Seasons of Faith

Seasons Of Faith

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:” – Ecc 3:1

“…a time to tear and a time to mend,” vs 3b

“…a time to search and a time to give up,” vs 6a

“Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.” vs 15

The Cycle of some Christian’s life:

Let’s be honest, whenever we began our walk and to this day our walk has been like the 4 seasons. The wisdom in Solomon’s statement “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:” is altogether apropos. Let’s reminisce.

SPRING: You were introduced to Jesus from a friend, family, at church, in the forest, at your office, one night in bed while you contemplated what you had heard, any number of places. For many, as soon as they began to understand the importance of Jesus in their life they felt a growing need to dedicate themselves with things like the following encouragement of this verse: “"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." – Rom 10:9-10

Once done, over time, maybe even immediately the Holy Spirit that fills you as a born-again Christian will make its presence manifest. One way is in the fruitage the Holy Spirit begins to reveal found at Gal 5:22-25 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”  Notice a list of 9 different aspects of the fruitage of the Spirit. You may be known for being long suffering/forbearing or gentle already yet, the entire list of fruitages in time will become your new transformed [Romans 12:1-2] self. The ones you already had will be deepened and limits you thought you could never experience will become seemingly limitless. There is much that begins to happen and much of it is so subtle and behind the scenes that you only recognize the change when confronted with something and your transformed self responds very differently than your old self. But the growth initially is very all consuming. You look forward to praise and worship in growing your knowledge through Bible study and in making a whole new family of friends who will each interact with your faith and both you and the other person will be edified by each other’s testimony. The growth period is then intensified in many new Christians into the summer.

SUMMER: For each new Christian this season will be different. You may merely be building your knowledge bank basking -- as it were -- in the effect TRUTH has in your life. Now, you fully understand the whys of so many questions you may have had or that came to you as you began to learn. You also have grown your Christian family and they too have added to your knowledge. You are sort of learning your new culture. As part of Christ’s body/church you begin to feel where you fit in best. Be wise, remember, faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word. [Romans 10:17] You must be immersed in GOD’s Word the Bible to continue to grow. No matter how many times you read the Bible in its entirety you learn again and again many new ways to understand things. You may decide to endeavor to study the Bible by choosing a single book and really deep diving into. Whatever happens, by the end of summer the Christian can begin to fade from such intense heat – the heat of passion for Christ. It is not a given, but it seems to happen. It is not foreign for the Christian to begin to chill for a bit. Not necessary because no matter what speed and intensity you wish to worship GOD, HE is capable of sustaining you! But, many Christians, new and old to the walk, go through a series of seasons spending longer in some seasons than another. So, now you feel you need some change of pace and you arrive at the Fall.

FALL: When temps, or your passion, begins to cool down. Not intended and not necessary but it seems an inevitability. Let’s pause and look at a couple of statements Jesus made to two different congregations nearly 6 decades after HIS death. The first recognizes a ‘first love’ [Spring into Summer sort of passion] and reminds the congregation they stepped away.  To the Church in Ephesus, “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.” Rev 2:4

It’s true. It happens to most of us. We were so impassioned when we first were born again it is like when you fall in love and everything is new and exciting. Then over time familiarity sets in and the newness sort of wears off. But that is our own perception. GOD is able to sustain that passion 24/7 if we let HIM.

So in the autumn of our walk when we have truly cooled down in our passion we begin to get lazy and flabby like when we begin to change our exercise and nutrition because the weather is becoming radically different and our focus is on bulking up in clothing to go out into the cool temps. Changes happening like the holidays closing in on us distracts from our longer active days of spring and summer. We may have a great routine for studying GOD’s Word and we begin to slack. We may have an incredible prayer routine, not repetitive prayers but times we set aside specifically for prayer, and we begin to let life’s matters crowd out our prayer time. Because the holiday time begins to consume our time, we may fudge on hanging out with our Christian friends. All of these things are weakening our faith because we are no longer conscientiously active in the ways we build our knowledge, increase our wisdom and enhance our faith. Before we know it, we find ourselves deep in the frigid cold of winter.

WINTER: This season finds much of our world in a state of dormancy/hibernation. But, do we need to hibernate our faith? Does it do well to put it in some state of dormancy? See what Jesus said about the winter like faith:

To the Church in Laodicea: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Rev 3:15-16

Notice, the person is blah…nothing definitive or noticeable about them. They catch no one’s attention EXCEPT GOD’s and obviously not in a favorable way. So many of us have been here too many times. Doesn’t matter how long you have been a Christian you can wind up deep in winter and absolutely dormant. You will find you do have an ever-active conscience with the Holy Spirit and from time to time you will have a warmer day and will think about getting back to your old routine but again, distractions. Christians are very vulnerable in Winter. They can be so distracted, they are easily led to an activity that they would never consider during their more active times of faith. This is the time when your friends of faith should be busily encouraging you towards revitalization before you regret your waning absence from GOD. Remember, GOD does not walk away from us. We do physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically and most definitely SPIRITUALLY walk away from HIM! The winter finds Christians ‘back sliding’. We sure do not want to be spit out of the mouth of Christ! Once the Holy Spirit has pulled the clamor to your Faith Bell and rings it long and hard you begin to come back to your senses. You revisit your old abandoned routine and begin to make steps to thaw out your routine and as you do you are back to spring and a new growth spurt.

Christians do not go through this as often as our weather cycles proceed. They do find that life in all its ways impacts closes in on you and begins to dominate your time, mind and focus. The wonderful thing about emerging from one of these times is the new light that has shone on some special need you did not know you had and as you begin to address the need it becomes immaterial in your continuing walk unless you choose to forget the lesson.

Beware Christian, new and old, it is not merely seasonal faith or life or laziness or lack that causes us to go from red hot for GOD to cold and clammy. Remind yourselves often of this: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” That is pretty disarming. But notice what Peter continues to remind us:  "9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” – 1 Peter 5:8-9

Also keep this in mind: “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”—2 Cor 11:14-15 Why should we be vigilant about this? Because, we will meet those who have all sorts of opinions about Christianity, Christ, GOD, faith, prayers, who claim to be Christian, or who have no interest in Christianity and perhaps no interest in religion period! But, Satan is cunning and knows the Bible way better than many and has demonstrated -- even to Christ -- a wiliness with the scriptures that one not utterly and profoundly familiar with the Bible and the full unadulterated GOSPEL can and have fallen prey to this devil, the original liar.

So, though we cannot always control things how do we prepare ahead of time for those times we find ourselves cooling off to a lukewarm state, forgetting the love we had at first for Christ? Here are a couple of scriptures that may be of assistance.

“These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed,…” – Acts 17:11-12a

These verses have a concise formula for continued strong summer like faith: “Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophetic utterances. 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.”—1 Thess 5:16-22

Notice we should be glad, we should pray unceasingly, be grateful giving thanks—Why? Because it is GOD’s will for us in CHRIST! We are also told NOT to quench or extinguish the Holy Spirit. We are not to despise prophetic utterances. ß This one is particularly important because many Christians today are so fearful of the unknown [including books of the Bible that seem to confound those who do not vigorously study the Bible like Revelation] they would rather shy away from prophetic Bible books and scriptures, like those contained in Ezekiel, Isaiah, some of the so called minor prophets like Joel, Amos and the two Z’s Zechariah and Zephaniah because these books are perceived to have negative consequences and some pretty frightening imagery that sits poorly in the minds of those who have not yet decided to wholly give themselves to GOD. Study these books with intense prayer for knowledge. Be familiar with them so that as Jesus said “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”  †

There is more good news: http://lightwritingmatters.lightwritingmatters.net/2019/09/looking-to-escape-let-not-your-heart-be.html

  

Summation†

©Lightwritingmatters 2015

 Bibles Designations

KJV – King James Version

NIV – New International Version

NWT – New World Translation

ASV -- American Standard Version

DISCLAIMER: The thoughts published on this blog, in total, are the opinions, thoughts and considerations of the writer/author of every post published. It is assumed that research by the reader will lead the reader to their own conclusions. It is not the writer’s intent to make a judgment of anyone but to allow GOD’s Word to do what it does. “For the word of GOD is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from GOD’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” – Hebrews 4:12 [NIV]

>>>>>>All artwork contained on this blog entry as well as archived/historical entries belongs to ©Lightwritingmatters 2015<<< permission must be requested and approved by the author to reproduce in any format and for any reason.√† 

NOTE: Artwork not copyrighted by Lightwritingmatters 2015 stands with this statement: “no copyright infringement is intended” or is otherwise attributed.

Psalm 22 The Gravity of the Torture and Death of the Lord Jesus

"The Cross and the Tear Catcher"
Special thanks to the Graphic Artist

©Lightwritingmatters 2015

This is post on Love Extraordinaire!

Don’t you hate it when someone sees a movie and comes and tells you the entire plot, the ending, the plot twists??? Yet, here we are, Psalm 22 not only gives us the plot one thousand years before it happens it tells us the end and the twist! Not only that, but while King David is the one who ‘writes’ or ‘scribes’ the Psalm it clearly has a much different voice than David. It is actually the one who is strung up, mocked, spat upon, tortured and died but came back to life – Jesus, that spells out HIS last 24 hours of life.

Don’t you wonder how someone can have such incredible fore vision? They say hindsight, or rear-view vision is 20/20. Extraordinary LOVE provided the vision.

What if you were a named key figure in a scenario in someone’s visionary story from a 1000 yrs ago? Then played the role you were supposed to play a thousand years later?  But, you even read the storyline or heard it most of your human life? And, didn’t even blink when you walked onto the world stage and did exactly what was written you would do? Extraordinary LOVE did just that!

Do you know who lived what was written in this Psalm a thousand years before it actually played out? If you guessed Jesus, you know Extraordinary LOVE. Likely you cannot imagine the depth of utter extreme agony physically and emotionally Christ endured yet the very words of this Psalm were known to HIM in his pre-human life. HE knew what awaited HIM. Is it any wonder his sweat dripped with blood as he prayed in Gethsemane? What Extraordinary LOVE!

Remember, this is a post on an extraordinary love though as you have begun to see, it presents itself as a dichotomy because it is equally an amazingly sad post on what that phenomenal love endured for you and I àALL THE WAY TO DEATH! Unmatched Extraordinary LOVE

Lachrymal—A tear catcher. What size do you think would have been used for Christ’s death that day? Today, you may guess no container would be large enough to hold the tears shed at Christ’s excruciating torturous execution. But would it surprise you there were 5 individuals listed in the gospels who were present for the entire ordeal? Who is listed in John’s account of the crucifixion as present? Mother, Auntie, Mary the mother of two of his disciples and Mary Magdalene, and John. Wonder where the other apostles went? Where were the throngs who followed him everywhere – the ones who received miraculous healings, resurrections, demonic expulsions? There was a sizeable crowd, but they were mocking not crying. It appears, those crying at the foot of the Lord was so few a small tear catcher would have sufficed. Despite this Jesus demonstrated Extraordinary LOVE!  

So, a thought to ponder deeply: If the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were familiar with Psalm 22, and there is no reason to believe they were not, and familiar with the prophets, how is it they still cried: “Crucify! Crucify!” (John 19:6] Is it any wonder during his ministry, Jesus condemned these religious leaders as vipers, whitewashed graves, hypocrites, ‘whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.’  

Yet, Christ’s love did not die. HIS Extraordinary LOVE is eternal and lives with HIM wherever HE resides.

Following is Psalm 22, in part, with comments on selected verses. The author’s prayer is twofold: 1] The reader will grasp the intensity of the ordeal that was Jesus’ last 24 hours of human life on earth; 2] The reader’s heart will be moved to live their Christ-life with as much extraordinary love as they can based on the example of their Lord, Jesus.

Charles H. Spurgeon, Pastor and author from the mid-19^th century in England referred to this Psalm as the ‘Psalm of the Cross’ – His commentary on Psa 22. The words in Table written in red below are taken from his commentary. His words are sufficient in digging down into the human heart and helping each reader to share in the emotional and possible psychological feelings the reader may experience as they read Psalm 22 along with Pastor Spurgeon’s commentary. For the whole commentary on Psalm 22 please use the following link:

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/tod/ps022.cfm?a=500024

Did David Know About Jesus?
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? 2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.	This may seem familiar; it is written in Matthew 27:46.
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. 4 In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.	Pastor Spurgeon writes: ““The prayer of faith can do the deed when nothing else can.”
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.	What a contrast between "I AM" and "I am a worm"! yet such a double nature was found in the person of our Lord Jesus when bleeding upon the tree. He felt himself to be comparable to a helpless, powerless, down-trodden worm, passive while crushed, and unnoticed and despised by those who trod upon him. He selects the weakest of creatures, which is all flesh; and becomes, when trodden upon, writhing, quivering flesh, utterly devoid of any might except strength to suffer. This was a true likeness of himself when his body and soul had become a mass of misery—the very essence of agony—in the dying pangs of crucifixion.”
7 All who see me mock me; they hurl  insults, shaking their heads. 8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”	"They shoot out the lip, they shake the head." These were gestures of contempt. Pouting, grinning, shaking of the head, thrusting out of the tongue, and other modes of derision were endured by our patient Lord; men made faces at him before whom angels vail their faces and adore.” Also: Luke 27:35,37,39
9 Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. 10 From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. 11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.	Luke 2:1-20
12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.	The mighty ones in the crowd are here marked by the tearful eye of their victim. The priests, elders, scribes, Pharisees, rulers, and captains bellowed round the cross like wild cattle, fed in the fat and solitary pastures of Bashan, full of strength and fury; they stamped and foamed around the innocent One, and longed to gore him to death with their cruelties. Conceive of the Lord Jesus as a helpless, unarmed, naked man, cast into the midst of a herd of infuriated wild bulls. They were brutal as bulls, many, and strong, and the Rejected One was all alone, and bound naked to the tree. His position throws great force into the earnest entreaty, "Be not far from me."
13 Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. 15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.	Like roaring lions they howled out their fury, and longed to tear the Saviour in pieces, as wild beasts raven over their prey. Our Lord's faith must have passed through a most severe conflict while he found himself abandoned to the tender mercies of the wicked, but he came off victorious by prayer; the very dangers to which he was exposed being used to add prevalence to his entreaties.
16 Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me;	Here he marks the more ignoble crowd, who, while less strong than their brutal leaders, were not less ferocious, for there they were howling and barking like unclean and hungry dogs. Hunters frequently surround their game with a circle, and gradually encompass them with an ever-narrowing ring of dogs and men. Such a picture is before us. In the centre stands, not a panting stag, but a bleeding, fainting man, and around him are the enraged and unpitying wretches who have hounded him to his doom.
they pierce my hands and my feet. 17 All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me.	Luke 24:37-38
18 They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.	Matt 27:35
19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. 20 Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. 21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. 22 I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. 23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. 25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows. 26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him— may your hearts live forever!	After sharing his horrific woes after it  is finished in triumph he declares GOD’s Name – The question has been asked we mention our sorrows readily enough ; why are we so slow in declaring our deliverances” -Charles Spurgeon Commentary Psa 22:22
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, 28 for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. 29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;  all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. 30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.	Matt 28:19-20; Rev 21:3-4
31 They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!	Salvation's glorious work is done, there is peace on earth, and glory in the highest. "It is finished," these were the expiring words of the Lord Jesus, as they are the last words of this Psalm. May we by living faith be enabled to see our salvation finished by the death of Jesus!

Summation: The words spoken by Jesus as written by John, the disciple of love, about the last few hours Jesus spent free to pray in agony and earnest regarding the upcoming events are moving and heart heavy. He spoke as if the ordeal was behind him but also spoke about it being before HIM. Poignant are the final words of the John’s 17^th chapter:

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. ²⁴ “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. ²⁶ And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:20-26

May we ever bear in mind the cost to Jesus – our High Priest, King of Kings and Prince of Peace. Our Messiah, the CHRIST – the hours of torture, humiliation, and brutality HE suffered for us -- that HIS prayer in Gethsemane to be true. May we contemplate these things as we daily live our lives in peace as Christians. May we share our faith and our Lord’s GOSPEL at all times.

“Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, ² as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He ^[a]should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. ⁴ I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. ⁵ And now, O Father, glorify Me together ^[b]with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” – John 17:1-5 †

For another insight to the agony of the LORD and HIS limitless Extraordinary LOVE for those who love him watch this YOUTUBE video discussion of another prophetic description of Jesus’ agony:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oySKVk9WOvs

 Bibles Designations

KJV – King James Version

NIV – New International Version

NWT – New World Translation

ASV -- American Standard Version

DISCLAIMER: The thoughts published on this blog, in total, are the opinions, thoughts and considerations of the writer/author of every post published. It is assumed that research by the reader will lead the reader to their own conclusions. It is not the writer’s intent to make a judgment of anyone but to allow GOD’s Word to do what it does. “For the word of GOD is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from GOD’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” – Hebrews 4:12 [NIV]

>>>>>>All artwork contained on this blog entry as well as archived/historical entries belongs to ©Lightwritingmatters 2015<<< permission must be requested and approved by the author to reproduce in any format and for any reason.√† 

NOTE: Artwork not copyrighted by Lightwritingmatters 2015 stands with this statement: “no copyright infringement is intended” or is otherwise attributed.

©Lightwritingmatters 2015

Are YOU a complainer or PRAYERFUL? Numbers 14

Theme

·         ”36 Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land,37 those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the LORD.” – Numbers 14:36-37

·        “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving,  unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” – 2 Tim 3:1-5 

Not wishing to appear insensitive with this post please understand, this is primarily a post about anyone who may have a chronic ‘complaining’ spirit. One who seems ‘unthankful’ in such a way that others who know them would use such terms as complainer as a descriptor of the person’s personality. There are times in everyone’s life when a little belly aching happens. Those times we need only be reminded of the blessings we have, and we snap out of our doldrums.

Let’s look at an episode in the Bible where chronic complaining is the lead story. We join the story of the people’s exodus from slavery in Egypt to freedom under GOD’s miraculous care. Notice if you will through the first couple of years many of those miraculously freed engaged in a chronic complaining spirit which had unintended consequences to those habitually complaining souls some of whom died in the wilderness never seeing the promised land.  

·        The Exodus and the Promised Land. Let’s just look at human nature and how little it has changed in all the eons of time.

·        The core group of persons being delivered out of captivity from Egypt were the myriad of Hebrews who had been invited to come and live in Egypt in the persons of Jacob and his sons and their respective families. Over time they became captive as a citizenry for over four centuries. They wound up so put upon they were treated as slaves with seriously harsh task masters. One Jew in particular, Moses, raised by the Egyptian royal family from infancy, had learned and lived the opulent lifestyle of the Palatial family. At some point in his adult life he decided to reunite with his people, the Hebrews. The Bible says that Moses saw a particularly bullish taskmaster abusing one of the Hebrew slaves and Moses stepped in to intercede killing the taskmaster. Moses then buried the taskmaster. Seems no good deed goes unpunished for the next day he saw two Jews fighting and asked them why. The two Jews became sarcastic with Moses asking who made him ruler over them. Knowing he was in danger from the Pharaoh he left and moved to the desert, found a wife, had kids, had a shepherding business and lived congenially with his in laws four decades before his GOD drops into his life again and literally stops him in his steps even telling him to remove his sandals.

·        What got his attention? A bush afire but not burning up and the voice of GOD Almighty. The instructions that he received that day put him on the fast track to shepherding people, not sheep, from the place where he knew he was wanted for killing an Egyptian, even if it was 40 years after the fact. Why had GOD called Moses at that moment? Because, back in Egypt the Hebrews were so oppressed, they began to cry to GOD for help and HE heard their cries and responded.

·        This same people then live through the ten plagues, last of which was Passover – thereafter the Pharaoh orders them to leave Egypt – the Hebrews live through wild escape from Egypt via the Red Sea bottom with walls of water being miraculously held in place as each one of the fleeing Hebrews made their way across the Seabed. As they reached the other side, with the Egyptians on their tails dashing right onto the Seabed they witnessed the conclusion of the Red Sea miracle as water falls in on top of the Egyptians killing all those on the Seabed while the rescued Hebrews look on from the other side.

Stop for a moment and think about this: 10 plagues of various kinds have just adversely affected the Egyptians—they knew the power of the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the GOD with a name – Pharaoh demands the Hebrews leave Egypt then he decides to chase the Hebrews to the Red Sea. There they see the Hebrews fleeing into the parted waters of the Red Sea. Instead of stopping and saying WAIT…should we pursue them ONTO THE MIRACULOUSLY DRY SEABED they charge right in. Really?

·        Would your salvation under such miraculous circumstances not cause you to pause and reassess yourself? Would you complain or pray?

·         Would you not reflect on the behavior of the Egyptians – their fight with GOD Almighty?

  

No one living then actually knew firsthand what life was for the descendants of Abraham and Isaac before Jacob and his sons all decided to accept his youngest son’s offer to come and live in Egypt where there was food, where life would not be so difficult. Because Joseph, Jacob’s youngest son, held responsible jobs with the Egyptian government he could assist the relocation of his kinfolk. They lived and were fruitful for a long time before the change of leadership in Egypt became threatened at the birthrate and ever-growing population of Hebrews filling the land as it were with non-Egyptians.

For those on the rescued side of the Red Sea, former slaves with a slave world view, who lived as a segregated people in Egypt, they had no sense of freedom. They were quite dependent on their slave owners for life’s needs. Imagine, right after you landed on the other side of the Red Sea and had a moment to catch your breath looking around realizing you were not in Kansas anymore?!

Let’s stop for a moment and take stock of what had just transpired.

·        They cried to GOD for deliverance

·        GOD delivered them. First from Egypt then from the Red Sea

·        They personally witnessed the 10 plagues including the biggest and most important one, the Passover.

·        Now, the Egyptians are dead, drowned in the Red Sea. They stand on the other side, safe, delivered, free thanks to GOD. But were they? Would you be? Would you complain or pray?

Six weeks into their new freed lives they begin to complain. They have spent their entire lives with a rugged routine of slavery. Now, they were free. But they had no home, no way to garden, grow food sources. Barter for things they needed. They were in the wilderness escaping there with only what they could get together quickly prior to departing Egypt. Each person was one of multitudes and their leader was someone likely only known to most of them from the whole 10 plagues thing. 

·        Their current lack begins to become their focus. Ask yourself:

o   Query: If GOD could manifest 10 plagues, most of which had no effect on them directly

o   If GOD could deliver them from the Passover angel

o   If GOD could cause Pharaoh to demand they leave Egypt

o   If GOD could deliver them through the Red Sea

o   Would you, given those miraculous parameters, begin to complain because there was no sight of water or food to feed such a crowd? But wait, 3 days into the wilderness, they did find water, but it was bitter. Moses called out to GOD and GOD miraculously changed the bitter water to sweet drinkable water.  

Or, would you complain as they did not too long after this: “on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. 2 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” – Ex 16:1b-3

You have a choice, complain or pray waiting on GOD in faith for HE has demonstrated HIS miraculous saving powers all along for you. Now, think hard.

I offer you another scenario to contemplate: If we could stop right now and just put ourselves into the similar scenario. Many people experience this every year with devastating weather events like Tornadoes and Hurricanes or forest fires ignited from lightening that spread through tender pushed along its fuel rich path by strong winds -- or natural phenomena like tsunami waves, earthquakes, volcanic eruption. They lose nearly everything, having only what they could carry out of their homes as they fled the danger and wind up in strange new circumstances, no routine, no idea what the next day will bring and fully dependent on strangers taking lead in their lives. Only you know how you would respond. Granted, the number of miracles and the spectrum of miracles may not rise to those of the Hebrews, but the miracle of escape from your disaster must have some defining impression on your life?

Complaining seems a ‘natural’ inclination of anyone who is not in their familiar lives. It has been the same since the Exodus. However, human nature causes you to recreate what is familiar and a routine with what you have where you are. Or as the saying goes ‘make the best of the circumstances’. Like the Hebrews, now nomads -- all of a sudden --wandering in the wilderness for who knows how long there may be challenge to anyone whose lives have been disrupted from a settled lifestyle. But, GOD! Our focus can be derailed from prayerful reliance and faith in GOD when faced with life changing circumstance.

Yet another awesome experience happened to Hebrews. Wonder how you and I would have reacted if we were present? So, in Chapter 19 of Exodus, the setting is Mt. Sinai. Present: GOD, Moses and all the people. This is what they saw and heard: “¹⁶ Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings  and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. ¹⁹ And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. ²⁰ Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.” – Ex 19:16-20

·        This is how they responded; again, ask yourself, how would you? “¹⁸ Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. ¹⁹ Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” ^“20 And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” ²¹ So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.” – Ex 20:18-20

·        In between their standing there and their becoming afraid, the 10 commandments were given to them.

·        That’s what they did. And you? How would you behave? Be honest. Be in their shoes using a modern-day example like that of a natural disaster.

This is what they decided: After the whole supernatural experience with Mt. Sinai, the folks decided it was best for Moses to be their intermediary with GOD. You? Complain or pray?

You have the Lord as your intermediary and the Holy Spirit as your advocate. But, do you turn to GOD or complain. Be honest. You aren’t being grilled where your responses would appear here for others to see and respond to but if you believe in an AlMighty GOD you know HE knows how you answer and if it is true or not. This is an opportunity to be introspective and honest. Complain or pray?

Pausing for a bit, lets once again recap what GOD has already done:

·        They cried to GOD for deliverance

·        GOD delivered them. First from Egypt then from the Red Sea

·        They personally witnessed the 10 plagues including the biggest and most important one, the Passover.

·        Now, the Egyptians are dead, drowned in the Red Sea. They stand on the other side, safe, delivered, free thanks to GOD. But were they? Would you be?

·        GOD changed bitter water into sweet drinkable water

·        GOD appeared in spectacular form atop Mt. Sinai

·        GOD gave them a set of rules to live by

·        It was 2 months into their changed lives and by miracles of GOD they were still alive

·        GOD gave Moses the template for a new place of worship for them. It was mobile

·        GOD placed a cloud over the top of the place of worship when HE wanted them to hang out for a bit and moved it away when HE wanted them to continue in their journey

·        GOD provided a luscious fruit and vegetable filled place called the Promised Land for them to move into and live in.

Recap: It appears from the Bible at the outset, as you read through Exodus, they were a complaining people. They did not like their situation. They complained to GOD about their living situation while captive in Egypt and then complained they had it better back in Egypt. They were lost when Moses went up Mt. Sinai and so they began to pick leaders and collectively thought it wise to melt gold and form a golden calf for worship ala their former lives in Egypt.

  

Again, put yourself in their situation. Considering everything written, how do you think you would react? Complain or Pray?

Would you not at some point seeing the compendium of miraculous occurrences, knowing GOD Almighty was your protector, would you not decide to become most dependent on HIM? Seek HIM in prayer? Look for direction from HIM in this new life HE brought you to? These seem like legitimate questions and frankly in hindsight even reasonable conclusions. Yet, these people came from a very different culture. Formerly, their needs were met by permission of their overlords. Religious worship was not focused on ONE GOD. There came a time in fact they had to be educated as to what GOD expected of them and the first couple of rules of 10 commandments was exactly who GOD IS and what GOD expects in the way of worship. “And God spoke all these words, saying: ² “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ³ “You shall have no other gods before Me. ⁴ “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; ⁵ you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, ⁶ but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” – Ex 20:1-6

About 40 years after fleeing Egypt everything was about to change. By now, the generation departing Egypt, those who were 20 years and older, except for Caleb and Joshua, had died. There is a whole new generation who have been living this life as primarily their only life. A big event is about to happen; the death of Moses. It is recorded in Deut 34 and the reason he did not make it into the promised land in Numbers 20:12. However, no matter what was tossed his way, including the discipline from GOD in Numbers 20:12, Moses himself was not a complainer. He was a GODly man of faith and obedience and was recorded as being the only Prophet GOD spoke to face to face instead of in dreams. – Numbers 12:6-8  

Moses took his role seriously all the way to the end. Notice what the Bible says about him: “Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.” – Deut 34:7 In other words, he was no doddering old man too feeble to lead the folks down into the Promised Land. He was still vital at the age of 120 years old and no doubt appreciated seeing the place his progeny and people would inhabit with GOD’s help. He did not complain at all.

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Here is a huge contrast to that of the freed Hebrews. A pagan woman whose reputation was that of a harlot provided safety/sanctuary to 2 spies sent into Jericho to do some early reconnaissance and to report back to Joshua. The King sent an envoy to Rahab to inquire as to the whereabouts of the two spies. She indulged in a little subterfuge giving them false info while hiding the 2 spies up on her roof. Read how she negotiated her freedom from the upcoming supernatural disaster at Jericho:

“Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, 13 and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.” 14 So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the Lord has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.” -- Joshua 2:8-14

A pagan she was convicted in faith of the GOD of the Hebrews? Notice she is not complaining but is negotiating a pass into the lives of those under the GOD of the Hebrews for she and her entire family? She is asking to be uprooted, to be protected in safety through the miracle of Jericho falling to the Joshua and his troops.

What a stark example of faith based on hope for something she has not yet seen but is sure she wanted vs little to no faith from the Hebrews who have been complaining for decades despite the visible, practical, experiential lives that should have convicted the faith of the survivors freed from Egypt†

Bibles Designations

KJV – King James Version

NIV – New International Version

NWT – New World Translation

ASV -- American Standard Version

DISCLAIMER: The thoughts published on this blog, in total, are the opinions, thoughts and considerations of the writer/author of every post published. It is assumed that research by the reader will lead the reader to their own conclusions. It is not the writer’s intent to make a judgment of anyone but to allow GOD’s Word to do what it does. “For the word of GOD is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from GOD’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” – Hebrews 4:12 [NIV]

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