Tag Archives: Israelite

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Is “Just Enough” Enough?

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We have decided, my husband and I, to downsize and simplify our lives. We are determined to live with less and to have more time to enjoy this life that has been given to us. We are content with what we have and where we are, knowing that God is bringing change into our lives. We are passing through one season onto another. I have been sorting through years worth of accumulation, donating, selling, trashing and giving away some stuff. I also have been doing some research and study, along with my prayers and conversations with God about it all. During this time I picked up a book about downsizing written by a Christian. Right away I got into the book. The author voices some of the same concerns that we had had about life being too busy and about things more than people. Then somewhere past halfway he says that God gives us “just enough”, giving the Manna in the wilderness as an example. That’s where he lost me.
Sure I know about the Manna. God gave them just enough, left overs rotted and got worms, He warned them, but they had to test it themselves. God tells us to be content in whatever state we are in, true (Phil 4:11). But what did Jesus show us by His example? Was he preaching the message of “just enough?” No, He said, “ The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” (John 10:10 Amp). He fed thousands, twice. One time they gathered up seven baskets of left-overs and another time twelve baskets. “ When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” (John 6:12-13). Another time He called to His fisherman-disciples asking if they had caught any fish. At their answer of “no,” He instructed them to cast in the net one last time, to their astonishment there were so many fish, more than a normal nights catch, that it almost sank the boat! Now that doesn’t sound like “just enough” to me.
I would have been “enough” for Christ to die for a few, but He died for all. It would have been enough to just get us back from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of His Father, but He didn’t stop there. Not only are we forgiven our sins He has redeemed us from the curse, given us health and life, given us all authority in heaven and earth, given us His Word, His Holy Spirit, I could go on like this for hours, but for the sake of the length of this blog I’ll stop here. He gave extravagantly, wondrously more than enough and promises that He wants to even give us “more than we could ask or think.” Jesus never wanted us to live day by day, that was never even God’s intention for the Children of Israel in the wilderness. He was taking them to the promised land, flowing with goodness. It was their stubbornness and lack of faith that got them to the dessert with Manna for breakfast, lunch and dinner. His desire for us is “MORE.”
Why does He provide more than enough? So we can share. Isn’t that what the gospel is all about? Sharing? I am sure that the author of that book wasn’t saying for us to be selfish, in fact part of the reason he gives for downsizing is to help others and spend more time working on relationships than running. I agree, we have gotten too busy, work, school, study groups, PTA meetings, Bible studies, ball practice, dance class, the gym, grocery shopping, picking up kids from the daycare, etc, etc, etc. But…we can’t limit God because of our messed up priorities. We choose how we spend our time. We choose what has our attention. He asks us to choose Him first. Then He promises to give us more than enough so that we can share it with others. “Freely you have received, freely give.”
So right now do you have “just enough” or maybe not even that much? Look at your priorities, look at your choices. Are you giving to God of your time, money and resources? Or are you like so many of us who have been caught up in life here on earth and just trying to get by? Sometimes we get just enough because of our stubbornness and lack of faith, but remember that isn’t His will for us. His will is and always has been, and forever will be to give us everything He has. Period.

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Stop Your Grumbling

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I watched a good movie, just 26 minutes about the Tabernacle. Seeing the tabernacle was cool, but a scripture jumped out at me and I had to look it up and read the whole story. It really got me thinking. Here’s the story in a nut shell. Moses brought the people out of Egypt like God commanded him and along the way they grumbled and complained. It got so bad that at one point a guy named Korah and 250 of the “leaders”, prominent men, started thinking they could do better than Moses and Aaron. They said, “”You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD’s assembly?” Moses set up a way that would prove to them that God chooses who He wills. There was going to be a test! The 250 men were to bring incense to burn before the Lord. Then God tells Moses and Aaron to separate themselves from the people because He was going to just destroy them all! Moses pleads for the people and God tells them to, ‘Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’ Then God caused the earth to open up and swallow those men and their families. Then God sends fire and consumes the 250 leaders who had rose up against Moses and Aaron. I think that would have been the end of the complaining, but not these stiff-necked, hard-hearted people. They continued to grumble against Moses and Aaron (God’s chosen vessels!). So a plague comes, immediately and Aaron goes between the plague and the people and only 14,700 perish. I think that would have been the end of the complaining, but not these stiff-necked, hard-hearted people. They continued to grumble against Moses and Aaron (God’s chosen vessels!).
So Moses sets up another test. They were to bring the staff of the head of each tribe, writing their names on the staff. Numbers 17:6-11 shows what happened next, “So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them. Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony. The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the LORD’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each man took his own staff. The LORD said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff in front of the Testimony, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.” Moses did just as the LORD commanded him.” Not only did it bud, but flowered and PRODUCED FRUIT! Was God saying that Aaron was perfect? NO! Aaron was a human with all of our messed up ways, but Aaron was CHOSEN of God to lead the people. I found it interesting that the ones who “rose up against” Moses and Aaron were all LEADERS! How many times have we seen people in leadership begin to think that they know better than the Pastor?
Now I come to the part of the movie that got me thinking. They show all the contents of the Ark of the Covenant. Each item put there as a reminder of something. The jar of Manna was there to remember God’s willingness to provide for His people. The stone tablets, a reminder of God’s covenant with His people and Aaron’s staff “to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.” Only three things were placed in the Ark. All VERY important, enough so that God wanted them preserved and handed down for generations. They are still in the Ark! This tells me how important it is that we honor and respect those that God has placed over us as our “Mother’s and Father’s in the Lord.” We don’t judge them as more than human, expect them to be perfect and without flaw! We honor the call, the anointing, the Gift! When we grumble and complain about them, God gets mad! He wanted to destroy everyone, not just the men who rose up against Moses and Aaron! Don’t allow yourself to think that someone else could do a better job, or God forbid that YOU could do a better job! God chooses who He wills! If someone else wants you to jump on their wagon of “discontent” refuse. Don’t even give place to the devil. Yes, he is the one, who sets our flesh on edge against our leaders. Tell him to shut-up, and crucify your flesh. Ask God where you are called to, who you are called under, and stay, support and respect His decision. Period!