March 2023

 March 3, 2023
 Daily Reading – Numbers 8-9 / Mark 8:1-21

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Numbers 9:21 And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    Can you even imagine, watching a cloud and doing what it did. It is like a giant game of “Simon Says.” The Cloud stops, the Children of Israel set up camp, they set up the tabernacle, and arrange all the items in the tabernacle as they are to be. The cloud lifts and moves, pack everything up, and follow that cloud. That is a lot of work. In Number 9:22 it says; “Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.” It would be hard enough in the day, but today’s verse says they moved whether it was day or night. Why not just wait to see if possibly the cloud would come back. The answer is very simple.

 

    The answer is that they needed to be where God was, and God was in that cloud. He was leading them in this wilderness. He was supplying their needs. Their food, water supply, direction, and care were all in God’s hands. When God moved, they immediately followed. They did not want to be anywhere that God was not.

 

    God does not lead by a cloud anymore, instead He has given us the Holy Spirit and His Word. In the good times (by day), or during the trials we endure (by night), God never leaves us nor forsakes us. Choose to always follow Him. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    God still supplies our needs. Everything we have comes from God. James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

 

Are you following God?

 

 

 March 2, 2023
 Daily Reading – Numbers 6-7 / Mark 7

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Numbers 7:3 And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    Our church took some time and went through 1st & 2nd Corinthians chapter by chapter. I recall sitting in my office reading over the passage for the week in my bible when I came to the passage in 2 Corinthians 9:7 & 8 “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” It occurred to me that many of the people in our congregation were giving, but they may be missing out on the blessings of giving because of the way they did so. I began to think, have I failed these people because I have not clearly conveyed to them that it was more important how they gave, than what they gave. I purposed in my heart that day to take just a moment before every offering to try to point peoples heart and therefore their offering to God. The only way to give cheerfully is to be mindful of who we are giving to. Remembering, it was God who gave us what we are about to offer back to Him as offering.

 

    The opening line of today’s verse says “And they brought their offering before the LORD.” They physically brought the offerings to Moses in the tabernacle. However, spiritually they brought it to the Lord, and Oh how He blessed all that they brought. It was always enough..

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    Our church may never be wealthy in the eyes of the world. Our people may not be rich according to earthly standards. Yet I believe if they paused, prayed, and praised God each week before giving offerings to Him, well, we always have enough. 

 

Is God’s enough, enough for you?

 

 

 March 1, 2023
 Daily Reading – Numbers 3-5 / Mark 6:32-56

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Numbers 5:2-3 Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead: Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    If you have ever been around young children who play outside in the summer, or you can remember back to when you were a child, you may remember a conversation that went something like this. Mom – “Go get in the bathtub and clean yourself up.” Child – “I am not that dirty.” Mom – “your hands and face are filthy, now get in the tub.” Child – “I will do it in the morning.” MOM – “YOU WILL DO IT NOW, RIGHT NOW, AND QUIT TALKING BACK.” Child – “ok.” To the child who had been playing in the dirt all day; they could not see the immediate need. This dirt looked ok all day, how bad can it be? To the mother who saw this cloud of dirt and dust swirling through the house, all she could see was dirty sheets, dirty hand towels, dirty pajamas, in fact a dirty anything they came in contact with.

 

    God gives a command to the children of Israel. Those who are defiled, or diseased must be put out of the camp until they are clean. Why? Well, there was the issue of contamination of others. Also, in the desert with no medical facilities to speak of, a real health issue could arise if they are not quarantined immediately. However, there is another reason that is just as important in the last line of Numbers 5:3. It says, “in the midst whereof I dwell.” Simply put, anyone who might come in contact with God’s tabernacle, the place where His glory would rest, must be clean.  

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    Many times, we are contaminated daily by the sin of the world. Sin is around us all day and we may not notice how dirty we are. That is until we read the soul cleansing Word of God. Like the disciples’ feet, we need to wash off the sin of the day by repentance.

 

Is it time for a Holy bath?