From Complaining to Rebellion???

Last week I read the book of Numbers
In Numbers 11, the people of Israel complained about how bad the conditions were. They had to travel around, following God, pulling up camp when God decided to move, and setting camp wherever He stopped. They apparently got tired of that and began to complain. When God heard them, He sent fire to consume the outskirts of the camp. The people cried out to Moses, who prayed for them, and the fire died out.

Then, they complained because they were tired of the manna that God gave them to eat every day. They wanted meat. God sent a wind that brought quail around the camp, three feet deep. They had more than enough quail to eat, but, while they were eating, God became angry with them and sent a plague upon them.

In Numbers chapter 12, Miriam and Aaron began to complain against Moses. The Lord defended Moses.

In Numbers 13, Moses sent spies into the promised land. All we men agreed that the land was wonderful, fertile and beautiful, but 10 men discouraged the people by saying they could not take the land because of the giants. Even though Joshua and Caleb reminded the people that God would give them the victory because He had promised the land to them, the Israelites rebelled against God and refused to go into the land.

Here is what I have been thinking. The children of Israel grumbled and complained; about God's leading, about God's provision, and about God's appointed leader. They developed a habit of complaining. Then, when the big test came, they rebelled; open, complete disobedience. I am wondering how often unrestricted complaining eventually leads to rebellion. Grumbling and complaining about the things that God has provided for us or has allowed to come our way, undermines faith. Eventually, a complaining mind-set might lead into an open rebellion.

More Camping Pictures

Ladies Campout; Sulpher OK, July 17-18

Just showing some pictures from the camp out last weekend. Tara Gower did a great job making all the arrangements. 28 women and girls hiking, tubing, sleeping in tents, cooking on an open fire, no complaining or grumbling. What an amazing group of women!
Sunday morning, we hiked up a "mountain" for a time of worship. Sarah Ground and Molly Roskilly led us in some songs.
Tara shared about 1 Peter 3:3-5 "Don't be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God."
Tara had a Mrs. Potato Head, and, as she put all the pieces on her, talked about how easy it is to focus on our appearance, our work, other outward things. Tara then turned the potato head around to show us it was empty on the inside. It was a great visual aid to remind us to fill up the inside.

Lake House Vacation

I am EXTREMELY blessed when it comes to family. We all love each other, and even like each other. We get along great and enjoy being together. It gives me such great joy to see all of the grandchildren playing happily, surrounded by aunts and uncles who love them.

Last week, we spent 4 nights at a rented lake house, which is an annual tradition we began 6 years ago. Having extended time away together really creates great memories and strong bonds.




We started with a house of about 1200 square feet, filled with 15 people; crazy crowded, but enough fun to make us want to make it a new tradition.




This year, we had a house with 5 bedrooms and 3 baths, with 20 people. It is amazing how many hours I can spend floating on the lake, talking with my daughters and playing with the grandchildren. Ultimate relaxation!

I am so grateful for the precious gift of a wonderful family.

60 Years

I had the pleasure of attending a reception on Saturday for a 60th wedding anniversary. Not many people are married that many years, so it was a special day, but this day was special because of the two special people who were celebrating, Gilbert and Carolyn Ross.
I wrote about my dear friend Carolyn a few weeks ago, so I won't repeat that story now.Gilbert and Carolyn were married at a young age.
They attended College together, then went to seminary, then to Mexico, where they served as missionaries for 47 years. They lived in Durango, a city surrounded by mountains. Not content with sharing the gospel of Jesus with the people of Durango, Gilbert bought a small plane and learned to fly so that he could go to the people who lived in the remote villages in the mountains. Carolyn tells how Gilbert sang his favorite hymn, How Great Thou Art every time he flew, always trusting God to get him to the village and back home again as he flew the little plane that he somehow kept together and in the air. For many years, Gilbert would cry every time he heard that song because it brought back such sweet memories of God's protection and care. Gilbert and Carolyn made a huge impact on the city of Durango and the surrounding area as they faithfully lived their lives and shared God's love. Even after Gilbert had to move into a nursing home due to Parkinson's disease and dementia, Carolyn would often find him in the hallway preaching to the nurses and residents (in Spanish of course). Gilbert is not able to preach any more, or sing, but he and Carolyn inspire those around them to love and serve our Lord faithfully and with radical abandon.

They celebrated on Saturday with four of their five daughters, pictured here, and many friends.

For everything there is a season

Ecclesiastes 3:1-12

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace
Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart.

Do you get what he said here? That God made EVERYTHING beautiful in its time. Solomon wrote these words, inspired by God, a list of good things and bad things. He says there is a time be born, but also there is a time to die; a time to laugh, but also a time to cry; a time for peace, but also a time for war; a time to love and a time to hate. According to God's word, there is a time in each of our lives for the hard things, the things we think are bad. God even says that He will make all of these things beautiful; beautiful in its own time. When God says it is time to tear down or to grieve, He makes that a beautiful thing. Isn't that a comforting thought? We come to the realization that we will have times in our lives that are hard, and maybe we can accept that, but God says, No, it's more than that. You don't have to just get through the hard times, I will make them beautiful.

How does He make the bad things beautiful? "He has planted eternity in the human heart". God created man with something for eternity in his heart. We hunger for the eternal. We have all heard it said that we have a "God shaped hole" in us. It is true. All people have this. Those of us who have become followers of Jesus have the hole filled. We have someone eternal in our hearts, but there still is a hunger, a hunger for more of the eternal. That is why ALL things can be beautiful. God is with us, walking with us through the times of grieving, of crying, of pain, of war, the times of tearing down scattering. Those times are precious because we learn to lean on Him and draw closer to Him. Those are truly beautiful times.

Some who SAW God but still rebelled

I am reading through Exodus, and was fascinated by a story in Exodus 24

Ex 24:9-11
9 Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain again. 10 There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. 11 And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence!

Here not only Moses, but Aaron and his sons, and seventy elders all went up on Mount Sinai and saw God, heard God speak, even had a meal with God.

Ex 24:12-18
12 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands so you can teach the people." 13 So Moses and his assistant Joshua set out, and Moses climbed up the mountain of God.

14 Moses told the elders, "Stay here and wait for us until we come back. Aaron and Hur are here with you. If anyone has a dispute while I am gone, consult with them."
15 Then Moses climbed up the mountain, and the cloud covered it. 16 And the glory of the Lord settled down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from inside the cloud. 17 To the Israelites at the foot of the mountain, the glory of the Lord appeared at the summit like a consuming fire. 18 Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Everyone knows what happened while Moses was on the mountain with God. Chapter 32 tells the story
Ex 32:1-6
When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. "Come on," they said, "make us some gods who can lead us. We don't know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt." 2 So Aaron said, "Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me." 3 All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, "O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!" 5 Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, "Tomorrow will be a festival to the Lord!" 6 The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.

I know this is a very familiar story. What interested me this week was the fact that AAron and the other leaders were so privileged to actually SEE God, to be brought into His presence, to hear Him speak, even have a meal there. Then, just a few days later, they participate in worshipping an idol, a calf that AAron made from their very own earrings. Where were those 70 elders who had sat in God's presence. In Exodus 33:20, God says that no one may see God directly and live. God allowed these men to see God and live, and yet, in a few days, they allow or help the people to worship a god that is not God. AAron looked at the LORD, he knew the the LORD did not look like a calf, but he made a calf and told the people they would hold a festival to the LORD. I am stunned when I think of this. Moses went back to the mountain because God had more instructions for him to give the people. It seems that the people would have been in good hands while Moses was gone, with leaders who had just spent time with God. Spending time with God is necessary, and without that we don't have any hope to hear Him speak and to obey Him, but we cannot just walk away.
It is frightening to think that I can enter into God's presence, worship Him, enjoy Him, really see Him in my Spirit, but still go out and disobey.
...just my thoughts this week.