favor & a lack of trust

Psalm 106:24 The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they wouldn't believe His promise to care for them.

After all the Jews had been thru with God - sending Moses to them, the plagues that freed them, cross the Red Sea on dry land, the drowning of Pharoah's army, the giving of the law @ Mt. Sinai, & all the other stuff they experienced with Him - after all that, He says, go take Canaan, & they don't believe He'll take care of them.

And we're just like them. We live lives smack dab in the middle of His favor & we don't have any faith or trust in Him. When He says, "I want you to do this," we say, "you want me to do what?!!!"

Why can't we learn to just say, "whatever..."

I mean, what do we have to lose? If we're wrong, we just look stupid. Goodness knows, we look stupid enough, anyway, doing some of the stuff we do.

What have we got to lose by just following what we believe is God's leading & direction?!

Who knows? Maybe it will lead us into a "pleasant land" like the Jews were offered.

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I also read in 2 Corinthians 11 where Paul recounts some of the things that have happened to him as a Christ follower.

In view of the fact that we're such prissy fat-cat Christ followers, driving out SUV's & getting pouty if our latte isn't quite the temperature we like, you might understand why in some ways this passage always makes me laugh just a little.

Would any of us be Christ followers if just ONE of these things happened to any of us?!

2 Corinthians 11:23b I have worked harder,

been put in prison more often,

been whipped times without number,

and faced death again and again.

24 FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.

25 THREE TIMES I was beaten with rods.

ONCE I was stoned.

THREE TIMES I was shipwrecked.

ONCE I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.

26 I have traveled on many long journeys.

I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers.

I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles.

I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas.

And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. (dan note: I think this is the worst thing to have to face)

27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights.

I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food.

I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying.32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me.33 I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.


Like I said...