Take It To The Lord In Prayer

Numbers 9:6-8  -  But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean on account of a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day and said to Moses, “We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?”  Moses answered them, “Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you.”

It had been exactly one year since they celebrated the first Passover and left Egypt. They kept it exactly as the Lord told them…except for a few men who had become defiled because they had been around a dead body.  So they inquired of Moses why they couldn’t. Moses did not try to answer them immediately…he told them to wait….and went to God to ask what they should do.

What a great reminder that when a situation comes up that we don’t have a preconceived Godly answer for….we should table our actions until we have taken that situation to God. Moses… no doubt in my heart…went straight to the tabernacle and spoke with God about it in the inner sanctuary where his presence sat.  And so we should go…to our most focused quiet prayer closet…to spend some time with God about our confusion.

He will answer…for Moses...the answer was quick and easy. But all of God’s answers are not so simple.  Job spent a few days and nights in grief and sadness before his prayers were answered. Jonah spent three days in the belly of a whale while God softened his heart enough to accept what needed to be done. Jesus spent 33 years…ministering to others before his father said the time had come to save the world.

The consequences of not asking God what to do could wind us up in a mess.  Perhaps Jonah could have prevented his three day cruise in a whale if he had stopped and prayed about his disagreement with God. Or consider Sarah…who did not wait on the Lord’s timing and made a huge mess when she gave her handmaid to Abraham to get a son.

I am reminded of an old hymn….What a Friend We Have in Jesus.  Its first verse goes like this… ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Father…thank you for the reminder to come to you any time we don’t already have an answer from you about how to proceed in life. Forgive me for the times that I have gone on before you and made a mess.  Help me to remember to take everything to you in prayer….so I can stay in you will and constantly experience the peace that passes all understanding in everything I do.  Amen.

Are You Reflecting God's Light and Love To Others...ALL The Time?

Numbers 8:1-2 -  The Lord said to Moses,  “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand.’”

It’s a small bit of this chapter about consecrating and setting the Levites apart for God’s service. The lamps that shed light on the inner part of the tabernacles were set upon a beautiful and ornate base. The lamps themselves could be positioned any way the priests wanted…but God told them to make sure they were turned so that the light of each one illuminated the front of the lamp…so that it would light up the inner curtain leading to God’s holy presence among them.

I have to admit…I almost passed this important piece of scripture right by…reading it quickly and not really letting its meaning sink in …till I read David Guzik’s commentary this morning.  Two of his wisdom filled statements immediately brought conviction to my heart. He said… “The lampstand was described and made in Exodus 25:31-40; but the lampstand by itself could give no light. It had to have lamps placed upon it that gave light. All the lampstand could do was make the light more visible.’  Then he added… “Revelation 1:20 makes lampstands a picture of the church; the church itself does not light the world, but it does provide a platform for Jesus light to be seen.”

Sometimes when I get home …it is dark and I have to use my flashlight ap to see the way to my mailbox.  I can’t just turn it on…I have to turn its light toward the mailbox to see where I need to walk. Its light is useless pointed any other direction. Light means nothing if it is not shed where we can use is to see.  Its example is a personal example of how important it is for me to be a human lamp of God’s great light to the world. And I am not just to be a lamp…I need to constantly adjust it so that God’s light shines on the specific ones God needs me to share his love with.

Jesus reminded his disciples in John 8:12… “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  Then in Matthew 5:14-16 he told them…  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

I needed the reminder to keep the light God placed in my heart when he saved me fanned bright …the most dominate part of who he made me to be. If I concentrate more on keeping his light bright…then I can make sure that everything I do sheds his light on those he places around me…glorifying God with all that I do and say.

Thank you father for the reminder that keeping the light of your love shinning to others is a very important part of what you commissioned me to do as your child.  Forgive me for the times I let sadness…busy schedules….and the many demands of earthly living dim the light you gave me to show your love to others.  Help me to keep my light turned completely toward you…so you can reflect all the love you have to everyone around me..ALL the time. Amen.

Is Your Offering To God From The heart?

Numbers 7:2-3 - Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of families who were the tribal leaders in charge of those who were counted, made offerings. They brought as their gifts before the Lord six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle.

Moses had just anointed the Tabernacle and everything in it for service to God when the leaders of each tribe showed up with 6 carts full of offerings to help dedicate it properly to the Lord. Every cart contained exactly the same thing. On top of the carts 12 bulls were given…one for each of the tribes.

It is curious to me that all the offerings matched …exactly. Perhaps they had all met…and decided before they went to each prepare the same thing. They spared no expense...including golden bowls full of incense ….silver bowls…silver platters…and many different animals.

There was so much to offer to God that each leader took one of the next seven days to present it to God. Each cart was divided and given to a leader of the tribes that had been assigned to care for the tabernacle. It probably took most of a day to sacrifice all those animals on the new altar...and then divide the roasted meat to the tabernacle workers that would receive the blessing from it.

I can’t help but think that my offerings to God pale in comparison to these leaders. I write my tithe check at the end of each month…careful to give my 10%...from the gross amount of each of my income sources. I suppose I could count the time I spend in several ministries each week.  I sure don’t give what I used to…simply because I make much less as a retired individual. But I have to ask myself the question….are my offerings to God made from mere routine...or do I really  have a passion to offer up my full self and all that God has given me as income as a freewill offering to him?

                               

Father…thank you for the reminder that my offerings to you should be passionate and full of eagerness to help others. Forgive me for the times that I have let mere calculation of income  become my measure of given.  Help me to learn to give freely…willingly…and with my whole heart…so you can use my gifts of love to help others learn about you.  Amen.passion to offer up my full self and all that God has given me as income as a freewill offering to him?

                

The Lord Bless You And keep You.....

Numbers 6:24-26 - “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

God gave Moses these sweet words of blessing to give to Aaron and his sons. They were to use them to speak the name of God over the Children of Israel. They used it daily as the concluded the daily morning services of the tabernacle.

David Guzik wrote about the first few words… “This simple desire prefaces everything. God loves to bless His people, and He loves to have leaders long that the people be blessed. This also recognizes that all blessing really comes from God; and without His blessing, all is futile.” He makes some great points in his commentary that I will continue to use.

He said about the phrase… And keep you… “To be kept by the LORD is blessing indeed. Some are kept by their own sin and desire, some are kept by idolatry and greed, and others are kept by their own bitterness and anger. But to be kept by the LORD insures life, peace, and success.”

Finally he wrote… “The LORD make His face to shine upon you and give you peace… “To have the glorious, happy face of God shining upon man is the greatest gift one could have. To know that as God looks upon you, He is well pleased - not because of who you are, or what you have done, but because you are in Jesus Christ - there is no greater source of peace and power in life.”

I remember when I was younger singing this as a benediction…the tune is clear and strong in my mind….but I had forgotten that it was a direct quote from the Bible. In my heart…since we are all priests now…it is a great reminder that God wants us pronounce blessings over each other…to fill the space between us as we part with a wish for God to keep them safe and shine on them the brightness of his glory in their life…so they may experience his peace wherever they go.

Father…thank you for the reminder that God wants us to pronounce blessings over each other as we part from fellowship with each other.  Forgive me for the times that hurry and worries have kept me in a mode where selfishness has stolen these moments you intended for blessing others.  Help me to always speak these words of blessing over others as we part fellowship to go our separate ways.  Amen.

Making Amends Is For Our heart...Not The One We Hurt

Numbers 5:5-7 - The Lord said to Moses,  “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord is guilty and must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution for the wrong they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged.

Moses was given clear directions from God that any sin that hurt or caused another a loss of any kind must be confessed.  But God’s directions did not stop there.  This sin…that caused someone else a loss…had to be paid back in full…with another 1/5^th on top of it.  It immediately made my mind think of step 8 of the Celebrate Recovery Program…which is based on scripture. It says… “We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all…Do to others as you would have them do to you…Luke 6:31.” 

Zacchaeus modeled for us how freeing and joyous it makes one to follow this directive from God in Luke 19.  He went way beyond what God required…giving half of all he had gained with his sinful attitude to the poor…then offering to pay anyone he had cheated 4 times the amount he had taken from them. In his deep conviction of the sin he had committed…and his excitement in forgiveness… he could do nothing else.

There is a tricky thing to remember about making amends.  The story of Zacchaeus does not include how many people came forward for payment. We are only told of Zacchaeus’s willingness to give it back. We are not told that these people forgave him and accepted him after his act of restitution….only that he did it.

Making amends is not always a guarantee of repairing the relationship that was broken.  Making amends is for your heart alone…to show God that you realize your wrong…and are completely repentant of what do have done that hurt someone else. I remember the moment I was convicted of my art in the divorce.  I let his infidelity block my own part for a long time….but special father’s day the message finally broke through to my heart and convicted me that in many ways… I was just as guilty as he.

I sat down that afternoon and wrote him an apology letter…which I felt very strongly should be sent. He totally missed the point of why I sent it...and I almost let that emotion keep me from experiencing the sweet release that forgiveness brings when you let go of the hurt and let God begin to heal your pain.  I almost missed the point that writing that letter was for me and God…I wasn’t supposed to expect to get anything back.

Father…thank you for the reminder that making restitution provides a strong feeling of repentance and forgiveness in our hearts. Forgive me for the times that I have failed to make amends to those that I have hurt…or expect an apology from those that you have not convicted of their sin yet.  Help me to accept all things in your timing…so you can help me grow into what you need me to be. Amen.

We Are One Part Of The Body Of Christ

Numbers 4:49 - According to the commandment of the Lord they were numbered by the hand of Moses, each according to his service and according to his task; thus were they numbered by him, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Each family of Levites was given a specific task to do when the tabernacle of God was disassembled for moving. God wanted the Levite men 30 years of age to 50 to take charge of this important task. One group carried the most holy things after Aaron and his sons had covered them…one the curtains and everything that was used to hang hem… another was charged with the boards and sockets. 

One might think that the job of carrying the most holy things was more important than the others.  It might have been the most dangerous… but in God’s eyes they were all just tasks that insured the whole of the tabernacle was taken apart and rebuilt wherever they camped. He knew that Aaron and his two sons would never be able to complete it on their own.

I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 12:12.  It says… “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” I am also reminded of the many quotes from known and unknown sources like….it takes a village to raise a child…and individually we are one drop but together we are an ocean. These all remind us that God did not create us to be alone…he gave Adam a helpmeet…and taught his people from the start to work together. No one person is created with all the talents they need to be what God wants them to be.  We were created to interact and learn the anointing’s of each other…so that all of us have access to everything we need to be our best for Christ.

Father…thank you for the reminder that I was made for a special purpose.  My talents are only a part of a bigger picture that involves others. Forgive me for the times that I try to do things on my own.  Help me to listen to you guide me to the people you created to work with me…so that we can all do our best work for you.  Amen.

Let God Help Turn The Negatives Into Positives

Numbers 3:5-7 -  And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:  “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.  And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle.

Aaron was the high priest…with only two sons left to help him with all the duties they had to perform daily.  So Moses was directed to present the entire tribe of Levi to God…to increase the number of helpers Aaron had to complete his work.  The chapter lists every family by name…as they completed the census God commanded of them…22,273 in all.

It is one of those days when the bad could have completely overtaken the good that might have come in small portions throughout the day.  I hit the dismiss button instead of the snooze…which kept me from spending my usual writing time with God this morning. I had a very…complicated and drama filled day at the school I subbed in today…a bit of anger…and tears were a part of my aggravation….as was declining from teaching again there tomorrow. 

It wasn’t till I had the planning time allotted to the teachers at the middle school… that I began to let the positive pieces of what had happened flow into the emotion filled pockets of my mind and spirit. Instead of giving you all the details of my negative experience…let’s just say I should have called for help. I knew I could…and even had … 2 other times with these students…but emotions won for some reason and I just didn’t.

I wasn’t surprised to see the noes I wrote from Matthew Henry’s commentary when I got home and had time to reflect on what God might be teaching me from this chapter in Numbers. He said that because there was so much work appointed to Aaron and his sons…God used the other Levites to help him. What a great reminder that we all need help.  Perhaps if I had not hit that dismiss button this morning God could have taught me this before I let the negative pieces of my day bring me to an emotional halt.

We all need help.  God realized this concept when he sent his son to earth…and even though he set in motion a way for all of us to receive his help…many choose to ignore his gift.  Psalms 46:1 … “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”  And Matthew 11:28-29 could not be clearer.  It says… “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Father…thank you for the reminder that if I need help you are there.  Thank you for reminding me that the positive is always more important than the negative we experience. Forgive me for the many times that I let the negative keep me from seeing the positive. Help me to always stop and breathe a prayer to you when things seem to be out of my control…so you can come and help me to conquer the negative that threatened to take over my attitude.  Amen.