3.9.14

Numbers 10:31 "Please don't leaves us!" Moses pleaded (with Hobab) "You know the places in the wilderness we should camp. Come be our guide. If you do, we will share with you all the blessings The Lord gives us." 

My Thoughts

I couldn't help but think when I read this that we should live our lives in such a way that we have blessings to share. So often we get lost in providing for ourselves and our families, that we overlook our blessings. We get so busy getting that we stop noticing all the blessings that have been poured out on our lives and when we forget to notice, it is much harder to share. God sends His blessing down all the time on our lives. We are to share and God tells us in Luke 6:38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.

It is so easy to be stingy..so easy! But when we let go of what God has blessed us with that is when we really begin to see blessings abound in our lives. 

3.18.13

Numbers 28:1-2 The lord said to Moses, "Give these instructions to the people of Israel: The offerings you present as special gifts are a pleasing aroma to me; they are my food.  See to it that they are brought at the appointed times and offered according to my instructions.

 

My Thoughts

When I read this I immediately thought of Psalms 50:14 (I didn't remember it was verse 50:14, but I did remember it was Psalms...thank goodness for Internet search!). Psalms 50:14 says to "Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God.  Numbers 28:2 says that the offerings we present to God are pleasing, that they are His food.  Would we withhold food from someone we love? No we wouldn't... so if we love God we should be feeding him all the time...with thankfulness!!  We should be totally aware of all that God has given us and we should tell Him all the time "thank you!"  Not offering up an appetizer or a snack..we should offer up to God a feast fit for the King that He is!!

3.15.13

Numbers 22:8 How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn those whom the Lord has not condemned?

 

My Thoughts

King Balak wanted the prophet Balaam to curse the children of Israel...three times he tried to get Balaam to curse them...but Balaam said that he could only say what God told him to say and each time God blessed the Children of Israel  instead!! 

 

When we walk in God... when we do what God ask us to do... when we depend on God ... when we love God... God protects us!!  Even from the curses of our enemies!! 

 

There is so much that comes from loving God!!  Satin will try to convince us that we loose out...that we have to give up so much if we walk with God. The truth is this, we gain  so much when we love God!!  We even get blessings in place of curses!! God protects His children... He loves them.. He blesses them... He watches over them and fills them with love and joy and peace!!  He provides all their needs and cares about the desires of their hearts!

 

I am constantly amazed at how much God loves me... I feel so very blessed that He does!!

 

3.8.13

Numbers 11:5,6 10 We remember the fish we use to eat for free in Egypt.  and we had all the cumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic we wanted.  But now our appetites are gone.  All we ever see is this manna." Moses heard all the families standing the the doorways of their tents whining and the Lord became extremely angry. Moses was also very aggravated.

 

My Thoughts

The Israelites might have had a bigger variety when they were back in Egypt.  But how quickly they forgot that they were slaves then too.  Slaves!  Without much time to enjoy anything.  Here they were, provided with all that they need, and they were free, yet they complained! And it made God angry!! 

 

We often do that!!  Think that what God has chosen to give us is not enough, forgetting that what God provides for us is always enough...and when we show good responsibility with what we have been given then God will give us more.  Instead we jump ahead...thinking we deserve more and make ourselves a slave to payments.  Then those payments become such a burden...and last long after the "things" we "had" to have ware out. 

 

I wonder if God looks at us like he looked at the Israelites that day, when we make ourselves a slave to credit??   I think that He might.  After all aren't we saying, "You have not provided me with enough! I want more! Even if I have to be a slave!" 

 

We should try living on what God provides...and not a bit more and see how much freer we feel!!  God cares about our needs, and He cares about the desires of our hearts.  He will supply all of our needs when we love Him and do what He ask us to do...and we will also get enough of our desires ...not so many that we don't stay grounded but enough of them.  When we show God that we can handle what Has given us and still follow Him, still Honor him...then he entrust us with more. But in a way where we can enjoy the more... freely enjoy it!! Enjoy it without the chains of slavery!!  It is our choice.. to be a slave or be free...which will you choose?

3.6.13

Numbers 6:22-27 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing:

May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on  you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show  you his favor and give you his peace.'

Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them."

My Thoughts

OH! God's blessings!!  God's blessings are beyond anything we can even think to imagine.  God's blessings on our live are enough... not more than we need so we get into trouble... not ever less than we need... God's blessings are perfect blessings sent down in perfect love!

When we become one of God children by accepting Jesus into our lives all of God's promises apply to our lives too.  This blessing didn't just happen.. it had to be spoken over the lives of people..then God would bless the people himself!  If we don't know these verses we miss out on giving the people around us wonderful blessings of God.   What better gift could we give somebody!?!?

This one is going on my frig!!  It is a must remember!!  Robby called just a minute ago and I was able to say this over his day!!  I need to say it every day over him!!  Over my children... over my friends... over my enemies. I need to know these words!!!  If they only work on those moments where I am  totally right with God then maybe I have moments where my words will bring down God's blessings on someone.... I don't won't to miss out on  a chancce to speek God's blessings on somebody's life! 

3,13.12

Numbers 20:12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, You will not lead them into the land I am giving them."

My Thoughts

This verse really got me thinking this morning... so much so that I had trouble concentrating on the rest of what I was reading.  Moses was such a mighty man of God!  Then he lost out on so much because he failed to trust God. I so wonder what we miss out in today's world, in our lives because we fail to trust God? I have learned to give so much to God ... but still there is so much I fail to trust God with. I am sure that I am not alone... how much have we missed out on?? There is no telling... we already have so much, so many blessings from God!  Imagine what  life would be like if we had given it all to Him... if we just trusted God with our all!! We need to wake up each morning and say "I trust you God with this day!" and then not take any of the day back. "Here are my words God I trust you with them." "Here is my husband and my children God, I trust you with them." "Here are my hands and feet God, I trust you with them." "Here is my job God, I trust you with it." "Here is my money God, I trust you with it." Look at all God gives us when we forget to say thank you..when we forget to trust Him. I know how much richer my life is now that I have learned to give God so much more than I use to.... I am so looking forward to giving God more of me!!

3.12.12

Numbers 16:11 The Lord is the one you are your followers are really revolting against! For who is Aaron that you are complaining about him?"

My Thoughts

The leaders of the Church were compiling about Arron..they were leading rebellion against him.  They were demanding the priesthood. Look what Moses says in verse 11... "The Lord is the one you are revolting against!" God has put our pastors in place in our churches. This verse says to me that when we grumble and complain about our pastors we are grumbling and complaining about God. What I have learned is that God is in control and if we leave things to God, God will take care of any problem we have... but we have to give those problems to God.  God will also take care of putting somebody in the church that will lead his people in the right direction .. if they are truly seeking God. When we rise up against the people that God has put in charge of leading us in the right direction...leading us in doing what God ask us to do....then we are rebelling against God himself.  We need to be very careful to support our pastors, the leaders of our church... listen to what he is telling us and teaching us... we need to show our respect. We need to remember that the respect that we show our pastor is also respecting God. When we do what God ask... God takes care of everything else!

So often when there needs to be changes in a church people are quick to blame the pastor of that church... when actually the changes that need to be made are actually in the hearts of the people.  We have pastors to lead us.... they are not wholly responsibility for what we know and learn... we need, ourselves,  take the responsibility for our own lives and spend time every day in God's word...and on our knees. Too often the people of the church think that their whole responsibility is to show up on Sunday morning.  The church is a family...we are to work together as a family... learning and growing... being supportive of each other... doing our part to make the church successful.  A family would fall apart of everybody was depending on one person to do it all... so will a church. So next time we see a change that needs to be made in Church... or something that needs to be done..lets not complain... lets ask ourselves "How can I be a part of that change?" or "What is my part in accomplishing what needs to be done?" When we all work together, as a family, all doing our part, our Churches will begin to grown in leaps and bounds!! And if we all did something a little more than "show up" there wouldn't be too much for anybody to take care of!

3.10.12

Numbers 14:11 And the Lord said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the maraculous signs I have done among them?

My Thoughts

Oh wow God was upset! He had taken these people out of slavery... he had done amazing thing for them to see, like part the Red Sea.  He has sent Manna down from the sky each day for them to eat. He had taken care of them!  He had done everything He promised them he would do.  Now He as gotten them to the Promise Land... a beautiful place, full of everything they needed and more. He said this is your land I am giving it to you... you will defeat the giants living there.  But the people refused to enter...they let there fears get the best of them...and instead of taking concerns to God they complained.  The complained to each other...they didn't trust that God would do what He said. God was angry.... he was so angry because the people didn't trust Him or believe Him.

I couldn't help but thing how much grumbling and complaining we do today.  You can't go anywhere without hearing people grumble and complain.  About jobs if they have them... about not having a job if they don't. About gas prices and food prices... husbands complain about their wives and wives about their husbands. Kids about their parents and parents about their children. People complain if their spots team looses. People complain that their is not enough time in a day...and about being board if they don't have something to fill up their day.

We have so much in America...even when times are hard we still have so much.... I know times have been really, really hard for some people these past few years.. people have lost so much.  And it is hard.  So often we feel like we have to vent or burst.  God was not upset at these people for venting, David vented all the time... the difference is that David vented to God.... not to the people around him.  When David vented to God... God quited Davids soul and David knew that all would be well.  David trusted God so much that he even carried his frustrations to God. We know from God's word that God was pleased with David. 

The difference in the Israelites and David is that David, even when he was afraid,  trusted God and did what God asked... David took his worries to God and not to other people.  When we take our worries to God instead of other people God can tell us what to do about those worries... God can tell us that He will take care of us. People, they tend to water our worries and make them bigger. God weeds out our worries and makes our hopes and dreams grow, even in the face of great, big obstacles.

God was not upset at the people for being afraid... God was upset at the people for grumbling and compiling and for not trusting Him. We need to go about our days building each other up.. giving each other hope..showing each other love... and when frustrations enter our world we need to take those to God and trust him with all that we are and all that we hope to be. 

God loved the Israelites so much and He had a present for them.. a wonderful land, that had all they could ever want... instead of taking that gift the people complained. Oh what God must think of us ...after all look at all we have been given. We need to make sure that we don't walk around acting like the Israelites. We need to make sure that we look around at what we do have, constantly thanking God...and then we need to reach out and embrace the next thing God has planned for us.

Now if I can just get better and better and better at putting in to practice all that God is teaching me in His Word!!

3.6.12

My step-mother is in the hospital...they keep having to put her surgery off because things keep happening... please keep her in your prayers.

Numbers 6:22-27 The the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: 'May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on  you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.' Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them."

My Thoughts

All the promises of the Bible become ours when we become God's.  All the things God ask of people in the Bible, He also ask of us. As I read this blessing I thought of how many people are missing out on blessings because we forget to pay attention to what God ask us to do. I was thinking of how many times lately, now that I am learning, that God has asked me to pray for people that I come in contact with... how many times he has give me the opportunity to say a prayer with people. I will learn this prayer! What better thing could you pray over anybody than God's blessings and protection... God's smile and God's favor... God's peace.

I have heard this prayer... I have read these verses... but today is the first time I thought of it as my responsibility to ask for God's blessings on people...I as so often for God to do things for people that I know and I love... but I am not sure that actually asked for these things that are so special.

This morning I thought I really need to pray this over my sweet husband who I love so much. Who God loves so much. I held his had and prayed this simple prayer over him. Of all the people in the world that I know I want God to bless Robby.  I will pray this prayer over my children soon too...when I can hold their hands.  And when God asked me to pray for someone I will pray this prayer over their lives!  There are so many people that I want God to bless. Now I have the words to ask for those blessings!!

8.5.11

Numbers 15:38-30 (God said)“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: Throughout the generations to come you must make tassels for the hems of your clothing and attach them with a blue cord.  When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the Lord instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do.  The tassels will help you remember that you must obey all my commands and be holy to your God. ...."

My Thoughts

When I was a little girl every day in each classroom across my school the teacher lead a prayer. Children were respectful then and parents backed the teacher if the student got into trouble.We were reminded each morning to be good by prayer. We were reminded that God was in control.  I think that prayer was much like the tassels hanging from the hems of the clothing of the Israelites.  We didn't even realize how much it reminded us to be good, to do what is right.

What I love about my daily Bible reading is that I get reminded daily of something that God expects from me. I get reminded daily how much God loves me.  I get reminded daily that God forgives me. I get reminded daily that I can go to God with anything.... the most important part is that I go to Him. I get reminded daily that I am not alone... I get reminded daily that God expects me to do my best. I get reminded daily that God loves me now matter how bad that I mess things us. I get reminded daily how to make my life here on earth a better place.... I get reminded daily that heaven is my future. I get reminded daily that we are all God's children. I get reminded daily to love everybody, not just the lovable.

I heard recently about a psychologist (I think) that decided to have each of his patients read, not reciete but to read, slowly and carefully with much thought to each sentence the 23rd Psalm. Thy were to read this three times a day for two weeks and then come back to his office.  The patients that did this were better, many needing no more treatment in just two weeks.  I bleive this is because they were reminded over and over that God is in control and that he loves us and he cares for us.  The were not without their tassel and it changed them.  What if each Christina in America did this three times a day for just two weeks?  I think it would turn our country in a new directions... it would turn each of our lives in a new directions I know.

The 23rd Psalm

The Lord is my shepherd;

I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.

Numbers 15:38-39 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: Throughout the generations to come you must make tassels for the hems of your clothing and attach them with a blue cord. When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the Lord instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do."

My Thoughts

God wanted the people to have a visual reminder to do what was right...to do what He ask them to do. I really like this idea! We need reminders...that is why it is good to read our Bible each day and put the words of God in our heart so that we will remember then when we have decisions to make to choose that God would want us to do.  The words of God need to guide our hearts, our words, our hands, our feet.  I love the idea of something visual to remind me to think of what God would want me to do.  This could be a string around my finger... a cross around my neck... My dear husband always makes sure that I get a heart of some kind for Christmas... always... a heart reminds me always that he loves me.  The sight of a heart can melt my my heart and makes me think of  Robby everytime I see one.... I am going to look for something to have to remind me of God's love... to remind me to choose always what God would have me do...I think it might be a key... Because God is the key to happiness, love, forgiveness, freedom, peace, right living... God is the key to life...and abundant life... I feel truly, hopelessly blessed that I discovered how to have a relationship with our Amazing, Wonderful, All Mighty God. What will you choose to remind you?

3.9..11

Numbers 13:7-8 I would speak to them in dreams. But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?”

My Thoughts

God loved Moses so much!  God did not want people talking about Moses.  God loves all of us so much that he sent his only son  to die for us.(John 3:16) Do you think God wants people to talk about us... or us to talk about people.  Yet when we run out of things to say we tend to talk about people.  I know I am guilty...in fact most people I know are guilty of talking about somebody at some point in time.  It even happens, often happens in God's house, the Church. We need to listen to what Thumpers mother said in Bambi, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."  Imagine how we could change our world around us, at least our own life if we did not ever talk bad about somebody else.  1. We wouldn't eve have to worry about what we had said, if somebody was going to repeat us. 2. If nobody every heard us say a bad thing about anybody else no one would believe it if somebody said we said a bad thing about them.  3. Imagine how much we would build up the people around us if we only spoke good about others. 4. If we started practicing this we would begin to notice what somebody did right, we would notice the good in others and we would learn to see the good instead of the bad. 5. Others would start seeing only the good in us. 6. God would be so pleased with us, so proud that we were learning to do what he ask.  I imagine that the list of the benefits of not talking bad about anybody would be more far reaching than one could even understand. This one thing could change our own personal world, it could change the workplace, it could change the Church, it could actually change the world. Mahatma Gandhi said: "Be the change you want to see in the world." I, myself, me would love the world to see my through rose colored glasses... so I will do my best to see others and the world the same way.  What are you going to choose to see in others, what are you going to choose to say about others?  Lets start this journey together today lets "Be the change we want to see in others." Lets choose to make God smile.

3.8.11

Numbers 11:1a Soon the people began to complain about their hardships, and the Lord heard everything they said.  Then the lord's anger blazed against them.

My Thoughts

God is really working on me about being thankful and not being a complainer.  I think we tend to complain out of habit.  We notice what is wrong instead of what is right.  We can have a hundred things go right in our day. But when somebody ask how our day has been we tell them about that one wrong thing that happened. We have been given so much yet we tend to look at that person that says I am so blessed like they are strange. Complaining seems to be common practice.  We hear people complain when gas prices go up...but we don't hear people being thankful when they go down...they just complain that they went up in the first place. People complain about taxes and forget to be thankful about roads that get us from here to there.  People complain about government, then turn around as talk about what the government should do for them. We complain when it is too hot and we complain when it is too cold. We, who have so much, complain just to be complaining.  Yesterdays verse said to "Make thankfulness our sacrifice." (Psalms 50:14) I am going to start today by doing this: Every time the devil puts a complaint in my head (he loves to tell you you don't have) I am going to speak out of my mouth three things I am thankful for.  I am going to do this over and over and over until my habit it not to complain, but to be thankful!  What are you thankful for today!!