Numbers – Chapter 33

And they set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho; ⁴⁹they camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab. Numbers 33:48-49 – Chapters like the one we read today are certainly ones most would dread having to be called upon to read out loud for all the unfamiliar sounding names! What we have though is Moses penning down the 42 different stops the people of Israel took during their 40 year journey to the Promised Land. They were finally at the borders, soon to be crossing the Jordan into the Land of Promise that their people had not only waited 40 years of wandering for but centuries for since promised to Abraham. At this important spot God calls Moses to write down all the locations they settled along the journey. Why though would God ask this? Likely there are multiple reasons, but one reason certainly was to have a written reminder of God’s provision as they stepped into the Promised Land. As they were to begin their first steps into God’s next chapter for them, they would have with them evidence of how God provided for them in the last 42 steps. How God led them by His cloud and fire. How God provided food for the masses daily and how water came from rocks. How God led them to oases even in the desert. Maybe what Moses did is what you too need to do. Maybe we need to pen down all the different chapters of our life and all the different places we found ourselves within those chapters. Then to look back at each of those spots and ask, “How was God with me in it?” For we are all moving into new chapters, yet sometimes we need a reminder of how God was with us in the last to give us confidence He’ll be with us in the next. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3383

These are the stages of the people of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Numbers 33:1 – While this can be an easy chapter to skim through due to all the hard to read names of the cities, we can grab something special from it. Every city named was a step further away from the slavery they were once in and a step closer to finally stepping into God’s promise. Throughout the journey they faced loss, hardship, doubts, and struggle, yet they eventually still got to the land God promised to them. What would your stages look like? Stages from who you used to be to who you are today? Every step you’ve taken is a step away from the past slavery and a step closer to God’s promise. In your journey you too have faced loss, hardship, doubts, and struggles, but look at where God has taken you so far? When then you are in a new stage of difficulty take time to remember all the stages you’ve been through so far in the journey and how God has worked in them. If God helped you at that time then know He’s present to help again. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1449

Numbers 33 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover, the people of Israel went out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians, ⁴while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down among them. On their gods also the Lord executed judgments. Numbers 33:3-4 – This chapter shares with us step by step the different locations Israel settled in their wilderness time…so yes, a lot of unfamiliar and complicated to pronounce names for us. Yet in our verse above, look at what God was able to do day one of their journey. Focus on the last phrase about the gods of the Egyptians. God brought judgment upon them. The “gods” of the Egyptians were many. For the royalty in Egypt, especially Pharoah, would have been thought of as a god to the people. Livestock and beasts of the field were often thought of and connected with gods. They also had many idols of stone, wood, and metal they worshipped. Yet all these gods were put to shame in the events of the Exodus. Not a one could stop the movements of God. The power, or truly the lack thereof, of these gods were revealed to all the people of Egypt and Israel for they could not stop what God was doing. When God then reveals the power, or lack thereof, of things we put our trust in today, do we acknowledge the truth that those things can’t provide like God can for us? When it’s revealed to us that a relationship with a person can’t be enough to sustain us in life, do we turn to our relationship with Jesus instead? When it’s revealed money or our talents or our efforts aren’t enough to get us through, do we turn to Jesus instead? When God opens our eyes to the lack of power these things we can places as “gods” in our life have, let’s open our hearts more to Jesus. For He truly is the only one that can provide like we need and offer the salvation for our souls. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2314