- And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. Numbers 20:11 – The people of Israel are in their last stage of their wilderness journey, likely in year 40 out of 40, and the younger generation begins to complain like the older generation did many years back. There was no water and the people rose up once again against Moses to blame him for all their troubles. We see Moses received direction from the Lord on what to do, returns to the complainers, gives them a stern lecture, then strikes the rock in his anger twice to produce the water they wanted. From a worldly perspective Moses’ response is completely normal and expected. The people you’re trying to save blames you of trying to kill them, it would seem fully acceptable to the world to behave as Moses did…but that’s the problem. Moses handled things in a way the world would, yet not how God told him to. Moses was never told to lecture the people in his anger nor to even strike the rock, but simply to speak to the rock and God would provide. Let this be a filter for us as we choose to react and handle ourselves. If someone who does not follow Jesus approves of how you handle an issue and would even handle it that way themselves, pause and do some evaluating of your response. Certainly this isn’t always a sign that we handled something sinfully, but if someone doesn’t have the Holy Spirit guiding them then our response shouldn’t always mirror theirs. The world isn’t about showing grace, speaking truth, and showing Godly love, yet we are called as disciples to do such things. While in this world we aren’t to respond and behave like this world. Live in a way that stands out to the world around us, not mirrors it. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3370
- Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle. Numbers 20:8 – It’s not only important that you know the full message of God, but that you follow the full message as well. This chapter shows the dangers of picking and choosing which commands of God are ones you’ll hold close to while letting other’s slide. I think of all this as today is election day here in the united states. Remember we are called to love our neighbor, pray for our leaders, and seek peace with everyone as far as it depends on us. Yes that means loving our neighbors that hold greatly different political views than us and even to be praying for whoever is picked as president. If you claim Jesus as your Lord, you don’t get to pick and choose anymore which commands you want to follow. That of course means you’ll find yourself pushed in ways that are uncomfortable many times, but if they are directions God gave, we need to follow it fully. So today, even if it’s uncomfortable, pray for both parties. Either way it goes, wouldn’t you love to have God strengthening, giving peace, and giving wisdom to whoever is going to lead? I love you, but Jesus loves you mores – Mac – Daily DEVO 1436
- Numbers 20 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there. Numbers 20:1 – What isn’t clearly laid out in this verse but can be discovered from surrounding verses is exactly when and where this all took place. Where? In a place called Kadesh. But why is that significant? This is the same location many years ago that the 12 spies came back to and reported what they found in the promise land. This is the same location where the nation rebelled and refused to go into the promise land. Now, in the first month of the fortieth year of their wanderings, they have found themselves in the same spot they rebelled so long ago. Has anything changed within the people’s faithfulness to the Lord? In the same place they were when they first rebelled so many years ago, will they make the same rebellious choice again or choose faithfulness to God instead this time? While a situation exactly like this may not happen for us, we can find ourselves faced with a situation where we must choose will we be faithful in it. Possibly this situation was one we found ourselves in before and last time we chose not to be faithful to the Lord in this choice. Today though is your opportunity to demonstrate to God your faithfulness to Him. Yes, in your past, you made the wrong choice, but today isn’t yesterday. You’ve grown, you’ve learned better how to lean on the Lord for help, and today you can make the choice you didn’t before. God is offering you a new path. One of second chances and grace. We don’t have to be defined by our past choices anymore when it comes to God because His grace is sufficient. Make the choice today to follow Jesus that you wish you made yesterday. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2301
Daily DEVO 