Today in my quiet time, I sort of had a break through. Let me share it with you:
I was reading in Numbers. Toward the end of Numbers 9, it is talking about how the Israelites, while wandering in the desert after they left Egypt, would be led by God in the form of a pilar of cloud or a pilar of fire. Whenever the cloud or fire would move, they would move. Sometimes they would stay for a few days somewhere, sometimes a week, sometimes only overnight. But, they would always follow God where ever he had them go.
Verses 22-23 say, “Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. 23At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.”
When I read this, it was somewhat convicting for me. It made me think, “Do I follow God like this–staying only at his command and moving only in order to follow him?” The reality, no doubt, is that I oftentimes do not.
As I thought further about it, I began to ask myself, why is it that I don’t follow God like this? I am convinced that the reason that I (and other Christians) do not follow God in this fully dependant manner is because it takes faith and faith makes us uncomfortable. See, faith is believing God when we aren’t sure of what will happen. I think all too often, I “obey” God by doing that things that I can understand and do on my own strength. Obeying God in this way doesn’t take faith at all–it just takes will. Obeying God when I don’t understand what he’s doing or why he’s asking me to do it requires me to really depend on God. This, friends, is real faith.
Someone once described it to me by saying, “Faith is putting yourself in a position, where if God didn’t come through for you, you would be screwed.” Now, that’s somewhat brash, but I think it is true. Am I willing to put myself out on the line to obey God and stop just doing what I already know I can do?