but anyway, i'll just share something from my qt 2 days. i'm reading from that lent booklet thing we were given. i'm quite a few days behind the actual schedule but i don't think it really matters but anyway, the one i'll be sharing from is dated 22 feb. it's from exodus 16:9-21 (ESV).
9Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, 'Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.'" 10And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
the thing that really touched my heart is that God is not slow to answer and it's incredible how even when we grumble, when others would draw away from us coz we're being so bad mood or whatever, God calls us to draw near to Him. even when we're grumbling against God, He calls us to draw near to Him.
11And the LORD said to Moses, 12"Ihave heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"
13In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp.
and then He provides in abundance.
14And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground.
His provision is obvious. there's no need to search high or low for it. it's right in front of us. it's whether we recognise the provision or if we need, like the Israelites, Moses to point out God's provision for their physical hunger.
15When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.
we need to be spiritually sensitive to His provision and blessings, to recognise them as God-given.
16This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.'" 17And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. 18But when they measured it with an omer,whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.
i think this bit is about how God is one of justice and fairness. maybe it links also to how He does not give us more than we can bear in terms of trials and such.
19And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it over till the morning." 20But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.
i think this is the warning bit in the passage for me because it essentially speaks of disobedience, that regarding God's commands and a refusal to heed the words of a God-appointed leader. the manna bred worms and stank speaks about how when we disobey, it will be evident. maybe not immediately coz we can lead double lives or whatever but ultimately, it will show. why? because no fruits will be borne *(John 15:5-6, NIV).
and it's not just that the disobedience is manifest but it can also contaminate others around us. which is why it's so important for us, particularly those who serve in the ymm that we keep allowing God to search us and purify us and when we disobey , to quickly repent and return to God because it will affect our service. refer to Joshua 7 for Achan's sin and how that of 1 man's could affect the entire army of Israel and God's favour.
so the most important thing is that we must keep ourselves holy and humble, quick to respond to God's commands and to have soft hearts.
No comments:
Post a Comment