Tag Archives: Obedience

Day 56: The tragedy of unbelief

Numbers 13-14; Mark 6:1-29

God does not work in the midst of unbelief…

And [Jesus] could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief (Mark 6:5-6).

In today’s passage in Numbers, we read of the gross unbelief of the Israelites. Except for Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb… the rest of the people refused to trust in God’s promises, and therefore they disobeyed God’s good word. The consequences were severe… no one would enter the land – except Joshua and Caleb and the children. God promised that in a span of 40 years, everyone in the current generation would die…

The people, hearing the harsh judgment, immediately backtracked and made a half-hearted attempt to take the land. But God was not with them, and they were brutally defeated.

This is a hard lesson. God does not work in the midst of unbelief. If we are actively disobeying Him, can we expect Him to work in our lives?? Even Jesus, in the midst of his hometown rejection, could not perform the usual mighty display of miracles. His power was limited in the face of rejection.

Ultimately, God’s promises are always fulfilled. The people of the next generation inherited the land. But those who disobeyed missed the blessing! God will accomplish his good plans for the world – with or without us…

God, please help me to obey. Help me to trust in your good word, and give me the faith to choose your ways over my own desires and plans. Please God, don’t let me miss the blessing! Oh God… ““I believe; help my unbelief!”

Day 54: The Cloud and The Fire

Numbers 8 – 10:10; Mark 4:35 – 5:43

Tucked in the middle of instructions and preparations to move the Israelite camp toward Canaan is a description of the cloud and fire. God’s presence was manifested as a cloud over the Tabernacle by day and fire by night. At any time the cloud (or the fire) lifted from the Tabernacle – the Israelites were to break camp and follow.

Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out (Numbers 9:22-23).

Maybe this is naive, but I’ve always been envious of this lifestyle of the Israelites. I envy the simplicity. If God moved, they moved. If God stayed, they were to stay. I long for the distractions of this world to be stripped away – so everything comes down to – if God moves, I move. If God stays, I stay.

Let me tell you something… He’s worth following. Just read today’s passage from Mark. He has dominion over the forces of nature, over all the spiritual world and even over death and life. This is a God who is powerful and rich in mercy. Mark’s account of Jesus raising the little girl from the dead has to be one of my favorite gospel stories. You can see His kindness in the details… how He takes her hand and how He ensures she receives food.

We live in a complicated time that is stuffed with stuff – all of which pull at our heartstrings and distract us from the Only One that really matters. Sometimes it takes a desert experience to bring our eyes back to a single focus… worship of the Savior. God, help us to see you through the fog of this world. Help us to see the cloud by day and the fire by night so that we might follow… and worship.