How does God line up these things?

Numbers 26; Psalm 69; Isaiah 16; 1 Peter 4

Before opening my Bible, the first thing I read today was a short prayer “for a time of war” asking the Prince of Peace to bring peace to this world in our time. Numbers 26 is about a census made of those preparing for war. Psalm 69 is a prayer in a time when the psalmist was being attacked by his enemies. Isaiah 16 is about a war against Moab in which this enemy of God’s people would be defeated. 1 Peter 4 describes being ready for opposition and suffering as those who hate God persecute those who follow Christ.

Peter’s chapter touches life here and now as we experience the world at war with a virus, sometimes at war with one another, and certainly the war a spiritual enemy who wants God’s people to fail in our faith. God blesses my heart concerning how to live in the midst of so much conflict . . .

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

Only the way Jesus handled suffering and conflict will bring me into the will of God. His way brings victory. My gut responses and human thinking will not do it. Peter agrees . . .

For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

Don’t be surprised; those who live in selfish indulgence and sinful excess will react negatively to godliness. Don’t let that stop me from sharing the gospel with them in hope that they will hear it and be saved!

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

No one knows when Jesus will return, yet I’m to anticipate it and live for Him — this is vital so my prayers will be answered. Love other Christians and welcome them. Use my gifts to serve them and receive their ministry to me. As we do that, God will be glorified — and this glory belongs to Him alone, always!

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. (1 Peter 4:1–19)

My faith will be tested, just as Jesus was tested by suffering. I’m blessed if that happens because I am living for Him and this is nothing to be ashamed of. If I suffer for sin, that is not glory, but suffering in the will of God is His glory resting on me. Never forget that He is more concerned about my godliness and reaction to trials than He is about those who are causing bad things to happen to me. In all that the enemy throws at me, I am to trust the Lord and do good!

APPLY: See all of the above!

These are my options . . .

Numbers 20; Psalms 58–59; Isaiah 9:8–10:4; James 3

Life boils down to two choices — God’s way or mine. This is the challenge of Christian living!

After the Israelites refused to go into the promised land, they began a wilderness wandering. Like those who reject God’s offer of a spiritual life filled with challenges and blessings, they were thirsty and unhappy with their lot in life. The image is clear to me — it depicts how I am when I’ve rejected something God wants. I’d like the blessings but not the challenges, but then become confused and unfocused, and began to be thirsty for the water of life. At this point, God reminds me of the words of Jesus:

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” (John 7:37–38)

In the wilderness, the people had already had this thirst and Moses was told to strike the rock one time. The water flowed and the people drank. This time, God told Moses to speak to the rock, but he struck it again, not once but twice. This angered God. Most commentators say this was because Christ is the antitype of that rock and this event had a symbolic point: the Rock from whom life-giving water flows is struck once on the cross, not more. Moses disobeyed God and because of it, the symbol He intended was flawed.

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. (1 Corinthians 10:1–5)

This seems a small thing in the narrative, but it is important to the bigger picture of God’s revelation to humanity. The events of the OT point to the need and promise of His saving work in His Son. Any sin is deserving of wrath, but when a leader of God’s people disobeys Him and the consequences mess with how we understand His salvation, it appears to be far more serious; Moses was not allowed to lead the people into the land God promised.

Even this is symbolic. Moses was the giver of the commands. He was God’s person regarding the Laws of God. In these events, no matter what Moses did to guide them, he was like that Law; he could not save or transform the people. Instead, they were taken into the promised land by Joshua whose name means “Jehovah-saves.” Joshua also points to Jesus, the only way in which any of us can come to the Father and experience grace and forgiveness. He gives His people new life in that land of promise.

This event and those rebels also point to the life of challenge in which the flesh and the spiritual life are at war. My old nature wants to run my life, complains when it does not go my way, and gripes about the rule of God, inwardly if not verbally. The new nature is the promised land, the place to be where I am blessed by the Lord and taken care of in every way. When I am filled with His Spirit, then I am in that ‘land’ and enjoying its fruits.

Today God speaks to me how one seemingly small disobedience is enough to hobble my feet so I cannot be filled with His Spirit and cannot experience His blessing. Moses died outside of the land, seeing it but not being there. The Law and obedience to the Law cannot get me there either. However, by the wonderful grace of God, Jesus does what the Law could never do; He changes my heart and fills me with Himself. By the grace and love of God, I can confess my sin, be forgiven and cleansed (1 John 1:9) and be filled with His Spirit so I’m free to walk right in!

APPLY: This is a daily thing. Keep short accounts. Even ‘little’ things that seem to not matter very much have purpose in the plan of God. I cannot play with the guidance He gives. Do what He says, without grumbling or the slightest hint that I doubt His wisdom. Lack of trust is a fleshy thing. Trusting Him is evidence of the riches He promised. It is all about choice!

Enough milk and honey for all of us . . .

Numbers 12–13; Psalm 49; Isaiah 2; Hebrews 10

Today’s reading in Numbers tells of God’s people at the edge of the land He promised them. Moses sends in twelve “spies” to check it out. They find it truly is a land of milk and honey and brought back one cluster of grapes so heavy two of them had to carry it suspended on a pole between them. But that was not all they carried.

Despite the faithfulness of God in their journey so far, their resolve to trust Him turned to jelly. They focused only on the size of the enemies they must conquer and began to quiver in their sandals.

But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. (Numbers 13:30–32)

I’m learning about God’s attitude toward my attitude when I complain. Not only does it reveal a lack of faith in what He is allowing in my life, it fosters that same attitude in others. Only ten reported those challenges with fear and trembling. Joshua and Caleb were eager to move forward. However negativity ruled and the entire congregation turned away from a great blessing and wandered forty more years in the wilderness.

When others are complaining and negative, I am discouraged, sometimes angry with them and even complain about their complaining! This puts me in the same tippy boat and I must conclude that negativity and complaining foster unbelief. No wonder God became angry with them.

How to respond to the negatives around me? The psalmist reminded himself of the realities of life. He saw cheaters trusting their wealth and spoke the truth that all die and only those who trust the Lord can live forever. He wrote, “But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah” (Psalm 49:15) Biblical truth changes negative attitudes.

Another solution to complaining and negativity, especially that based on comparing what I don’t have to what others do have, is looking at God’s prophetic revelation of future things. Isaiah speaks of a coming day when God will bring low the pride of humanity and He alone will be exalted. He will bring down everything from high mountains to high towers, fortified walls, ships, beautiful crafts, anything that we take pride in. All will flee as they cast away their idols and hide in caves. His bottom line is: “Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?” (Isaiah 2:22) Like the psalmist, I can replace negative thoughts and behavior with the reality of my salvation.

The entire Chapter 10 of Hebrews fits this solution! It speaks of Christ’s sacrifice for all sin and of His covenant where His law is written in my heart and gives me confidence to draw near to Him . . .

 . . . with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with my heart sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and my body washed with pure water. Let me hold fast the confession of my hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let me consider how to stir up others to love and good works in the lives of others . . .  (Hebrews 10:22–24, personified)

Then this passage speaks of the folly of deliberate sin and “outraging the Spirit of grace” with the warning of it being a “fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:26–31) Indeed it is a fearful thing, but lest that cause negativity in my heart, God also says, “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” (Hebrews 10:35–39)

APPLY: Confess my negativity and ask God to fill me with His positive attitude and the ability to encourage others rather than drag them into seeing giants when God has milk and honey enough for all of us.