Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Trinity MTC, Houston
5 The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and
take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with
which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will be standing there in front of
you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so
that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Redemption is the theme of the
Bible as a whole. Anytime we humans sin, it is God’s great redeeming
act that saves us and puts us back on the path of sanctity if we desire to be
sanctified.
As
God had commanded, the Israelites journeyed through the desert for years with
on and off comforts and sufferings. As we read in the books of the Old
Testament, God’s protection was all around the Israelites. Even though they had
experienced His protection and care through times of great trouble, when they
encountered difficulties – this time, lack of water, they murmured with sour
voices and unthankful hearts. That trend still follows in modern times as well.
We are thankful to God when everything we need is given and provided, but when
things go wrong, we tend to blame God. The Israelites did not encompass the
idea that God is able to provide water out of barren rocks. In other words,
they acted upon missing immediate life needs and cursed the Lord for not
‘looking after’ them.
When
we visit a new place or a new country we start to develop impressions of what
we visualize and develop our own ‘point of view’ which may or may not differ
from that of others and also may differ from reality. A place or a setting that
seem great and wonderful may not continue to be so in the long run – weeks,
months or years later. Even when we meet new people or people who look and act
different from what we are, we tend to develop perspectives that could be
totally wrong, since we might not have gotten the full background, history, and
circumstances. The main reason for this type of wrongful perspective is our
limited thinking-power and comprehensive capacity. When we think of God and His
power, we tend to apply the same perspective, discounting the enormous power of
faith and Godly provisions.
As
humans, we are managers placed on this earth, who are to manage what is given
to us and report back to the master at the “end of the day”. God can open
fountains for us where we least expect them. In life’s journey, with sufferings
at times, those who trust in the power of God will attain strength to go on
victoriously.
PRAYER
God, open our hearts
to see Thy providence and let us be thankful for all that we have. Let us
depend on Thy might and power and affirm in our minds that Your continued care
will get us through life’s journey. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
The work of redemption was accomplished by Christ in His
death on the cross and has in view the payment of the price demanded by a holy
God for the deliverance of the believer from the bondage and burden of sin. In
redemption the sinner is set free from his condemnation and slavery to
sin."
- John F.
Walvoord