Positive thinking is only slightly better than negative thinking if we still leave the Lord out of it. In spite of Caleb’s equation for success (the people + God = victory), the first battle for Canaan had been lost. Israel had been defeated—without the enemy lifting a sword. How? It happened between their ears, on […]
Read More… from September 1, 2022 — Two Little Equations: One Big Difference
You can hardly be closer to the heart of Christ than when you plead God’s mercy for someone else. We can’t rush past the intercessory prayer of Moses (Num 14:13-19)! The man of God speaks so kindly of the Israelites because they have been such supportive friends to him during the journey from Egypt, correct? […]
Read More… from August 31, 2022 — The Beautiful Art Of Advocacy
Sometimes a project doesn’t work. It would be easier to scrap it and start something different. In Numbers 14, the Lord plaintively asks, “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me…?” (Num 14:11). Israel had more than enough evidence that God could be trusted. Deliverance from Egypt. The […]
Read More… from August 30, 2022 — The Second Offer For A Fresh Start
Influenza is just the Italian word for influence. Yes, we all have it, and it’s very contagious! The children of Israel stood poised on the brink of endless possibilities. The land spread out before them, what God called “the glory of all lands” (Ezek 20:6). But first, the Battle of the Grasshoppers! The ten unbelieving […]
One man from each tribe was selected “to spy out the land of Canaan.” How many can you name? Many people have heard the story of the spies (listed in Num 13:4-16), but even careful Bible students are hard pressed to name three of the men who were sent. Two, yes! All remember Caleb from […]
Here’s a big what if. What if they had just entered the land in faith instead of spying it out first? Israel’s Mossad is one of the most effective espionage agencies in the world. But did you know it was God who founded the Israeli spy service? Numbers 13 records His words to Moses: “Send […]
They say, “When it rains, it pours”? If so, Moses should have been pulling out his hip waders! Numbers 10 ends with high hopes. The Lord led His people day by day, then joined them each evening in the camp. What could go wrong? Just about everything! Chapter 11 begins when “the people complained” (v […]
Read More… from August 24, 2022 — The Quagmire Of Complaining
When God’s Yes means No! “He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul” (Ps 106:15). “There is nothing at all except this manna,” said the people, pouting (Num 11:6). Moses had no idea where to get meat to add to their diet and told the Lord about it. The Lord was not […]