Focus Chapters:
- Numbers 19-21
Standout Verse(s):
Numbers 20:2-6 NLT
There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. The people blamed Moses and said, “If only we had died in the Lord’s presence with our brothers! Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!”
Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to them,
Observation (s):
- In the moment of need, the Israelites defaulted to the original complaint, looking back at how plentiful things were in Egypt compared to now in the desert.
Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!”
- In the moment of need, Moses and Aaron’s default reaction was to block out the negativity and seek God for directions.
Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to them,
Application:
We all have a default reaction mode when things are not progressing as we anticipated. For the Israelites, it was simply a matter of complaining and looking back to Egypt. Since leaving Egypt, every time they encountered an obstacle, their complaints came in one of the following forms: “Look how we are suffering now!”, “Things were good for us when we were in Egypt!”, “We have been following and trusting God, yet we are still suffering!”, “Lord, You promised to bring us to a land of plenty and we are going to die of thirst/hunger in the wilderness.”, “Lord look how long we have been serving You and yet still You haven’t delivered on Your promise.” Blah! Blah! Blah! Blah!
More often than not, our default mode, like the Israelites, tends to be a negative reaction. However, Moses and Aaron showed us that we have a different, more positive option which guarantees results. Block out the distraction of negativity and seek God for directions. The Lord is sure to display His presence in your moment of need.
What is your default mode when things are not going your way? Is your default mode negative or positive? Do you complain? Do you lose faith and hope? Do you stop trying? Do you begin to despair? Do you begin to blame others or God? Do you lash out at the others around you? Do pray and continue to trust God?
Which reaction mode gives you the most results?
