"TRUST AND BE LED"
They camped or traveled at the Lord's command, and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses. (Numbers 9:23)
The English name for Numbers comes from the Greek translation of the Old Testament and is based on two censuses taken of the Hebrew people. However, the Hebrew title, translated in the desert, is more descriptive of the book's contents. Beginning after the exodus from Egypt, the events of Numbers cover thirty-eight years, the period of Israel's desert wandering.
During their journey to Canaan, God guided his people by a cloud, a visible sign of his presence. When the cloud rose from its place over the tabernacle, the people broke camp and followed as the cloud soared above the ark of the covenant. When the cloud settled, the people encamped.
Reflecting on the ancient Hebrews, we think of them collectively, but the tribes were comprised of individuals — human beings who coped with life's changes in diverse ways. Whether it was time to break camp and move or to set up camp and stay, some were eager; others complained and resisted. When change overwhelmed, some of God's people wanted to return to Egypt, while others insisted on forging ahead.
Like the Israelites, we too cope with change in all manner of ways, especially to change brought about by life's crosswinds: illness, divorce, financial loss, or separation from one we love. Coping with dramatic change is not unlike a journey through a wilderness. At times we long for the past, for the way things used to be. At other times, we look fretfully ahead, searching for evidence that life will someday feel normal again.
Healthy coping requires, though, that we focus on the present, on this very day. Preoccupied by the past, we overlook moments in which God enables us to be strong, resilient, and courageous. Fixated on the future, we ignore God's instruction to set up camp and to rest in his care.
As we learn to trust and be led, we gain emotional and spiritual strength, enabling us to then help and comfort one another, as did Joshua and Caleb. While still in the desert, they were dispatched by Moses to scout the land of promise. When they returned, the men didn't keep to themselves all that they had learned about Canaan. Instead, Joshua and Caleb encouraged their fellow travelers, reminding them of God's constant presence, and assuring them that up ahead lay a fine, rich land, flowing with milk and honey.
The English name for Numbers comes from the Greek translation of the Old Testament and is based on two censuses taken of the Hebrew people. However, the Hebrew title, translated in the desert, is more descriptive of the book's contents. Beginning after the exodus from Egypt, the events of Numbers cover thirty-eight years, the period of Israel's desert wandering.
During their journey to Canaan, God guided his people by a cloud, a visible sign of his presence. When the cloud rose from its place over the tabernacle, the people broke camp and followed as the cloud soared above the ark of the covenant. When the cloud settled, the people encamped.
Reflecting on the ancient Hebrews, we think of them collectively, but the tribes were comprised of individuals — human beings who coped with life's changes in diverse ways. Whether it was time to break camp and move or to set up camp and stay, some were eager; others complained and resisted. When change overwhelmed, some of God's people wanted to return to Egypt, while others insisted on forging ahead.
Like the Israelites, we too cope with change in all manner of ways, especially to change brought about by life's crosswinds: illness, divorce, financial loss, or separation from one we love. Coping with dramatic change is not unlike a journey through a wilderness. At times we long for the past, for the way things used to be. At other times, we look fretfully ahead, searching for evidence that life will someday feel normal again.
Healthy coping requires, though, that we focus on the present, on this very day. Preoccupied by the past, we overlook moments in which God enables us to be strong, resilient, and courageous. Fixated on the future, we ignore God's instruction to set up camp and to rest in his care.
As we learn to trust and be led, we gain emotional and spiritual strength, enabling us to then help and comfort one another, as did Joshua and Caleb. While still in the desert, they were dispatched by Moses to scout the land of promise. When they returned, the men didn't keep to themselves all that they had learned about Canaan. Instead, Joshua and Caleb encouraged their fellow travelers, reminding them of God's constant presence, and assuring them that up ahead lay a fine, rich land, flowing with milk and honey.
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