May 6th

Numbers 14     Isaiah 3-4     Psalms 50     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

In Numbers 14 we find God’s people full of fear and refusing to believe that, with His help, they could overcome the people of Canaan and settle there. If those who had seen God’s glory and miracles firsthand could not trust in Him (v10 & 11), it’s no wonder it can be hard for us to do so when the going gets tough. About 15 years ago God rescued me from my personal state of slavery and that was indeed a miracle. But, like the Israelites, I have not always been grateful. I have never felt that I would be better off back in my ‘Egypt’ but I have often found it difficult to accept the paths that I know God wants me to take. At times I have been positively rebellious, listening to the voice that says, “I can’t do that” rather than the one that says, “With the help of God I can”. But, my Father God is patient, He is always there waiting for me until I am ready to ask His forgiveness and move on, with Him by my side. Thankfully, God does not want us to invade countries or wipe out whole populations but He does want us to conquer our worldly fears and trust in Him to provide us with the tools to live the life He has planned for us. I regularly read Psalm 16: 5-6, to remind myself of how blessed I am today.

 (member of a homegroup)

May 5th

Numbers 12-13     Isaiah 2     Psalms 49     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Isaiah 2

In the animated movie “A Bug’s Life”, Hopper is the leader of a band of grasshoppers bent on terrorizing all of the smaller insects.  It’s funny how a grasshopper can be a symbol of utter intimidation, if you’re an ant.

The men who went with Caleb to explore Canaan likened themselves to grasshoppers to express their weakness compared to the natives. 

But the men who had gone up with (Caleb) said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”  And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored.  They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it.  All the people we saw there are of great size.  We saw the Nephilim there.  We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes and we looked the same to them.  Numbers 13:31-33

In a sense, it all depends on your perspective.  If you are an ant, a grasshopper is a grave threat.  But if you are a person, then a grasshopper is harmless. 

This logic breaks down when you consider Caleb’s reaction.  There is no evidence that he was any bigger than the rest of the Israelites.  And yet he showed no fear of confronting the Nephilim.  He tells Moses, “We should go up and take possession of the land for we can certainly do it.”  Caleb understood that it was less important who he was than whose he was.  He did not trust in his own strength, but he trusted God.  As the story goes on, Caleb receives great reward.  While the rest of the men who went with him die in the desert, God grants Caleb the privilege of entering the Promised Land. 

Isaiah gives us the same advice, Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he? - Isa 2:22

Are you doing this?

Reflections this week are written by a lay member for the staff team