The Rain of Heaven

Day one hundred fifty-one

Yesterday I mentioned to my family that I had reached 150 blog posts, I am almost half way to reaching my goal!  My son asked what I was going to do after the year is over, "Are you going to move on to vloging?"  I replied, "I don't think so."  My husband commented, "Can you imagine you trying to vlog about the scriptures?  You get so excited about it!"  It is true, any one of my students would tell you that. 

Why am I sharing this with you?  Because I love the fact that my family recognizes my enthusiasm for the scriptures and even though they may roll their eyes at me sometimes when I try to share my 'findings' with them, they love this part of me.  My enthusiasm rubs off on them and they in turn enjoy the scriptures more.  Each of us has something  that gets us excited and we feel that we want to share with others.  Take a moment today and think about your passions and how they have not only brought you joy, but those around you.  Then let the Lord know how much you appreciate Him putting these passions in your life and for giving you the opportunity to share them.  In my prayer this morning I thanked God for my passions, for His nurturing, and for the times I have to share.  And I asked that He would continue to guide me in my discovery of the scriptures and continue to give me the opportunity to share what I learn.

Deuteronomy 11:11-17

Yesterday I talked about the mountains and the valleys in the Promised Land.  Today I would like to focus on the rain from Heaven. 

The land of Egypt was a land that required irrigation to make it fertile.  Those who lived and farmed there had to work very hard to bring water from the Nile River to the places where they grew their crops.  They depended on the yearly flooding of the Nile to fertilize the land.  This flooding process was as necessary as it was destructive.  Egypt was a land of many unknowns and of hard and difficult labor for the people who lived there.

Moses wants the Israelites to know that the Promised Land will be different.  In Egypt they worked for their water.  In this land, God Himself would see to sending the water they needed.  They would not have to dig canals and build complicated irrigation systems to make the land fertile.  They would simply have to depend on the Lord to take care of them.  He would let the rain of Heaven fall upon them.  It would run off the hills and water the valleys and their land would flourish as a result.  God’s promise to them is that if they would walk in obedience to Him, He would see that their need for rain would be met (Deut. 11:13-17).

There is a lesson in this for us. The world (Egypt) all around us struggles from day to day to provide the things they think they need.  They work and they labor to try and take care of themselves.  Sometimes it works and at other times it does not!  However, those who choose to follow the Lord do not have to struggle as others.  Now I am not saying that there won't be any struggles, because there will be, but as we pass through the days of our lives, and follow God, He has promised to take care of His children (Phil. 4:19; Matt. 6:25-33).  He will see to it that the rain falls as it is needed and that each day will be a time when we will see the needs of our lives and our hearts met.

The key is for us to remember that when we are on the mountains of life and the rain of Heaven is falling upon us that that rain will also run down into the valley we will soon enter.  The rain from one hilltop is sufficient to water a hundred valleys!  There it will cause even the valleys of life to become fertile ground for us.  When we pass through the valley, we will encounter the blessings of God and we will find the rain of the hilltop experience sufficient to sustain us through the valleys we are destined to pass through (Psalm 84:5-7).

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said: "Into each life some rain must fall".  So true, but whether we enjoy it or not all depends on the perspective we take.  As a child I remember dancing in the rain and jumping in the puddles, the rain didn't seem so bad.  As an adult I think I get caught up in the limitations of the rain, the difficulties it brings.  From a spiritual view point, the rain from heaven should be welcomed and embraced!  When it rains in my life I know that it is just God taking good care of me. After studying these verses in Deuteronomy I have a new appreciation for the rain in my life, and I am grateful for its ability to sustain me through the valleys.   Who would ever think that someone from the Northwest could ever be so grateful for the rain?!

Mountains and Valleys

Day one hundred fifty

Have you ever sat down to read the scriptures and thoughts just start popping into your head?The kind of thoughts that drive you to keep going until you have exhausted following that thought to its end.  That's what happened to me yesterday, I sat down to read the scriptures and the next thing I know I have enough information to write three blog posts!  It felt good.  I had thanked the Lord last night in my prayer, but I was still feeling the scripture buzz this morning, so I thought I would thank Him again.  I am so grateful for the scriptures and the lessons that they teach and for a God who has given me opportunities to learn to recognize those lessons.  I don't know if what I learned will have the same effect on others, but the words just flowed yesterday and lifted me up, so I want to share them with the hope that you might be lifted too. 

Deuteronomy 11:10-11

As the children of Israel journey toward the Promised Land, they are given various instructions by Moses.  One of the things they are told is that the land they are headed to is nothing like the land they left behind (v. 10).  They are told that it is a brand new type of land.  It is a land that will require them to think of things in a new way.  It is a land that will require them to depend upon the Lord and upon Him alone.

As I read these verses, I see a parallel between the words of Moses concerning the Promised Land and the gift we get with each new day.  Like the Israelites, we are beginning a journey into the unknown.  Each day can be nothing like the previous one we have just left behind.  It is, in truth, a new land into which we are entering.  Success in each new day may require that we do things differently than we did in the last.  Certainly, it will require that we walk in total dependence upon the Lord as we journey through it.

In verse 11 the Promised Land is described as a land of hills and valleys.  As such, it is nothing like Egypt.  Egypt is a flat land.  There are no valleys and mountains there.  But, Canaan is different.  Everywhere the Israelites traveled when they entered Canaan, they encountered the hills and the valleys.

In each new day there is a chance for the mountain top experiences and for a walk through the valleys of life.  I think we are better prepared when we don't go in blindly, but with the knowledge that it could bring both the up experiences as well as the down. It gives us a better understanding of the reasons behind why we might descend from the mountain into the valley, and where to turn for help. 

None of us knows what lies ahead, but we walk with a God who does. He knows the way intimately, and has prepared the way as He has seen fit.  "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jer 29:11).  Since this is true, we need not worry nor fear, but we should walk quietly, peacefully and humbly with the Lord as He leads us through the ups and the downs. 

In a previous post I stated that the Lord was trying to get the Israelites to look up or to look to Him, well thank God for the hills and the valleys, because that's exactly what they do!  Imagine what the world would be like without the mountains in our spiritual life to bring us joy or the difficulties of the valleys that drive us to our knees in prayer and cause us to look to God for help.  Imagine a life where every day was the same.  Imagine a life that was dull and boring because the landscape never changed.  It brings to mind the saying, "we could never appreciate the anchor if we never felt the storm!"  As I look back on the mountains and valleys in my life I am very grateful to the Lord, because my life has been anything but boring!

The Why's

Day one hundred forty-nine

I have been very blessed to have worked with the youth for so many years, they have become part of my family.  So there is a sweetness that comes with being invited to come and listen to them speak at church, or to be invited to their weddings, or to see them make the sacrifice to go on a mission.  I am grateful for every single one of these moments and this morning I wanted to let the Lord know how much I appreciate them.  One of my students is speaking this morning and I will be there listening and watching them, wondering where did the time go?  I will also be grateful that I have the opportunity to once again be taught be him.  I asked that the Lord would be with him as he speaks today, that the words he needs will be giving to him, and that the Spirit might be with those in the congregation so that they might recognize the message he has prepared.

Deuteronomy

WHY? WHY WOULD THE LORD ASK ME TO DO THAT?
WHY DO I HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES?
WHY LORD DO YOU MAKE THINGS SO HARD SOMETIMES?
WHY DOES IT SEEM LIKE THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING MORE FOR ME TO DO?

Perhaps you have heard yourself say these words a few times in your life.  Maybe you were facing some difficult challenges in your life or you were faced with a tough decision and you were wondering why you should make the right choice.  The Why's are hard to let go of, just when you think you have them under control a new Why pops up and soon they multiply and the Why's seem to be all you are thinking about.

The Lord knows we have questions and want to seek answers so that we can understand.  The problem is that we aren't always prepared to hear the answer or willing to do the work to find the answer.  I once heard a speaker say that the answers to all our prayers are already given to us, we just have to find them.

One place we can find answers to the Why's in our lives is in the scriptures.  Deuteronomy 8 is a great chapter to look for the Lord's answers to some why questions:

Verse 1
The question: Why do we have to keep all the commandments?
The answer:  So that you might live, multiply, and prosper in the land

Verse 2
The question:  Why do I need to remember the trials that I have been through in my life?
The answer:  So that you will be humble, and prove yourself to God, and so he can now what is in our hearts.

Verse 3
The question:  Why do I need to be humble and suffer?
The answer:  So that you can recognize that you cannot live without Him!

Unless we go looking for these answers, they might remain unknown.  Before you read the scriptures, stop and pray about the Why's in your life, let the Lord know that you are seeking answers, and then read the verses searching for the answers that the Lord has already given us.  Maybe we can change the Why's to:

ME!
YES ME!
I WAS THE ONE CHOSEN!
CAN YOU IMAGINE?
IT'S ME!
FROM EVERYONE ELSE!

THE KING OF ALL KINGS CHOSE ME
TO BE THE ONE TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE
NOW HE'S TRYING TO GET MY ATTENTION!
PLEASE! MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE!  THINK THE RIGHT THOUGHTS!
HE IS TESTING ME!
BECAUSE HE LOVES ME!
AND WANTS ME TO BECOME CLOSER TO HIM!

Looking Up

Day one hundred forty-eight

I lost my cool last night and let my anger get the best of me.  I wasn't yelling or screaming, I just let myself get so frustrated that I wasn't able to see the teaching moments and started in on the lecturing.  I hate when that happens, it is not productive and it makes me feel bad. To make things worse, just a few days ago I was having a conversation with my boys about how I need to work on being more stern with them and they told me that I don't do anger well because it makes me feel worse than they do and they laughed about it.  Not a mean laugh, but a 'mom you're so silly' laugh. And so when I calmed down and came down to talk to them, they were kind and gentle with me at first, and then, there was some laughing because they were right.  I hate when they are right about stuff like that!

So my prayer this morning was one of gratitude for my family's ability to work through moments like that and a request that I might be more aware of my feelings and teach instead of lecture.  That I might be more effective in changing their hearts instead of closing their ears.

Deuteronomy - The Second Sermon - Looking Up (Chapters 5-26)

In chapter 6, verses 4-9 are considered most sacred and are used daily be devout Jews.  They are repeated twice a day as an evening and morning prayer.  There is more, devout Jews sometimes wear phylacteries or frontlets (beautiful tiny leather boxes) tied to their foreheads in which they keep four tiny scrolls.  On these scrolls are scriptures they are to remember.  These scriptures are: Exodus 13:1-10, 11-16; Deuteronomy 6:5-9; 11:13-21.  They wear these phylacteries as a symbol of loyalty and devotion to the Lord.

Read through Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and see if you can understand why these verses are so important:

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
 

5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

We already talked about the frontlets but what about the writing on the posts? The Jews attach what is called a "mezuzah" (a tiny, cylindrical box containing parchment with a passage of scripture on it) to the door frame of their house.  Each time they enter or leave their home, they touch or kiss the mezuzah, symbolizing that they must do the will of God as they leave to interact with others in the world or as they enter the home to interact with family. (The Old Testament Made Easier).

Can you see how the Lord is trying to get them to look up and keep Him on their minds at all times? 

Moses tells the Israelites that they are to learn, keep and do the laws (Deut 5:1) so that they might fear (respect and reverence) the Lord (Deut 6:2).  He promises them that if they do this "their days may be prolonged and they may increase mightily" (Deut 6:2-3). It might seem weird to us that the Lord asked the Israelites to do some of these things, but if you look closely you will see that however devoted to God the Israelites would be, you can be sure that the Lord was immeasurably more devoted to them and their return to Him.  Every law and commandment is meant to keep them focused on Him.

The same applies to us today.  So what do you do in your life to keep looking up towards God?  Every individual is unique and so are the needs of their family members, so what works for one person may not work for all.  With that in mind I thought I would share a few things we do in our home to remember the Lord:

We are not asked to wear frontlets on our foreheads, but we are asked to read and study the scriptures daily.  In our home everyone has their own set of scriptures so they can read whenever they would like and mark them with their own revelations.  There is always a set in the main room of the house too.  Even if no one actually opens them to read them each day, when we look at them it is a reminder to keep the teachings in our hearts.

I really like the idea of the mezuzah, having something tangible to touch to remind us of God.  I don't have one in my home, instead I have pictures of Christ in my home.  I have placed the pictures in the middle of my house at the stair landing where everyone will see them throughout the day.  Seeing Christ smiling at me each day helps me to keep Him in my thoughts.

We know that the Lord is doing everything He can to help us succeed in this life.  The fact that He gave the Israelites these things to do to help them remember Him shows how much He wanted to prevent their failure. He is doing the same thing in our lives.  This is a great chance to stop and ask ourselves if there are areas in our lives that need attention.  Are there things we need to change in order to achieve our spiritual progression?  If so, how can remembering the Lord help us in these areas? 

Looking Back

Day one hundred forty-seven

This morning I found myself thinking of my family members and friends that are in need of some extra blessings.  It is frustrating to have to watch things happen and not be able to control them or make them go away, but I know that there is power in prayer, so I choose to pray for them.  It is something I can do anytime, anywhere, and I know that the Lord will listen. 

I recently read a blurb on prayer that I really liked:

"Have you noticed that praying is especially helpful to the person saying the prayer, since God already knows what is going to be said?  It is a learning experience for us and allows us to formulate thoughts and express our feelings.  It allows the Spirit of the Lord to inspire and direct our thoughts, in effect, teaching us what the will of the Lord is." ~ David J. Ridges

Prayer benefits the person praying and the person or people we are praying for!  Another perfect system of the Lords.

Deuteronomy - "repetition of the law"

A widely used tenet in advertising is the "Rule of Seven". Simply stated, the "rule of seven" states that one must impact a prospective customer at least seven times, in as many different ways as possible, to turn them from a prospect into a customer.

This is not a new way to approach people, God has been using repetition as a teaching method from the beginning. He is constantly impacting our lives to get us to recognize Him and follow Him.  And He has proven it is a highly effective tool to use.

So it makes sense that the Lord would include a repetition of the law in the Book of Deuteronomy.  This book is written after the forty years of wandering in the wilderness.  It is a restatement of the law for a new generation.  The old generation has died off and the children that were part of the exodus are now adults.  Moses is getting ready to leave the children of Israel and he wants to make sure that the people understand that they will need to live by the law in order to have a blessed life in the Promised Land.  He will give three sermons before he leaves, each one with a special message.  Today I would like to talk about the first sermon found in Chapters 1-4.

This sermon could be titled:  Looking Back, because it focuses on the important events during the last forty years.  Moses talks about the establishing of leadership, the rejecting of the Promised Land, the failure at Kadesh-barnea, the wandering in the wilderness, the conquering of Heshbon and Bashon, the settlement of the land, the building of an army, his own mistake and punishment, the instances of idol worship, and Mt Horeb (Sinai) and hearing the voice of the Lord.  

Why would Moses start his first sermon with a message of looking back?  Because remembering something means that we are repeating it in our minds and the more we repeat it, the more likely we are to recognize the lessons that it has to teach us. President M. Russell Ballard has taught: "Learning the lessons of the past allows you to build personal testimony on a solid bedrock of obedience, faith, and the witness of the Spirit."  (Learning the Lessons of the Past, April 2009 General Conference).  Moses wasn't asking them to just think about the events of the past, he wanted to make sure that they would remember the lessons learned from the past.
 
What lessons did God repeatedly teach the Israelites?  Here are a few examples:

God will give His people a prophet to lead them.  And leaders need to learn to delegate.

Disobedience has serious consequences.  Obedience brings blessings.

The people around you influence you.

God is faithful.

Take a moment and look back at the events in your past. What lessons have you learned?  It is likely that you have learned the same lessons that the Israelites did, just through different experiences.  It says something about human nature that we have the stories in the scriptures
to teach us, but we still do things in our lives that lead us to have to experience them for ourselves.  We seem to be very forgetful, and so the need for repetition in our lives.

I think of how much time I could have saved in my own life had I just looked back on the Israelites story and learned from their experiences instead of making some of the same mistakes and learning the hard way. I can think of some lessons that are still being repeated in my life today! I think if the Lord only had to repeat something to me seven times before I got it, He would be ecstatic! Something for me to shoot for.    

Overwhelmed

Day one hundred forty-six

I'll be honest, I did not want to get out of bed this morning and face the list of things that I need to do today, some days just seem more overwhelming than others.  So I laid in bed for a few extra minutes thinking of ways to make the day seem less stressful and formulating a plan.  I realized that a lot of my concerns were about meeting the needs of others today, its the mom in me.  So the first thing I would do is start with a meaningful prayer letting God know what is on my mind and asking Him to take care of those people that I cannot today.  Then I asked Him to guide my scripture study in a direction that would lift my spirit and put me back on track in the attitude department.  Last, I would ask Him to help me recognize the blessings that are in my life and keep my priorities straight.

It wasn't long before my first two blessings were made clear to me, my sons.  I get up every morning with them so that we can visit a little before they are off to school.  I don't know that it makes that much difference to them that I am there when they leave, but it means a lot to me.  It is my opportunity to let them know that I love them before they leave.    

This morning my oldest son came and sat down and started sharing with me the success he has been experiencing in his weightlifting class.  He has noticed that his hard work is paying off and he is feeling better about himself for sticking with it.  He just wanted to share that with me.  I am so grateful that I got up this morning to listen. 

Then my youngest son came up, gave me a hug and told me that he loves me.  We talked a little bit about his plans for the day, which include being gone from 8am this morning til late in the evening tonight.  He has a good attitude about it and said, "At least it's Thursday and I don't have class tomorrow so I can sleep in!"  There was a time in his life when he would not have been able to see the brighter side of the situation, how grateful I am that I was there to hear such positive words come out of his mouth! What a great example for me this morning.  That was blessing number two. 

With a little brighter outlook I started in on my scripture study.  I needed to decide if I was finished with the Book of Numbers and was ready to move on or was there more I needed to learn.  In light of my feelings of being overwhelmed I decided to take another look at Numbers chapter 11.  In this chapter we see Moses feeling a bit overwhelmed himself and sharing his feelings with the Lord.  I like this story because Moses does not hold back how he is feeling, but says it like he is seeing it:

verse 11 - Basically he is saying:  What did I do wrong to have such heavy burdens placed on me and not get the help I need from you (God)?

verse 12 - Are these my children to worry about? No they are Yours.  So why is all the responsibility for these people on my shoulders?

verse 13 - They all come crying to me instead of You!

verse 14 - I cannot do this alone, these burdens are too much!

verse 15 - If this is the way You want it to be, then just kill me now!  If You love me this would be a kindness to me.  My own weaknesses are too overwhelming.

Can you feel Moses' frustration?  I can.  As I have gotten older, and more responsibilities have been added to my plate, I have had these same thoughts run through my head. Discouragement takes over and I allow the problems I face to become bigger than my faith in God.  But then comes the greatness of God.

The Lord responds with kindness and help for Moses (Num 11:16-17, 24-29).  He helps Moses see that the answer is right there in front of him, all he needs to do is open his eyes.  The Lord asks Moses to choose 70 men to assist him, then He gives these men the authority to function in their callings.  This is a great lesson, everything we need to succeed is already in our lives, we just have to open our eyes and see it.  And when we can't see it, we need to turn to the Lord in our moment of crisis.

There is a saying that goes: "When you've reached the end of your rope, you should just tie a knot in it and hang on."  I think a far better piece of advice is for us to let go of the rope altogether and rest in the arms of a God who is able to hold us while He solves the problems in our life.

 

Punishment

Day one hundred forty-five

As I watch the news reports on what's going on in the world right now, I feel sympathy for those that are suffering due to storms, or government abuse, or war.  There is a lot of sadness in the world and it is on my mind.  So this morning I prayed for those that need to have the comfort of the Spirit with them. I asked the Lord to bless these people and those around them, that their needs might be met, that hearts might be softened, and that they might find the support they need.  I also asked that the Lord would bless me and my family with ways that we might serve those in need, that we might lighten their burdens. 

Numbers

The Lord continues to teach the Israelites that their behavior, good and bad, has consequences that follow. When they are obedient and love the Lord they are blessed, when they are wicked they are punished. These chapters are filled with lessons on justice and mercy. In Numbers 14 the Israelites are told that they will not be permitted into the promised land, but must wander in the wilderness for 40 years, because of their behavior. Is it justice or mercy?  I think it is a little of both. 

The Israelites will face some interesting punishments in chapters 15-36.  Here are a few:

Numbers 15 - A man is stoned for gathering sticks on the Sabbath day

Numbers 16 - Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and 250 leaders rebel and seek priestly offices—The earth swallows the three rebels and their families—Fire from the Lord consumes the 250 rebels—Israel murmurs against Moses and Aaron for slaying the people—The Lord sends a plague, from which 14,700 die.

Numbers 21 - The Israelites are plagued with fiery serpents

Numbers 25 - The Israelites who worship false gods are slain

Numbers 26 - Only Caleb and Joshua remain from those numbered at Sinai.

When you first read through these chapters it appears that God, as a parent, is hardcore when it comes to punishment.  But knowing His character, there has to be more to the punishment than God acting out in anger.  He has told us that everything He does is for our benefit, so what can we learn from the punishment of the Israelites?

First, the Lord warns the people that their behavior is wicked before any punishment.  He spells out what is expected of them and let's them know what the consequences will be.  The Lord is merciful, but there are limits to how much mercy can be extended before the law of justice must take effect.

Second, He doesn't let the behavior go on for long, He usually deals with it right away. This way it makes the greatest impact on those involved.

Third, He is willing to forgive the behavior if repentance is put into action, in fact, we are given many opportunities to repent and be obedient.  But continued rebellion brings punishment from God, usually of a harsher nature.  It has to, because punishment is a requirement of the law of justice.

Fourth, the laws and their punishments apply to everyone. Even Moses will be chastised by the Lord.

Fifth, the punishment is meant to be a teaching moment.

When it comes to punishment I tend to lean more towards the mercy side, I am a pretty tender hearted person, but over the years I have come to see the benefit of the justice side too and have even given myself the name 'merciless mom' when necessary. 

The hardest part for me is making sure that I am creating the teaching moment from the punishment.  It seems like when your children are little it is easier because every moment is a teaching moment and you know that they don't know any better.  It's when they are old enough to know better and have been punished for the same behavior before that it gets harder to not punish in anger, but to stop and figure out where the teaching moment is in the situation.  I am still working on that one and my boys are adults!

Finding the balance between justice and mercy is a challenge, but the Lord has given us some great examples to learn from, including the punishments we have faced in our own lives.  It's up to us to learn the lesson.

Pessimism

Day one hundred forty-four

Today I am grateful for the good people in my life. The ones that are trying to do their best and let me tag along to watch and learn.  I am grateful for their patience with me, for their willingness to teach me, and for their efforts in being a good example for me.  The Lord has blessed me with so many good people that I thought it was appropriate to take some time in my prayer to thank Him for putting the people I need in my life to watch over me.  I also asked Him to bless me that I might be that type of person for those that are in my life.

Numbers

"I am certain that life is 10% of things happening to me and 90% of how I react to it."  ~Charles Swindoll

How am I using my 90%?  Am I choosing a life of pessimism filled with complaining and doubt or am I choosing to be an optimist filled with faith and hope?  Before I read chapters 10-14 I would have answered I am mostly an optimist, but after reading I realize that there is a bit of a pessimist in me too!

We find some good examples of the pessimistic point of view in chapters 10-14:

Complaining
Numbers 11 The Israelites complain about having to eat manna all the time and say that they want meat

Doubting
Numbers 12 Miriam and Aaron join in the complaining and begin to doubt Moses

Rejecting
Numbers 13  The Israelites reject the Promised Land

Murmuring
Numbers 14  The Israelites murmur about wanting to return to Egypt

I think most of us have experience in the complaining, doubting, rejecting, and murmuring department.  What brings this type of behavior about?

Complaining:  In the Israelites case the word used is lusting.  They could not let go of the memory of the food they had had in Egypt, and were ungrateful for the manna that the Lord supplied them.  God had given them this gift of manna each day, with little effort on their part to sustain them, but they seem to focus on the things they don't have instead of the things they do have. 

I have found myself in this trap before, longing for something more than I already have, even if what I have is sufficient.  Maybe its wanting more money, a newer car, or a newer house, I get caught up in the things I don't have and forget to be grateful for what I do have.  It's an easy trap to fall into.

Doubting: Miriam and Aaron start speaking against Moses because they don't like the fact that he married an Ethiopian woman.  Then to top it off, they start talking about how great they are and thinking that they are equal to Moses.  They are doubting the Lord's choice of Moses as His prophet.

How many of us have complained about someone in authority over us?  It is easy to focus on someones weaknesses or perceived faults.  It is much harder to look beyond those things and look for why they were chosen to be the leader and how we are supposed to help them succeed.  It takes more work to support them, then it does to tear them down. I have always thought it interesting that the number of people willing to tear someone down is usually larger than the number of people willing to put their egos aside and support the person.

Rejecting: Reading about the Israelites rejecting the promised land is a little like watching someone give a gift that they have really worked hard on and watching the person they give it to reject it.  It leaves the giver heartbroken.  I imagine the Lord has felt that way several times now with the Israelites. 

Have you ever been guilty of rejecting a gift from God?  I think about all the opportunities that the Lord has put in my path that I threw to the side.   I have rejected these opportunities because of fear, doubt, impatience, and the many other excuses that I have come up with.  The sad thing is none of my excuses have merit.  I wish I could say that I have lived a life with no regrets, but I do have regrets, all those lost opportunities that I didn't accept. 

Murmuring:  Things are looking bleak to the Israelites, they have travelled in hardship only to be faced with the fear of the giants to keep them from their land.  And so they start murmuring against Moses and Aaron and questioning the Lord.

We are all faced with 'giants' in our lives.  There are times when we will run away and there are times when we feel like we can take them.  The problem is that the times when we run away, we usually don't blame ourselves, but try to cast it on to someone else.  That's when we start to murmur and hope that others will see it our way.  In reality, I have found that murmuring only makes it harder to take accountability for our actions later, no one likes to admit they are wrong, and to have to do it in front of a lot of people doesn't make it any easier!

The worst part about these behaviors is that they are easily spread, people are quick to jump on the bandwagon in these cases.  The one rotten apple making the whole barrel of apples go bad is true.  The Lord knows the dangers of such behavior and tries to teach the Israelites to recognize this by destroying the wicked with fire, plagues, pestilence, and so on.  

This got me thinking about the trials and challenges that I have faced in my life, were some of them brought on by my own behavior?  Was the Lord trying to teach me something?  Fortunately, the answer is yes!  I say fortunately because it means that the Lord loves me, just like He loved the Israelites.  In my moments of pessimism He is giving me opportunities for optimism, which is good because pessimism leads to weakness and optimism leads to power!

 

Preparation

Day one hundred forty-three

After my long day yesterday it was so nice to sleep!  I have been up since 6:30am working on seminary and trek stuff, yep it's another busy day!  I knew it would be when I woke up this morning, so my prayer was filled with gratitude for the blessing of work and for the opportunities I have to serve, and also a request that I would have the Spirit to be with me today as I try to keep it all together and have a positive attitude!

Numbers

The Book of Numbers is filled with interesting lessons.  Paul tells us why these stories about the Israelites are important to us today when he wrote: "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted." (1 Cor 10:6).  So I studied the Book of Numbers looking for what the Lord wanted to teach me through these stories.  I came up with the 3 P's:  Preparation, Pessimism and Punishment.  In my journal I broke these three areas down as follows:

Preparation Ch 1-9                 
Census
Organization
Sanctification     
                                                  
Pessimism Ch 10-14                           
Complaining  
Doubting  
Promised land rejected 

Punishment Ch 15-36
Wandering
Old Generation dies
New census 
                                   
Today I want to focus on the Preparation part and see how it applies to us today.  It seems like the Lord is always preparing His people for something, but why?  I like this quote from Charles R. Swindoll about the Israelites, " He was their God, they were His people, and He expected them to act like it!" That message rings true for us today.  So what can we learn from the preparation of the Israelites in Numbers?

The Census
Let's start with the census.  The Lord had His people accounted for in all 12 tribes.  Who do I need to account for in my life?  Think about all the people who have come into your life, good and bad, and the influence they have had on you.  Who are those that you keep near to you? What is it about them that makes you want to keep them in your life?  Why did you choose to let some of these people go?  Are there any people that you wish you would have kept in your life?  Taking stock of the people we keep in our lives is important.  We are taught that "you are judged by the company that you keep" and "you become like those you keep company with". I once read an article about a study that stated: You are the average of the 5 people you hang around with the most.  Interesting concept, if true, it makes you realize that you need to stop every once in a while and see who is in your life, who is influencing you, and decide if you need to make any changes.

Organization
"Let all things be done decently and in order." (1 Cor 14:40). 

The Lord is highly organized, He likes things to have order, and He knows that we need some order in our own lives if we are to become like Him.  In Numbers the Lord organizes the Israelite settlement, letting each tribe know where they should camp. There are many areas in my life that require order, but two that stand out to me are my spiritual and temporal priorities.  Is my life organized in such a way that the spiritual things come first? Am I organized enough in my home that my needs and the needs of my family are being met temporally?  Good questions.  I wish that I could say that the answer to both of these questions is yes, but life has a way of misdirecting my efforts and I sometimes fall short in these areas.  Again I see the benefit of stepping back and seeing the big picture and trying to identify ways that the Lord is teaching me to organize my life. 

Sanctification

"The process of becoming free from sin, pure, clean, and holy through the atonement of Jesus Christ" (Moses 6:59-60). (The Guide to the Scriptures).  Why is it important that we allow the Lord to sanctify us? Would it surprise you to know that it isn't all about us? 

The Lord teaches His people how to walk with Him, not just with their feet, but with their mouths in worship, their hands in service, and with the way they live to be witnesses to those around them.  When we talked earlier about the people who we keep in our lives, did you have people that you chose because they are examples of Christ?  Take a minute to think about it from the other person's view point, would we be on their list because we are examples of Christ?  Are we a good influence on them?  

That's why sanctification is important, it isn't all about us.  We are an instrument for the Lord to work through to teach others, and if we aren't right with God, then our message isn't clear as it should be.  A message mixed with hypocrisy is a message of little worth. 

Thank goodness for the atonement and repentance, without them we could not make things right with the Lord and we would never be able to be the example we need to be!

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "People only see what they are prepared to see." Although this statement has truth to it, when the Lord is the one preparing you, you never really know what you will see.  I saw a lot more in the Israelite story than I thought I would when I started studying the Book of Numbers.  I guess that's a good sign that I'm still being prepared! 
 

 

Knowing When to Stop

Day one hundred forty-two


As I woke this morning my thoughts went to all the things I needed to do today and I knew that this was going to be a long day.  I would be dealing with a lot of people today on a lot of different issues and I knew that I would need help to get through this day with grace and my sanity intact.  So this morning I prayed for a soft heart that would be open to God's guiding hand and the energy to give 100% percent to everything I did. 


It is after 8pm and I am just getting home.  It has been a long day and as I sat down to write my blog I remembered this quote:

"When the horse is dead, get off."  ~Author Unknown

So rather than try to write a blog that might be rushed, I think I will listen to those words and thank the Lord for letting me know when to stop.  He knows me so well!

A Book of Hope

Day one hundred forty-one

The boys were not thrilled with the message on the board yesterday, they remarked with something like, "Very subtle message mom." I'm okay with that, because it did get them talking about how they can help out more, and they did actually help more.  So I thanked the Lord for small miracles and asked Him to please keep guiding me in my efforts to make them more aware of what's going on around them.  As I closed my prayer a thought popped into my head, "Make sure you thank them for helping."  So today I will make an extra effort to let them know that I appreciate their help and see what happens. 
 
Leviticus

In my first post on the Book of Leviticus I stated that in this book we learn that God loves to be approached, but we must do so on His terms.  The overall message of Leviticus is sanctification or holiness (the primary goal of worshippers of the Lord). So I thought that I would focus on looking for what I need to do to approach God.   

The Israelites had been redeemed, but they needed to be sanctified or purified into a people worthy of their God.  As Christians we are to reflect Christ's character and He is sanctifying us much like He did the Israelites.  The Lord tells us this in Leviticus 20:7-8:

"Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. 

And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you."

If we are to reflect Christ's character it appears that we must work on being holy.  The Lord makes this very clear when he states"Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy."  (Lev 19:2) .  The word 'holy' appears around 90 times in Leviticus. I have found that when something is repeated in the scriptures it is usually something really important and I need to pay attention to it. 

So I read through the verses looking for how to become more holy.  As I read I noticed that the chapters can be broke down into two sections:

Chapters 1-17  Becoming More Holy

These chapters are all about the way to God through ritual worship, offerings. and purification rituals.  The people were taught the importance of removing sin so they could become holy, primarily through sacrifice and other purification rituals (cleansing both physically and spiritually).

Then, after receiving God's forgiveness and acceptance, it should be followed by holy living and spiritual growth.

Chapters 18-27  Staying Holy

This is walking with God in our lifestyle choices, mainly through ethical and ritual observances.  These chapters include practical guidelines, chronological observances, severe consequences, and verbal promises to show His followers how to maintain holiness and keep in good fellowship with God.

Does my life echo Christ's?  Not exactly, I still lack in many areas, but like the Israelites the Lord reminds me that through repentance I am a step closer.  I do not need to perform sacrifices at an altar to receive forgiveness, but instead I need to follow the steps of the repentance process.  Something I need to do daily!

It isn't all bad though, there are ways I am growing more like Christ.  I am building my relationship with the Father through daily prayer, I am studying and applying the scriptures in my life, and I am serving others everyday. It's a good start. 

I have come to learn that the Book of Leviticus is a book of hope.  I have never seen it that way before.  I can see where the description of "the most Christian book in the Old Testament" is fitting as it is filled with messages of Christ and His love for us, and His desire to be near us, but also direction for His followers to become more holy so that He can be near us.  Being nearer to Christ, isn't that what we all hope for?   

Christ and the Atonement

Day one hundred forty

Last night my family talked about how important it is that each of us help out around the house.  Life is busy right now and our little team feels scattered instead of on the same page.  The boys are afflicted with TML (teen memory loss) which shows symptoms such as repeatedly saying, " I forgot" or "In a minute" (which is never really a minute, in fact, often times it never happens!). So I prayed for ways to gently remind them.  This morning my first inspiration came, I would leave little messages around the house in places that they would see them to jog their memories.  I would start with the quote board:

I'm not sure what their reaction will be, but at least it will be on their minds for a little while!

Leviticus

So I started my study of Leviticus by looking for Christ and the Atonement in my reading.  I thought I would look for words or phrases that could be tied back to Christ or the Atonement and underline them.  As I started in chapter 1 it became obvious that this was going to take a while since almost every verse had something to mark in them.  I found words like offering, sacrifice, without blemish, voluntary, hand upon the head, atonement, blood, altar, wood, fire, and wash, all in the first chapter! The same would be true of the chapters to follow.

It is amazing how every ritual had something to do with Christ and the Atonement.  So I began a list of the words and how they relate to Christ and the Atonement in my scripture journal. 

Offering - Christ was offered up to atone for our sins
Sacrifice - Christ sacrificed His life for us
Without blemish - Christ is perfect
Voluntary - Christ voluntarily gave His life for us
Make atonement for the sinner - The purpose of the Atonement
Blood - The Savior's blood
Body - The Savior's body
Bread - Christ is the bread
Altar - Golgotha
Wood - the cross
Fire - Holy Ghost
Washed in water - Christ the living water
Oil - Savior's healing power
Frankincense - gift from the Wise Men also represents prayers of the righteous
Anointing - Christ is the Anointed One

This is just part of the list, but it is enough to make the point that Christ and the Atonement are definitely in the Book of Leviticus. As I finished up my list I could see that the Lord was trying to teach the Israelites through the laws and rituals how sin devastates humanity's relationship with God and the importance of repentance and renewal.  This is still a good message for us today.

Christians are no longer required to make animal sacrifices.  After the Savior's ultimate sacrifice the 'ordinance of the sacrifice' became the 'ordinance of the sacrament', in which the Lord asks us to take the sacrament each week in remembrance of the sacrifice that Christ made and to renew our covenants.  Another change to the law of sacrifice is it moved the focus of the sacrifice from a person’s animal to the person himself. He asks us to sacrifice all the ungodly things in our life, anything that pulls us away from Him, including our attitudes.

Why is it important that we understand the law of sacrifice?  Elder M. Russell Ballard says it beautifully:

"...we must know what we do is pleasing before God and understand that this knowledge comes to us through sacrifice and obedience. Those who come unto Christ in this way receive a confidence that whispers peace to their souls and that will eventually enable them to lay hold upon eternal life."

Peace and eternal life what great blessings! So my challenge is to evaluate my life and to find the things that draw me away from God and be willing to sacrifice them, in obedience, to show God that I am willing to put Him first.  I think I might go back to my journal and next to my list of words about Christ and the Atonement write down a few things that I need to work on getting rid of, it might not seem so hard to do with words of hope and blessings next to them. 

A Change of Attitude

Day one hundred thirty-nine

I woke up this morning with two things on my mind, my frustration with my boys and my concern about the Book of Leviticus.  My boys are good kids, but every once in a while they need to be kicked in the butt to make them aware of the issues around them.  Now my boys are way to big for me to literally kick them in the butt, so I have to come up with creative ways to make my point.  The most creative person I know when it comes to discipline is the Lord, so my prayer included a request for ideas on how to reach my boys and have a lasting effect on them.

My second issue is about my attitude towards my scripture study of the Book of Leviticus.  Let's be honest, one word comes to mind when people bring up this book, UGH!  For me this book has always been a bit of a challenge to get through, and even though I have read the entire book before, the thought of doing it again is not so exciting.  (It's a little like doing the chore you hate the most over and over again!)  This is probably not the best attitude to have, especially if I am going to blog about it.  So I prayed that the Lord would bless me with understanding and inspiration as I prepared for my journey through the book of Leviticus. 

Leviticus

I started my study this morning with some research on the book itself.  I'm glad I did because my attitude has been completely changed!  Who would have thought that I would be excited about studying the verses in Leviticus?  Here is what changed my mind:

One of the first things that I read stated that the Book of Leviticus is the first book studied by a Jewish child; yet is often among the last books of the Bible to be studied by a Christian.  That surprised me, what is it that a Jewish child would get out of this book that many Christians can't seem to get?  Maybe I need to approach my reading with a more child-like attitude, seeing things for the first time and enjoying the excitement of what comes next.

Then I read a another statement that made me look at this book differently:  The Book of Leviticus has been described as "the most Christian book in the Old Testament" since it teaches better than any other book the consequences of sin and the redemptive nature of vicarious sacrifice.  We are talking about the atonement here, one of my favorite topics.  This leads me to believe that if I read the chapters looking for the symbolism of the atonement I should find Christ embedded in this book.

But the statement that really got me was:  In the Book of Leviticus we learn that God loves to be approached, but we must do so on His terms.  The overall message of Leviticus is sanctification or holiness (the primary goal of worshippers of the Lord).  I need to read looking for what I need to do to approach God.

And so I have a plan:

• I will read with a child-like outlook instead of preconceived notions.
• I will search for Christ and the Atonement in these verses.
• I will look for the ways that I can better myself so that I can be prepared to approach God.

It feels good to have a plan and a change in attitude.  I am actually excited about exploring these areas and sharing my findings.  It appears that the Lord has answered my prayer on this issue.  One down, one to go! 

Finished the Work

Day one hundred thirty-eight

I was once again blessed to teach seminary this morning.  It is strange, but my day seems so much better when I start my day teaching the youth.  There is something about their energy and desire to learn about the scriptures that fills me up inside.  So my prayer was focused on the youth again.  I thanked the Lord for all the opportunities He gives me to be a part of their lives and to share my love of the gospel with them.  I thanked Him for giving me the opportunity to learn from the youth.  I asked Him to bless them for their obedience with the guidance of the Spirit throughout their day and to let them feel His love for them.  And I asked that the Spirit would be with me that I might be the teacher that they need me to be. 

Exodus 35-40

"And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work." (Exodus 40:33)

Knowing all that Moses has been through to reach this point, you almost want to cheer for him when you read this verse. His journey to reach this point has been difficult, filled with challenge after challenge, and more hostility than seems fair.  But he weathers it all in such a way that inspires all those that read of him.

We have watched Moses through the Book of Exodus grow into one of the most amazing biblical leaders ever.  Through his story we are blessed to see the Lord's way of developing leadership, from the characteristics the Lord looks for in a leader: honesty and integrity, humility, kindness and compassion, courage, justice and fairness; to the importance of work with a purpose, communications, team development and performance management. 

My own experience of reading the Book of Exodus has taught me a lot about myself, helping me recognize my strengths and my weaknesses as both a leader and as a disciple. This has been a little like a personal development seminar for me, each day being filled with useful information to better my life and the life of those around me.  And so I am happy that I can say that in regards to reading the Book of Exodus, "I finished the work."  Now it is time to put everything I learned into action!  

Re-deciding Syndrome

Day one hundred thirty-seven

Sometimes I am surprised by the thoughts I have, especially the not so positive thoughts.  As hard as I try to push the negative thoughts out of my head they just seem to linger longer than I 'd like.  I have found that these thoughts usually come when I am feeling stressed and uncomfortable about something, which is really the time when I need to be thinking about God. So this morning I talked to God about this dilemma and let Him know that I am working on controlling it. I am trying to focus more on Him and less on all the frustrations that present themselves.  I shared with Him my plan to ask myself, "Where is God in this situation?" whenever I start to have negative thoughts.  Now I just have to have faith that He will help me along the way.  

 Exodus 31-34

These chapters discuss the problems that the Israelites had committing to the Lord and the consequences of their actions.  While Moses was on the mountain being taught by the premortal Christ, his people down below are becoming restless.  It seems they were afflicted with what one author calls the "re-deciding syndrome".They had trouble with long-term loyalty to the Lord, and kept "re-deciding" whether or not to keep the covenants they had made with Him.  (The Old Testament Made Easier, David J Ridges)

This is still a problem for many Christians today.  They keep 're-deciding' whether or not to attend church, pay tithing, and so forth.  Such lack of complete commitment, as seen with the Israelites, takes a toll on one's spirituality and peace of mind.

What causes this "re-directing' syndrome?  

Impatience: 
The Israelites show a lack of patience with the Lord and His servants.  They want instant results.

Exodus 32:1 - "...the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us..."

Critical of the Lord's Servant:
Because of their impatience they start to complain about Moses taking too long on the mountain.

Exodus 32:1 - "...for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of Egypt, we wot not what become of him."

Look for other things to worship:
Aaron gathers the gold from the people and creates an idol for the people to worship.

Exodus 32:4 -  "...he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."

Choosing Physical Pleasure instead of God:
The Israelites choose to have a feast, make burnt offerings, and party before their new idol. 

Exodus 32: 6 - "And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought  peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play."

Peer Pressure:
When Moses asks Aaron what the people did that would make him turn to making an idol, Aaron answers:

Exodus 32:22 - "Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief."

In other words he says, "you know how prone these people are to do evil."  Aaron let the pressure of the people over take his love for the Lord.

As I was searching for the reasons behind the Israelites actions I wanted to be angry with them.  I wanted to say, "How could you turn on your God so easily?".  Instead I found myself realizing that I have been guilty of all these things too. 

I am not always willing to be patient and wait for things to unfold in the Lord's time.

I have not always been positive about decisions that leaders have made.

I have been guilty of putting other things before God.

I have found myself putting my physical needs before my spiritual needs.

And I definitely have been guilty of caving to peer pressure.

It is certain that I have been afflicted with the dreaded re-deciding syndrome at times in my life.

To deal with these issues Moses calls out for the people to repent, some will repent and some won't.  Those that don't repent end up losing their lives.  It is the same call to us when we are afflicted with this re-deciding syndrome, Repent or lose your ability to be with God. 

This was a very humbling lesson for me because I could see myself among the Israelites making the same mistakes they did.  It also made me think about how quickly I judge people by their actions.  It brought some truth to the statement that: "Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." ~ Carl Gustav Jung. I have a feeling that I will be pondering over this lesson for a while as I work on strengthening my commitment and loyalty to God and being less judgemental of those around me. I have a lot of work to do!

Parting the Veil

Day one hundred thirty-six

We have some family and friends that are not doing so well health wise, so I dedicated a lot of my morning prayer to them and their families. I also prayed for the youth, as they have been on my mind quite a bit lately.  I sure love them! 

Exodus 25-30

These chapters in the Book of Exodus are about the Tabernacle.  I have always been fascinated with the thought of a portable temple.  What would it have been like to worship in such a place?  How would it compare to our modern-day temples?   

Augustine, referring to the Bible, said, "The New is in the Old concealed.  The Old is the New revealed." He is referring to the fact that many items and people in the Old Testament serve to point ahead to things more clearly revealed in the New Testament.  We call these objects and people filled with symbolism, 'types' or 'shadows'.  Of all the types in the Old Testament, none is more rich in its symbolism than the Tabernacle.  From one end to the other, the Tabernacle is all about pointing the people to the Lord Jesus Christ.     

Every part of the Tabernacle has symbolism in it, but one object that peaks my interest is the veil which separates the first room called the Holy Place from the second room called the Holy of Holies. (Ex 26:31-33)

What I learned about the veil:

The colors of the veil are significant:

Blue: In Judaism, blue is connected to the color of the sky and is meant to remind us of the Heavenly origins of God.  Christianity believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Rom 8:3; 1 Tim 3:16).  Therefore, the blue leads us to thoughts of the divinity of Christ.

Scarlet: This is the color that symbolizes blood and it speaks of Jesus as the Lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice for the sins of man (Rev 1:5; John 15:13).

Purple: This is the color of royalty and it reminds us that Jesus is the King of Kings (Isa 9:6-7; Rev 19:16).  

The construction of the veil has significance:

The cloth was to be "fine twined" and of a "cunning work." (v 31).  This cloth was to be a special weave different from other cloth.  Jesus was like the cloth, there has never been another man quite like Him.  He is perfect!

The veil served as a warning:

It was hung between the Holy Place, where the priests ministered everyday, and the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God dwelt above the Mercy Seat. It served as a barrier between God and sinful man.

A parallel to the Exodus:  The border of the Promised Land, over which only the sanctified of Israel could pass.  The unrighteous who tried to pass over the border into the Promised Land were immediately destroyed (Num 14:39-45)

A parallel to us today:  The veil separating us for the Lord's presence, through which only the sanctified can pass.

The list of symbolism from this one part of the Tabernacle goes on and on, we have only touched the surface here. Imagine what could be learned from an in depth study of all the parts of the Tabernacle! The scriptures teach us, "...and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him." (2 Ne 11:4).

What would life be like if we took the time to push the veil aside and look for God in all things?  Would it change our perspective of the world? 

I know that learning about the symbolism found in the Tabernacle has given me a new perspective of its significance and what I can learn from studying it.  My appreciation for the way the Lord teaches has increased and my desire to seek Him out in other things has been awakened.  I think that is the point He is trying to make, He can be found in all things, whether it be in a temple, nature, or in the actions of His people,  we just need to part the veil and seek Him!  

  

Looking Beyond

Day one hundred thirty-five

This morning I was filled with gratitude for the beginning of a new week and with hope that it would be a little mellower! I thanked the Lord for all that I have learned this week and for all the opportunities he is giving me to serve others.  I asked that I might have a positive attitude as I take on the challenges of a new week and that I would recognize the teaching moments and seek the Spirit as my guide. I also asked that I would not feel overwhelmed, but instead trust the Lord more, and learn to see things with a clearer perspective. 

At church today I kept thinking about seeing things through a different perspective, seeing beyond what I think I'm seeing or my own point of view.  I came across an Indian story that presented some interesting thoughts:  The Story of the Blind Men and the Elephant

This story is about six wise men who try to describe an elephant, the catch is they are all blind.  The first blind man felt the elephant's side and said, "I know what an elephant is, it's very much like a wall."  The second blind man felt the elephant's tusk and said, "No, an elephant is very much like a spear."  The third blind man took hold of the trunk, so to him the elephant was much like a snake.  And so it went on.  The tail felt like a rope, the ear like a fan, the leg like a tree.  None of them got it completely right. The moral:  If you know only a little bit about something, you don't really know it at all.

We tend to see things the way we want to see them based on our limited senses and experiences. The blind men needed more information in order to describe the elephant more accurately.  We too need more information  before we can look beyond our own point of view.  It takes something else - the Spirit- to truly help us understand. 

I want to see and understand the things that are happening to me and others in a more spiritual way, but I tend to lean on my five senses and my mind,  instead of relying more on the Spirit for my information.  If I want to see things through God's eyes I have to remember that I am only seeing a little part of the big plan. I need to stop and ask Him, "Tell me more about how you see things."       

There is a quote that says, "If you desire to see, learn how to act." ~Heinz von Foerster.

 How should I act?  Maybe the next time I think I have something important to say, I can stop and let Him speak first, and just listen. If I can imitate the Lord's way of taking in all points of view, then maybe I can see things in a more spiritual way and I will be a more effective servant. This week my goal is to work on looking beyond!