Carol J German

There is a danger that lurks each day as you walk by faith. It is subtle and every believer is not immune to it. The Israelites succumbed to it and you and I can fall too. In the book of Numbers, you learn about the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. God heard the prayers of his children who lived in earthly bondage. He rescued them and led them to a better land where life would be more sustaining. While He could have given them a straight-forward path, He allowed them to meander through the wilderness so He can teach them what it means to follow Him and not themselves. That’s a lesson God continues to teach His children today.

In Numbers 20:1-13, Moses and his brother Aaron were in the middle of the wilderness with all the Israelites. They were all tired of wilderness living. It’s been 40 years already, and they have yet to arrive to what God had promised them. Danger was lurking.

After many trials in the wilderness, they arrived at Zin. The Israelites were hopeful as they trekked on, hoping and envisioning the milk and honey that was supposed to be theirs. They soon realized that their hopefulness had to wait, again. This land had no water, which meant no food. So, they succumbed. They rebelled against Moses and Aaron, “Why have you brought us here to die?” (See verses 4) They lost hope, so they grumbled, “You made us leave Egypt.” (See verse 5) They desired their former carnal ways. So, they stopped walking with God. “It’s terrible here,” they said. They stopped walking with God.

How do you respond when God takes you on a meandering path that appears to be unrelenting? You want to receive what God has for you but it is not playing out how you would like. So, you rebel Him. It’s easier to look another way rather than continue to trust God. If God isn’t going to change my situation, then I might as well handle life my way.

Moses and Aaron responded correctly to their situation. They met with God, and in His lovingkindness He heard and helped them. In His faithfulness He led them. He was going to provide for His children. “Moses, speak to that rock over there and water will pour out.” (See verse 8). “And it will be enough for everyone plus your livestock.” Take a minute and allow God to speak to you about His audacious love for you. Whenever you go to God, He will help you, even in the midst of turning your back on Him!

God never ceases to love you and provide for you. Even in rebellion, when trusting Him feels like a losing battle, He shows up to show you again and again and again that He is with you and He is worth following.

Notice how Moses, the spiritual leader who God equipped to lead His people, lost his own focus. He allowed himself to become frustrated and angry. Look at verses 9-11 and pay attention to how Moses stopped walking with God. He obeyed half-heartedly, not fully. While he summoned everyone to watch what God called Moses to do, he became lazy and self-focused. “Must WE bring you water from this rock?” His first faux paus, he and his brother were going to take credit for how God was going to provide. He then raised his staff and struck the rock twice. His second faux paus, he handled God’s plan his own way.

The danger here: It is so easy to forget who God is, especially when your days drag on without any change. When you lose your focus, you place yourself back on the throne in your heart where only Jesus should be reigning from. You stop walking with God.

God has a response for rebelling: “Because you did not trust Me enough to demonstrate My holiness.”¹²

When you handle life your own way, others will see you and not God. While you desire to follow God and please Him, your faith is never about you. Jesus must always be in the driver’s seat. God has to take every sinful person and transform them. He has to get you out of you so He can dwell within you. God led the Israelites in the wilderness the way He did so they can become fully devoted followers of Him. He needed to get them to the promised land where they knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was all God, where He will receive all glory.

Today, you (and I) are being led in the same way. He allows hard things, trying things, and frustrating things, because we instantly take the credit for ourselves. Jesus did not come, to die for our sins and then resurrect from the dead so we can usurp what He has done. It is never about any one of us and it never will be.

The Israelites struggled with this, Moses struggled, and you and I struggle. Yet, God’s love and provision never cease. To those who repent of their rebellious ways and become obedient to His ways, God will get you home to His glorious promised land. He promises it and it will happen. Just don’t lose hope in these long days and stay vigilant to the dangers that will take you down if you don’t keep Jesus your main priority.