MARCH 2 READINGS…Numbers 11:1-13:33
We humans are fickle creatures. In our reading today we are given demonstrations of just how fickle people can be. It’s hard to satisfy those who refuse to be satisfied. God had done more than the people of Israel deserved, or had any hope of deserving, it was not enough. We are not so much different that they…we have been given forgiveness and everlasting life from the Lord through Jesus…yet it does not seem enough. We continue to complain that He has not done enough, or given enough…in so many ways we cannot be satisfied. Like the Israelites, we put ourselves in a dangerous place before the Lord. This attitude of dis-satisfaction leads to an attitude of ungratefulness, which leads to complaining and murmuring against God. In today’s readings this led to even Moses’ brother and sister joining in on the complaining. This all leads to putting ourselves in a dangerous place of facing the judgment of God.
The people of Israel are brought to the place to enter the promised land. Moses follows the directions of the Lord and sent twelve men into the land to spy it out. As they go they all see the same thing, but not all of them actually “saw” the same thing. When it came time to give their reports to Moses we see what they saw. Ten of the men saw a people in the land that were bigger than their God. Joshua and Caleb saw God as bigger than the people of the land. This is a crucial question for us in the time in which we live. The same God that was leading the people of Israel to the promise land is leading us. We must ask ourselves what do we actually “see”…is our God bigger than than what’s in the land, or is what’s in that land bigger than our God? Do we really believe…”You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”-1 John 4:4.
Please share your thoughts on today’s readings. It is my hope that we can see ourselves in what we have seen in the Israelites. May we be satisfied with the Lord, and may we always see our God as greater than anything in this world.
TOMORROW’S READINGS…Numbers 14:1-15:41
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