Bret Legg

Deuteronomy 1 – Go and Occupy

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Some people make things harder than they have to be. These people complicate things by ignoring suggestions and instructions. They like doing things their own way. They open the box and begin putting pieces together, without reading the instructions.

In Deuteronomy chapter 1, Moses begins a speech to the Israelites who are preparing to cross over into the Promised Land. In the speech, Moses reminds them that the generations before them had made things harder than they needed to be. They had turned an eleven day trip into a forty year trip, because they chose to do things their own way, rather than follow God’s lead.

God had their blessing in hand and was holding it out to them. He promised to pave the way and handle the difficulties they would face. All they had to do was go and occupy.

But their fear and discouragement led them to doubt God. They refuse His direction…and thus His blessing. So the previous generation spent forty years wandering in the wilderness, never receiving what God longed to give them.

I have a feeling I would be shocked and dismayed at how much un-necessary wandering I’ve done, simply because I was afraid to go and occupy. How many times during a single day does God hold some blessing out before me and longs for me to make it my own, only to see me wander and stumble trying to do things my own way.

God, help us to hear the words “Go and occupy” at every turn, and to respond without hesitation.

What is it that God is calling you to do that you’re hesitating to do? Spend this week asking God to give you the courage to step out in faith.

Numbers 34-36 – God Cares

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There will be times in all our lives when we will wonder, “Does God really care about me?”

Let me assure you, God cares. It’s a simple and almost cliché sentiment that’s over-used and barely shows up on our radar. But this simple, two-word declaration is the key to living life with assurance and hope.

Notice that the statement “God cares” doesn’t place any limits on who He loves or how much He loves. The inclusiveness and expansiveness of God’s care is demonstrated in very practical ways in Numbers chapters 34-36. In these chapters, you see that God cares about such things as land, boundaries, fair allotments, inheritances, equitable provision, justice, protection of the innocent…and so much more. There isn’t anything that God doesn’t care about. (1 Pet. 5:7) (Heb. 13:5)

At times, it will seem as if God doesn’t care. There will be times when things aren’t going right, evil seems to be winning, and God doesn’t seem to be coming through. During those times, God will seem to be unaware, indifferent, or malicious.

But all children feel this way about their parent(s) at times. It’s only in hindsight that a parent’s care becomes evident.

So, when it seems like God doesn’t care – believe that He does, act like he does, and wait for the evidence that He does. (Eccl. 3:11) Because if God cares about little things like boundary lines and land, you can be confident that He cares for the big things – like your life and your heart.

The evidence of God’s care is all around us. Look for evidence of God’s care this week. You might even try keeping a list.

Numbers 33 – Are We There Yet?

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“Are we there yet?!” What parent hasn’t heard these nagging words from the back seat.

We all want to “get there.” So much so, that we fail to appreciate what’s happening on the journey. But when I read Numbers chapter 33, I’m reminded that our life is more about the journey than the destination. Long before you get to the destination, there’s…

  • The Start. Remember how exciting it was, as a child, to start a long journey? Starting felt like the best part. The car was packed, the house was locked, you felt the car back out of the drive, and you thought of all the things you would see.
  • The Stages. Once you started, the journey happened in stages. You stopped at: gas stations, restaurants, hotels, and parks. And these stops were necessary. You can’t make a long trip on one tank of gas and one meal. You must make it in stages.
  • The Struggles. Journeys usually include struggles. There are detours, flat tires, and traffic jams. There’s the kids fighting in the back seat: “They’re touching me!” “Do I have to sit next to them?!” “I don’t have enough room!” “You mean I have to sleep with them at the hotel?!”

For believers, the journey’s the same. There’s…

  • The Start. (Num. 33:3-4) Remember the excitement of starting your journey with Christ? Leaving an old way of life, anticipating new things, the unexplained confidence, etc.
  • The Stages. As believers, we make our journey in stages. (Num. 33:5-49) Some of the stages are unwelcoming and inhospitable, and we’re eager to move on. Other stages are like an oasis from which we never want to leave. Still, we must remember that until we see God face to face, we must move on to the next stage of the journey.
  • The Struggles. And our journey as believers will include difficulties. (Numbers 33:52-56) The struggle to take possession of what God wants to give us is a standard part of the journey. He will not hand it to us on a silver platter. We must roll up our sleeves, cross the river, and get to work. But some of the difficulties we bring upon ourselves, by not ridding our lives of things that don’t belong there.

So, when it comes to making the journey God wants you to make, stop focusing on the destination. Instead, buckle up for the long ride, expect some struggles, and change your question from, “Are we there yet?” to “Where are we now?”

Numbers 32 – Are You a Musketeer?

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“One for all and all for one!” What a concept! This declaration comes from “The Three Musketeers. It’s an ideal that is not only admirable, but longed for by most. We all long to be a part of a community that truly demonstrates loyalty, dependability, care, and concern.

These qualities should characterize God’s people, no matter what point in history we find ourselves.

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Numbers 31 – What’s Cooking?

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As any cook knows, it takes a variety of ingredients to make a great dish. Yes, some cooks make incredible dishes by somewhat randomly throwing a variety of things into a pot, but most tend to follow a recipe…whether it’s in their head or on a piece of paper.

Numbers chapter 31 is a recipe of sorts. It’s a chapter that covers a variety of ingredients for a well lived life. Many of these ingredients are so simple and common we tend to overlook them, if not reminded once in a while.

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Is Your Marriage on the Calendar?

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It’s New Year’s Day (2019) and this is a picture of our new calendar. I know, it’s old-school, but, every Christmas I create a new calendar featuring pictures of my grandchildren. I saw it this morning, and I started thinking about how much calendars are a part of our lives.

They are in our phones and our computers. We hang them on our walls and put them on our desks. In them, we put things that are important to us. Things we don’t want to forget or miss.

So here’s the big question…Is your marriage on the calendar?

As a pastoral counselor and a husband of nearly 39 years, I believe a calendar is one of the most effective tools you have for strengthening your marriage.

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Numbers 30 – Your Words Matter

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As a teacher/counselor/minister, words are the conduit through which I do what God has called me to do. But there are so many words coming at me during the course of a day that I get overwhelmed. Emails, blog posts, texts, newscasts, snail mail…because of shear volume, these words start to matter less and less.

When our words don’t matter, campaign speeches become rhetoric, rather than commitment. Weddings become ceremonies rather than solemn promises. Court testimony becomes “so-help-me,” rather than “so-help-me-God.”

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Numbers 28-29 – Show Gratitude

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I remember an old black and white movie about a native tribe on an island. In the movie, this tribe was trying to appease their volcano god by offering up an innocent victim. I remember watching the screen as the wild-eyed natives walked their trembling victim to the edge of the volcano. Even as a kid, I thought, “What a harsh and demanding god!”

At first read, Numbers chapters 28-29 can sound much the same. But this is not what these chapters are about!

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The Jagged Journey of Markets and Marriage.

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The Stock Market is not for the faint of heart, because it’s not a smooth ride. It’s a jagged journey of ups and downs. Likewise, marriage is not for the faint of heart, because it also is a jagged journey of ups and downs.

We all want our marriage to continually and consistently get better and better. If it were a a graph, we all want a nice, straight line that keeps going up and up. But marriage is not like that. It’s a little more like the stock market. It can be doing well one minute, and then there’s a change or some new information that rocks the boat and causes some jagged dips in the line. In fact, if you took even the best of marriages and plotted their satisfaction and happiness on a graph, the line would be jagged with many ups and downs.

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Numbers 27 – Trust Your Provider

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Ever since Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden, where they had everything they could want, people have been working hard to get what they want.

Working hard and acquiring things is not bad in and of itself. You can find many examples in Scripture of God blessing people who worked hard.

The problem is not hard work. The problem is assuming that what we have is a direct result of our efforts, rather than God’s provision. Jesus reminds us of this problem when He reminds us to look at how God provided for the birds. (Matthew 6:25-26)

It is God, and God alone, who provides all we need…as well as so many of our wants. (2 Peter 1:3) (1 Timothy 6:17b) (2 Corinthians 9:8-12) And it makes no difference if the need is large or small. God is the Provider of all…including the health, energy, and ingenuity to do what we do.

God’s provision is the theme of Numbers chapter 27. In the first half of the chapter, we see God providing an inheritance for five daughters of a man who died due to his own sinfulness. (Numbers 27:3) In the second half of the chapter, we see God providing leadership for an entire nation. Some might see the needs of the daughters as less important and pressing in light of the needs of a nation. But God treated both needs with equal care and concern.

This is God’s heart. He longs to provide for our every need. God calls us to work hard, but we should not confuse our work with His provision. May it be our heart to trust His provision. May it be our heart to trust Him.