Wednesday, February 10, 2010
February 11 ... Numbers 1 - 2 "He Isn't Safe But He's Good"
Numbers 2: 33-34 Number the mighty men over 21 who will fight this battle. 603,550! MARCH ON! We know the rest of the story. 603,548 will die in their wilderness---they won't have ears to listen. "Only 2 will make it to the Promised Land." I'm taken over how tedious this census job was. I keep waiting for them to have some fun in life. I think my definition of what it means to enjoy life is changing. Do I subtly think that things going well in life is really living? 40 years wandering in a wilderness---did they find Joy there? Is my life about finding Joy and Rest and Peace in midst of some small suffering while advancing His Kingdom? Or am I trying to get the good life rolling down here? Crabb talks today about the "safe quote" in the Chronicles. Remember the story in the Chronicles of Narnia. Aslan was the real ruler of the land but he looked SCARY to the children..Susan poses the question: "But is he safe?" After all, he is a roaring lion. Mr. Beaver replies with this oft-quoted intriguing line: "Course he isn't safe. But, he's good. He's the King, I tell you." And we know the rest of the story that these Israelites did not know. Jesus has broken the curse of our fallen humanity---HE has done something about our depravity. No longer frozen in winter, it's Christmas every day knowing Him. And yes, He's not safe today either, but HE is good! And we know Psalm 27:14 "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the Goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Wait, o my soul, on the Lord and not on any man changing. 66 Love Letters: "The road to life will expose you to terrible failure and crushing conflict. But only that road leads to the life you want, the life I give you."
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"Only THAT road leads to the life you want, the life I give you."
ReplyDeleteThe road to LIFE, and the way is treacherous.
I have always loved CS Lewis's quote "Of course he isn't safe. But, he's good." How often I just want safe (which really isn't safe at all!)
I have so much to learn.
As we read the details of the census, part of my brain wants to shut down, I immediately think math and spread sheets, the other part of my brain kicks in and says God is in the details.
ReplyDeleteThe people have been ou of Egypt (free) for 2 years. The following verses struck me today:
Numbers 1:54 The people of Israel did everything God commanded Moses. They did it all.
Numbers 2: 34 The people of Israel did everything the way God commanded: They camped under their respective flags; they marched by tribe with their ancestral tribes
As they were obedient to God, life was good. He cares about all of it, every detail.
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ReplyDeleteMake that out of Egypt...not ou...
ReplyDeleteAt first I read "Numbers" and thought... "boring". Honestly, I skimmed through them. Until I read 66 Love Letters. Wow! I wrote a little bit about it on my blog...
ReplyDeletehere.
Have a great day!
It's the perfect plan. Two million people obeyed. 603,550 marched in front and led them and pulled it off. And it cost them their 2 million lives! Whoa! How many of us today are marching on thinking we are obeying and doing the right thing and we may be misunderstanding the plan of God! I have thought just about every day of that quote on the bottom of xxv in 66 Love Letters. If we focus on the smaller story of our lives, we will misunderstand everything that matters. "Things that feel awful to you will be seen as nothing other than tragedies to reverse if possible, endure if necessary, and at all costs prevent from happening again." Reverse. Endure. Prevent. I'm strong and sleek enough to make that happen and that's just scary to me! I do not want to misunderstand the plan of my God. So what does that mean this day?
ReplyDeleteWere the Israelites obedient from their hearts? Am I obedient from my heart?
ReplyDeleteI am thankful this morning for the reading in 66 Love Letters as it made the Numbers reading come alive to me.
ReplyDeleteCrabb says that only Joshua and Caleb ultimately entered the Promised Land because "everyone else was presumptuous and unbelieving...They never looked deep enough inside to see what was terribly wrong in their own hearts. Presumption that everything that looks okay on the surface is okay blinds you to your real problem."
Am I blind to my real problem? Have I been willing to look deep inside myself, instead of concluding that others are wrong?? Have I "refused to walk the narrow road of belief that welcomes exposure of failure and conflict"?
There is too much unresolved relational conflict in my extended family (my sister, his mother, church), and oftentimes I have wanted to be right more than I wanted God in the midst of it. Have I really BELIEVED that God can overcome these problems? Sort of...sometimes...not really. See, even now I'm making excuses and trying to avoid exposure of my failures. Ugh.
God has so much to do in me!
Do I subtly think that things going well in life is really living?
ReplyDeleteI am so guilty of saying YES to this question. I truly enjoy the "good times" and the easiness in the road of the everyday life. When life "settles down" and the season in my life that is quiet and well planned out. Its almost like I can exhale and "enjoy" what the Lord has for me.
Yet, as I think and pray about this question, I know that I am settling on what the Lord has planned for my life. I am living in a safety net and not truly believing that He is in Control.
I need to let go and just live. Embracing the change (in my plans, in my life, and most of all change in the way I feel safe.)