July 20, 2021
Scripture: And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them. Numbers 20:12 ESV
Observation: This story is troubling to me. Moses sought the Lord when the people grumbled. The Lord told him to take his staff and tell the rock to yields its water. Moses instead admonishes the people and strikes the rock with his staff. Water still pours out from the rock, but God is not happy with Moses and Aaron for their lack of faith (demonstrated by not following his instructions). So he prohibits them from leading Israel into the Promise Land. After all that Moses has done right to this point, the punishment seems harsh.
Application: Like Moses, all of us have suffered consequences that have seemed unfair given the degree of our offense. But this is the cost of leadership. Thankfully, we have a perfect leader in Christ who faithfully leads all God’s people to our heavenly Promise Land. And he has paid the unjust price of his life to merit our entry. So when we are tempted to indulge in self-pity, we would do well to express our gratitude for our extraordinary Leader and Savior.
Prayer: Father God, grant us the antidote of gratitude for your Son when we struggle with self-pity, that we might bear the consequences for our sins with your grace. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
Leave a Reply