Another WOW reading today. I think I could write a book on today’s reading. I think I’m going to have to jump around and toss out my thoughts though to get it all out! So…once again–bear with:)
Numbers 14 – You think your toddlers whine? Well, get this—verse 1. The WHOLE community began weeping aloud. Um. Remeber those numbers how many people were in each tribe? Does that give you a headache just thinking about it? Me too. Wish I could say I would have been Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb—but I have a feeling I would have been one of the thousands of Israelites who took their eyes off God and instead looked at their circumstances…AND WHINED.
The Israelites took their eyes off God—looked to the left and the right. They didn’t have a God picture. A God picture is stepping back and trusting the Lord that He is who He says He is…that’s He is going to do what He says He will do and that He is for us and not against us. Do you believe that?
Okay. So hear goes the hard part. I’m going to quote Warren Wiersbe here because I need to hear it:
When the child of God is in the will of God, there is no place for complaining, even if the circumstances are difficult. The will of God will never lead us where the grace of God can’t provide for us or the power of God can’t protect us. If our daily prayer is, “Thy will be done,” and if we walk in obedience to God’s will, then what is there to complain about? A complaining spirit is evidence of an ungrateful heart and an unsurrendered will. By our grumbling, we’re daring to say that we know more than God does about what’s best for His people!
Forgive me Lord for grumbling. I trust you Lord. Thy will be done.
And then—in verse 13 Moses intercedes on behalf of the people…the Lord has become angry at their grumbling and is going to distroy them—but verse 13 says “But Moses objected…” and he interceded for the Lord to spare the people…again. I love the picture of a RELATIONSHIP here. Moses comes before the Lord and pleads a case–and the Lord listens. Do you believe the Lord will listen to your case? Do you believe your difficult situation is destined for failure? Or do you believe you serve a God who wants you to come before Him and share your heart…to have a RELATIONSHIP with Him…pleading your case and explaining to Him your desires and heart? But in the end–being willing to always say “thy will be done.”
The Israelites had no problems being honest. But they failed to say “thy will be done”. To rebel against God’s will is to rebel against the absolute BEST for your life. And unfortunately, some times—we just don’t want it. And unfortunately that brings God’s judgement. And unfortunately—some times God’s greatest judgement is letting us have our own way. Leaving us later in a much sadder state and crying out more to our Savior. Oh help us to cry out “thy will be done!”
Give us a God picture of our circumstances…and when we can not see it clearly—help us Lord to STILL hold up our hands and say “thy will be done”.
And Speaking of God Pictures…
My sweet friend on staff as a counselor with Campus Crusade for Christ signed me up for a sample “Worldwide Challenge” magazine as a gift to us for supporting her. As chance would have it–we happened to get the March/April 2010 issue. As chance would have it–the front page is a beautiful Ethipion woman. As chance would have it–it’s full of articles about Ethiopia and about the need for the gospel to be spread there. So, when you are a stay-at-home mom with a baby who still takes 2 naps [and to preschoolers that really NEED to get out of the house] and you often feel “stuck in 4 walls”, count on the Lord to bring chances like this to your mailbox;). I hear ya Lord. I hear ya loud and clear.
Meet Kia…
[Photograph By Guy Gerrard]Kia looky cool. Kia is cool. I likey Kia because Kia is taking the gospel by foot to Ethiopian villages. You can read more about Kia here.
Did you that Ethiopia has a population of 85.2 million (the 3rd most populous nation in Africa)? And the spiritual climate? 50% are Ethiopian Orthodox. 33% are Muslim. 10% are Protestant. 5% have traditional beliefs and 2% falls under “other”. Where does our child’s birth family fall? Because—if my child can’t do life with his birth family HERE. Then I desperately want him to do life with them THERE. And if we are going to spend our lives HERE praying with our son FOR his family—then I have a mission. A mission like Kia’s.
On “mission list“—#1 question to have agency ask birth family: What language to they speak?
Am I crazy? Absolutely.
What are you doing Lord? I went from praying that our child might be a double orphan (selfish me!) so I wouldn’t have to deal with the weight of birth parents still living. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. Please forgive me! WHAT IF…
You know “IF” is one of the most powerful and radical words;). I’m just saying. What IF the Lord called me to this place because He is desperately in love with Isaac’s birth family and He wants THEM to know Him?! What IF I get the opportunity to meet with them? What IF…
Oh Lord—help me use this time of waiting to prepare for Your will. May Your will be done! Give us a God picture Lord of how you want to do more with our adoption to glorify you. Amen!
by admin
Oh the conditions we all put on God….when in reality we have no reason to want anything other than HIS best for us. 🙂
The reading today and your words were such perfect timing! I’ve done a lot of whining this week. Not necessarily for “things” but just whiny about circumstances. Yuck! Forgive me Lord…Thy will be done! Thanks once again for making the scripture come alive!
First I have to say I LOVE your picture of Laney being little mommy. I’m sure my mom would tell you that it reminds her of me when I was little, lol! I carried a baby everywhere I went.
This is what I wrote in my Bible today next to chapter 14.
“God’s way. God’s timing. WITH God’s help. Obstacles we face are too great to be tackled alone but WITH GOD’S HELP, nothing is impossible.” When we take our eyes off of the big picture (the GOD picture) then it’s easy to get overwhelmed and complain. Keeping our eyes on Him will keep us focused on our blessings as well.
I have to admit that when we started this process we were both hoping for a double orphan as well. No longer. After learning more about WHY Birthparents give up their children, I am praying that we get to meet them…as hard as that will be.