Charles Stanley said, “Relationships are for a reason, a season or a lifetime.” I’ll be discussing some of the qualities to look for in a healthy relationship and warning signs that a relationship may be in danger. I also talk about the importance of setting healthy boundaries to ensure your relationships stay on track.

If you haven’t already, please sign up for the Providence Coaching Newsletter for practical tips and tools to equip you to hear God’s voice, know God’s will, find your purpose and fulfill your calling. Until next time, build better, stronger relationships and keep moving forward!

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One important decision I made this month was to take Podcasting AtoZ again as an alumni. Last time around, Cliff Ravenscraft helped me to successfully launch the Providence Coaching Podcast and this month, I’m focusing on developing online courses, group coaching and webinars to help people fulfill their calling. If you’re interested in taking the next Podcasting AtoZ class in January, you can use my affiliate code “Providence” to receive a $99 discount.

Along with some of the changes I’m making in my business came the realization that I have been placing too little value on myself. Without being proud or self-effacing (the flip-side of pride), God had to remind me that it’s important to see myself as He sees me.

God esteemed you and me of such great value that He gave His only Son in exchange, giving us the legal right and privilege to stand before a Holy God. Being a doormat is neither humble nor holy. Jesus loved and served God’s people in humility while at the same time, walking in His true authority. What does that look like in real life? I’ll be discussing that on the podcast as well as how you can know you’re making a good decision or a decision you’ll regret later.

As always, thank you for listening. I appreciate your encouragement and support. If you haven’t already, please sign up for the Providence Coaching Newsletter. I’m working on some resources that I believe will help you simplify the process of finding and fulfilling your purpose. Until next time, be blessed, make good decisions and keep moving forward!

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I also talk about what’s happened since my last podcast and how God is leading me and how it applies to your life also. Here is a link to the FCA Convention website.

If you are interested in starting a podcast of your own, I highly recommend Podcasting AtoZ with Cliff Ravenscraft. It’s a 4-week self-paced course with video tutorials and the best part is that Cliff will answer all of your technical and non-technical questions for the duration of the course. This makes it worth every penny and more. If you decide to go for it, use the code “Providence” for a $99 discount.

If you have a question for the podcast, please feel free to leave it in the comment section below or send it to: feedback @ providencecoaching.com.

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I discuss the question asked this week, “Can God speak to and direct unbelievers – people who don’t know Him?” I’m a walking testimony of that fact and I share a little bit of how I got started on the journey of searching for my purpose and how I ended up here.

I mention a clip from Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford speech that I found on Michael Hyatt’s blog. In his speech, Steve talked about how you can only connect the dots looking backward. I’m not sure what his faith background is, but it is clear that God led him on a definite path that is visible only in looking back. The same is true for all of us if we simply step out in faith and follow what is in our hearts to do. As a tribute to Steve Jobs, here is a link to Apple.

In this episode, I also talk about how I got unstuck after taking the Podcasting AtoZ with Cliff Ravenscraft. If you’re interested in podcasting, you’ll love this course! Use the code “providence” and you’ll get $99 off the cost of the course.

I also talk a bit about my newly adopted Meyers parrot, Josie and how God has been using her to encourage me to leave the nest of my comfort zone and fly! I believe He wants the same for you too!

As I have mentioned before, this podcast is a collaborative project. I welcome your thoughts, ideas and feedback. If you have a question for the podcast, please feel free to leave it in the comment section below or send it to: feedback @providencecoaching.com.

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Thanks & I look forward to staying in touch and building a long-term relationship with you through the newsletter.

If you have a question you’d like answered on The Providence Coaching Podcast, please send it to me at: email @ providencecoaching.com. Thanks for listening! Click here for a direct link to The Providence Coaching Podcast through iTunes.

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The course of action for cleansing oneself from defilement is summarized and while nothing seems outside of the customary procedure, the fact that running water is called for seems both peculiar and significant.

In Old Testament times, just like today, it was unavoidable and inescapable that people would occasionally become defiled. Such occurrences prevented that person from entering God’s presence and would even go as far as defiling the sanctuary. Because sin was so commonplace, God made provision for any undefiled person, not just a priest, to be an agent of reconciliation for the person who sinned.

The problem of continual and ongoing sin in the life of the believer is not often fully addressed because many do not know what to do about it. Some preachers are afraid that if they preach too much grace, they’ll have an outbreak of sin in the church, but if they likewise preach too much law, the results will prove worse. While most of us believe that once we accepted Christ, our past sins were forgiven, our present and future sins remain an entirely separate matter before God. When a Christian sins, there are differing opinions inside and outside of the church as to the implications.

I might as well paint a target on myself for opening the discussion on the believer’s sin, but what happens when a Christian sins is seen as a far weightier matter than when an unbeliever sins. Because believers have accepted Christ, we feel we should not only know better, but do better. And while that is true, we are still prone to failure despite our good intentions.

While the Church has been known for shooting its wounded, the world can sometimes be even harder on the Christian who sins, using it as an excuse for why they should never take that step of faith to trust God (which btw, they weren’t planning on doing anyway). But the point of Christianity in the first place is that we are fallible people trusting in an infallible God.

I’ll never make an excuse for myself or others who have missed the mark as Christians. In each case, a conscious choice has been made. The reason we get so angry and judgemental when someone fails, other than the fact that it discredits God and His people, is that most of us secretly know we too would have fallen under the right circumstances. We hate in others what we see in ourselves and accuse others of what we’re guilty of in our own hearts, whether it’s lust for money, sex or power.

Whatever conditions led up to the failure might have been prevented in its early stages before sin gained momentum. But when you distance yourself emotionally from others, you’re skating on thin ice. The fact is, we need others and others need us to encourage one another to stay on track.

For years after committing my life to Christ, I still had too many unanswered questions about how to deal with sin as a believer. My natural mind reasoned that when I did something wrong, there was a cooling off period with God. Depending on the nature and degree of my sin, I would give Him a few hours or a few days until I felt He was no longer mad at me. If it was only a “white lie” to avoid hurting someone, it could be as soon as an hour before I could once again enter His presence, but if it was something more serious, it could mean days or even weeks before I would feel totally forgiven. Caught in the cycle of self-punishment, I was doing my own penance. Human nature is to be self-dependent, independent, other-dependent…anything but God-dependent.

It’s a common misunderstanding to think we should try to make up for our wrongdoings. The apostle Paul observed this trend in his day and addressed in his letter to the Galatians. Putting his usual tact and diplomacy aside, he said it bluntly in Chapter 3: “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

Paul goes on to teach in Chapter 5, verse 4 that, “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace…” It’s interesting that in Numbers 19, the running water is referred to as the water of separation, not from Christ, but from the world. This running water has the power to separate us from sin and separate us unto God.

God knew that we would be easily defiled by the world we are in, but not of. But instead of throwing us into the vicious arms of the law, He threw us into the merciful arms of Christ where our past, present and future sins would be covered. This kind of extravagant gift is hard to accept, but anyone who has a son or daughter understands the love of a Father that would make such provision for their wayward child.

The continuous waterfall of God’s love and forgiveness is available to all of us, yet many still insist on paying their own debt. The problem is, we don’t have the required payment. The bill is far too high for even the richest or most righteous person on earth to pay it themselves.

The truth is that when we sin as Christians, our debt has already been paid in advance, just like it was for unbelievers. Jesus addressed sinful people as though they were already forgiven. He did not withhold from them what they needed. From the prostitute who washed His feet to Peter when He denied Christ, Jesus’ response was the same: no condemnation. Just forgiveness.

Jesus got angry with the Pharisees and teachers of the law who pretended they lived perfect lives and then condemned those who did not, placing burdens on men’s backs instead of lifting them. When a person who sins sees themselves as dirty, they will act accordingly, but when God gives you a revelation of your true identity as a son or a daughter, likewise, you will also act accordingly.

Unfortunately, too many Christians see themselves as slaves instead of sons, working for their Master’s approval instead of walking in their royal lineage. They cannot be agents of reconciliation because they don’t have forgiveness for themselves.

The running water in Numbers 19 is just that – always running. No matter what you’ve done as an unbeliever or a believer, you don’t have to endure a waiting period to come back into right relationship with the Father. Jesus paid your debt, once and for all so that you don’t have to avoid your Creditor. Can you accept the fact that, even in your greatest sin, you are still the righteousness of God in Christ?

What was true at the moment of your salvation is also true now that you’re a believer. I’m not taking sin lightly or advocating behaviour that displeases God. What I’m saying is that God has made available to you righteousness or right standing with God that is ongoing: forgiveness, justification, and continual cleansing from sin. How you respond when you sin indicates what you really believe about who Christ is and what He came to do.

While most would avoid a city like this, Mother Teresa is said to have chosen Calcutta because of its extreme poverty. She saw a great opportunity to serve Christ by serving the poorest of the poor. Having lived out most of her life in a tiny room with a tiny bed and a tiny window, no one can argue the witness and legacy of her life.

Unlike many in ministry, when Mother Teresa became famous, she kept her focus on Christ. Instead of moving to a better area of the city, like Jesus, she made a conscious decision to live among those she served.

It’s easy to start off with good intentions, but when success comes, how will you respond? Will you lose your focus on serving God and people and start to serve yourself or will you do what is necessary to stay humble? It was when success came that King David fell. Don’t fool yourself into thinking it couldn’t happen to you.

Surrounding yourself with people who will challenge you and hold you accountable to live and ministry with honesty, integrity and transparency is necessary. Like Mother Teresa, follow the example of Christ: a simple life well-lived speaks volumes to the world around you.

With a stuttering problem and an obvious lack of confidence at times, Moses isn’t your most likely choice of fearless leader, but regardless of that, God chooses him anyway. After completing God’s P90X personalized training program, not even an MBA and a Doctorate in Psychology could have prepared Moses better for the task at hand. God knows exactly what He’s doing – problem is, the people don’t.

Ultimately, it isn’t about Moses. It’s about God and what He can do and the people get that, at least subconsciously because whenever something goes wrong, they take the opportunity to question whether or not God really knows what He’s doing. But their constant boundary-pushing, testing, tempting and provoking to see how far they can really go with God gets old fast.

In Numbers 16, a significant rival comes to the forefront. Korah, obviously an influential leader, rallies no less than 250 men to confront and ultimately overthrow Moses’ leadership. With his back against the wall, Moses stands up to Korah and presents him with a challenge. The scene reminds me of the prophet Elijah who dares 800 false prophets to call upon their gods to do what only God can do. At the end of the day, their false authority is exposed and the rebels are slaughtered in front of everyone, much like our story today, but with one major difference: these are God’s own people challenging His authority. How did it get to this?

Moses has no choice but to confront the rebels and call them to a showdown. First thing in the morning, Moses’ and Korah’s posses are to meet face to face at the tabernacle with burning incense as an offering to the Lord, knowing that only the ones God has chosen will be able to approach Him and live to tell about it.

Before sending them off, however, Moses gives them a chance to recant. He reminds Korah and the Levites that their role of ministering to the people is extremely significant, but they remain determined to climb the corporate ladder, stepping on Moses, Aaron and anyone else on their way to the top. The flaw with their plan is that God chose Moses, not them to be the leader. And there is no other factor which distinguishes true authority from false authority as plainly as that.

Although gifts, talents and abilities might well accompany the call of a leader, they’re more of a confirmation than a determining factor. Once a leader is chosen by God, they go through an battery of tests, trials and training before actually obtaining the position of authority. In the midst of that season or series of seasons which can last years or even decades, character development, a deep bonding and implicit trust in God should be the end-product.

Back to our story. In God’s presence, it becomes painfully clear that Korah and his men are operating under false authority. Like Aaron’s sons Hophni and Phinehas, Korah’s men pay a steep price for approaching God under false pretenses. If this was after Jesus’ blood was shed, there would have been redemption, but after warning the rest of the people to stand back and separate themselves from the rebellious, the ground opens up and swallows Korah and his men.

Even after Moses’ authority is so clearly established, the people have the nerve and audacity to criticize him and Aaron for actually killing God’s people. This daring defiance provokes a back-to-back encounter with God, leaving thousands dead at the scene. At Moses’ command, Aaron rushes in to stand in the gap and stops the plague from killing the rest of the nation. Afterwards in Numbers 17, God shows his approval of Aaron too, authenticating his leadership in hopes of putting this whole issue of authority to rest once and for all.

So how does this apply to you? We all know there are times when even true authority does not act according to God’s will. That’s because the leader is human and prone to mistakes. You may not necessarily respect the person in the leadership position, but it is wise to respect the office of authority given to them. To the best of your ability and with God’s help, submit to authority without compromising Biblical values and principles.

God may remove you from under them or He may remove them from over you. He may, however, choose to leave you there for a season to build your character or to even use you to transform them with the power of His love. Through prayer, humility and submission to God’s will via death to self, you will know exactly what to do and when to do it.

Do not leave in anger. Your actions will affect and influence others. his isn’t only about you. When you are 100% certain of God’s will and act accordingly, He will take care of the rest, even if others are adversely affected by your leaving. Encourage others to follow God, not you. Otherwise, you are in danger of becoming a false authority like Korah to the detriment of everyone, including yourself.

True authority is called by God. False authority is self-appointed. But even when the true leader has fallen and lost favour with God, it’s important to be like David, who respected Saul until he was removed from his throne. Your heart and how you respond to the leader in question will determine whether or not you will fulfill your own calling and destiny in due time.

Under a canopy of thick cloud and smoke, God makes His will known to the people. Under no circumstances are they to enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief and ensuing conduct. Apart from Caleb and Joshua, only those twenty and younger will go in to possess the land while the rest bear the brunt of their iniquity.

Somewhere, there’s been a disconnect. When God says, “move forward,” they move backward and when He says “step back,” they move ahead. It quickly becomes evident that knowing God’s will and doing God’s will are two entirely different things. When you hear God’s voice, you have a choice to make. You can respond in faith or you can insist on waiting for God to move first. The problem is, He’s waiting for you to make the first move.

When God instructs you to do something, what reason would there be for not stepping out in faith? Perhaps you need clarity to discern whether or not you’ve really heard from God. Fair enough. He can use Scripture, an article or even a movie to confirm His will. There’s no limit to how God can confirm His intentions to let you know that He is speaking to you personally.

You might find yourself talking to someone and out of the blue, they mention the very thing you’ve been praying about. Or God may use several people to say the same thing over and over in different ways to encourage you that you are hearing from Him. While God will often send a person or several people across your path to confirm His will, first and foremost, He wants you to be led by His voice. Ultimately, everything must stand the test of Scripture before you move forward. Please note: God is not going to tell you to go and shoot someone, as we often hear Him accused of by some psycho on the six-o’clock news.

After you know you’ve heard from God, it is critical to know and understand His timing before stepping out of the boat. When God tells you to do something, it’s either for the immediate moment or for a set time in the future. As you pray and ask Him for wisdom, you will know with certainty when the time is right. Don’t step out because of your feelings or circumstances. It’s easy to quit a job in anger and go start that business or ministry you’ve been praying about, but if you step out too soon, you could miss God completely. He may have you meet a specific person on your job who is key to your success later on. That’s why you must trust God implicitly.

In the case of the Hebrews, they didn’t miss God because of timing or lack of confirmation. They missed Him because of downright disobedience. The captain of an army must sure that his troops will follow his every command in the battle. They must trust him to know what they don’t know and see what they can’t see in the battle. If they do not listen and obey, chaos erupts and lives are lost.

Before God opens a door of opportunity, He has to be certain that He can trust you to follow His lead. A captain cannot lead an army into battle with them doubting, hesitating and questioning his every command. God’s people did not know Him enough to know they could trust Him and He knew they were far from ready to face the battles ahead. He held them back for their own good.

After God tells the people they’re not going anywhere, they defy Him and presume to go ahead without Him. The word presume in Strong’s Concordance implies that they made a conscious decision to disregard His orders.

While it’s wise to seek clarification and confirmation of God’s will, the bottom line is that when God speaks, ultimately, He fully expects you to obey. God is not a dictator. He’s the Director of a huge, universal production. God knows exactly when certain people, places and things are to arrive on the scene of your life. He also knows exactly when they are to exit stage left. If you can trust God as the Director of your life, then you will experience the fulfillment of His plan and purpose for you.

The opening scene of your life might have started with a tragedy, but God can turn the plot around and give you a happy ending. Or your life may have started well and a catastrophy turned everything inside out and upside down. Choosing to trust and follow the guidance of the Director will determine how your story ends.

The Hebrews did not live happily ever after. Instead of trusting God, they chose to go ahead of Him. The real tragedy is that it didn’t have to be that way. If you’ve heard from God, what’s stopping you from following through? Once you’re 100% certain you’ve heard from Him and have His peace, go ahead and step out in it.

If you don’t trust Him, I dare say you don’t know Him—at least not well enough. When you’re faithful and obedient to His will, God will come through for you again and again.

Just because everyone had a window seat on their trip to the Promised Land doesn’t mean that everyone saw the same thing. Caleb wasn’t denying the fact that the inhabitants of the land were as intimidating as Sumo Wrestlers. He just chose not to focus on that fact.

It’s like when God tells you to do something and you start to look at your bank account to see if it’s workable or not. Usually, the answer is not. At this point, you can do one of two things: make sure you heard from God and then step out or wait for God to do everything while you do nothing. Having been down Faith Avenue a few times, I don’t think it generally works that way—99% of the time, you have to move before God makes His move. And what you choose to focus on usually determines what you will or won’t do.

This is the challenge God’s people are struggling with in Numbers 13. Unfortunately in Chapter 14, Verse 1, they’ve already made up their minds. We don’t see them seeking God, praying or asking Him what they should do next. We just see them going through an entire box of Kleenex because all hope is gone of ever being able to beat the bad guys in the Promised Land.

In just one verse, tears have dried up and hearts are hardening against God. It makes you wonder how close to the surface bitterness and rebellion were before hearing the report. Nothing like a crisis to reveal what’s really in your heart.

The Hebrews start talking behind Moses’ and Aaron’s backs and convince themselves that they would have been better off to have died in Egypt or in the wilderness. Notice God doesn’t argue with them on that point.

The bellyaching is relentless and before long, some idiot suggests that they make another idiot captain to lead them back to Egypt. Like they’re going to Niagara Falls for the weekend. Did they forget they’re the housekeepers and not the guests of Hotel Egypt?

When Moses and Aaron catch wind of the plan, they fall on their faces while Caleb and Joshua rip their garments in repentance for the people. Like a mother trying to bribe her unruly child at Walmart, Moses tries to coerce the Hebrews to be on their best behaviour but once again, they refuse to listen.

By this point, it’s a scene from the G-20 riot, with the mob threatening to stone the leaders to death. Just as it’s getting out of control, God steps in. The fiery spotlight of His glory beams down onto the scene and like a bunch of kids, they straighten out when Dad enters the room. But God knows exactly what they’ve been up to and there’s no hiding from Him.

God calls Moses aside and makes him an offer he can’t refuse: the people will be hit hard with a pestilence. God will then start with a fresh batch of people. This new nation will grow up to become even greater and mightier than their predecessors and everyone will live happily ever after in the Promised Land.

It’s sounding like a dream come true, that is, until Moses’ conscience kicks in. This is nothing more than a test of his leadership—not so much the ability to lead, but the ability to love those he leads. Although he passed with flying colours the first time in Exodus 32:10, can he do it again, especially after an attempted assassination?

Moses, knowing God, appeals on the basis of His character and compassion. Without hesitation, God pardons their iniquity, but chooses not to scrub the consequences. Due to the fact that they provoked God no less than ten times and refused to listen despite all the signs, wonders and miracles He performed for their benefit, the trip to Disneyland is off.

God makes it very clear that Caleb, however, will still be going to the Promised Land. Why should he be punished with the rest when he was ready to step out of the boat? And not only him, but Joshua believed too that God would do what He said He would do.

But aside from these two, the rest would live out their days in the wilderness. As disappointing as that is to both them and God, the people have rendered themselves useless. God was willing to work with them, but they gave Him nothing to work with. A herd of donkeys would have been more cooperative.

When I worked with thoroughbreds, if an animal was not trainable, it didn’t matter what its bloodline was or how much they paid for it. On the other hand, if a horse was willing and teachable, its bloodline or price tag didn’t matter—the horse had potential to win. Here’s a warning: after the excitement of salvation has worn off, you too can eventually become unteachable and unwilling to change. When that happens, God will only prod you so long before retiring you to pasture. When that happens, you miss out on your purpose and destiny and no one but you is to blame.

After the tears have stopped flowing, a second rebellion erupts, though less volatile than the last one. Early in the morning, the people hit their alarm clocks, finish their corn flakes and make their way to the top of the mountain as though nothing ever happened. Fearless, they declare to Moses that after sleeping on it, they’ve decided they’re ready to go in and take the land. Say wha…?

Moses is as stunned as I am and asks them outright how they can be so bold to go up against God a second time and think they can just go ahead and do whatever they want. He strongly advises them that if they go out on their own, things will not go well because God is not with them. But like a rebellious teenager, the Hebrews do whatever they feel like doing, regardless of the consequences. And sure enough, they are crushed by their enemies.

How many times do these people have to be told? It makes God sad to see people get hurt needlessly, especially at their own doing, but when you don’t or won’t listen, the consequences speak for themselves. Have you been trying to push down a door that God has closed? If so, don’t make it harder for yourself. If God is not in it, you will not succeed long-term.

God is not Hitler. He is good and His plan for you is good. If there’s something in you that refuses to believe that, examine your heart for bitterness. A past experience with authority could be your root of rebellion. Forgive and learn to dissociate that experience from God. Get to know the Father’s heart and understand that He loves you deeply and unconditionally. If you are willing and teachable, He will work His perfect plan as you learn to trust and obey, one step at a time.

Twelve chosen leaders, one to represent each tribe, are singled out and ready for some high risk-taking adventure. Moses lines the men up and gives them orders to check out the Promised Land, size up the people and note any possible risks or challenges they might be up against in taking the land. Before sending them off, Moses dares them to be brave and bring back some of the fruit of the land to encourage the people.

The wives pack some manna sandwiches for their men, who head off courageously with a mission from God. In enemy territory, they search high and low, taking notes and making observations along the way. The men take their time evaluating, measuring, scoping out and appraising the land, its occupants and their habitat.

When the men come to a brook called Eshcol, they skip the Souvenir Shop and take home a sample of figs, grapes and pomegranates, crossing their fingers that they won’t get stopped at Customs. As the band enters the camp after 40 long days, they’re greeted with more excitement and fanfare than Justin Bieber.

As the people gather around the campfire for story-time, the men leave no detail to the imagination as they describe their trip to the Promised Land. The tales get bigger and better and eyes and mouths grow wider as the microphone passes down the line. Suddenly, Caleb stands up to silence the ooh’s and ah’s of the crowd. Why should they sit around talking and shaking sand out of their skivvies when they could be enjoying the Promised Land? After all, God said they could have it — why wait a minute longer?

But just as Caleb is ready to lead the way to the Promised Land with Joshua right behind him, the rest of them stand up in protest. Spying out the land is one thing, but taking it is quite another. After all, they were just talking. Nobody was actually going to do anything just yet.

Here is where the rubber meets the road. God informs His people that He’s giving them the Promised Land. They check it out and decide it’s a nice idea, but for the most part, unrealistic. When Caleb said, “We are well able to overcome it,” he meant ‘we plus God.’ When the men replied, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than us,” they meant ‘we minus God.’

This is a pivotal point. When God gives you a promise or instructs you to do something for Him, it is always bigger than you. In fact, if it’s impossible without God, you’re probably right on track. God does this to freak you out a little and cause you to realize that you are, in fact, dependent on Him. He wants you to lean on His strength, not your own, and watch Him do something beyond your ability. That’s why it’s called a miracle: you can’t do it — only God can.

That doesn’t mean you should put on a red cape and jump off of a building because you can’t succeed without God intervening. That would not be smart. First, you need to hear from God. Then, here’s how it normally goes: you freak out, calm down a bit only to face reality that you don’t actually have the money, people or resources to do what He’s calling you to do and will have to risk looking like a fool if He doesn’t come through. You may freak out another couple of times before coming to the conclusion that you will have to trust God step by step in order to accomplish what He has told you to do. This crisis of belief is essential to all acts of faith because it challenges you to trust in God and not in yourself.

This is where God’s people went wrong in the desert. They got stuck on the reality part, causing them to forget what God had said in the first place. He didn’t say He might give them the land – He said He would give them the land. Since the devil in Genesis questioned Eve, it’s been his game to make us forget, question, doubt and even rebel against the last thing God told us to do. That’s why I use a journal to write down those things I hear from God, not only to remember them, but to do them.

Entertaining doubt and fear can rip God’s promises from your heart and mind and keep you pacified in the comfort zone. All the while, with a simmering frustration, you know there’s more for you than a quiet, mediocre existence. But to fulfill your purpose and destiny, you will have to face more than a few giants along the way. Will you let that stop you or allow it to spur you on?

That depends on your focus. Are you going to concentrate on a step by step plan to move forward or numb yourself by staring into a television until the feeling fades? Many destinies have died in the desert. Don’t let yours be one of them.

You may know exactly what God has told you to do and exactly why you haven’t done it yet. I’m with you on this. The first step is to go back to where you left the path. Moses couldn’t escape his calling and neither can you. Whatever it is, go back and do it, despite how you feel. Faith equals obedience. I don’t see the word “feelings” in that sentence. That means you have to ignore your fear and doubt, bite the bullet and step out in faith.

If you have a growing frustration, but aren’t sure why or where it’s coming from, that’s a sign for you to pray. Ask God what He would have you to do, but be prepared for the answer. You might like it and you might not. But since you asked, you’re obligated to follow through. This is why many people do not seek God—they’re afraid He’ll take them out of their comfort zone. And they’re right. But what’s the alternative?

Living a life of comfort doesn’t amount to much in the end. Your definition of comfort will lead you to a wilderness of your own. You might have cushy furniture and a big screen, but absolutely no meaning or fulfillment. Look around at all the people who have chosen that life for themselves. Do you really want to be like them? Or do you want to be more for the glory of God?

Like God’s people in the desert, the decision is all yours. Desert or Promised Land, it’s up to you. What you believe about God will affect what you do. Whatever you choose, be prepared to not only take responsibility for your own choices, but to live with the results.

Miriam was recognized as a prophetic leader, but in Numbers 12, we see a glimpse of Miriam unplugged. The scene opens with Miriam ranting to Aaron about her brother’s choice of bride, but as we read a little further, it becomes increasingly obvious what’s really bothering her. The text clearly states that Moses is meek, he’s humble and he’s faithful in the things of God. As a leader, his hands are clean. So then what’s up with Miriam’s attitude toward her brother?

In Verse 2 of Numbers 23, Miriam raises the question of Moses’ authority — not over the camp — but over her and her brother, in particular. After all, Moses is the baby of the family and as such, he’s not the only one who can speak God’s words. Joseph, also the youngest of his family, had a similar problem when his brothers questioned his authority — again, not over the nation, but over them. Jesus’ brothers, although they were younger, still questioned His authority over them as well. We’re beginning to see a pattern.

It’s not that Miriam doesn’t recognize Moses’ leadership — she does. What she’s having trouble with is separating the natural order from the spiritual order God has ordained. She and Aaron took turns changing Moses’ diapers, and now they just can’t seem to get over the fact that their baby brother is in authority over them, making it almost impossible for them to submit.

The more you know someone in leadership, the more you see their faults and weaknesses and the harder it is to come under their authority. So what do Miriam and Aaron do? Trash-talk their brother. If he had done something wrong, there might have been something to talk about, but this is clearly a case of ‘familiarity breeds contempt.’

Like three kids getting hauled off the school yard and into the Principal’s Office, God gets on the intercom and calls Miriam, Aaron and Moses onto the carpet. God is not happy and He makes it crystal clear that Moses is not the problem in this equation. One plus one equals two and Miriam and Aaron are indisputably confronted with their crime. It brings back memories of the furrowed brow on my Grade 1 teacher’s face as she raised the strap over my reluctantly outstretched palm.

After vindicating Moses, God walks out of the room, leaving them standing there staring into the sky. At the moment the cloud departs from the tabernacle, Miriam turns white. Aaron gasps in horror to find his sister stricken with leprosy. He cries out and repents for the two of them and Moses in turn, calls out to God on his sister’s behalf.

God responds immediately and indicates to Moses that this is not a permanent judgment but a temporary affliction. The traditional Hebrew custom for a father to rebuke his child was to spit in their face, followed by a period of shame. Instead of time-out or taking away the play station, the need for correction called for punishment. If the offense was public, it called for public punishment and the humiliation that went with it. While this may seem harsh to us, it was commonplace and fully expected in their culture.

Because of the laws concerning leprosy, Miriam is shut out of the camp for seven days while the people wait for her return. And God’s mercy prevails. He corrects Miriam and everyone is able to moves forward, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in (Proverbs 3:12).

Hebrews 12:8 in the Amplified Version reaffirms this truth: Now if you are exempt from correction and left without discipline in which all [of God's children] share, then you are illegitimate offspring and not true sons [at all]. It’s not when God disciplines you, but when God stops disciplining you that you should be worried.

Back to the issue of submitting to authority. It’s okay to have questions and to ask those questions, but make sure you ask the right person. If the leader is open and honest, they won’t mind giving you an answer, but if they’re defensive and accuse you of disloyalty or gossip, these might be signs of a cover-up. The only counsel I have is to take it to prayer and make sure it’s not something in you that’s rising to the surface.

Every one of us has been hurt by a person in authority at one time or another, but if you don’t deal with that issue, bitterness can cause you to question every word and decision that comes from a place or person of authority in your life. Speaking against government, church leaders and other forms of authority is mainstream today and if not corrected, it can hinder and even destroy your relationships, family, career and spiritual life.

Holding leadership accountable is appropriate and Biblical. Attacking them is not. If you’ve been hurt or abused by someone in authority, talk to someone you can trust and get the help and resources (ie. books, courses, support groups) you need to get past it.

Recognize that people in authority are just that: people. Like you and like me, they are prone to making mistakes. When they do, pray for them, confront them if needed, forgive them and give them opportunity to learn and grow. If they don’t, then you may need to make a change. That could mean leaving your job or your church, not in anger or bitterness, but as a resolve to build healthier relationships with authority figures in the future.

Before you make a move, pray about it. There are seasons when you are called to sit under less than stellar leadership in order to prepare you for greater things. You can learn valuable lessons by observing and even submitting for a season to poor leadership. How you respond, even to abusive leaders, will shape and mold you as a leader. The bottom line is knowing where God has called you, when to stay and when to leave, regardless of the circumstances. Choosing to submit to authority until God releases you and calls you out is essential to your leadership development.

When God takes the spirit that is on Moses and places it on the elders, I get the picture of a cape or cloak being placed over each one’s shoulders. This mantle represents the role, burden and responsibility of leadership. It is a covering, canopy and shield over the sheep, literally to protect them from harm’s way.

Like a good shepherd, God sets overseers over His people, not to control, oppress or restrain them, but to feed, lead and protect them. I’ve heard once too often the analogy of a shepherd breaking the leg of a sheep to keep them from wandering. While this may be true in practice, it is often taken out of context by an insecure leader afraid to release a better leader. He/she may be afraid for his own reputation or feel threatened by the talents of another. But holding back good leaders only holds everyone back, including you.

The scarcity mentality goes back to the playground where we believed that giving to someone else meant getting less for ourselves. But with God, that’s not how it works. As Pastor Tommy Barnett once said, “It takes teamwork to make the dream work.” It’s only in releasing to others that we are released.

As the elders gather around the tabernacle, God’s Spirit drops down into their midst in the form of a cloud. Somehow, in a miraculous way, the spirit that is on Moses is spread over the seventy like a blanket and immediately, they begin to prophesy non-stop. Both God and Moses watch like proud parents as they stretch and grow beyond their natural ability to accomplish what only God can do by His Spirit. As they step out into their God-given destiny, not only are they released, but Moses is released to do only the things that only he can do. If every leader could get this, we’d all be happier.

Right on the heels of this event, Moses hears a bling and checks his email. Two of the elders have chosen to remain in the camp, prophesying to the people instead of joining the others in the tabernacle. When word reaches Moses’ young protege, Joshua, he goes straight to the boss and demands they be shut down.

Moses’ answer is laden with wisdom. He challenges his up-and-coming successor to do some serious introspection. But instead of reprimanding Joshua, Moses asks him a weighty and thought-provoking question: “Enviest thou for my sake?”

If that doesn’t evoke an “ouch” from the congregation, I don’t know what would. Every time you point out the behaviour or actions of another, God points that finger right back at you. Ever-interested in your motives, God holds a mirror in front of your face and brings the conversation back home where it belongs. When He does this, His motive is love, both for you and for His people. He will not release you into leadership without first testing the motives of your heart.

Is your concern for God’s people and the greater good or is it more about you? Perhaps Joshua just wanted to be one of the elders at this point. After all, he had a calling on his life and no doubt, he was a very gifted young man. Seeing the seventy elders prophesy while he’s left out of the picture could give room to envy. When you’re waiting for a promotion and someone else gets it instead of you, it’s not only a challenge but an opportunity to develop your character.

God wasn’t setting Joshua aside. He was preparing him for something greater. Instead of being an elder, God wanted him to be the leader. But Joshua couldn’t see his future and for now, all he could see was his loss. Bored and frustrated in the starting blocks, Joshua’s leadership skills saw no place to be used.

Leaving Joshua to ponder, Moses goes on to say he only wishes all of God’s people were prophets and the Lord would put His Spirit upon every one of them. His words are purely prophetic, as he has no idea this dream will be accomplished in the fullness of time. Jesus reiterates this in the book of John, telling His disciples that He must go to the Father in order to send the Spirit to speak God’s words and prophesy things to come (John 16:7, 13). Every believer today has that power within them.

In the book of Acts, Paul reacted in a similar way to Moses. Addressed with an almost identical report of people preaching with less than pure motives, Paul challenges the tattle-tales, saying that he’s happy that someone — heck, anyone — is preaching the good news since his hands are tied. As long as Christ is being preached, he’s happy. God will sort out the motives in the end when each one of us stands before the throne of judgement and God examines our motives for doing what we’ve done, especially for those in ministry.

Moses is overjoyed that God is equipping and releasing His people. His motives are good and his eye is on the bigger picture. Whether it’s him or others doing the work, God is being glorified and that’s all that matters. If you will take others higher, God can take you higher, meaning He will give you more influence. It’s a win-win situation.

If you’re a Moses, don’t be afraid to release people. Even if their motives aren’t 100% sanctified, God can still use them and develop them as they grow. That’s the challenge of mentoring and equipping others.

If you’re a Joshua waiting for your opportunity to lead, know that God may hold you back for a season in order to release you into something better. Great leadership takes a long time to develop. Be patient and learn the lessons. God will use every opportunity to develop your character but your job is to keep your heart right. Keep humbling yourself. Keep submitting to God and don’t allow bitterness to set in. You can rise to the top with bitterness in your heart, but it will eventually take you back down.

If you’re one of the seventy being used in leadership, remain faithful to the Cause. Find someone you can begin to coach and mentor. It will accelerate not only their leadership ability, but yours as they in turn challenge you to be and do your very best.

Reminiscing about the good times has everyone convinced that the future couldn’t possibly be as good as the past. Somehow they’ve managed to forget all about the chains of bondage and Egypt looks like an oasis compared to where they are now. Here is a perfect example of how acting on what you believe can prove fatal if what you believe is wrong.

Instead of gratitude, God’s people are giving Him nothing but attitude. Before long, masses of people are weeping in the doorways of their tents and as if Moses’ job wasn’t hard enough already, now he is faced with the daunting task of leading this unruly and unwilling mob forward.

Fed up with all of the whining, Moses calls for a one-on-one with God, who is equally displeased. Moses has reached his tolerance level and is beginning to lose composure.
After inviting God to his pity party, he demands to know exactly what he’s done to deserve this. Not only that, but he’s had it with trying to do what God has called him to do. After all, he never signed up for this – it was all God’s idea from the beginning to love and lead these stiff-necked people who are as stubborn as donkeys. And that’s putting it nicely.

Moses goes on a huge rant, telling God it wasn’t him who conceived these people and he won’t be nursing and carrying them all the way to the land of milk and honey. He’s also sick and tired of playing Mr. Mom every night to a bunch of kids screaming for dinner. And like a wife telling her husband she needs a break or else she’s leaving him, Moses tells God this is the final straw — he cannot and will not continue to do it all without any help from Him.

The moment Moses reaches his breaking point, God casually steps in with the answer. It’s okay to rant and let it all out to God; after all, He can handle it. But sometimes God is just waiting for us to get to the place where we ask Him for help.

God’s solution is simple, but effective. He instructs Moses to gather seventy elders and line them up beside him in the tabernacle. Then He does something miraculous. God takes of the spirit which is on Moses and puts it upon the others so they can share the burden of the people with him and he will no longer have to bear it alone. How brilliant is that?

Leaders, take lesson. If you are carrying the burden yourself and not sharing “the anointing” of leadership, you are missing it. No wonder you’re grumpy half the time — God never meant for you to carry it alone. Whether it’s a church, a mission-based ministry or a business, if you’ll ask God, He will send you help to accomplish the vision. Yes, there may be a time and a season for you to carry it alone, but sooner or later, you will need others to help you.

When God gives you a vision, you can only go so far by doing it alone. Like it or not, God’s perfect plan for you involves other people. While your independent spirit wants to do it all and get credit where credit is due, the Holy Spirit wants to show how much God can do when we all do a little.

Where are you in Numbers 11? Are you one of the complainers, reminiscing about the good times instead of looking forward to what God has in store? According to Numbers 11, it’s okay to complain, depending on who you complain to. You can complain to others who will only make it worse or complain to God who can do something about it.

Or are you a leader who’s carrying the burden all by yourself, entertaining thoughts of quitting? Don’t give up. If you’ll ask God, He will send help from the sanctuary. Be wise and use discernment when recruiting others onto your team. But when God sends you good people, release them and delegate responsibility instead of controlling their every move. Otherwise, you’ll still end up doing everything yourself and be no farther ahead.

Maybe you’re an up and coming leader who’s waiting for an opportunity to lead. Find a place you can serve and be faithful. God uses difficult people and places to prepare you for greater things. Don’t quit or leave until He releases you. Even when He does release you, be careful and prayerful when stepping out. In a multitude of counsellors, there is safety. Get a coach or mentor and start taking steps toward fulfilling your destiny.

Wherever you are in this story, God is waiting for you to call on Him. He has the solution packaged, stamped and ready to mail if you’ll only ask Him to send it. Don’t be discouraged. This can be your turning point to a far greater plan than you had in mind. God can take you farther than you could ever go without Him and others…if only you will let Him.

Several years ago, while taking calls at The 700 Club prayer centre, a lady relayed to me the story of how a year earlier, her husband and 12-year-old son were planning a long-distance trip to buy a new vehicle for the family. Before they left, the whole family held hands together and prayed that God would bless them and bring them home safely. But on the way home, there was a terrible accident and the father and son were killed.

In her grief, the woman felt helpless as her remaining had begun to question the goodness of God and why He didn’t answer their prayers. Slowly, she could see her children falling away as bitterness set in and their hearts began to harden toward God. Finally, in desperation, she got on her knees and cried out to God for help.

Without any answers as to why the accident happened, the mother felt God prompting her to go and buy teddy bears for her children. Even though it didn’t make much sense, she obeyed what she believed was God’s direction and and even bought one for herself. The kids were skeptical but gradually embraced the teddy bears, even dressing one of them in their Dad’s clothes and sitting them at the table. And eventually, they started taking the teddy bears to bed with them at night. Sure enough, God was using those teddy bears to soften hearts and begin a deep work of healing in each one of their lives, including the woman on the phone. She wept as she told me how her family and their faith was being restored by God’s loving hand.

Out of more than 7,000 calls that I took at that prayer centre, that story kept coming back to me. Soon, I began to notice teddy bears wherever I went until one evening a shopping cart full of teddy bears was headed straight toward me at Walmart. I stopped the couple and they told me they were donating them to a local shelter for Christmas.

As I began to pray, I felt God was encouraging me to implement a Teddy Bear Project into a mission trip. I thought it would be for a time far off into the future, but when I mentioned it to one of the pastors at my church yesterday, she handed me two large bags of teddy bears to take to India. This week, several others have donated teddy bears and an anonymous donor offered to pay for shipping.

God not only confirms His will, but He delights in using other people to make it happen. Relationships and teamwork are a key part of God’s plan. While the world values independence, the Church was created to be interdependent — not co-dependent, but each one doing his part —integrating people like pieces of a puzzle. Jesus said the world would know we were of God by our love for one another and only God gets the credit His people work together for a greater good.

If you’re implementing a vision with the ultimate goal of building the Kingdom, I encourage you to incorporate others into the dream. God never intended you to do it all by yourself, even with His help, so reach out and involve others as He leads. The more people of like mind and heart that you can incorporate into your vision, the more glory God will get.

If you would like to be involved in our projects or have a teddy bear or other items to donate, please email me. Thank you for your prayer and care for all that God is doing through King’s Daughter Ministries and our partners around the world.

It’s been just enough time to forget how bad it really was living in bondage and now all God’s people seem to remember is the good times. Besides, they’re not really sure the Promised Land is all it’s cut out to be and it’s a whole lot safer to go back to what they know than to face the fear of the unknown. What’s more, it’s easier to remain in bondage than to assume the responsibility of living in freedom.

Even though their hearts are telling them different, the Hebrews allow their flesh to remain unruled, lamenting over flavourful Egyptian cuisine compared to same-old manna day after day in the desert. Lamenting turns to weeping, weeping turns to complaining and before we know it, the disease of discontent spreads throughout the entire camp.

We open at Verse 1 with God’s complaint line ringing off the hook with demands for a return to Egypt. “And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord…And the Lord heard it.” The text goes on to say that the God’s anger was kindled—not the reading kind of kindle but the burning kind of kindle. This is one time you don’t want to be on fire for the Lord.

When Moses sees what is happening, he quickly intercedes on behalf of the people and the fire is stayed. But because of this incident, he aptly names the place Taberah, which means “burning.” This is one of those passages that people try to use to prove God is cruel and unloving. But if a surgeon moves quickly to cut out the cancer before it spreads to every area of your body, is it considered cruel or necessary in order to save your life?

As always, God’s eye is on the big picture. Because of His love for the world, and in particular, you and me, drastic measures at different times throughout history were necessary to preserve the whole. Like it or not, you and I don’t see the big picture most of the time and therefore cannot understand God or His ways when viewing isolated situations.

There have been times in my life when I wondered why I had to go through certain things and why life wasn’t easier, especially compared to other people. But I have learned to trust that God is working a bigger plan than I have knowledge of and I must trust Him to cause all things to work together for good. While that is never easy, it is necessary.

I could go on with the text, but I think it would be more profitable to leave it here. Is there something from your past you have been trying to reconcile? Are you continually looking back instead of focusing forward on the things He has for you? If so, perhaps some healing is needed. Perhaps some forgiveness and reconciliation with God or others is necessary.

Whatever is stopping you deserves your attention today. You may be angry at God for the losses of the past, unable to see that He is working a plan of restoration. That can be difficult to accept, especially when it involves the loss of people in your life. I know that pain. But I also know that God is a loving Father who will not allow you to suffer needlessly.

Trust Him and allow Him to work His plan of redemption in your life in His way and in His timing. Instead of complaining, bring your pain to God and let Him heal you. I promise He can and will make it better. If you need to talk about anything, please feel free to contact me. I’ll be praying for you.

Just as He led the Hebrews out of Egypt with a cloud by day and fire by night, God continues to shepherd His flock in the wilderness, leading and guiding His sheep to safety and sustenance in an unknown land.

To make it easy on them, there were only two lessons to learn in order to be led by God: cloud up = green light; cloud down = red light. Pretty simple stuff. And it’s good that it was simple because no different than today, God’s people had a way of complicating even the most simple instructions.

After giving instructions, there is no test run. God simply raises the cloud from over the tabernacle and the light turns green. Somebody had to be watching the cloud to figure it out and that person then notified the rest. Since there was no internet access in the desert, God used trumpets to alert the people that it was time to hit the road.

The people might follow the big, white, fluffy cloud for an entire day at a time, all the while watching intently for a sign as they trudged ahead. When God spotted a good motel, He would hit the brakes, pull over and the cloud would begin to descend until it finally came to rest on the tabernacle. Not a bad system and it seemed to work for both God and the people. So why isn’t knowing God’s will that simple today?

The question is ‘When did knowing God’s will become so difficult?’ If we’re really His sheep, then why do we have so much trouble hearing the voice of our Shepherd? Perhaps we can learn a few lessons from the Hebrews’ experience in the desert.

In this instance, God set out a specific criteria for knowing His will. His presence, represented in the cloud, was the primary factor that determined His direction. And it’s no different today for us. From my experience, when I am pursuing what I believe to be God’s will, I have a sense of His peace and presence. On the other hand, I’ve been involved in seemingly good activities that were distinctly void of His peace and presence and it soon became evident that while it was a good idea, it was not a God-idea.

Sometimes when you’re in the midst of it, it can be difficult to discern God’s will. Other times, the signs are obvious: lack of peace, inability to rest or sleep well, anxiety, agitation, frustration and ensuing problems. That doesn’t mean that if God is in it, there won’t be problems – there will be, but when God is not in it, the problems may overcome you rather than you overcoming them. Ignored over seasons and even years, the difficulties that accompany being out of alignment with God’s will can result in long-term health problems, deepened relationship issues, financial troubles and additional ramifications.

If that’s where you find yourself now, then it may be time to get into alignment with God’s will. That may mean leaving the golden handcuffs of a a job that brings you nothing but stress and headaches. Or setting boundaries between you and someone you care about to protect your heart from further damage. Or seeking counsel to change your spending habits and dig yourself out from under a pile of debt. Whatever it is, it just takes one step in the right direction: the decision to do God’s will, God’s way.

I was speaking with a pastor this morning about how sometimes God’s people are waiting for the Holy Spirit to come down and take care of everything. But sometimes God’s Spirit is waiting for you to do what only you can do. That doesn’t mean He abandons you with the problem. While you may have gotten yourself there on your own, God wants to partner with you in the solution.

I’ve counselled too many people who said they knew exactly what God wanted them to do and ran through a red light anyway, bringing them to their current situation. That red light may have been yesterday or it may have changed the course of their lives twenty years previous. No matter when it happened, the first step is still simple.

When the prodigal son turned toward home, that was his saving moment. Although he had a speech prepared for his father, he never got to deliver it. Instead, his father had been waiting and watching for him to return. And when he saw his son coming toward him, he ran to meet him and embraced him as only a father could. Put yourself in the picture.

God is willing and waiting to redirect your path. If you’re missing His presence, know that He too is missing yours. As you simply turn around and take that one simple step, He will not only run to meet you, He will begin to realign you with your Divine purpose and destiny.

No matter what you believe, it’s not too late. As you rest in His presence, the cloud of His glory will rest on you. And when it’s time to move forward, He will lead you no other way but with His peace and His presence.

What step do you need to take today? If you need help taking that step, I’d be more than honoured to pray with you.

According to Charles Ryrie, the Hebrew title of the book taken from verse 1 means, “in the wilderness” but the Greek translation of the Old Testament names the book Numbers because of the heavy accounting, particularly in the first few chapters.

Usually, the only time a census is taken is in preparation for battle. God knows that if His people are to not only possess the land but preserve it for generations to come they will have to fight for it every step of the way. But little do they know, their first and most difficult adversary will be themselves.

God’s people must learn to walk by faith, not by sight, if they are to fulfill their God-given destiny. The critical lesson is trusting God every step of the way and obeying even when they don’t see the reason why. We will do well to observe where they went wrong and learn from their mistakes.

But for now, it’s all about the census. The Hebrews head out of the starting gate with flying colours as more than 600,000 fit and capable men stand up to be counted for battle. This means the total population lies somewhere between 2 and 3 million, denoting exponential growth from the original 70 Joseph admitted into Emergency in EGH.

Chapter after chapter not only numbers the men of each tribe, but describes their position in the camp central to the tabernacle. Instead of the first-born being dedicated to God, the tribe of Levi is set apart to assist in the work of the tabernacle and as such, they find their place in the innermost circle for accessibility and protection.

The twelve tribes are catalogued one by one as they bring their offerings to the tabernacle. Each one is noted in respect to what they have brought both in weight and value. You can’t help but wonder why God couldn’t have summed it up in one sentence but instead, He acknowledges and honours each tribe separately. It brings to mind 1 Samuel 2:30 where God declares that He will honour those who honour Him. No one can accuse God of not giving credit where credit is due.

In Chapter 4, God debriefs the Hebrews on how things will transpire once He gives orders to move forward. Aaron and his sons will start the tear-down by removing the veil and covering the vessels. Moving is not a matter of just renting a U-Haul and picking up some boxes from the grocery store. There are clear-cut, explicit rules to be followed or it will mean death, even for two small men with big hearts who make one wrong move.

The tabernacle and all of its components are at the core of the battalion, safe and sound in the event of an attack. At the heart of the regiment is the precious Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat, representing the Glory and Presence of God.

After a few more laws are given concerning Nazarite vows, God speaks a blessing over the people, one you’ve no doubt heard at least once in your lifetime, quite possibly from an Irishman: “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”

And God’s face does shine upon His people as He literally gloats over them like a proud father for several chapters on end. The kids’ behaviour is stellar and clearly, God is pleased. Everything is shiny and new and it’s a good beginning for everyone. Which makes me want to leave it there before taking one step further into the dreaded wilderness.

Being right with God is like a fresh snow that covers the ground and makes everything look clean and beautiful. Remember the Etch-a-Sketch you got for Christmas as a child? Or your friend did and you wish you had gotten one too? Even though you made some ugly mistakes on it, with the flip of a page, the slate was clean and you could start fresh again.

There’s nothing like the feeling that all is well and God is pleased. When was the last time you felt that way? Was it yesterday, long ago or never? If never, then now is the time to get right with God. If it was yesterday or long ago, it’s time to confess and renew your faith in Christ. If you’re on track, then you want everyone to experience what you have with God.

No matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, God’s love is unconditional. Get that, not only in your head but in your heart. Concerning your behaviour, unless you’re Jesus, you’re prone to falling. But when you’re in right relationship with God, you become more like His Son. Sorry, you won’t be perfect until the day Christ returns for His Bride, but until then, you’re changed from glory to glory. That means spending time with God will change you for the better if you’re doing it right. Not legalistically punching a clock, but sincerely spending time together, enjoying His presence, hearing His voice, and learning who He is and who you are in relation to Him is what it’s all about.

Are you open, vulnerable and transparent with God or are you hiding, pretending or playing a role? Tip: God knows you better than you know yourself. There’s no point in trying to fool Him.

Know that regardless of your past, God is pleased with you. He may not be pleased with your behaviour or actions, but He is pleased with you as a person. He loves you. He wants a relationship. And He wants you to know Him. No matter what level you’re at, take time today to explore that. And as you do, may His face shine upon you…

If that isn’t clear enough, He goes on to explain in detail what their lives will look like if they choose to follow the laws He has set out for their good. It’s not a case of dictatorship as in “Do what I say or else…” God takes a fatherly stance, promising in Chapter 26, verse 12 that He will walk among them and be their God.

The recurring theme of the Bible is that relationship is central to God’s purpose and plan for His people. Without it, they don’t stand a chance. With it, they may still fall, but God promises to keep His hand on them to guide them back onto the path of restoration and blessing. No other god would make such an extravagant allotment of grace, but because of love, God made provision on the cross, even for your disobedience.

Throughout Leviticus and especially in Chapter 26, God makes it clear that He wants His people to be free to make their own decisions. If He wanted robots, He would not have created us with free will, the ability to make our own choices, separate from Him and His desires and even His commands and all the consequences. No one has ever been forced to love God or to serve Him. He would simply not have it that way.

So when you see miserable Christians breaking their backs “for the Gospel” you really have to wonder who they’re serving. Is it God or are they seeking glory for themselves? Serving God is not always easy but if there’s no underlying joy, even when times are tough, you have to wonder if they’ve somehow missed God.

Concerning vows and tithes, God gets into specifics in Chapter 27 regarding houses, animals and money. Sadly, this is a bone of contention for a lot of people both then and now. One-tenth of the increase not only was to be given to the Lord; it was holy and it belonged to Him. A lot of people have it backwards. They hate to give back to God because they see it as theirs, not His. Then they call it a sacrifice.

Viewing it Biblically makes it a whole lot easier to do the right thing. Instead of seeing the tithe as something you’re giving up, you’re simply transferring someone else’s money into their account. It was never yours in the first place. You were simply asked to be a steward of that money and make sure it gets to its rightful owner.

The problem is the pay check has your name on it. And it gets cashed into your bank account. What happens next is it gets mixed in with the rest. People think the Old Testament is difficult, but the New Testament goes even further, with 100% belonging to God and us as managers to be held accountable for how we invested it. If the Pharisees in the New Testament gave the OT standard of 10%, without becoming legalistic about it, I see that as the minimum, with freedom to give as much as you want beyond that. It’s often easier to live by the law than to follow Christ and obey His promptings concerning giving.

You may have heard the story of LaTourneau Technologies, manufacturer of front-end loaders, log-stackers, mining machines and self-elevating, mobile offshore drilling rigs. A model of generosity, few people know that its founder, RG LeTourneau was a humble machine-operator who was frustrated with the equipment he had to work with to move dirt. In 1922, he designed a stronger, lighter and more efficient machine with a price-point that enabled him to rise to the forefront. He produced 70% of the earth-moving equipment used in WW II and quickly became a multi-millionaire.

All the while, LaTourneau claimed that God was the Chairman of his Board and said the money came in faster than he could give it away. He donated 90% of his profit to God’s works, including Billy Graham’s early crusades, saying, “I shovel it out and God shovels it back, but God has a bigger shovel.” He went on to become one of the most influential people of his day, creating 298 more inventions, from cranes to the electric wheel, and his life verse was Matthew 6:33: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.”

I’ll be the first to admit that at times it hurt to give even 10% but I’ve also experienced God’s abundant blessing and been able to give more. Was I blessed because I gave or did I give because I was blessed? I know people who don’t give a dime and yet they’re wealthy. I’d make a lousy televangelist because I believe it’s not because of what we give, but because of God’s grace that we have what we have. In the end, everything will be sorted out. I just don’t want to stand before His throne and be found with His money in my wallet.

Once again, it boils down to relationship. If you and God are partners, you have to realize He is coming to the table with far more than you. Would you then withhold the little you have to offer? Just a question. This isn’t where I thought I would go with this, but since we’re here, let’s just be honest and transparent.

The other day I was looking at a book by Rabbi Daniel Lapin called, “Thou Shall Prosper.” While I had heard that some Jews no longer pay the tithe, this Rabbi endorsed it fully, saying that even athiests have been blessed by obeying the Biblical principle of the tithe. Even in ancient times, giving away 10% was the right thing to do, making provision for the less fortunate. Today, we’ve transferred our responsibility onto the government while the needs around us spill over, touching everyone, but it’s time to do what’s right again.

Whether you agree with your church and how they are spending “your” money, give to God what belongs to Him. The point is obedience between you and God. He may be asking you to give a lot more than 10%. What they do with it is between them and God. Just don’t use them as an excuse to stop giving. Many churches and charitable organizations are fully accountable in their spending habits. Pray about it and partner with one or more of them to do what you cannot do alone.

Do you trust God enough to obey Him in this area? Or are you using an excuse to do what you want to do? As you do what you know is right, even when it’s difficult, God will take care of you. No matter how much you shovel out, His shovel will always be bigger.

If you don’t know Him, I encourage you to reach out to Him. He’s already reaching out to you. Know that His plan and purpose for your life is good. What is broken, He can fix. What is lost, He can restore. What is dead and gone, He can bring new life to in a way that you cannot imagine.

He is a God of the impossible. Believe Him for anything. Believe Him for everything. Just believe.

Lord, I give you my heart and my life. Lead and direct my path because You know the plans You have for me. Plans to prosper me and not to harm me. Plans to give me a hope and a future. Thank You for Your steadfast love that never changes, no matter what I do. Help me to love you and others more and more every day, in Jesus’ name.

A recurring theme throughout Leviticus is God reminding His people not to be dictated by the practices of the surrounding culture. Instead, He wants them to keep His commands because He alone is their God and no other.

God describes Himself as jealous more than once throughout Scripture — not the sick kind of jealous that causes someone to stalk you — it’s more about His people giving to someone else something that rightfully belongs to Him, specifically honour, praise and worship for bringing them out of bondage. After all, God was the one who brought them out.

In the land of Egypt, countless gods were worshipped. The Hebrews picked up some of these practices which is exactly where they got the idea to worship the golden calf as their deliverer.
God wasn’t creating complex laws just for the fun of it. He knew how easily influenced His children were and sought to protect them from corruption. He walked them through a mine-field of unethical practices for their own protection. The most important thing to God was having a relationship with His people and He knew what would mess that up.

Some pagan practices involved drinking the blood of animals in defiance of God’s law concerning the blood sacrifice, undermining the soon-coming Saviour. Naturally, He didn’t want His people to take part in this and disqualify themselves from receiving their inheritance.

A good father wants only the best for his children. And God wanted His children to receive everything He had promised them. He would do everything in His power to ensure that they would not only receive their inheritance, but enjoy it and not just for a weekend. God wanted them to live in the Promised Land long-term. Because it was a land “flowing with milk and honey,” they would have to fight to possess the land and at times even fight to keep it.

There could be no legal right of the enemy to come in and take what was rightfully theirs. Thus, the law required obedience. In Leviticus 23, God ordains the feasts to be observed in remembrance of what He has done for the people up to this point, yet another reminder of who He is and what He has done for His people. Each feast encompasses significant meaning and symbolism for how God provided for His people each step of the way. In fact, Jews still commemorate those same feasts today for the same reason.

Without becoming legalistic, which commonly held practices are influencing you? For example, you could easily get caught up in the Christmas season and get focused on stuff rather than God, allowing it to become the most stressful time of the year. That would be missing the point of why Jesus came in the first place — just one example of letting the world dictate what you should be doing, thinking and feeling.

Let God speak to you about the things that are taking your focus off of Him. And be willing to make the necessary adjustments to get back on track. After all, God wants you to receive and enjoy your inheritance — first of peace — then the rest.

The air is filled with the scent of blood and burning flesh as bulls, rams, bread and oil go up in smoke on the altar while Aaron and his sons perform the duties required by the law. God is well-pleased with the offering and just as He promised, His glory fills the tabernacle in plain view of all the people. The crowd gasps as fire flashes before them and consumes the burnt offering on the altar right before their eyes.

Engulfed in the moment, the people shout and fall on their faces, worshipping the living God who strives to do everything He can to make Himself known to His people. It’s a Kodak moment as God’s perfect plan to bridge the gap is followed to a tee.

No sooner than taking this first step forward on the right foot, the project almost comes to a screeching halt. Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu start to get heady with their newfound position and take a few liberties with their temple duties.

We see it all too often when newbie and sometimes older-but-don’t-know better preachers rise to the forefront of Christian celebridom. Most are ill-equipped to handle overnight success and Aaron’s sons were no different. As they rise up in the ranks, something inside of them causes them to believe they are more than they really are. That something is called pride.

In only their second week on the job, the two brothers make more than one fatal mistake. Careless with the details of God’s protocol, they fail to follow the meticulous guidelines laid out in their job description. Knowing beforehand that this is serious business, they take lightly the responsibility of representing God’s people. Unfortunately, it costs them everything. While you might be thinking God is unmerciful to smoke the priests for a couple of innocent mistakes, taking a closer look at the text offers some insight as to what exactly transpired that day.

In Leviticus 10:3, God says to Moses, “Among those who approach me I will be proven holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.” The Amplified Bible puts it this way: “I [and My will, not their own] will be acknowledged as hallowed by those who come near Me, and before all the people I will be honored.”

This isn’t an “I’m God and you’re not” standpoint. This is about 1. humility: acknowledging who you are as opposed to who God is; 2. obedience: doing what God said to do and not what you think you should or would like to do and 3. submission: humbling yourself and doing it God’s way whether you agree with it or not.

The consecration of the priesthood was to establish the foundation of priestly service for all time. It would set the very foundation for sinful man to come before a holy God. To approach God under the law and not adhere to the law was the kiss of death.

Aaron’s sons approached God with a prideful, independent spirit and a self-righteous attitude. They not only disregarded God’s explicit command regarding the sacrifice, they showed little care or concern for who He was and what He wanted. Worse yet, they ignored God’s protocol and did it blatantly in plain view of all the people.

God was intent on laying the groundwork to establish the foundation for all mankind to enter His presence. Keeping in mind the importance of Christ’s sacrifice to make a way for all to come into right relationship with Him, God simply could not dismiss their utter irreverence and outright disobedience, allowing them to trivialize the significance of the Cross.

Hebrews 10:11-18 states that every priest would stand ministering day after day offering sacrifices which can never take away sin, but Jesus by one offering negated the need for even one more sacrifice. Even further, He took away our sin, just as John the Baptist prophesied, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” And not only that, but He made us holy once and for all.

In 2 Corinthians 5:21, the writer states that Jesus was made to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God. Without setting this heavenly pattern, there would be no remission of sin for us today.

God saw the big picture. He had to deal with a defiant breach of the law that would compromise His ultimate plan to save the entire world through Jesus. When the glory of His presence was manifested with fire, the wayward priests were consumed and when Aaron was told why, he held his peace and said nothing because he knew for a fact that God was holy and righteous.

So how does all of this apply to you? First and foremost, are you coming before God by way of the cross or by another way? Secondly, are you doing things His way or yours? This applies to everyone who considers himself a Christian, including those in the five-fold ministry: pastors, teachers, evangelists, apostles and prophets. Whether it’s a big issue or a seemingly small thing, disobedience to the perfect will of God has significant consequences.

If you turn it around right now, God’s grace is there for you. But if you continue to do whatever you want to do, you will pay a price. The choice is yours. For those who are right with God, please keep doing so despite the temptation around you. The Church and the world needs your witness and example. Stand with others and encourage them also.

If you’re already off-track, get back on-track. God’s not done with you yet. Don’t you think He can use what you’ve been through to help someone else?

Doing things God’s way may take some minor or even major adjustments along the way. Be sensitive to His leading and direction. You won’t always know when you’re off-course. Challenging days are ahead and we need to help and encourage one another to stay focused and finish well.

Moses has already prepared and gathered the painstakingly detailed priestly garments, the highly fragranced anointing oil consisting of more than 50 pounds of exotic spices dried, powdered and mixed with a gallon of olive oil. A flawlessly perfect bull stands ready and waiting for the atonement offering along with two rams and a basket of freshly baked matzah. The sounds and smells intermingle with the excitement and nervousness of the day.

After washing the priests with water, Moses girds Aaron with a robe, ephod and turban befitting only a priest of the highest order. Each item carries weight and significance as the high priest will stand daily before God representing not only himself, but every single one of God’s people, the good, the bad and the ugly. This is serious business. Even the most microscopic sin will cost the high priest his life and they will have to use a rope to drag his corpse out of God’s presence because no other is qualified to stand before a holy God.

After the priests are squeaky clean and dried off, the next step is the anointing of the tabernacle to sanctify, make holy and set aside everything in it for the service of the Lord. But Moses doesn’t stop there. He pours the oil over Aaron’s head to officially consecrate him and set him apart for God’s purpose. Psalm 133 paints a vivid picture of anointing oil running down Aaron’s beard, flowing down over the bejewelled breastplate inscribed with the 12 tribes to the very bottom of the ornate skirts of his garments, pronouncing the blessing of eternal life for the people of God.

The culmination of the sacrificial offerings brings with it a finality that seals the deal between God and man. One at a time, Aaron and his sons place their hands on the head of the sacrifice as a means of identification and exchange between their sin and the perfect sacrifice. It is the blood that completes the transfer, making the way clear to enter into the Holiest Place.

All of this seems a bit mystical but let’s take it back down to earth for a minute. Although God loves each and every person He has created, the fact remains that He is holy and we are not. That creates a problem because no man can stand before God face to face in his sin and live to tell about it.

Whenever you see an encounter in the Bible between God and man, it is the Angel of the Lord, better known as Jesus Christ. Equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, Jesus is our Mediator or High Priest who comes before God on our behalf. He was and is the Sinless Sacrifice who made the way clear for you to enter into right relationship with the Father.

He said it Himself: “No man comes to the Father except by Me.” Like it or not, that’s the way it is. You can either submit to that or choose to believe there is another way. Although there have been many so-called saviours, I know of only One whose tomb is empty. But don’t go by what I say—study it out for yourself. The most important decision of your life should be based on what someone else believes.

Lee Strobel was a Yale-educated, award-winning investigative journalist who set out to negate the existence of Christ. After two years of intense digging, he ended up writing The Case for Christ and is now employed as a full-time teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois. If you want apologetics, I refer you to one of his many books.

Referring back to the initial cleansing at the beginning of the ceremony, in John 13 Jesus is preparing to wash the feet of His disciples. When he gets to Peter, a question arises as to why Jesus should wash his feet and not the other way around.

Jesus, taking on the role of a lowly servant, answers Peter and tells him unless he allows Him to wash his feet, he can have no part with Him. At that, Peter offers not only his feet, but his hands and his head for Jesus to wash. But Jesus answers him back, saying literally, “He who has bathed need not wash again except his feet.” In Bible times, they may only have showered or bathed once a week, but they washed their feet on a daily basis.

How does that translate to English for you? Once you acknowledge your sin and need of a saviour, repent and commit your life to Christ, you are cleansed by His blood. That is your bathtime. As a believer however, you do not suddenly grow wings and stop sinning, but because you are already clean, you only need to wash your feet—that is, confess your sins on a daily basis to be entirely clean again. Get it or read it a second time. This is critical.

In Leviticus 8, Moses dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, on his right thumb and on the big toe of his right foot. The ear symbolizes obedience to God: first you hear, then you obey with your hands and your feet, setting yourself apart to serve God from day-to-day.

Who you listen to will impact what you do with your hands and your feet. That’s why it’s important to hear and discern what God is saying as opposed to what everyone else is saying. But that’s another day’s lesson.

For now, the question is, do you need a complete bath or do you just need to wash your feet today? God wants you to set yourself aside for His purpose—not to deny you of what the world has to offer but to approve you to offer the world something of far greater value.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews:4:15-16

In Leviticus 6, God lays out the job description for Aaron the priest. Among other things, his job was to lay the burnt offering on the altar every morning and stoke the fire with wood to keep it burning. It leaves you wondering why it was so important to make sure that the fire never went out.

In a very real way, the offering represented the people. When placed on the altar as a sacrifice, it acted as a mediator to restore them to right relationship with God. In the New Testament, the Ultimate Sacrifice was and is Jesus, but the Apostle Paul describes another sacrificial offering in the book of Romans.

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. (Romans 12:1-2, Amplified)

I’ve known many people who willingly gave up everything to follow Christ, but there was one thing that still needed to be placed on the altar: themselves. It’s relatively easy to give up your home, your car and your means of income to go to another country and serve God in missions. I’ve done that more than once. But placing yourself on the altar is an entirely different matter altogether.

It means giving up your plans, your dreams, your ambitions, your desires and your goals and dying to them completely. I remember meeting with a youth pastor and his wife over dinner and asking them if they would be willing to give up everything to move to Canada and help me with a church plant. They told me that their hearts’ desire was to own a large piece of land and have a farm while serving in the ministry and they just couldn’t see themselves moving to a city where there was little space for much more than a garden. They reasoned that since “God gives you the desires of your heart,” it couldn’t possibly be His will since it didn’t jive with their plans. I can’t judge them, but I do know that sometimes, even often, God asks us to do things that don’t line up with our dreams and desires. The question is always “Are you willing?”

Keeping the fire burning in Leviticus raises another question of whether or not the altar test is a one-time event or if we should leave ourselves there indefinitely. God asked Abraham to place his son on the altar and we don’t see Abraham even raising an eyebrow. Instead of arguing or reasoning with God, he got up the next morning, packed a lunch and made the journey to Mount Sinai. God stopped him at the exact moment that Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, not a moment sooner. It was a test to see if Abraham trusted God without question.

If God asked you to place your life on the altar with no guarantee as to which way it would go, what would you do? If you’re holding onto a destructive relationship because you’re afraid to be alone, put it on the altar. God wants to make you healthy and whole and bring someone healthy and whole into your life in His timing.

If you’re holding on to a job that is affecting your health but you’re afraid to let go of the security it gives you, put it on the altar. God can open a door to a new job that’s better suited to your gifts, skills and abilities.

If you have a dream that you’ve been trying to make happen for years and you don’t know why you can’t seem to reach it, put it on the altar. God may have a few adjustments or a new dream altogether that’s far better than the one you had for yourself. You can trust God with the outcome.

Placing yourself on the altar is an act of faith. You’re vulnerable. You’re no longer in control. But instead of doing your own thing like everyone else, you’re placing your entire life in His hands. His plan is good because He is good. As you submit your plans, dreams, desires and goals to Him and allow them to pass through the filter of God’s perfect will, then you will not only know, but be able to move forward with confidence to fulfill His plan for your life. The question is, “Are you willing?”

While some regard Leviticus as boring and irrelevant, the New Testament refers back to this book no less than 90 times, indicating there is indeed something worthwhile in its pages. In fact, it contains the Gospel in a nutshell. The requirements for fellowship with a holy God are laid out with precision: a cost and a sacrifice are mandatory. The problem of man’s inadequacy and sinful nature must be addressed. And lastly, the solution is found in the atonement or blood sacrifice, making the way for man to come into right relationship with God. The rest is detail.

Chapter 1 of Leviticus outlines the essentials for burnt offerings. The root of the word offering means to draw near and how appropriate that is to begin the book with, seeing that was God’s primary purpose for building the tabernacle in the first place.

The first few pages of Leviticus would enrage PETA to the point of picketing and lobbying the government. But sacrificing animals was the best way God could illustrate the high price He paid to send His only Son to the cross. In Old Testament times, animals were considered valuable tools and assets, essentials not only for work but for life and sustenance.

The purpose of the burnt offering was for atonement of sin for the Israelites, enabling an unholy people to approach a holy God. And God made sure that everyone was able to bring a suitable offering, regardless of their financial situation. For the upper class, it was a bull. For the middle class, a male sheep or goat and for the lower class, a pair of pigeons, also known as turtle doves. Whatever one had to give, large or small, it was all a sweet-smelling aroma, pleasing and acceptable to the Lord.

Since the offering was based on wealth right from its origin, we see the evidence of Mary and Joseph’s social status in Luke 2:24 when they bring Jesus to the temple along with a pair of turtle doves for an offering. Sorry, Pastor Prosperity, but your sermon leaks at this point in Scripture. Whatever happened to the gold, frankincense and myrrh that was brought to Jesus at his birth is unknown and undocumented. All I know is they weren’t driving a Mercedes that day.

God set these words on paper to show us that there is a cost to having a relationship with Him. And it’s messy. The slaughtering of animals every time someone sins is not a pleasant image, but God had a purpose in it. When you accept Jesus’ work on the cross, your past, present and future sins are paid for.

Once a bill is paid, do you pay it a second time? Sadly, many people are still trying to pay for their own sins when the Ultimate Sacrifice covered it all. Once you understand and accept that, you realize that when God looks at you, He doesn’t see your sin – He sees His Son. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

So what do you do with that? Do you carry the guilt or continue to try to make up for what you’ve done with good works? Or do you simply say “Thank You, Father.” God’s love for you is unconditional. Whatever you’ve done or are doing, it’s been paid in full. Fulfilling your destiny, even if you consider yourself a good Christian, is not possible without realizing and acting on this simple truth.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Hebrews 10:19-23 NLT

The birth of a vision has more to do with obedience than anything else. Knowing what to do and when to do it is critical to the timeline and the process of any major project. Sometimes, like Moses, you get a blueprint and have everything laid out ahead of time but most often, you can only see one step at a time. Either way, the only way forward is to obey and do what’s in front of you to do.

This is when hearing from God becomes important. If you’re not 100% certain of your next step, it’s like walking on thin ice. If you’re afraid that you might fall through at any minute, it’s difficult to move forward with confidence. When you know you’ve heard from God, you can face your fear head on and find out that it wasn’t big enough to stop you after all.

Think about Noah building the ark. He was subjected to ridicule and animosity, yet he followed through to completion. In the end, he was vindicated for his faith. Nehemiah is another man of God who endured humiliation and hostility, even from the government. His response was, “Why should I stop the work to come down and talk to you?” He had his focus on and despite criticism, he completed the work.

If you’ve ever stepped out on water, you know firsthand the people in the boat always have something to say about it. Armchair Christians have never done anyone any good. Just like armchair athletes who think they know what the football player should have done, it’s easy to judge and criticize from the safety of a well-cushioned pew. Just ignore them and continue the work.

But what about those of us who have tried and failed? Failure is in the eye of the beholder. Did you learn something? I’m sure you did. Did you grow? Definitely. Would you do it differently next time? More than likely. Then live and learn. Yes, it cost you some time and energy, but while you may be limited in resources, God is not.

According to some scholars, the tabernacle contained slightly more than 1 ton of gold, valued at $44.3M in today’s prices and slightly more than 3.75 tons of silver, currently valued at $3.3M, not to mention the 2.5 tons of bronze.

Moses constructed a tabernacle in the wilderness where there was no Home Depot with a couple of blocks. He had no electric drill, no crane and no pickup truck to run errands to and from the job site.

When the job was completed, the presence of the Lord in the tabernacle was so thick that not even Moses could enter. When you’ve done everything you were supposed to do and the vision is completed, God will confirm it with His peace and presence. But if you leave God at the starting blocks and run roughshod over everyone trying to check off your task list, you’ll feel just as empty when you’re finished as when you started because God wasn’t and still isn’t in it.

So how do you make sure you’re working with God and God is working with you every step of the way?

Are you 100% certain you’ve heard from Him?
Are you sure this your timing is right?
Are the key people in your life on board?
Are you dealing with distraction, opposition or criticism from the sidelines?
Do you have the provision you need for the step you’re working on?
And finally, do you have a sense of God’s peace and presence?

Stay focused. Don’t run ahead. Do what you can do and keep the faith that you will indeed finish the work because God is in it.

A wise proverb states that without a vision, the people perish or in the Berkeley translation, they run wild. That fact was proven in Chapter 32 with the golden calf episode where thousands literally perished because they lost sight of the Promised Land. But now the Hebrews are back on track.

With ready and willing hearts, the people present not only their offerings but themselves to carry out the intricate work of constructing the tabernacle. The Scripture shows us that God had specific people in mind for the various tasks at hand. Not only does He prepare them and place gifts, skills and abilities in them commensurate with the needs, God stirs their hearts with a willingness and a desire to do the work. Now that’s a concept.

It’s worth noting that the people didn’t have to be coerced into giving. No pledge forms, no special offerings for the building program and no weekly reminders of the bills that were coming due. Verse 21 says that each man’s heart stirred him up and every one whom his spirit made willing brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle.

The word “willing” is used repeatedly throughout this passage. When people are motivated from their hearts to give or do the work of the ministry, you know God is up to something good. But when people are guilt-manipulated into giving or taking on one of the many required jobs within the church, even though the program may appear successful from the outside, God has left the building.

Because Moses’ hands were off the people, they were motivated to give so much that he had to ask them to stop giving. I don’t know any pastor or leader who has ever had that problem. In fact, it’s usually the opposite.

Having worked in several church plants myself, I know the pressure of finances can cause the leader to transfer that pressure to the people instead of bringing it to God. You can easily step beyond the boundaries of leadership responsibility and place the burden on the people. While the leader is responsible for the vision, God is responsible for the provision to see that vision through to completion. Regardless of whether people give what you think they should. Are you looking to God or people to fulfill your vision?

If the finances aren’t there, it’s more than likely because your timing is off. I say your timing because in God’s timing, the provision will be in place. Sometimes it’s because key people aren’t in position. Or the vision is tainted. You may have misinterpreted what God was directing you to do. You may be thinking one thing while He has something completely different in mind. It takes a great deal of patience to wait until the vision is clear and focused and a great deal of wisdom to know when and how to proceed. That’s why God’s timing is important – it allows us to work through all of these issues and be prepared when the time is right.

Continually throughout Scripture you can see this principle at work. David wanted to build a house of the Lord, but he wasn’t the right person for the job. Later, his son Solomon built the most glorious temple to date, but God never lived there. When Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of the temple, every detail fell into place because it was God’s perfect timing.

It’s natural instinct to run ahead of God with a checklist and do what you think He’s telling you to do, only to find you’ve missed the mark. If you haven’t been there, try to learn from someone who has. It hurts.

What God is really interested in is working together and partnering with you in the vision. He makes it easy by giving you everything you need in His timing, including the want-to. The problem is, if you’re used to ignoring those inner promptings, you can easily miss His will.

Here’s a hint: if, during your project, your prayer life has dwindled to nothing and you’re too busy for your primary relationships, red flag.

If you’re headed for a cliff and not seeing the signs, God will send someone into your path to warn you and/or give you clear direction. To clear up a long-standing myth among Christians, it may or may not be a confirmation of what you’ve been hearing, especially if you have blinders on. Case in point: King David didn’t have a clue how far off-course he was until the prophet Nathan called his number.

If, on the other hand, you’re hearing from God step by step, your relationships are in check and you’re receiving encouragement and confirmation along the way, then you might just be on track. Sometimes it’s hard to know the difference until you’ve been there but you can always make adjustments and correct your course along the way.

So how can you ensure that you stay on track with your vision? You need input and accountability from others. I’d like to say it should come from mature and responsible leaders, but that’s not always the case. God used a donkey once and he’s not against using one again in the future. It could be the least expected person in your life or a complete stranger. Your spouse and/or children can often be God’s best messengers if they have your best interests at heart.

Do you have at least one open, honest and transparent relationship where that person can not only encourage, but challenge you to grow and develop as a leader? What about a network of other leaders where you can learn from each other while you pursue your God-given vision? If you’re standing alone, you won’t be standing for long. You were created for relationship. The sooner you get with the program and find mutual accountability, the sooner you will see your dream and vision succeed.

Only one thing has changed from the previous plan: God decides that instead of leading the people Himself, He will send an angel in His place. Please note, this is strictly a precautionary measure for the people as God’s patience is beginning to wear thin. Every parent knows their breaking point, and God knows if the kids in the backseat ask Him even one more time, “Are we there yet?” He might do something He’ll regret later. Like smoking the whole lot of them.

Still smoldering after their last slip-up, God gives His people some time out while He thinks about what He’s going to do with them. At this point, He’s had just about enough of their immature behaviour.

But even though they can be jerks sometimes (okay, a lot of the time), we see a touching moment as the Hebrews worship quietly from the doorway of their tents while God meets with Moses in the tabernacle.

Moses not only soothes God’s anger toward the people; he is adamant that they need God on this expedition. He even dares to say that if God isn’t going, he’s not going either. But before Moses finishes his sentence, God agrees to make the trip with them to the Promised Land, only because of His grace.

Amazed at his persuasive powers, Moses decides to go for it and asks God for no small thing. In the midst of the smoke and cloud that shrouds God’s presence, Moses asks Him to reveal His glory in an even greater way. And because they are friends (Exodus 33:11, 17), God obliges, setting the stage for His appearance. The rule remains in place, however, that no man can see God face to face and live, so God carefully arranges that Moses will see Him only from behind when He passes by.

This is a most unusual passage of Scripture. Think about it. God walked in the garden in the cool of the day with Adam and Eve, but that was only before the fall. This is that period of time between Eden and Golgotha and Adam and Jesus when He would bridge the gap between man and God. The fact that this is recorded in Scripture is significant and Charles Ryrie points out in his study notes that Moses’ request was later answered in full when he and Elijah stood face to face with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Interesting stuff.

Here again, God reveals His infinite desire and willingness not only to know, but to be known. True intimacy demands nothing less. This scene discloses an almost childlike vulnerability to show Moses more about Himself while at the same time exhibiting a masculine tenderness and fatherly sense of responsibility to protect Moses and keep him from harm.

The exchange between God and Moses in this scene is also tender. It reveals a God who is moved by our simple request to know Him and become His friend. It shows us that God not only listens to us, but actually considers our point of view and is willing to respond.

This is prayer at its finest. I don’t even like to use the word prayer anymore. For whatever reason, that word has picked up religious connotations along the way. It makes me feel like I should get into an unnatural position, close my eyes and scrunch up my face so that even God can’t stand to look at me, all for at least three hours or I haven’t really prayed.

While I have spent some significant time talking and listening to God over the years, that scenario doesn’t describe my relationship with Him anymore. I’m not saying those things aren’t good and necessary, but I’m released from the burden of caring what others think I should be doing while I’m with God.

Although He’s much more than that, God has become my friend. But more importantly, I like to think that I’ve become a friend of God. I simply spend time and have personal exchanges with Him throughout the day. And there are days I do not pray much at all. That doesn’t mean I’m going to Hell. It just means I’m human and at times, inconsistent.

When prayer becomes legalistic, it’s done at the exact same time in the exact same way every day. That’s nothing more than religious activity. When you’re in relationship with God, or anyone for that matter, there is an ebb and flow. That’s what God is looking for – a real, authentic relationship in which you and He simply reveal more and more of yourselves to each other. Like a husband and His bride, over time you should find your relationship growing deeper instead of distant.

If prayer is painful and difficult, then you’re doing it wrong. Relax and just be yourself – God knows the real you anyway. Stop counting the hours and minutes you’re spending with God and start spending quality time together. A healthy relationship is a balance of talking and listening. As this video illustrates, we can all improve on the listening part. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

Moses leads the way up the mountain, followed by his brother Aaron and his sons and seventy elders for dinner with God. Upon their arrival, they see their Creator arrayed in all His glory. This should have been a life-changing event for Aaron and the others, but we see later on the outcome was not even close to what God or Moses was hoping for.

After dinner, everyone arrives back at camp ready for a good night’s sleep. God calls Moses all the way back up the mountain for a private summit meeting, engraving on stone what we know today as The Ten Commandments. In addition to that, over the next 40 days and 40 nights under a canopy of clouds on the mountain top with Moses, God downloads the blueprints for the tabernacle with significant detail.

Meanwhile back at the camp, the natives are restless. WIth Aaron and Hur biting their nails, everyone is wondering just what Moses is doing up there if he’s even still alive after all this time. The people don’t like the idea of following someone they can’t see. After all, in Egypt, everything from flies to cows were openly worshipped, so why couldn’t they have something to represent God that they could could see, hear, touch, taste and smell?

Even after Aaron’s dinner date with God, we don’t hear him object even once to the people’s demands. Instead, he bows. To appease the crowd, he comes up with the idea to melt down their gold earrings, souvenirs from Egypt, to mold an idol, ironically the same gold Moses is planning to use for the tabernacle.

Aaron and his ego get so caught up in the popularity polls that he declares it was this golden calf who delivered them from bondage in Egypt. Then he takes it another step further and builds an altar, declaring a feast for the next day. As the people begin to party, God interrupts His meeting with Moses to report what’s happening below.

God is more than ticked. He thinks it would be a great idea to smoke the people and start all over again with just Him and Moses. After all, the people are proud and stubborn idiots. What good are they to anyone? Fortunately for the people, Moses stands up and makes an appeal based on God’s promise to Abraham to bring His people into the Promised Land.

God relents and sends Moses down the mountain to deal with the people. Tablets in hand, Moses nears the camp and hears the roar of a crowd. In the distance, it sounds like singing. Drawing closer, the first thing he lays eyes on is the calf and an orgy of people dancing around it (Exodus 32:25, 1 Corinthians 10:7-8).

His blood is boiling as Moses smashes the Ten Commandments into a thousand pieces. Next, he grabs the golden calf, throws it into the fire and melts it down to a fine powder. Not finished yet, he mixes it into the water and makes them drink it. That’s expensive koolaid. Moses’s righteous indignation is on overload as he demands a reasonable explanation from Aaron as to how all of this transpired.

Aaron’s natural instinct is to shift every bit of the blame onto the people. He reasons with Moses that we all know what the people are like anyway. The details have become somewhat fuzzy, but he does seem to recall asking them for their earrings. And then, after throwing the gold into the fire, magically, a cow appeared. “No, really – a cow…I was as surprised as you were, Moses.”

Disgusted with their behaviour, Moses stands in the gate of the camp and asks one simple question: “Who is on the Lord’s side?” Without hesitation, the Levites cross the line to stand at Moses’ side. To their astonishment, Moses then commands them to bear the sword and slay the people. In all, about 3000 were killed that day, a small number compared to over a million in total.

With that, Moses heads back up the mountain first thing in the morning to make amends for the people. Sadly, those who worshipped the calf are hit by a plague and experience an untimely death because of their sin. Remember, this is the Old Testament. The people are under the Mosaic covenant. They agreed to live by the law and be judged by the law. And because no one could abide by the law, let alone the Ten Commandments, Jesus came to fulfill the Law, taking the punishment on Himself for our sin and shedding His blood for all humanity.

We don’t come under the New Covenant automatically. It’s a choice. Like Moses invitation to the people that day, I ask the same question of you: Which side of the law are you on? There is no fence to sit on. Just a line to cross. If feel you’ve done something God can’t possibly forgive you for, you’re wrong about that.

The Bible is filled with people who did everything under the sun, yet God forgave them. If he can forgive them, He can forgive you too. A relationship with God through Christ is central to fulfilling your purpose and destiny here and now and for eternity. This is the one time I will encourage you to cross the line. If you need help with this decision or want more information, please email me. I’d love to talk and pray with you.

Cult prostitution was widely practiced in New Testament times, finding its origin in ancient eastern fertility practices. The two women, employed in one of the many temples, shared a house together and coincidently, both become pregnant and gave birth to a son within days of each other.

Standing before King Solomon’s court, the first woman relays her side of the story. One night, her roommate awakened to discover she had rolled over in her sleep and accidentally smothered her baby. This was not an uncommon cause of infant death in Bible times when a newborn was thought to be best kept warm and safe beside his mother during the night. Even if cribs existed back then, it wasn’t like they could just go to Walmart and pick one up after painting the baby’s room. After realizing what she had done, the woman decided to pull a switcheroo and then lied about it the next morning when the real mother figured out what had happened in the night. Now the future of her baby was in the hands of the king.

After a long and careful deliberation, the Jeopardy music hadn’t even finished when King Solomon gave an answer that would stun even Alex Trebek. With unwavering confidence, he instructed his servants to bring a sword while the women stood wide-eyed, wondering what this had to do with solving their case.

After a long silence, Solomon commanded his servants, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.” The people looked at each other perplexed. King Solomon was renowned for his Godly wisdom but this was way out of line. Soon his reasoning was made crystal clear to all within earshot.

As the sword was raised, the first woman screamed and begged the king to give the child to the other woman to save his life. The other woman remained calm, complying with the king’s request, “Let it be neither mine or yours, but divide it.”

As the gavel fell and the sword dropped to the ground, King Solomon awarded the baby to the mother who cared for his welfare over her own, concluding that she was indeed the true mother. Everyone, including his servants, breathed a sigh of relief that Solomon had employed the wisdom of God to sort this mess out.

Many leaders today are holding onto someone else’s baby and calling it their own. It may be power, position or paycheck that is holding them there, but they know in their hearts this baby does not belong to them but to someone else.

When you recognize your true calling, your area of gifting and your limitations, you are free to fly. So why is it so difficult to hand over the baby when you know very well it’s not yours? Sometimes it means losing your pride. It may also mean making some major adjustments, letting go of what does not belong to you and even stepping down so that someone else can step into the position that is rightfully theirs.

I tell the story on an upcoming podcast about being fired from my first job as a Junior Accountant. Best thing that ever happened to me. I knew it wasn’t for me, but I didn’t know what to do about it. When I got canned, they did me a favor. I was released to pursue my true calling, which didn’t happen overnight. It was a process. But if I had insisted on staying in the exciting and adventurous world of accounting, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now. Nothing against accounting. I just had to give up someone else’s baby to find the one that truly belonged to me.

So which mother are you in the story – are you holding onto someone else’s baby? Or are you pursuing your true calling? Be honest about what you could or should be doing in this season. If you’re frustrated, now is the time to seek God and start the process. The hardest step is the first one.

If you’re stuck, find someone you trust and get some honest feedback on what you could or should be doing with your life. When you’re operating in your true calling, you’ll know it. When you’re not, everyone else will know it. Feeling sorry for yourself is a waste of kleenex. Create a simple plan of action and move forward one step at a time.

Your worst situation can position you for your best situation. Some of the best businesses and ministries were birthed out of adversity. If you feel overwhelmed, just do one thing, one thing at a time.

God can make up for lost time and lost opportunities if you stop looking back and start looking to Him. It may seem too late on your timetable, but God is always right on time. Sometimes you find out why and sometimes you just have to trust. Whether you’re facing a mountain in front of you or you’re surrounded by stone-throwers, go to the Rock and keep moving forward.

Leave your comments below or feel free to contact me to talk about this.

First, the people must sanctify themselves by washing their clothes. Laundry day is no small feat in the desert where there is a lack of water and no laundromat in sight. The Hebrews and in particular, the priests are to set themselves apart for three days in preparation for their meeting with God.

On the third day, God shows up bright and early for the summit meeting, heralded by a very loud trumpet, thunder and lightning while a thick shroud of smoke pours off the top of Mount Sinai like a smoke stack. As God’s glory descends, the mountain begins to tremble and shake like a volcano in His presence. This is Almighty God Himself, Creator of the Universe displaying His Majesty before the people.

Like the mountain, the people begin to tremble and shake. And when the trumpet sounds long and hard, Moses calls out to God and He answers in an audible voice. Then suddenly, the Lord touches down on the top of the mountain and beckons Moses into His office. With no elevator in sight, Moses takes the stairs to the top.

Out of concern for their healthy and safety, God tells Moses to ensure that the people stay within the boundaries set around the mountain. If even one of them accidentally breaks through, touches the mountain or even looks upon God, they will be struck dead on the spot. This is serious business.

God then sends Moses back down the mountain to get Aaron. Moses returns to the people and relay the message from God. This is when the Ten Commandments are given by God to set out the law before the people.

With full knowledge that they will barely be able to keep even one of the ten commandments, God sees the big picture and knows that He will at the appropriate time send His Son to fulfill the requirements of the law by taking the punishment of sin and shedding His blood to restore the people to a holy God. Until then, the law will serve as a training tool to prepare the people for their Messiah.

After the commandments are given, the people tell Moses they’re not so sure they want to talk with God face to face after all. It would be much easier for them if he just told them what He said and vice versa. Moses encourages them, saying that God really isn’t as scary as He appears right now what with the lightning, thunder and smoke effects. He tries in vain to convince them that to know Him is to love Him.

God speaks to Moses again and lays out the endless requirements of the law as the people slowly back off and go about business as usual. Sadly, they don’t realize what they’re missing as they choose to forgo a personal relationship with the Living God.

Sadly, many people have made the same choice today. I’m not talking about unbelievers. How many Christians do you know that go from week to week, checking out their favourite TV preacher or even just sitting in church on Sunday to hear what God is saying to them. As a young Christian, I heard Chuck Swindoll say on his radio program, “If this is the only spiritual food you’re getting, it’s just like eating regurgitated food. You need to get into the Word for yourself and get fresh food from God every day.”

How many people are running from place to place to hear what God is saying and doing when all they have to do is pray and open their Bible? If you aren’t getting anything out of it or if you think the Bible is just too hard to understand, then ask God for revelation before you read. Shut out the distractions (TV, internet or whatever else is taking your attention) and spend some time getting to know God’s Word on a daily basis. A wise person once told me his rule was, “No Bible, No Breakfast.”

The way you get to know someone is by listening and observing the things they say and the things they do. Jesus said if you’ve seen Him, you’ve seen the Father. So how will you know what the Father is like if you never crack open the Bible to see what Jesus is like? Prayer without the Word has the potential to get way off-track. We’ve all seen it before. Some people’s idea of who God is simply not Biblical. That’ why we have people insisting that God told them to do something really off the wall and the end result is that someone gets hurt.

Stepping down from the box now, I want to encourage you to get to know God better than you do today. No matter what level you’re at, which can’t be successfully measured by man anyway, you can always get closer to God. He’s not some dog that you leave at home alone every day who’s just so grateful when you give him a pat on the head every once in a while. God deserves better than that.

If you need to make some changes, don’t put it off. Having a relationship with God will cost you time, energy and resources, just like everything else in your life. The question is what are you investing in and what will it pay you back in the end?

Sorry for the hard preaching, but time is short for all of us to get into alignment with God’s will. It starts with taking time to know Him more. He really is a good God. Take it from Moses and me: To know Him is to love Him.

In Exodus 18 however, the spotlight is on Jethro as he observes Moses’ leadership in action. He observes the daily routine in the camp. Everyone who has a legal dispute or matter to be heard by the court lines up and one by one, Moses hears each case and judges accordingly. If you’ve ever stood in line to dispute a speeding ticket, you get the picture. This wouldn’t be such a big deal if we were talking about a couple of hundred people. But multiply that by 10,000 and you’ve got a time management problem on your hands.

At the end of the day, Moses is exhausted and piles into bed, only to rinse and repeat the next day. With no end in sight, he created at the very least, job security for himself, but at this rate, he wouldn’t last long enough to see his pension kick in.

Jethro was a wise man and it was obvious to him that Moses needed to make some immediate changes or this would be the end of him. Sometimes in ministry and business, the obvious is overlooked. We get on the wheel and go as long as it keeps turning without even thinking how we will sustain ourselves for the long run. The immediate cries out and the squeaky wheel gets the grease while our family, health and other important values are pushed aside.

I know I’m biased, but I think Jethro might be one of the first personal coaches in the Bible. Besides being a priest, he took the time to observe Moses and asked him some key questions to make him think. The first one was “What are you spending all your time and energy on?” and the second question he posed was “Why are you doing it all yourself?” You and I could ask ourselves the same questions.

Moses’ response was off the cuff. He started off with “Because…” and by the time he finished his sentence, Jethro told him that what he was doing was not good. He pointed out that Moses’ health was at risk with a schedule and workload that would kill someone half his age and lovingly scolded him for not delegating.

Then, inspired by the wisdom of God, Jethro gave Moses some wise counsel as to how he could share the workload by dividing the responsibility among the leaders. Moses receives the correction and heeds Jethro’s advice, appointing heads over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens, according to each one’s ability to lead. From that time on, only the difficult cases were brought to Moses, freeing him up to focus on leading the nation.

I’m convinced that God gives others the keys to our problems because we were created for community. Moses needed Jethro and Moses needed other leaders to come alongside him in order to fulfill his purpose for that period of time. Obviously Moses had great wisdom to be able to judge civil cases all day long without a break. He just got so caught up in what he was doing, it didn’t cross his mind that there were others who were ready, willing and able to help.

If you’ve ever planted a church or started a business, you know how easy it is to get consumed with it all, especially in the beginning stages when there may not be anyone else to help. But even then, there are viable options for sharing the workload; whether with volunteers or virtual assistants, some of the work must be delegated or you will end up paying with your health, your family or other things that matter to you.

Everyone has a blind spot, not just with character issues that seem so obvious to others (especially your spouse), but with obvious solutions to problems that have you stumped. I remember when I was around 9 years old, I watched as my Dad and my brother measured out walls for a new bathroom. I was no genius by any means, but as they talked about what would go where, asked them innocently, “Where’s the door?” They looked at each other and smiled because they hadn’t considered the obvious.

This is why we need each other in the Body of Christ. Even leaders with all their brilliant strategies can at the best of times miss the obvious. As those leaders, we must be humble enough to listen and consider what others are saying. Sometimes the obvious is not so obvious. But with good people around you that are willing to speak the truth in love, you can get into alignment with God’s will and God’s way of doing what He’s called you to do.

Are you focused on one area of your life, to the detriment of your health, family or other important values? Who can you trust to allow them to speak into your life and offer godly wisdom regarding your situation? I would appreciate hearing your thoughts and comments on this topic.

Just like in the wild, the weak and feeble are the most vulnerable and the enemy sees the sick and elderly stragglers as an easy target. It’s hard to say how long it takes for word to reach Moses at the front of the crowd, but when he hears about the ensuing attack, he moves quickly to put a strategy in place. Moses assigns Joshua to allocate a makeshift army while he, Aaron and Hur (possibly Miriam’s husband), climb to the top of the hill for a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield.

Somehow Moses figures out that as long as he keeps his hands raised toward God, Israel remains on top. But as soon as he puts them down for a second, the Amalekites begin to gain ground. If you’ve ever been at a Christian concert or worship service, you know how hard it can be to keep your hands in the air for any length of time. Even though you might want to keep praising that way, after a while your arms get tired.

By the time we get to Exodus 17:12, Moses hands are heavy to say the least. He can barely keep them up a minute longer and understandably so. This isn’t a 2-hour concert or worship service. It’s an all-day event and the future of the entire nation of Israel is in Moses’ hands. Literally.

When Aaron and Hur see that Moses is getting worn out, they pull up a stone for him to rest while the battle rages on. Standing on each side of Moses, the two men hold up his weary hands and keep them steady right through to sunset. At the end of an incredibly long day, Moses is probably experiencing numbness, tingling and a loss of feeling in his hands and fingers, but because he persists, Joshua overpowers the enemy and takes home the trophy.

It’s interesting to note that each one of the four main players had a critical role in the outcome of events that day. Without Moses’ faith and ability to hear from God, they would not have known what to do next. Without Joshua taking action steps, the Amalekites would have had Hebrew for dinner. And without Aaron and Hur holding up Moses’ hands, they would not have had God’s supernatural power to defeat the enemy.

While Moses wasn’t too holy or spiritual to enlist the help of others, most of us would rather struggle alone with our problems than ask for help. But this perfect picture of the Body of Christ shows us we were created for community and meant to support, encourage and help each other through the challenges and difficulties of life.

Sometimes it’s not so much the strength of the enemy but the length of the battle that causes you to lose. Seemingly small irritations extended over time can be far more discouraging than big problems that are over and done with and leave you to pick up the pieces.

Persistent, long-standing problems in our lives, often in the form of people, can slowly eat away at your resolve and carry the potential to rob you by default. Even the enemy knows that the last man standing wins. And sometimes that’s all you have to do to see the victory.

When you’ve done everything you can and you don’t know what else to do, take a lesson from this historical event. Keep praising God like Moses, take practical steps like Joshua and get a couple of friends like Aaron and Hur to hold you up in prayer.

It’s okay if you take a break to catch your breath like Moses did while others hold you up. But don’t even think about quitting. Not even for a minute. It might be well after sunset even now, but as long as you stay in the battle and don’t give up, you will take home the prize.

How are you holding up? Do you still have the strength to praise God in the midst of the battle or has discouragement moved in for the kill? Have you enlisted the help of others or are you standing alone? If so, ask someone to pray for you today. If you don’t have anyone you can ask, I’ll pray for you. Send me an email or leave a comment below so others can pray as well. But don’t go it alone when you don’t have to.

Surrounded by sand, throats are dry and the Israelites are out of Dasani and Evian. So when they happen across water in the desert, they wonder at first if it’s just a mirage. But when they realize it’s real, they are utterly relieved and happy. That is, until they take their first sip and spit it out immediately. They subsequently name the place Marah, meaning bitter. Ironically, the name applies to more than just the water.

Somewhere along the way, God’s people picked up an attitude of unthankfulness. In fact, they’ve gone beyond ungrateful to a sense of entitlement, thinking they deserve a whole lot more than they’re getting. While just three days earlier Moses was as amazing as Superman, he is now reduced to “the idiot up front” as the people begin to whine, mutter, bleat, protest, make a fuss, fault-find, beef, snivel, raise a stink, kick up a fuss and question his every move.

Moses knows enough to take this straight to prayer and strange enough, God shows him a tree and tells him to toss it in the water. When he does, the waters instantly change from bitter to sweet.
Caught up in the midst of their bellyaching, the Israelites fail the surprise quiz from God. The very next place God leads them to has not one, but twelve completely undeserved wells to drink from with palm trees for shade. God is so much nicer than I would be if I were Him.

After whining and dining at the oasis, God’s people enter into the appropriately named wilderness of Sin, well into their second month in the desert. Unfortunately by this time, the “displease disease” has spread to the entire congregation.

Funny how it works. It takes just a handful of people to start complaining and before you know it, dissension has fanned the fire and before you know it, you have a church split on your hands. Or even worse, the disgruntled stay in the church, continuing to dis and grunt instead of being led.

In Exodus 16:3, in the performance of the season, Israel turns Drama Queen on Moses, accusing him of not only bringing them into the wilderness to die, but to actually kill them with hunger (oh brother). Like a nervous waiter, Moses takes their order and rushes it into the kitchen. Surprisingly, God cooks up an idea and rains down bread from heaven to satisfy their hunger.

Something like Honeynut Cheerios actually fall from the sky. And it even tastes good. Plus, it’s organic. If it were boxed, they would have to pay a lot of money for it at Whole Foods. But despite God’s miraculous provision, they still aren’t happy.

Years of living in Egypt molded a highly destructive mindset that would not be easily changed. Although they had to bust their butts for the king as mere slaves, apparently prison food wasn’t all that bad as they recall. After the excitement of manna wears off, their minds and stomachs slowly wander back to good times in Egypt.

By this time, Moses has had it with the people. Just like your Mom when you ask her for the 15th time if you can have a cookie before dinner, Moses loses it. He cries out to the Lord for the umpteenth time as the people get ready to stone him. Moses is ready to retire. If this were Whine Library TV, he’s done his absolute last taste test.

How do you react when things don’t go the way you thought they would? Are you content with what you have, even though you don’t have everything you want? Or do you feel you deserve better?

How’s your thankfulness on a scale of 1 to 10? Do you have a list of things you’re grateful for and do you review your gratitude list often? Attitude is the one thing that affects every area of your life. You can be thankful or you can act like a spoiled brat. The good thing is, it’s up to you.

Some scholars estimate the time frame from start to finish was around 9 months, bringing us to March or April on the Western calendar when God instructs Moses to prepare the people for a quick departure. Among other details, every Israelite is to cover their doorpost with the blood of a sacrificial lamb so that when the Lord passes over the door and sees the blood, death will not fall upon that household. This first Passover is a perfect illustration of how Christ shed His blood to defeat death, giving eternal life to all who accept His finished work on the cross.

At midnight, every household that was not covered by the blood experienced death, from the firstborn of Pharoah that sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon (Exodus 12:29). The Scripture describes a great cry in Egypt as there was not a house where there was not one dead.

Pharoah calls for Moses and Aaron and tells them to get out of Egypt and take their flocks and herds with them. The Egyptians are so afraid of the Israelites they hand over everything they ask for: gold, silver and clothing as the Israelites decamp, bulging with overweight luggage and unleavened dough in their mixing bowls.

The masses depart into the wilderness, marking the end of 400 plus years in the land of Egypt. And as promised, Joseph’s bones accompany them en route to the Promised Land.

Instead of taking the most direct route along the Mediterranean coast, God directs the people southwest to avoid the Egyptian troops guarding the border. Also, God has not forgotten about the party He has planned at Mount Sinai to celebrate. Because the people have no GPS, God leads them with a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night to give them light. How nice is that?

But just when the people think they’re safe, the eery music plays like a scene out of Friday the 13th as Pharoah and his vast army pursue with a vengeance. You can almost hear the people shaking in their boots as one by one they realize their goose is cooked.

While no one witnessed the people thanking God or Moses earlier for their successful escape, their first reaction now is to blame poor Moses and accuse him of bringing them into the wilderness to die. After all, they insist, “We were happy at our old job until you came and messed things up for us.”

Fortunately for Moses, he remains focused despite the friendly fire. Boldly, he instructs them to stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord. He may not have know how God was going to do it, but he knew or at the very least hoped that God would somehow rescue them and save the day.

Verse 14 is interesting. Moses tells the people the Lord will fight on their behalf and in the same sentence, he basically tells the people to shut up. I wonder if Moses threw that in there on his own or if it was by God’s direction. That’s one of those Biblical mysteries we’ll have to wait ’til heaven to get the answer to…

Anyway, God answers Moses back just as abruptly as he answered the people. He basically says to Moses, “Why are you asking Me? Go forward!” Moses glances at the Red Sea more than once with a puzzled look on his face, but when God tells him to lift his rod over the sea to divide it, he obeys nonetheless.

This is the famous Charlton Heston moment we’ve all been waiting for. God, in His miraculous power, parts the Red Sea as easily as you part your hair in the morning. There’s no explaining this one to the media, as more than 2 million people, complete with herds and flocks, walk through to the other side on perfectly dry ground.

Interestingly, while the people journey through the open sea, the pillar of fire switches positions from in front to behind the people. While still giving light to the Israelites, the other side of the cloud creates a blackout for Pharoah and his army. But even this doesn’t prevent their hot pursuit as the plot thickens.

Sometime between 2 am and dawn, God assesses the situation and sees the need to intervene once again. He causes the chariot wheels to jam or fall off completely, leaving the Egyptians scratching their heads in the middle of the sea. At this point, they realize that the God Himself is fighting against them and suggest the best course of action would be to turn around with their tails between their legs. But before they have a chance, God instructs Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea just as the last Israelite’s foot hits the shore. With that, the sea closes over Pharoah and his army like a lid on a pot and not one escapes with his life.

Seeing this great miracle, God’s people immediately begin to praise Him, declaring the victory over their enemy. This is the first time they’ve danced and sang for as long as they can remember as Miriam breaks out the tambourine. God has fulfilled the first part of His promise in good order and because of this, the people fear the Lord and believe both Him and Moses. For now. While it took 9 months to get the people out of Egypt, it would take the next 40 years to get Egypt out of the people.

What are some of the things God has done for you? Are you thankful, even though you might not have everything He’s promised you yet? Are you carrying anything from the past that might hinder you in the future? Please leave your comments below.

I grew up on a farm, not with sheep, but with a hundred head of cattle (give or take a few steaks here and there). My Dad constructed a 3-tiered cedar fence all around the property to keep the cattle from wandering, but every once in a while a cow with a leadership gift would plow through the fence, leading the rest of the herd to the neighbour’s property. Before long, we would get the phone call informing us of their escape and their exact whereabouts.

Arriving on the scene, my Dad would quickly assess which one was the leader, that is, the cow who had gone the farthest fastest. Most times, she was also the fullest, having filled her stomach(s) with apples or some other delicacy that couldn’t be found on the Golan farm. The followers did what followers do and they were a reluctant bunch to get back home. The more neighbours involved in the raid, the quicker and easier it was to round up the cattle and herd them into the barn while my Dad fixed the fence. But on the occasions when it was just my Dad and me, it was always a test of his patience.

So when Moses faces Pharoah again and again, he is experienced in perseverance. With the utmost in patience and humility, he couriers messages back and forth between God and Pharoah as many times as needed for Pharoah to sign the papers.

We know from the account in Exodus 7 right through to chapter 12 that some time has passed while Pharoah plays “Deal or No Deal” with God and Moses. But God is not into deal-making. Also known for His patience, He remains composed while executing His plan with precision and even goes so far as to harden Pharoah’s heart a few times just to make a better bedtime story for the grandkids (Exodus 10:2).

While Pharoah thinks he’s in control, God indicates differently. In fact, at one point, God reveals the purpose for Pharoah’s existence plain and clear and lets him know exactly who is Boss. With the introduction of each new plague, Pharoah has a change of heart but when things go his way, he chooses again and again to save his ego.

God states the ultimate purpose in all of this: that everyone will know He is the Lord. Even though every one of us has a unique calling, our ultimate purpose is the same today: to glorify God so that the world will know Him.

It’s not about your gifts, talents and abilities, although God will use those things. It’s about trusting Him with the plan for your life, that ultimately, whatever you go through and wherever you end up, God will work His purpose in and through your life. You were born for this very purpose. And no matter who you are, He can use you to make a difference.

Have you ever struggled to know your purpose? Why do you think you’re here?

“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

Although the people believed Moses when he showed them signs and wonders, that was then. Day after day of harsh working conditions and no mercy from Pharoah diminished any hope they had of ever escaping from Egypt. And their faith in the Promised Land had dwindled to nothing. Instead of focusing on God and His promise, all they could see was themselves and their sad situation.

Losing hope is like a boxer throwing in the towel and hanging up his gloves. He might still be in the ring, but there’s no fight left in him and certainly no hope of winning. That’s a dangerous place to be. It changes your entire outlook on life and colours everything dismal. David was feeling hopeless when he wrote Psalm 42, “Why so downcast, O my soul? Put your hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him…”

Losing hope is the result of placing your hope in your own ability (or lack thereof). Your view of how things will turn out becomes reality instead of seeing the bigger picture and believing God to see you through. It’s one thing to lose faith. But it’s an entirely different matter to lose hope.

When you have no hope, you have no vision for the future. And when that happens, it’s not long before discouragement and depression move in. When they arrive, motivation moves out. We all know someone who’s been out of work for an extended period of time and can’t seem to get off the couch to send a resume.

Because David knew that God would come through on his promise, it changed his entire outlook from hopelessness to faith. That’s how he was able to take control of his emotions and give God praise even before his circumstances had changed. Unfortunately, the Hebrews would take a lot longer to figure this out. But Moses went ahead without them despite his own doubts and was later commended for his faith in God in the book of Hebrews.

Have you ever gotten to the point where you not only lost faith, but all hope that things would ever turn around? Maybe you’re there right now. If so, I want to encourage you that God is working in ways you cannot see. The best thing you can do is take everything to God and allow Him to renew your hope and faith in Him. Because He is good, His plan for you is good. Knowing that can make all the difference.

Please feel free to share your story, thoughts or encouragement for others.

Since this wasn’t his idea in the first place, Moses brings it back full circle, gets in God’s face and blames Him for everything. Making an even worse case for himself, Moses further reminds God that, ahem, He hasn’t exactly come through with flying colours on His promise and done what He said He would do (Exodus 5:23). Wow. Talk about arrogance.

Admittedly, any one of us would probably have the same reaction after we’ve gone to the trouble of stepping out in faith and things didn’t go the way we thought they would. It’s easy to come unglued when you’re the one out on the edge. Stress and pressure can cause even the strongest faith to come unhinged. Your first reaction might be to throw your hands in the air and say, “Why me?” Or worse, you throw God’s words back in His face and accuse Him of being less than faithful to His Word.

Unfortunately, Moses can see only the small picture within the larger frame. He is only in Act 1, Scene 1 while God has a whole lot more of the story to unfold. To recap, Moses obeys God, albeit reluctantly. He leaves his comfort zone and goes out on a limb for God. Then Moses bombs in front of everyone and finds himself at a place where He doesn’t know what to do next. But instead of approaching God with humility, he comes armed with accusations. Wrong thing to do. Problem is, Moses is focused on himself and his limited abilities instead of God and His unlimited abilities.

God opens the chapter by calming Moses and reassuring him that He is in charge of everything, even Pharoah himself. Addressing the attempted character assassination, God reminds Moses exactly Who he is dealing with: “I am the Lord…God Almighty…JEHOVAH.” The Hebrew El Shaddai designates God Almighty as the strong or powerful God and His next few sentences are filled with ‘I have’s’ and ‘I will’s’ as God jogs Moses’ memory of not only what He has done, but what He will do to redeem and deliver His people from bondage.

God lovingly reassures Moses and tells him to relay a personal message to His people to comfort them. “…I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land…and give it to you for a heritage: I am the Lord.”

Notice how God affirms His identity to Moses and the people more than once? Above everything, even the deliverance itself, God wants them to know Him more. In fact, that is His primary goal in all of this. More than rescuing His bride and bringing her across the threshold into the Promised Land, His one desire is that she know Him more intimately in the process.

Isn’t that all God wants from us? We want so badly to receive everything He has promised, whether it’s restoration of finances, family reconciliation, salvation for our loved ones and community or enlarging our ministry’s reach and influence. All God wants is for you to draw closer and love Him more than you did the day before.

Too many times, we want what is in God’s hand while He wants us just to take His hand and trust Him as He leads us into a deeper, more intimate walk with Him. He wants you to hear His heartbeat and for that, you must be very close. You know how when you just know what someone is thinking without them even saying a word? That’s what God wants with you. Better than a best friend, closer than a brother, God wants to be your Everything.

Where are you right now? Are you complaining or blaming God for your current circumstances? Do you think it’s possible you’re only seeing a small part of the picture and there’s more to the story than you’re aware of? You can choose to get angry and give up on God’s promise or you can draw closer and lean on Him. If you allow Him to bring you through in His way and His timing, God will show you a side of Him you’ve never seen before.

When I was in full-time missions, I faced my fear of having an empty cupboard. I was not only out of food, I was out of money to buy food. It was during that time that I personally experienced God as Jehovah Jireh as I watched Him provide for me in powerful and practical ways. Amazingly, I never missed a meal.

Have you ever been through something and come out the other side knowing God in a new and different way? I would love to hear your story. Please feel free to share your thoughts below.

Feeling all warm and fuzzy, Moses and Aaron boldly approach Pharoah with the very words God gave them: “Let my people go.” But Moses seems to have forgotten that God already told him about Pharoah’s attitude problem. So when Pharoah replies, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?” Moses is deflated.

Confidence waning, Moses replies back to Pharoah declaring that God wants them to take a three-day weekend in Palm Springs, lest He fall upon them with pestilence or the sword. Now where did Moses get that far-fetched idea?

Nevertheless, the king responds unfavourably, as there is obvious work to be done in Egypt. In fact, he ups the ante and increases the workload by enforcing the daily quota while the Hebrews find their own straw to make bricks. No more Mr. Nice Guy.

During that time, straw was a major component in building solid structures in the Middle East. Although clay bricks were sturdy on their own, modern Egyptian architects had learned that adding straw to the mix helped bind the clay, increasing strength and protection from sun damage, weathering and the occasional earthquake. In keeping up with the latest technology, Pharoah was building a state-of-the-art kingdom for himself that would stand the test of time. And no one, not even God, was going to mess with his plan.

Moses and Aaron were at a standstill and shrugged their shoulders and they stood looking at each other with a blank stare. The first step had gone so well. They faced their fear and it subsided when the people believed they had really been sent by God. But the second step was a separate matter altogether. God hadn’t left them to fend for themselves. He was right there with them, but in order for the plan to proceed as He planned it, there had to be some opposition to spice things up a little.

Sometimes it’s like that when you step out in faith. You’re 100% sure you’ve heard from God. You have a sense of peace and confidence that this is God’s will, you have all the confirmation you need, and the circumstances seem to be lining up with God’s perfect timing. So you take that first step of faith. You give your notice. You start the business or the ministry and the entire Universe loudly applauds your courageous act of faith. You’re a modern hero. But when the applause stops – and it does – that’s when you discover who you really are and what you really believe.

It’s after that first step of faith that something usually happens to test your level of confidence. Something happens or someone comes in with opposition, throwing a wrench into your plan. And that’s just it – your plan isn’t going as you hoped it would. But ironically, God’s plan is right on track. In fact, He is so confident of Himself and His ability to see you through, He allows for a few tests and trials along the way because He knows He can cause them to work together for your good and His glory. And you’ll have an even better testimony when the day is done.

But even though you’ve read the Bible and you know it generally goes this way, when it happens to you, it’s always a shock. When things go wrong, thoughts of disillusionment may arrive at your doorstep uninvited. Subtle reminders of losses, failures and disappointments from the past arrive unexpected and suddenly you find yourself doubting God and cursing the day you left your comfort zone. The next guest to arrive is intense fear as you wonder to yourself, “What am I going to do now?”

Moses and Aaron are in a difficult position. Because of them, Pharoah has tightened his grip on the people. He beats the Hebrew leaders into submission with the intent of turning them against their so-called “leader” and passing the message on to the rest of the people.

It’s a classic ploy of the enemy to bring division among God’s people because he understands the power of unity and the power of disunity. Even God marvelled at what the people were able to accomplish in the book of Genesis when they built the city and the tower of Babel simply because they were in unity and agreement.

When the Israelites come back to Moses and blame him for their trouble, the pressure is too much to bear. While he may have kept it together before the people, in private he lets God have it. In Exodus 5:22, Moses goes so far as to accuse God of mistreating the people and once again retreats to his former stance of questioning why on earth God sent him and not someone else. As if that weren’t enough for one day, Moses backs up his accusations with supposed evidence and blames God for the current circumstances the people now find themselves in.

I’m not sure about you, but if I were God at that moment, I would be heating up the griddle and loading the gun. All judging aside, we can jump on Moses for blaming God and getting angry, but isn’t he just like you and me? If you haven’t been there yet, then you and Jesus are quite possibly the only ones. Eventually ,everyone comes to that place. I never thought I would, but I did. You may never think you will. But if you’re human, you will. Deep in every man’s heart is the belief that God is not really a good God. Or you may secretly believe that God is a good God, but He’s not good to me. You can deny it or you can let God search your heart and show you what’s in it.

Have you ever stepped out in faith and been disappointed? Or are you still suffering from something that happened when you were little and you feel like you can’t trust God because of it? Have you ever wondered why or how God could have let you down?

When you take that first step of faith, you will be introduced to your very own personal demons. It’s better to confront them and deal with them so you can get past them. It’s that or continue to live with them. Someone once said, “You can’t go back. You can’t stay here. You must move forward.”

The second step of faith is to remember what God promised you. If God didn’t do what He said He would do, then the story isn’t over yet. If you’re tempted to quit or you find yourself frozen in fear, then go back to God, find your bearings and let Him lead you forward into your destiny.

What is standing in your way and how are you dealing with it? Please leave your comment below.

That is, until Moses has an unexpected follow-up meeting with the Lord. For whatever reason, Moses had apparently neglected to circumcise his son and for that reason alone, the Lord intends to kill him. This is one of those intriguing passages of Scripture for which we may never have all the answers this side of Heaven. But God seeks Moses’ life, even after commissioning him to go to Egypt and deliver His people.

We find that according to Genesis 15, Moses was in direct violation of God’s commandment given to Abraham. Later on in Chapter 17 of Genesis, God gave explicit and direct orders that every male child was to be circumcised as soon as they turned eight days old. Moses himself was circumcised, as were all of the Hebrew males even to that day. Moses’ wife, Zipporah knew exactly why God was upset with Moses and she acted quickly to save her husband’s life, performing the deed herself with a razor-sharp stone.

When the Lord saw this, He released Moses and spared his life. And just as though nothing had transpired between them, He informed Moses that his brother Aaron was on his way to meet him and from there, they would continue on as planned.

So what was this strange encounter all about? And why was it so serious that God demanded Moses’ life? What kind of covenant – and God for that matter – were we dealing with here? In a quick scan of the internet, I found a couple of atheist bloggers bitterly accusing God of cruelty and unfairness in His dealings with mankind. Boo hoo.

The covenant was actually made between God and Abraham, so it existed long before the law of Moses. So we can’t say that God was being legalistic about it in demanding blood. Blood was not a requirement of this covenant, though clearly blood was involved.

No. For his own safety and well-being, it was mandatory for Moses to be under the covenant in order to fulfill his assignment and deliver God’s people from the land of Egypt. We weren’t dealing with kids here – this was the most powerful man and the most powerful nation on the face of the earth. And with one wrong move, Moses would be toast – and God’s children along with him.

For Moses to proceed without covenant protection was a death sentence. This was not just a matter of obedience. When God made the covenant with Abraham, He caused him to fall into a deep sleep. In that dream, Abraham witnessed the horrors of affliction and bondage God’s people would experience for 400 years. But God also promised in the dream that they would come out from that land with great riches.

Abraham had prepared several carcasses to seal the covenant between himself and God, but God alone passed through the midst of the sacrifices while Abraham slept, signifying that God placed the fulfillment of that obligation solely upon Himself.

So when Moses attempted to go ahead apart from this covenant, he was in essence, going in his own strength. Without God’s power, the result would have clearly been an early day Holocaust. And God would simply not have it. His people had suffered long enough and the time was now to fulfill His promise and covenant with Abraham. So it was the mercy of God that met Moses on the way and sought his life. And God also foresaw that Moses’ wife would step in to make things right. What a helpmate to Moses she was that day.

Things aren’t much different for you and me. God has an assignment for both of us that is possible to accomplish only in His power and strength and ability. You and I will be the vessel that God uses for His power, but other than that, we are merely going along for the ride.

I don’t want to make it sound like you’re indispensable. You’re important to God and the assignment He has for you. He loves you and esteemed you of higher value than His own Son. But without Him, you will make a royal mess of things not only for yourself, but for the people around you.

This is a powerful principle that each and every one of us must learn and put into practice. Today, we have a New Covenant, sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ. As the old hymn declares, it will never lose its power. And yet, we can choose to operate under that covenant or apart from it in our own strength. The more experience and education you have, the more difficult it is to get this. But nonetheless, you will be held responsible for your decision and actions that follow.

Back in 2001, I attempted to plant a church. I took a full six months to prayerfully prepare and when I stepped out, things went well in the beginning. The problem was, somewhere along the line I unknowingly left God’s side to go and fulfill the assignment on my own. It cost me everything. But I learned from it.

Are you operating in your own strength and ability as you attempt to fulfill the assignment God has given you or are you trusting in His wisdom, His strength and His ability each step along the way?

Please participate in the conversation by leaving a comment below.

While God is deep in the middle of sharing the details of how Moses will pull off mission impossible in his mind – delivering over a million people from Egypt, the most powerful nation on earth. It would be like walking into the White House and demanding that Obama release every last one of his employees. He would still be the leader of the nation, but without the people he’s grown dependent on to get his job done, he wouldn’t be able to accomplish nearly as much.

God even tells Moses that once the elders are convinced that this is God’s plan, the king of Egypt will not submit to his request to release the Hebrews unless he is compelled to do so. Then God assures Moses that after hitting Egypt with a few plagues, Pharoah will change his mind after all and let the people go.

God makes it sound so easy that if I were Moses, I would have been halfway back to Egypt before He finished the next sentence. But Moses had a higher education in the royal palace and knew the logistics—the detailed coordination of a complex operation involving many people, facilities and supplies would not be simple or easy.

Sometimes knowing too much makes it more difficult to obey God. We might have a little education or experience in a certain area that God is calling us into and know how things usually go. For example, say you’ve been in business for a number of years and because of the economy, you also experienced some failures. Now God comes along when the economy is at its worst and tells you He wants you to start a new business.

“What?” you say, “In this economy? Maybe when things clear up a little, we can talk about it, but definitely not now, God.” As though God doesn’t know what the economy is doing or will do in the future. And aside from that fact, God has the ability to prosper your new business regardless of the economy. Several years ago, I moved to a city that was experiencing an economic boom. I should have had no difficulty getting a job but after months, I was unsuccessful. Then I moved to a small town which had very few if any jobs and to top it off, God directed me to start a business there, which did in fact, do well. Go figure. This obedience thing doesn’t have to make sense. It just works…

If only Moses knew what we know today, he would have said yes a lot sooner. After God downloads His plan to Moses, you would think that would be the end of the conversation and Moses would be on his merry way home to pack for the trip. But no. He has objections.

Patiently and graciously, God entertains Moses’ opinion, knowing all along that he will indeed be going to Egypt even if He has to send a big fish to take him there. The excuses Moses comes out with are feeble at best:

1. But they won’t believe me or listen to me. (Already covered that one, M-Boy). In response, God pulls a hat trick plus one to convince Moses once and for all, turning his staff into a snake and back again and then turning Moses’ hand leprous and (thank God) back to normal again. To top it all off, if these signs aren’t enough to convince everyone and their mother, Moses will take water from the Nile, considered as the source of Egypt’s prosperity, and turn it into blood, a sign of death as a stark warning to obey, right before their saucer-shaped eyes.

While God is talking a mile a minute, Moses’ mind is racing with F.E.A.R. (false evidence appearing real). Case in point: he doesn’t realize that the Pharoah he knew as a surrogate father had passed away. Moses didn’t need to struggle with the fear of confronting him anymore. The new king would probably not even know Moses some 40 years later. It’s like a bad high school reunion where you don’t recognize anyone – and they don’t recognize you either. But fear is never rational, which leads us to excuse number two.

2. Moses tells the Great I AM, “I am not a man of eloquent speech. Further, I am of slow speech and a slow tongue.” This passage has been interpreted by many different scholars. Some believe that Moses may have had a stutter. Others believe he was claiming to lack the necessary traits to approach the king, namely the ability to exchange his thoughts in a timely or intelligent manner, especially if the king were ticked off at him and demanded a quick response. Ryrie’s Study Bible points out that this was “hardly a legitimate excuse, because Moses had been trained in Pharoah’s court for 40 years!” And Moses seemed to be communicating well with God, the King of the Universe. Patience beginning to wear thin, God troubleshoots that potential situation as well. He was well aware of any inadequacy in Moses since He had created him and God assured Moses that He Himself would take over and speak through him personally if necessary.

I’m getting a bit worried for Moses as we approach excuse number three. I’ve never had kids, but I know there is a tipping point for every parent. It’s usually the third time they’re told to do something and they don’t obey. Although I was only spanked twice that I can remember, I tried to look away as my best friend got whacked repeatedly in front of me on numerous occasions when her parents reached the tipping point. I definitely don’t want to see that happen with Moses.

3. Moses’ final excuse comes in the form of a plea. He begs God to send someone else to do this mission trip. That’s it. God has had it with Moses. He’s reached the tipping point, although if He really wanted to, He could have destroyed Moses and the whole earth in one breath. The Bible tell us that God’s anger was “kindled” against Moses. I’m pretty sure He was holding back when He agreed to send Moses’ brother Aaron with him as his spokesperson, but one thing was certain: Moses was not getting out of his assignment.

The rest of the meeting was mostly a one-way conversation in which God recapped the strategic play-by-play of how things would go. By the time we get to verse 18, Moses realizes he’s met his match and finally makes the critical decision to obey. All we hear about that is “And Moses went…” Although Moses didn’t get to hear Charles Stanley every week, he heeded his good advice to “Obey God and leave the consequences to Him.”

What are you afraid of when it comes to obeying God? What is the worst thing that could happen if you did? Are you afraid of failure or a more difficult option to unpack – are you afraid of success?

I’ve struggled with both of these fears myself. Please leave your comments and let me know what you’re thinking.

Moses’ allegiance to his people steadily grew until the test came one day when he saw an Egyptian ruler about to kill one of the Hebrew slaves. Moses’ natural instincts kicked in and before he knew it, he had murdered the offender. Certain that no one had witnessed it, Moses buried the body along with his conscience, that is, until one day a second conflict arose, this time between two Hebrews. When Moses stepped in once again, the stronger of the two challenged him, saying, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Are you going to kill me just like you killed the Egyptian?”

Shocked that his crime was out in the open, Moses knew he had no choice but to flee Egypt immediately. This was not his timing to deliver God’s people from Egypt – he had to deliver himself first. And sure enough, as soon as Pharoah read the news, he sought to kill him, adopted son or not. This was a matter of principle and in the king’s estimation, blood was thicker than water.

Running like a fugitive, Moses ended up in Midian, a desert wilderness inhabited only by a few shepherds and nomads who wandered from place to place, seeking adequate food for themselves and their flocks. It couldn’t have been long after Moses left Egypt that he came across a certain well. Since few wells existed in the desert, they were often a place of contention as shepherds fought for first dibs on one of the desert’s few precious commodities.

On one such occasion, seven daughters of the Priest of Midian arrived at the well to water their fathers flock. Drawing water from the well was not an easy task. Someone, had carved out troughs for the animals, probably out of rock or wood to hold enough water for several animals to drink from at once. The women had just filled the troughs when along came some greedy shepherds to drive them away. But Moses, with not even a phone booth to change in, came to their rescue and saved the day.

Naturally, the women invited Moses for dinner and seeing as he had nothing else on the calendar that evening, he followed them to their father’s house. The two men hit it off immediately and since Jethro’s daughter Zipporah was available, Moses agreed to marry her and move in right away.

It wasn’t long after that Moses’ first son was born and he named him Gershon, meaning, “I have been a stranger in a strange land.” Whether Moses was referring to his upbringing in the palace or his present circumstances, both would have applied. But now it was a new season and he was finally getting settled in what he thought was his ultimate destiny.

Living in Midian wasn’t a bad existence. Moses had a wife and extended family who loved him. He had an okay job as a shepherd that gave him lots of time to think and reflect and no boss telling him what to do. But in the back of his mind, he probably wondered more than once if this were really all there was. And what about his family and the Hebrew people? Could he just forget about them that easily? What was the purpose of him being rescued from certain death as an infant and being raised in Pharoah’s palace? Was it to push sheep around the backside of the desert for the rest of his life or was it part of a bigger picture? And what about the distant memory of a Promised Land his mother had told him about as a little boy?

Moses brushed his thoughts aside as he led the sheep to yet another pasture near the mountain of God. It was just another ordinary day in the desert for Moses when something unusual caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Every once in a while, when the season and conditions were right, a bush would ignite from the heat or perhaps lightning and catch on fire in the desert. It was that dry. But this was something different.

As Moses watched, he grew in amazement that although it was a huge fire, somehow the feeble bush had not already been burnt to a crisp. It was only when he stopped to take a closer look that out from the middle of the bush, someone called his name, “Moses, Moses.”

Even though it was highly unlikely that a bush could talk or furthermore, that if anyone were inside the bush, they would still be alive, Moses got caught up in the moment and before he knew it, he found himself answering the voice from within the fiery bush, secretly relieved that no one except the sheep were there to witness it.

To his surprise, a conversation ensued as the Angel of the Lord, better known today as Jesus, decreed that place as holy ground and instructed Moses to remove his sandals. At this point, Moses probably reasoned that the setting was right for a visitation and since he had never heard a voice like this before – especially from a burning bush – he assumed rightly that this was indeed the God his mother had told him about many times before.

So when God introduced Himself, Moses already had an inkling of Who he was dealing with. Well aware of that fact, God wasted no time in getting down to business. He had seen the affliction and heard every cry as the oppression over His people in Egypt intensified. God had a plan to set His people free and He had someone specific in mind for the job.

Wanting to debrief him on the details of his assignment, God started off by reiterating the promise given to Moses’ forefathers and described the relocation plan and the wonderful place He was taking them to. Moses was syncing with God’s plan right up until the words, “I will send you unto Pharoah…”

That’s when Moses began to panic. The last he had heard, Pharoah wanted to kill him for murdering the Egyptian. Fine-tuned by a royal upbringing, Moses voiced his objection with tact and diplomacy that would even persuade God to change His mind. After all, who was he to take on such a prominent position in God’s plan for the entire nation? And after all, wasn’t that the same question one of his own people posed to him when he tried to rescue one – yes only one of God’s people and he couldn’t even pull that off? He wasn’t really one of them after all, being pampered in the palace while the real men were out slaving in the desert sun to construct yet more pyramids for his rich “Dad?” Who would follow him, knowing all this and more?

Despite Moses’ smooth delivery, God was not so easily persuaded. In fact, God insisted that He had the right man. And not only that, but He would be with him all the way, just in case Moses screwed up. And to celebrate the victory, they would meet right back here for an enormous party when it was all over.

Moses could see that he was losing ground quickly, and since he had nothing to lose, he played along with God. Assuming that he did everything God was telling him to do and he finds himself in a meeting with the elders, what would he tell them? And after explaining that God had indeed sent him as a leader to deliver them from Pharaoh’s cruel bondage, what would he tell them if they asked, snickering, “Oh yeah? Well, what was His name, this ‘God’ that apparently spoke to you from a burning bush?”

God answered Moses in an unexpected way, revealing a new name He had never given to anyone before – I AM THAT I AM. And furthermore, God told Moses to tell them, “I AM has sent me to you.”

Before Moses could get another word in edgewise, God instructed him further, just in case there was any more confusion about who He was, to say, “The Lord God of your fathers, The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob has sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.” Now that would shut some mouths even today.

With that, Moses was ordered to return to Egypt and tell them everything God said. Which should have been the end of this scene…

Have you heard God’s voice lately? What is the last thing He instructed you to do? Have you done it or are you trying to reason with God or figure out how you can get out of doing it? If you’re wrestling with this, leave a comment, find me on Twitter or Facebook and come back here for the rest of the story tomorrow.

The latest king on the throne had no idea who Joseph was or what he had done to single-handedly save the people and build the Egyptian empire into what it was. Instead, Pharoah was threatened and feared that if God’s people got ticked off at him, they could do some damage to the kingdom. His next step is to devise a plan to take them down a notch so he can feel more secure in his position. Have you ever worked for someone like that? Instead of seeing your strengths and realizing that if they put them to good use, it would actually benefit them, they oppress you in hopes that you’ll eventually leave and they’ll feel bigger and better about themselves.

In this case, however, Pharoah didn’t want God’s people to leave the land of Egypt. In fact, he knew he had a good thing going for him. So he set taskmasters over them to browbeat them into submission. The problem with that idea was that the more they afflicted the Israelites, the more they multiplied and grew.

When Plan A failed, Pharoah resorted to Plan B. Since he couldn’t enforce birth control and there were no abortion clinics back then, he ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill every male during childbirth, figuring they could further dilute the Israelites if necessary by intermarriage. But Plan B backfired when the midwives refused to submit to his evil request and God rewarded them with families of their own while His people continued to prosper and multiply at record rates.

In the book of Acts, oppression and persecution were the main catalysts for explosion of the early Church. Historically, geographically, corporately and individually, it’s when we get comfortable that we don’t grow. In fact, growing stagnant can kill what we do have, rendering the Church powerless and complacent to the needs around us. Getting comfortable is the death rattle of the Church. If we’re not ticking someone off enough to come after us, it’s highly probable we might be doing something wrong.

This oppressive and volatile setting set the scene for Moses’ arrival. Because he had to remain hidden to save his life, his mother floated him down the river in a tiny makeshift ark, delivering him right into the hands of Pharoah’s daughter. God never lacks creativity in getting us to where He wants us to be. Moses’ sister, Miriam, is sent to watch over her brother and follows him straight to the palace. Innocently, she suggests a Hebrew woman could nurse the baby and it just so happens she knows someone who would be perfect for the job.

With that brilliant suggestion, Moses’ mom gets paid to mother her son for the next 2 or 3 years while he is adopted into the royal family, learning their strange customs and becoming integrated with their culture. This training will prove critical later in life when God calls Moses to live up to his namesake and deliver His people from the bondage of Egypt.

It’s easy to look back at your childhood or things you’ve been through and see them as a hindrance or a stumbling block to your future. But God didn’t plan for it to be that way. It takes a paradigm shift in thinking to see how your past can actually benefit you and help you to move forward not only to fulfill your purpose, but to help others fulfill theirs, which is actually your ultimate purpose.

Some people complain that Mom didn’t bake enough cookies or Dad couldn’t afford to buy the coolest toys on the shelf and that’s why I am where I am today – a helpless victim, crippled by inadequate parents. Colleen Foshee from Deep Breath Ministries said something funny and true at the same time on Twitter this week – “God has never once said ‘I had a good plan for you but your parents really messed it up.’ Trust Him. the good plan is still on!”

I like that. Regardless of who you might be blaming for where you are right now, if you’re over eighteen, the responsibility to move forward with your life has now been officially handed over to you. Just take up the torch and keep running. I understand fully how abusive and serious situations can hinder your progress for a time and season, but sorry, even that does not revoke your responsibility to stop ignoring the depression, anger, frustration and emptiness and get help if you need it in order to move forward.

Moses had to make a choice to either focus on himself and his past or simply answer God’s call to step into his destiny. Seeing how he tried every exit he knew to get out of it, it was obviously not an easy choice to make.

Pursuing your purpose is not a garden of sweet-smelling rose petals. It’s more like the Garden of Gethsemane. I’m not going to lie to you – it will require blood, sweat and tears on your part. In other words, death to self is the rite of passage for fulfilling your destiny. Remember those words, “Not my will, but Yours be done?”

The good news is that the decision is the hardest part. Like marriage, it’s scary looking in from the outside, but once you’re fully committed, then your only option is to work things out for the long haul. We see it with God’s people being persecuted in Egypt. We see it with the early Church. And we see it in our own lives when stuff happens. The same four-letter word that can turn your world upside down is what makes a garden grow. That’s when real growth and transformation begin. Life’s struggles are a mandatory prerequisite to fulfilling your destiny. It just depends on how you view it.

If you’d like to talk about this, leave a comment below, email me here on blog or you can follow me on Twitter.

After Joseph’s supposed death, Jacob became overprotective of Benjamin, the only remaining son of his cherished wife, Rachel. The other ten were borne by Leah, Rachel’s sister, and each of their concubines. Although sons, Jacob considered them of lower status, igniting their jealousy against Joseph and his multi-coloured coat which represented their father’s favour.

After a full thirteen years in the land of Egypt, Joseph finally enters into his purpodestiny, that sweet spot where purpose meets destiny. For years, he had been walking in his purpose, though it did not appear that way to him, especially in the dungeons of Egypt. But God, in His providence, was preparing Joseph for greater things.

Slowly the purpose and plan of God was beginning to unfold, not only for Joseph, but for a multitude of people. Props in place, the scene opens with Joseph’s brothers bowing before him, just as they did long ago in the young boy’s dream.

In a strange twist of events, the tables are turned and now Joseph contrives a story against them, not to betray them but to test their hearts. Wanting to know if Benjamin had met the same fate as he did, Joseph uses an interpreter to ask the men if they have another brother. Joseph goes unrecognized because having left his father’s house as a teenager, he is now a man, clean-shaven, unlike his brothers of Hebrew descent and dressed like royalty. Never in a million years would they suspect their brother would be on the throne of the most powerful nation on earth, so even if there was the slightest resemblance to the brother they once knew, they would have passed it off as a crazy notion.

Ironically, Joseph commands the brothers to leave one of their own behind while they return to Canaan to persuade their father to surrender Benjamin as a ransom. But Jacob is hard-fisted until circumstances force his hand and heart to release his son.

The second trip to Egypt is far more pleasant as the brothers receive an invitation to feast at the Governor’s House. Never pondering why this good fortune has come upon them, the brothers eat and are merry for the time being, until on their way home they find for the second time their money has been returned along with the provision of food. Once again they are haunted by their past and they inadvertently accuse God of playing games with them and punishing them for their sins. But instead of playing games, God is interested in the condition of their hearts, as is their brother Joseph.

Shortly after their departure, the men are overtaken by Pharoah’s men and arrested for possession of a silver cup, which Joseph planted in Benjamin’s sack. To their horror, Joseph demands their youngest brother be kept in Egypt as a slave while they are released to return to their father. Prophetically, Judah makes a plea to the Governor to take his life as a ransom for his brother; it would be nearly 4000 years later out of Judah’s line that Jesus came to ransom us.

Now every man’s heart has been laid bare and the brothers have no choice but to confront their past. But instead, like the prodigal son returning home with the hope of becoming a slave in his father’s house, the grace of God comes in like a knight in shining armour to rescue them.

Instead of anger and revenge, Joseph reveals his heart of forgiveness toward his brothers and embraces them. He adorns them with love and though they are uncertain of their demise, he assures them their debt is paid in full. He even exhorts them not to be grieved or angry with themselves that they sold him into slavery, “for God sent me before you to preserve life.”

Sadly, their brothers never quite received all of the grace God poured out that day, as they continued to worry that one day Joseph might have a change of heart. But Joseph saw the bigger picture. He understood that everything he had been through was not in vain. In fact, God meant it for good, that many lives might be saved. Charles Ryrie said it well – “Joseph gave clear testimony to God’s providential overruling in his life.”

If Joseph had not been through what he had been through, he would not have been in a position to be used by God. Had he remained safe in his father’s house, he would have been in the wrong place at the right time. If his brothers had not committed this crime against him, he would not have fulfilled the dream God gave him as a boy. Joseph’s destiny was not held up, but accelerated by his misfortunes.

If only we could see that for ourselves. That everything we go through has a place and a purpose in our lives for a greater good. People may have done you wrong or committed vile offenses against you – even the unthinkable – but God knew from before the beginning of time the plan that would unfold for each and every person’s life here on earth, including yours. To think that He can take something horrific and turn it around for our good and His glory is beyond understanding, yet He does it every single day.

Many people would not have a ministry or a purpose in life if they had not been through what they’ve been through. Richness and depth of purpose are born out of pain and suffering, if you allow it to be seasoned in God’s love. The only catch is that during your in-between time, you must not become bitter, but trust that God has a greater plan in all of this.

Joseph could have sworn to God that he would take revenge if he ever laid eyes on his brothers again. No one would have blamed him for feeling that way. But God demands a change of heart in each one of us, whether you are the victim or the offender. In truth, we are all offenders anyway. The sooner we get that, the sooner we can forgive those who have offended us instead of holding them by the throat until justice is done.

If you desire to walk in your destiny, transformation is inevitable. Change starts with you. Then you cannot help but transform the world around you. Notice Joseph’s love for his brothers was the determining factor in the story. Had he not loved them, his destiny and the destiny of those around him would have been unfulfilled.

Are you where you are because of what someone else has done to you? Have you forgiven whoever you need to forgive in order to move forward? Lastly, have you forgiven and released yourself from carrying the weight of the past on your shoulders? Know that whatever you’ve been through, no matter who has done what to you or against you, though it was meant for evil, God meant it for good, that many lives might be saved. Share your story to help others and allow God to complete His story in and through you.

Interestingly, the butler and the baker each have a dream on the same night, but morning finds them in a sullen mood with no one to interpret the meaning. Joseph, an experienced dreamer, points out that it is God’s prerogative to foretell future events and he invites them to share their dreams. After each one recalls their dream, Joseph interprets with precision to the delight of one and to the dismay of the other.

In between interpretations, Joseph asks a favour of the butler, who is relieved to know that he will be released and restored to his position in Pharoah’s household later in the week. In humility, Joseph asks him not for position or title, but only for release from the prison.

Even though on the same day both are released, the baker is hanged in front of everyone, the butler rests in his good fortune, forgetting all about Joseph back in prison. This is later referenced by the prophet in Amos 6:6 and Mathew Henry’s commentary rightly demised, “We cannot expect too little from man nor too much from God.”

We see in the lives of the baker and the butler, as well as Joseph two years down the road that promotion comes neither from the east nor from the west, but God is the Judge who demotes one and lifts up another (Psalm 75:6-7). Promotion time comes when everything is in place. And that meant just a little more waiting for Joseph.

There were no shortcuts allowed because Joseph had to be in the right place at the right time. It would take yet another dream to bring Joseph into the light of day once again. There he would step into his destiny never to be imprisoned again. When God has a plan, no amount of manipulation or political moves can make a difference. In His goodness, He will keep you there until it is time, closing every door until the right one opens. For some it is frustrating, but those who implicitly trust God can rest in the fact that His plan is good because He is good.

Where are you today? Are you doing everything you can to escape your situation or are you resting and trusting that God has a plan and a purpose in you being there until the appointed time?

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight and understanding. In all your ways, know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. (Amplified)

Potiphar, Pharoah’s commanding officer, held a prominent position of influence in Egypt, the most powerful nation on earth at that time. Joseph procured great wealth for both Potiphar and Pharoah, using God’s wisdom in leadership and business acumen with the traders who flowed in and out of the nation. The Scripture reveals that Potiphar recognized the hand of God on Joseph and he promoted him as overseer of everything he owned. All Potiphar had to worry about was buttering his toast (Genesis 39:6).

It’s funny that often when things are going well in our lives, there’s a sub-plot happening in the background that we don’t have a clue about. From a spiritual standpoint, the enemy of God didn’t like what was happening and searched for a loose nut that he could work with. That happened to be Potiphar’s wife, who remains unnamed in the Bible for good reason.

While Joseph was busy building the kingdom, we see the Bible’s first noted cougar crouching in wait for her prey. Unbeknownst to Joseph, this experienced woman had checked out Joseph’s hotness factor and watched him for quite some time leading up to the attack.

Though Scripture isn’t specific, it looks like a setup when Joseph suddenly finds himself in the house alone with the work of a professional. Because of her outright boldness, it probably wasn’t the first time this desperate housewife had aggressively approached a male servant. Prior to this incident, she demanded Joseph day after day, “Lie with me!” leaving no trace of a doubt about her intentions.

By the grace of God and out of respect for his employer, Joseph deflected and refused temptation over and over again. One thing Potiphar’s wife had going for her was persistence. She knew what she wanted and she did not easily give up. We’re not certain how long this game of cat and mouse went on, but growing impatient, Potiphar’s wife upped the ante. I’m no Columbo, but I believe she premeditated and arranged for every servant to be sent out of the house so she would have no witnesses to her crime. She had nothing to lose. If Joseph gave in and consented to her sexual demands, she was happy. If she didn’t get her way, she would make him pay.

The scene was set and only God knows what that woman was wearing that day to turn up the heat, but Joseph ran out the house so fast, his outer robe was left in her sweaty clutches as she screamed for the guard.

Charles Ryrie’s Study Bible points out that this was the second time Joseph’s garments had been used to fabricate a lie against him. Earlier, his brothers had torn his multi-coloured coat, sprinkled it with goat’s blood and told their aging father Joseph had been killed by a wild animal when in fact, they sold him to passing slave-traders headed for Egypt.

Though Joseph did what was right, he lost his position of influence in Potiphar’s house and ended up in jail. However, we see the plan of God unfold as Joseph is promoted in the prison and eventually to the palace, where he becomes second in command only to Pharoah himself.

Keep in mind that if Joseph had submitted to temptation, he would have placed his destiny at risk. Every step of his rollercoaster ride was ordered of God and when the time came for promotion, Joseph was ready on the inside. God’s purpose was that the trials and temptations would prepare and position Joseph to save His people when famine hit the land. When Joseph finally came face to face with his brothers, he understood his destiny and that what they had meant for evil, God meant for good, that many lives might be saved (Genesis 50:20).

Through patience and promise, his circumstances were used by God to mold, shape and build his character for the position. There is no microwave version. If you want to go up, you must first choose to humble yourself or be humbled. Who or what are you tempted with today? Is giving in worth giving up your destiny?

Have you ever noticed that when you’re hungry, everything looks good? And even though you’ve been warned numerous times never to go grocery shopping when you’re hungry, like the rest of us, you’ve done it anyway, spending far more than you planned on spending and bringing home things that were definitely not on the list all because you were listening to your stomach instead of common sense and logic.

I’ve noticed that if I don’t decide before I get there what I’m going to buy, things jump out at me and catch my attention that I didn’t plan on purchasing. If that’s been the case with you too, you’ve probably noticed that your flesh has a mind of its own. And it knows what it wants. Like a screaming child in a toy store, you’d better give it what it wants or it will continue to wreak havoc until you do. But isn’t there another solution? If you try ignoring it, you might find the desire that was so strong is suddenly gone as fast as it got there.

The power of distraction will take any number of forms to take you off track. It could be people who take your focus off. It could be things like the latest iPhone, which are good but take your time and money where they didn’t plan on going. And even your own desires can take you way off track, causing you to miss out on what you really want. If you’re not careful to curb your appetite, before you know it, you’ll find yourself selling out your purpose and destiny for something of far less value.

Esau wasn’t stupid. He knew the value of his birthright in relation to a handful of lentils. Back in the day, the eldest son was entitled to the birthright, giving him seniority and assuring him of a double share of his father’s inheritance. However, the birthright did not carry a lifetime warranty; it could be forfeited by committing a serious sin or, as in this case, it could be bartered.

You would imagine that if the birthright were to be traded, it would be for something of equal or greater value. But when you’re thinking with your carnal mind, common sense is not a factor. That’s why you see President and priest alike forfeiting their office for an evening of pleasure. Regret is the debt that gets paid at a later date.

A pastor I know shares the principle of HALT, the warning signals to stop before making a decision if you’re Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. Those are the times you are most vulnerable to temptation and foolish decisions that will cost you later. Those are the times most often when common sense and wisdom are not consulted because the pressing urgency of the moment demands a quick decision.

Under these conditions, even those who are sold out can find themselves selling out. We’re no different from Esau, who realized after the fact he had made a rash decision that cost him everything for nothing.

Like racking up a credit card because you just have to have it now. Or having a few too many and ending up doing something you would never have done in your right mind. But decisions are yours, regardless of who or what influenced you to make them and you will deal with the consequences, whether you want to or not. Ask Esau.

There is a cost to everything. The question is what are you willing to pay? What is the value of what you are “purchasing” with your time, energy and resources and what are you willing to trade for it? Is it worth your freedom? Many people believe they are free to do whatever they want. Whether they see it now or later, there is a cost to that too.

Let’s ask the hard questions. Where do you want to be in five years? Or next year at this time? Are you focused and willing to do whatever to get there? Or will you take anything that comes your way and sabotage your success? Is this a destructive pattern in your life and do you need accountability to see you through? When you know where you’re going, you won’t take the wrong exit thinking it will still get you there.

Regardless of your past decisions, find your bearings and begin to move forward in the right direction. Know what it is that you want. Know what can take you down. I’m talking about the areas in your life where you’re vulnerable. Get good people around you or none at all. Friends that take you off track are not friends at all. And take it from Esau – don’t go shopping when you’re hungry.