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Sunday, August 24, 2014

You Promised!

Numbers 20:2-13
Israel in the Wilderness


 You Promised! Can’t you just hear her whiney little voice complaining about how she did not get what she wanted-what was promised? That annoying complaint can come from a child, adults, or perhaps the elderly, but no matter where it originates, it can be irritating just the same.

We can only imagine the times the Lord has heard this type of appeal. It goes back to long before Jesus walked the earth; perhaps to Adam and Eve as they endured the hardships that accompanied their dismissal from The Garden of Eden.  

In Numbers 20, the people of Israel are in the desert. They feel they have been wandering in the wilderness forever and can’t handle much more. They complain to Moses and Aaron that there is no food or water and question why they were lead away from where they were to begin with. They want it to end!

We can take example here. The only way to our Promised Land is through the wilderness. There is no secret passage way that will get us there quickly and pain free. Whining and complaining will not make it better, in fact it will likely bring about increased adversity.

Our God has promised us a new life in heaven, but the road there can be long and difficult. This wilderness world in which we live challenges us daily, and often brings us to the point of grumbling, quarreling, and losing heart. We are all on this journey together. Perhaps envisioning how some others have experienced the wilderness will help us realize it’s normal and common to struggle through feeling lost and alone at times.


Some of us play the hand we have been dealt with style and dignity, and others well, not so much. Those who seem to handle their wilderness well, are probably in close contact with God. When the journey seems too much to bear, go ahead…Ask God for peace and clarity. Let Him know you are willing to go where he is leading you and that you want what He wants. If you choose to go it alone, you will likely get no more than just “a little cheese to go with that whine.” 

Read/Listen to Number 20:2-13

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