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!
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