Thursday, March 10

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016

Numbers 14:1–15:16

Mark 14:53–72

Psalm 53:1–6

Proverbs 11:4

 

 

“Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there.  Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, ‘The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.  If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. ⁹ Only do not rebel against the Lord.  And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us.  Do not be afraid of them.’” (Numbers 14:5–9)

 

“Immediately the rooster crowed the second time.  Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him:  ‘Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.’  And he broke down and wept.” (Mark 14:72)

 

 

In today’s reading, we find two disheartening examples of people’s falling short of standing with God’s purposes, even with great evidence of His reality.  In the case of the Israelites, we find that the population loses heart when faced with a discouraging (and faithless) report on the Promised Land, even after God had provided a blueprint for His people’s conquest and flourishing there.  For Peter, he denied his affiliation with the Lord Jesus Christ after His farcical trial before the Sanhedrin.

 

Often, our faith rises or falls on our feelings, particularly of comfort and security.  In some ways, we may exhibit “fairweather” faith, much like a “fairweather” fan in sports.  “Fairweather” fans become quite interested in their respective teams once those teams go on a winning streak or appear close to capturing a championship.  In fact, we often hear the term:  “Everyone loves a winner!”  We see the same pattern in electoral politics, where voters look for candidates with positive “momentum.”  As competitive creatures, we like to find ourselves on the “winning” side.

 

In following God, however, we should endeavor to live out an “all-weather” faith, one that remains rooted in God and His promises, even when evidence might suggest the contrary.  In the “Hall of Faith” chapter (Hebrews 11), the writer commends Moses for his faith in spite of opposition and struggle:  “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.  He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.  By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” (11:24–27)

 

Similarly, after Peter’s failure, the apostles, led ironically by Peter himself, received insults and even physical violence in standing for the Lord Jesus Christ.  Yet, relying on the Holy Spirit and praying for God’s provision, the apostles received the love and power they needed:  “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:31)

 

In short, in those examples in which believers followed and stood with God, they found great blessing and saw God’s glory in a multiplying way.  Where people chose to see the enormity of their problems instead of God’s power, they stumbled and missed this blessing.  It seems that recognizing God’s greatness and choosing to trust Him unlocks the right path.

 

May we choose to dare greatly by trusting wholly.

 

 

Lord God, thank You for showing us Your greatness in the Scriptures, in creation, and in our own lives.  Give us greater evidence of Your power so that we may trust You more.  Build our faith and speak to us through Your Spirit so that we press ahead rather than turning back.  We love You and seek You with all our hearts.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

 

“How Great Is Our God (World Edition)”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D58HbxSw5R4

 

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