for each of them with the tithes and offerings the many Israelites would bring to the tabernacle each day.  They would not need anything else other than what God would provide for them.

As I read this scripture…I found myself asking my heart if God was truly all that I need? AND quickly had to admit that too many times I don’t depend on him completely. I let the pressure of life here on earth …my selfish wants…and my wrong interpretations of what God may be leading be to do…cause me to jump in and take care of things before God has a chance to do what he had planned for me instead.

I needed the reminder to trust God more completely for what HE wants in my life...and let go of many of the preconceived notions of what I think I need. Proverbs 3:5 keeps coming back to my spirit. It says…. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

Father…thank you for the reminder to trust you more fully for the things that YOU know I need.  Forgive me for interfering with your care of my life with my own ideas and plans. Help me to place ALL my trust in your plan…so your promise to make my life prosperous and never harm me will become my hope for your future.  Amen.

God Chooses Servants Based On Our Humility And Willingness To Serve

Numbers 17:1-5 - The Lord said to Moses,  “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff.  On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe.  Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the Ark of the Covenant law, where I meet with you.  The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.”

God wanted to put an end to anymore grumbling and rebellious attitudes towards Moses and Aaron...so he gave Moses directions to collect a staff from each leader. Aaron’s name was to be laced on the staff for the tribe of Levi…then all 12 placed in the presence of God inside the tabernacle. God would cause the staff belonging to his chosen one to sprout.

Not only did Aaron’s staff sprout…it blossomed and produced ripe almonds in the overnight hours.  It was a sign from God that no one could reproduce on their own….Aaron was his clear choice for high priest.  Moses was directed to put the living staff into the Ark of the Covenant…to keep as a symbol of God’s choices…and to keep anymore rebellious attitudes from forming against Moses and Aaron.

It is a reminder to me that God chooses who he chooses to do his work.  He can use the simple man with no education….or the learned scholar of any university or seminary. His choices are not based on our thinking…but on his.  He took a well-educated murderer…trained him how to be a leader…placed a humble brother beside him to be his spokesman….and used them both to lead a chosen people.

God still uses anyone he chooses to do his work.  He does not choose us based on our looks… education… economic levels…or country of origin.  He chooses us based on the humility in our heart…and the acceptance of his call on our life. He chooses us based on our willingness to let him have complete control of all of our heart.  He wants to hear us say the same thing Samuel said in 1 Samuel 3:4… “Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am.”

Father…thank you for the reminder that you still choose people to be your hands and feet here on earth.  Forgive me for the times that I have failed to obey your directions…or simply felt unworthy to be your vessel of love. Help me to allow your spirit to work in my life…and produce new growth …blossoms…even fruit from this one who resembles the old dry staffs of the Israelites.  Give me new eyes of faith to see the miracles you can do with even this woman who fails you every day. Amen.

Ask God To Remove Pride...Before It Weakens Your Faith

Numbers 16:4-5 - When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him. 

Three Levite men decided to rise up against Moses. We are not told what their exact problem was with Moses…but they managed to get 250 other men to follow in their thinking. Moses reaction was to fall face downward… letting God decide how to handle it with the censers they used to burn holy incense before God.

The short story is that these men all perished…God letting them know quickly that Moses was his chosen and that they had let pride interfere with the simple jobs he had given them to do. God allowed a plague to start among the people…meant to wipe out even more of these prideful Israelites that came and grumbled about the men who had died….but Moses had Aaron offer atonement for them so quickly that only 14,700 died from the incident.

It is a great reminder to me of the weakness pride can create in one’s faith. Isaiah 2:17 says… “The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” When pride is given control…it blossoms into full blown arrogance and never glorifies God.  It twists our feelings of accomplishment into crazy thoughts that we are better than we really are...worthy of ore than we have.

We have to be very careful that the pride we feel is the same as written in 2 Corinthians 7:1-4… "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God. Open your hearts to us; we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you." This is a genuine feeling of accomplishment…a feeling that glorifies God because of our obedience to his calling on our life.

Father…thank you for the reminder that pride is a dangerous emotion…needing constant humility to keep it in a form that glorifies you. Forgive me for the many times that I have let pride become a stumbling block to the path you have needed me to be on. Help me to recognize very quickly any time pride is trying to weaken my faith…so I can call on you to remove it before it causes any harm.  Amen.

Confess Unintentional Sin To God For A Complete Cleaning

Numbers 15:27-28 - But if just one person sins unintentionally, that person must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering.  The priest is to make atonement before the Lord for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made, that person will be forgiven. 

God gave Moses some very important directions for how to receive forgiveness for unintentional sin. Whether it be an individual …or the whole community…they had to take a specific sacrifice to the priest…so he could make atonement for them to God.

We don’t have to take a goat to a priest to be sacrificed for our sins anymore…the blood Jesus shed on the cross was enough to make atonement for all sins …past or present.  But we do have to admit them to ourselves and God…and ask his forgiveness.  1 John 1:9 says… “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

I needed the reminder that sometimes I sin without realizing it…but as I spend time in prayer…fellowship with other Christians…and Bible study…God brings to my conscious thought that something I have done is sin.  It is at the very instant that I realize….or am convicted of this sin…that I need to drop to my knees and admit to it to myself and God…so he can use that precious blood he shed to cleanse me of it.

My sweet father always puts a phrase in his verbal prayers…no doubt it is a part of every prayer he prays. He always includes the phrase … “forgive us for the many times we fail  you.”  A sweet reminder that we no doubt have some hidden sin…we haven’t even realized is sin yet.

Father…thank you for the reminder that sin in my life can hide from my awareness. Forgive me for the times that I have failed you. Reveal each time to my heart and mind so I can let you cleanse it form my life.  Amen.

through 

Keep Your Glass Half Full ...Of Faith In God

Numbers 14:5-9 - Then Moses and Aaron fell face down in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.  Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

It must have been the Israelites ‘go to answer’ for anything that went wrong in their lives.  After all that God had done for them…after the 10 miraculous things he had given them as signs of his protection and love...they wanted to abandon him…pick new leaders...and start back to Egypt. They had no faith….they had no vision of what God could possibly do for them to win a battle against the giants that lived in the land God had promised to give them.

We all have giants to face from time to time. They are probably not literal giants…but health issues…or financial problems…..or the loss of a loved one. If we choose the same mentality of the Israelites…we see our problem…our giant as a glass half empty…not enough resources to conquer it.

Caleb and Joshua…they saw the glass half full.  It was half full of faith in a God who had conquered 10 other ‘giants’ since they had started their journey.  They saw the good land spread out before them and were ready and even excited to see how God was going to take of this new problem too. They saw how they had grown each time a new problem in their life had been taken care of by God.

I needed the reminder to never see my glass of life as half empty.  A widow is always tempted to sink into a self-declared pity party when it gets too difficult. But that never allows any growth.  Only when we step out of the darkness that grief and other difficulties shines on our hearts…and let God shine his love full of light…do we start to see the glass is filling up once again with another lesson to build our faith in Hm.

Father…thank you for the reminder to remember that I gain strength by allowing you to help me with the problems I face.  Forgive me for the times that I have wanted to give up…and let the problem I face stop me from believing that you can conquer anything. Help me to keep Philippians 4:13 ready to recite to ole satan when he comes trying to get me to give up…so I can say…For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Amen.

Let God Power Your Thoughts Of The Future

Numbers 13:30-31 - 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.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”

They had traveled so close…close enough to send out 12 spies to search out the land. Under God’s direction…Moses picked one man from each of the twelve tribes and they set out toward the land God had promised t Abraham.

They found it exactly the way God had promised….complete with a culture of people so enormous…and so numerous their confidence shrunk in proportion to them. Only Caleb remembered the mighty acts of God that had brought them this far and confidently reported that they should proceed to take over the land.

It is a reminder to me to never use earthly wisdom and my human standards to make a decision about my future.  God is able to do so much more than my human brain can imagine. His plans for me are to prosper me...not to harm me. I f I can keep my eyes fixed on him…like Caleb did….my future will be hopeful .

I admit that this is hard sometimes…especially when life seems to serve up one problem after another. Job’s battle to stay connected to the one source that could bring him through his mess was not easy or short. He lost so much…his body was spent…physically… and emotionally. But he stayed the whole course of whatever satan dished out to turn his heart against God.  He found a double blessing on the other side of all that God helped him to endure.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you are all we ever need to accomplish anything you call us to do. Forgive me for the times that I have failed you…and given up like all the other spies…before the battle even begins.  Help me to stay focused like Caleb…so I can always see a future vision of what you can do…instead of what my limited human mind conceives.  Amen. 

Let God Remove your Critical Spirit

Numbers 12:1-4 -   Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.  “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this. (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out.

Miriam and Aaron let a spirit of criticism invade their hearts toward Moses. Their murmurs started with the judgment of who Moses married…but the real issue was that they felt Moses had a bit too much of a monopoly on God’s favor and time. Miriam’s criticism and deep jealously must have been a bit deeper than Aaron’s …for after God’s close up ‘ meeting’… with all three…Miriam was immediately struck with leprosy.

God healed her after 7 days in the leper colony outside the camp…but I bet the lesson she learned about letting a critical spirit overtake your mind stayed with her forever. Part jealousy… a bit pride...and a deficit of humility can become a dangerous combination when it come to our relationship with God and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Try as I might to be a positive person …I have to admit that I struggle with the same problem Miriam and Aaron did. Most of my critical statements are veiled in humor…but their negative content can’t be hidden after it is spoken. I always realize too late how mean spirited it sounded…and spend many hours feeling bad…or reflecting on how wrong it was for me to say it in the first place.

I also admit that there is a time and place for straight up rebuke.  2 Timothy 3 says.   “ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. But we must be careful that our rebuke is God led…and we are not judging. Matthew 7:12 is clear… “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”

Father….thank you for the reminder that a critical spirit is not of you. Forgive me for the many times I have let my mouth have control of the judgmental words in my heart…and let them materialize into hurtful situations…or times of tearing down ones nature. Help me to learn to control the negative things satan tries to get me to say…to rebuke these negative thoughts before they become hurtful words. remove the log from my own eyes so I can see you more clearly  Amen.

God Provides Victory Over Our Lusts

Numbers 11:4-6  -  The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat!  We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.  But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”

They had been eating the sweet manna God rained from heaven each morning for a little over a year… but that wasn’t enough to satisfy their cravings for the fresh veggies and meat they had had in Egypt. The past that had once been so appalling to them…became a temptation.  They let it sink so deep down in their heart that it took over their emotions…and they wept over it.

It got to Moses too.  He cried out to God how to handle it…their emotions weighing him down …creating  a deep burden for these people God had given him charge of.  He told God to just kill him now if he was going to bear this alone….but if he had found favor to create a support group for him to ease the pain he felt from these deep emotions.

God answered Moses right away…asking him to call together 70 elders together ….so God could fill them with part of Moses burden. And while they met and prayed together…God came up with his way of dealing with the people’s lust of meat.  He was going to give it to them…in such abundance that they could eat of it for a whole month.

It wasn’t just a simple fix for their prayer…It was a way for God to weed out the ones that had let lust so consume them that they mistrusted the God they had promised to serve.  He provided the meat they craved…but all that ate it immediately became sick and died…a costly price for the dinner they so wished for.

It is a great reminder to me that just because we want something…doesn’t mean it will be good for us. Lust isn’t just a term for sexual desires…we can lust after money…power…drugs…alcohol…or anything else that is forbidden to us. If God allows the temptation to manifest it will produce strife….conflict… assassinate our character… produce selfishness… and bring sin and perversity that will separate our soul from the only one that can remove the desires that started our troubles.

God can give us victory over these desires that will consume and destroy us in the end. Just as he gave Moses a strong group of men to share his burden…he can give his power that will conquer even death. One of the keys is to constantly walk in His spirit….as  Galatians 5:16 says… “ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”  A good dose of prayer and meditation on specific scriptures that we can use to speak the temptations away…just as Jesus did….will go a long way too.

Father...thank you for the reminder that I need to be careful what I ask for.  Forgive me for the times that I complained about my lot in life…and did not trust you to fully provide for what you know I need. Help me to throw off any desires that might lead to sin in my life…and give me your strength to trust you only for what I need.  Amen.

When God Says Go....Go....When God says wait...Wait...When God says Stop...Stop

Numbers 10:11-13 -  On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle of the covenant law.  Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran. They set out, this first time, at the Lord’s command through Moses.

God had Moses make 2 silver trumpets…hammered by hand to use as signals for gathering… moving… and war calls. And after a full year of activities …giving Moses the commands to live by… preparations for worship….training the priests to offer sacrifices …counting the men and  organizing them or future wars….and build up and break down the tabernacle for travel…they began the next leg of their experience with God.

It was a short trip…a mere three days to the wilderness of Paran….but they followed God’s directions for moving his tabernacle and ark.  They had arrived safely from the first three days of travel. Perhaps it was just a practice session…to see how well they would follow directions. But God moved in their lives…taking them that much closer to the promises he had made to their patriarch Abraham. 

It is a reminder of two things for me.  First…when God says go….go with every ounce of energy and wisdom he has given you to go with.  Second…when he says stop…stop and see what he needs before moving again. Perhaps it would be easier for us to follow him sometimes if we too had a cloud that settled where we are supposed to end up… and we were able to lay out fleeces like Gideon for answers to our deepest questions. But cloud or not…fleeces or not…God still directs our path…and answers our prayers in his time.

The answers are clear when we stay in his will….pray….meditate on his word….and seek wisdom from others that do the same. The epiphany of wisdom comes for me when I least expect it...in the middle of some simple task he has given me to do….sometimes even in a wakeful moment during the early hours of the morning.

Father….thank you for the reminder to be ready to move when you have a task for me to do.  Forgive me for the times that I did not listen when you needed me to move…or moved too fast because I got nervous waiting on your answer. Help me to be so in tune with you that I can’t help but know exactly what you are thinking… so I can see clearly those plans you have for me…that are good…that will give me hope for my future.  Amen.