When I was a kid, growing up in the country, my parents would take me mushroom hunting every spring. I know this activity is foreign to many, so let me explain…
You go out into the woods during the early spring, you look down at the ground, and you start walking hoping to spot mushrooms. Not much to it. But it’s not that easy. The ground is covered with leaves and limbs, making it very difficult to see the mushrooms. The mushrooms blend in with the leaves and are often covered up by them, so it takes a lot of looking and a lot of patience to spot the mushrooms.
What are you passionate about? What do you get excited about? What do you day dream about? What are you goals?
You can learn a lot about a person from how they answer such questions, because people are passionate and excited about so many things. For me, it’s things like reading, teaching, photography, music, and art. For others, it might be things like:
Just a brief reminder on this Thanksgiving Day that giving thanks should be more than just a day on the calendar. It should be the practice of our life and marriage. It’s true that some people seem more naturally thankful than others, but giving thanks is something at which you can practice and get better. I’m thankful to each of you for reading Normal Marriage. Happy Thanksgiving!
When you read Numbers chapters 22-24, it’s easy to just zero in on the talking donkey story. And why wouldn’t you?! It’s big, unusual, and supernatural! The rest of the text is just a lot of talking, urging, pleading, and manipulating. That kind of stuff happens all the time.
I think that is exactly the point of the story.
Isn’t it funny that we will rabidly search for dramatic and supernatural signs from God while ignoring the simple and clear “God answers” right in front of us? And this is especially true if the answer right in front of us is “NO.”
The physician’s symbol for healing is a pole around which is wrapped a snake (sometimes two.) This imagery relates to a story found in Numbers chapter 21. There, God’s people were complaining and rebelling against God, so God sent deadly snakes to strike the people on the feet and ankles.
But, despite their rebellion, God provided a means of rescue. He told Moses to lift up a bronze snake on a pole, high above the people. Everyone who looked up at the bronze snake, rather than the snakes at their feet, lived.
If you’ve ever had trouble following directions, you can relate to Moses. There was a specific time in Moses’ life when failing to follow God’s directions cost him dearly.
In Numbers chapter 20, God tells Moses to gather everyone in front of a rock and speak to the rock, that it might provide water for the grumbling Israelites. But rather than speaking to the rock, Moses strikes the rock with his staff. Because of this, Moses was not permitted to enter into the Promised Land.
You may be thinking, “What’s so bad about striking the rock?” There’s two problems with it:
The other night I had a disturbing dream. I don’t have many disturbing dreams, but this one shook me to my core.
In my dream, my wife and I were separate…and she initiated it! She seemed to have little interest in being around me, and asked me not to contact her. Her indifference toward me was beyond painful, and it was clear that her indifference towards me was going to end our marriage. But that was not the most disturbing part of the dream.
As a kid, I was usually the last one picked for the team. This was true for basketball, football, baseball…basically anything with a ball. I had no coordination or talent when it came to sports. So when kids were choosing teams, I was usually avoided till I was the last on left. It was hurtful.
Perhaps this is why it’s hard for people to think about God choosing the Israelites to be His special people. It seems biased, politically incorrect, and hurtful to those not chosen.
Remember when your parents would fuss about your posture? They would say things like: “Sit up straight.” “Don’t slouch.” “Stand tall.” Why was this so important to them? It was like our parents believed our posture is some kind of statement about who we are!
After reading Numbers chapter 16, I think they might have been right about this posture thing.
The thing that strikes me about this chapter is Moses’ posture. When the people grumble, complain, and attack him, he doesn’t stand up straight and tall against them. Instead, he falls face down before them. He takes a posture of humility before the people. (Numbers 16: 4-22-45) Then, when God plans to bring much-deserved punishment upon the people, Moses leans toward the people. He identifies with them and seeks to spare them. (Numbers 16:47-48) Moses takes a posture of compassion toward the very people who were complaining about him.
I’m afraid that when it comes to people grumbling and attacking me, I’m not as prone to take a posture of humility or compassion. Instead, I tend to either take a stand against or turn away from them. In the face of complaints, I need to fall on my face before God more often and reach out to the complainers more.
So, evidently our posture does say something about us.
It’s a good feeling to finally reach a goal. The sense of accomplishment and achievement you get from reaching a goal is intoxicating.
But then what? What do you do after you’ve reached your goal? Do you sit back and just enjoy the fruit of your labor?
God answers that question for the Israelites in Numbers chapter 15. In this chapter, God refers to what is to happen after they enter the Promised Land. (Num. 15:2)
What is it that they are to do? Continue to do all that they’ve been told to do already. In other words…KEEP IT UP!
A team that wins a championship will not be able to keep their title if they don’t continue to work, train, and practice. A house that has been repaired and remodeled will not stay that way, without continued maintenance and up-keep. In the story of the tortoise and the hare, the hare lost because after he had achieved his large lead on the tortoise, he didn’t keep it up.
This is true of the Christian life. Although we never really “arrive,” there are times when we reach new levels in our faith and our relationship with God. These times feel wonderful to our soul. But, if we allow ourselves to slack off and coast, we will lose the very thing we worked to achieve.
Romans 12:11 tells us to never be lacking in zeal, but to keep our spiritual fervor. In other words, whether the goal is in the distance or under your feet, keep passionately following the ways and commands of God. This will smooth out the roller coaster ups and downs of life that come from us starting, stoping, and starting again with God.
When I was a kid, growing up in the country, my parents would take me mushroom hunting every spring. I know this activity is foreign to many, so let me explain…
