March 15

Num. 22:21-23:10; LK 1:57-80; Ps 58; PR 11:12-13kl

This is such a great story. Most of the time when people reference this passage they talk about themselves and joke "if God could use a donkey, He can surely use me." But what I thought of today was how often we see people around us as nothing but a donkey. (insert KJV here) Sometimes the people that aggravate us the most are the people that God has placed in our lives to speak to us. The question is can you recognize it instead of being angry at that person. How many times have you beat a person down with your words or your actions because they frustrated you? We need to pray to see God in everything around us.

On a side note...it didn't even seem to phase Balaam that he was carrying on a conversation with his donkey...whats up with that?

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March 14

Num 21:1-22:20; Luke 1:26-56; PS 57:1-11; PR 11:9-11

Num 21:4-9
Yet again the people complain about what they always complain about. They attack God, they attack Moses and what are the results. Death.  Always death. And people wonder why they had to wander around for 40 years. It seems they were slow learners.  God acts swiftly because He cannot allow rebellion to go unpunished.  It struck me today when I read this...the answer to the people getting bitten by snakes was for Moses to build a snake and if people looked at this bronze snake they were spared.  It struck me though that it doesn't say everyone did this, just that the ones that looked "lived." I don't know, it leads me to beleive that even in the midst of death, people still didn't listen and obey the word of God passed down through Moses. In this case they could see that it was working right in front of them and yet...only the ones that looked were spared. How many looked the other way and died. Makes me look at my own life and wonder if there are things God knows will lead to my spiritual death.  He's given me the cross of Jesus to look at as salvation but how often do I look to other things or run around in pain having been bitten by "serpent" that is sin in my life.  I'm dying inside but won't do what it takes to gain salvation from the pain.  God help me!

March 13

Num 19:1-20:29; Luke 1:1-25; PS 56:1-13; PR 11:8

Luke 1:1-25  It's kind of interesting the way Luke starts his account of the gospel.  The story of Zacharius instead of Jesus.  That's what I love about the gospels. Even though they contain so much of the same...each has it's own details.  This account fascinates me.  First of all, have you ever noticed the first thing angels say when they appear to someone? "Fear not." Apparently if you ever encounter an angel, it'll freak you out!  Then Gabriel shows that he don't mess around. He delivers his message about them having a kid and Zacharius asks how this could be possible because his wife is "advanced in year."  Try that one on your wives guys.   Gabriels response?  I'm an angel dude...I was sent from God...why would you question that your wife could become pregnant when you're looking at and having a conversation with an angel?  (My paraphrase)  Then he makes Zacharius mute because he asked a stupid question.  Can you imagine if God made us mute everytime we doubted Him and asked questions we should already know the answers to?  The world would be a much quieter place I think.  Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor? I think that's hilarious.

March 12th

Num 16:41-18:32; Mark 16:1-20; PS 55:1-23; PR 11:7

Psalm 55 - really interesting Psalm.  Basically a cry out to God by David over the betrayal of a close friend. Recently heard a really good message that related this psalm and showed why this betrayal was probably Jonathon.  David's most trusted friend.  Further proof that you really can find comfort for every situation in the bible.  Here David is in turmoil because he was stabbed in the back by someone so close to him. It says that if it would have been an enemy that had done all these things, he could take it but being from a friend is unbearable.  This is why we need to remember that we need friends that stick with us through thick and thin  but ultimatly God is our rock that will never fail or forsake us.  When everyone else betrays us, God is still there. I know that sounds depressing but really it's not. Because without God, I would never have survived the betrayals in my own life but with Him I was able to rise up and above the worst of despair.

March 11

Num 15:17-16:40; Mark 15:1-47; PS 54:1-7; PR 11:5-6

Mark - When I read this I was convicted at the idea of Jesus standing there not defending Himself because He had nothing to defend. They asked; "are you the King of the Jews." He was. Pure and simple, He was who they said he was.  The response of the crowd and Pilate's reaction to it is what really convicted me though.  The crowd was given a choice between someone they knew had committed murder and a man who had done nothing wrong but He made them uncomfortable.  The penalty in their minds was death.  Pilate didn't believe it, but he followed the crowd. I am just struck at the thought of how often do we nail Jesus back to the cross because of what other people say?  We know that He is who He says He is but when people start to question us about it we start to feel uncomfortable and so we deny what we know is true inside of us and, thought maybe not intentionally, we crucify Him again and again because we don't do what we know is right and stand for what we believe in.  We know who Jesus is and it's not that we can force that on anyone and it's not really ours to prove but we are called to speak out and stand for what we know.  He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Don't be ashamed and don't let the crowd sway you in your beliefs. He is never ashamed of us and we should never be ashamed of Him otherwise it's like driving the nails in His hands all over again.

March 10

Num 14:1-15:16; Mark 14:53-72; PS 53:1-6; PR 11:4

Numbers 14:1-10

This passage amazes me and stirs me to look at my life in full context of not only what is currently happening but also what HAS happened.  Here we see a group of people who not long ago were in slavery. Not figuratively but real, honest to goodness slavery. Now they find themselves out here in the desert wandering, because of their own rebelliousness. They begin to complain and actually want to find themselves a new leader that will take them back to Egypt...to slavery.  It shows me a few things.  One, it shows that when trials come we don't always think real clear. I mean if they thought it was bad before they left, doesn't it stand to reason that the Egyptians would treat them even worse when they went back, considering Pharaoh and the army was now at the bottom of the red sea?  I'm thinking were some very unhappy people back there. Remember, no matter what you're going through today it's not worth throwing everything away spiritually to go back to your old life of slavery to sin.  The second thing it shows me is that we can very quickly forget all that God has done for us when life becomes unpleasant.  Granted they are stranded in the desert but so far they have been allowed to walk out of Egypt and take a great amount of wealth with them, they have miraculously watched God part the Red Sea, they have been provided food from heaven, water from rocks and clothes that never wear out.  That's not to mentions the whole cloud by day and pillar of fire by night that represented God Himself in their midst.  God is very apparent in their lives but it's not the life they expected so they are ready to throw in the towel.  This is where we need to learn to look at life in context.  You may not see God right now, but look back.  What evidences can you draw from in your life?  That same God that delivered you, healed you, provided for you before is still with you even if you can't see Him.  Lastly, this passage shows me the danger of blaming others for our own problems.  They want to name a new leader because in their minds this is all Moses' fault. They go to the extreme that when Caleb and Joshua speak up about the promised land they are ready to stone them to death. How's that for a state of mind? "You're trying to encourage me when I'm upset...I'm gonna kill you!"  Doesn't make a whole lot of sense and yet there they are.  They were blaming everyone around them and yet lacked the understanding that they were causing so much of what was going on because of their rebellion against God.  Have you ever done that?  Gotten good and mad at everyone around you and failed to see your part in your circumstances? Come on, be honest.  We've all been there. The difference between the desert and the promised land is sometimes as simple as seeing our own faults and yielding ourselves to God.