“…because the Lord was not able…”

            For many people in this world God does not even exist, and for others, he has the same or even less power than any idol you can buy at a religious establishment.  These statues of “saints,” “virgins” and a myriad of false gods seem to be more powerful than the real God is to their followers, as millions of deluded and lost people follow, pray and worship these idols exclusively.

            What is even sadder is the fact that they praise their idols for their blessings, and blame the only true God if anything goes wrong.  This is a travesty to say the least and a great offense against God.

            Moses was aware of the sinful nature of the Canaanites, when he begged God to forgive his rebellious people.  He was certain that the Egyptians and the Canaanites would mock and taunt God for his “inability” to deliver Israel completely.

            Our God does not share his glory with anyone and he will never be mocked.  He forgave the young sons of the children of Israel, but the rebellious fathers would die in the wilderness.  By doing this, God preserved the posterity of his people and the integrity of his deity.

            The unbelievers will continue doubting and attacking God.  They will take hold of the most insignificant detail or “reason” to prove that there is no God or that he is indeed powerless or evil.

            Let us be careful how we conduct ourselves in front of an unbelieving society.  Our testimony and reputation can give pagans a reason to discredit our good Lord.

            A. G.

            “We are not able to go against these people…”

            Moses cried out to God when his burden became greater than his strength.  He couldn’t do it alone and consequently reached out to the Lord for divine assistance.  This was the cry of a man of faith who was at the end of his rope.

            Nevertheless there is a great difference between Moses and his “I am not able…” and the incredulous complaint of the people: 

           “We are not able to go against these people.”   

            Moses was asking for help to do his work; the people were declaring their open unbelief of God’s power.

            When a Christian says “I Can’t” he is expressing himself as an unbeliever.  The Bible says that: “I can do all things through Him (Christ) that strengthens me.”  (Philippians 4:13).  In other words, power comes from God.  When we are unable to carry on, God will carry us in the wings of the Holy Spirit.  He will help us finish the race.

            Moses learned this lesson at the beginning of his ministry, when he ran out of excuses.  He learned that God’s power can overrule any deficiency or adversity.  He learned to come to God for help. 

            Moses told God; I can’t, but you can help me.  The Israelites said something like: “We are not able and we won’t do it.”  

            Are you weak today?  Do you feel that you are unable to go on? Cry to God with all of your heart and he will answer.  Never tell him that you “can’t” unless you are pleading for divine intervention.

            A. G.

            “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses…”

            A godly leader is rapidly becoming an endangered species.  No, he is not perfect, but he deserves our love, and respect. We are called to follow and support our leaders in the Lord (Philippians 3:17).

            A true leader is someone who models godliness with his words and deeds.  We should follow his example and honor his authority, without ever making the common mistake of almost worshipping him.

            I know you probably may be thinking:  What about if I don’t agree with my leader? Good communication is the key to success.  You can express your concerns, doubts or disagreements to your pastor or leader.  In other words you can speak to him with love and respect.

            What you must never attempt is to talk against God’s servants.  If you could ask Miriam, she would persuade you to desist, for she spoke against Moses and was immediately covered with leprosy.

            Leprosy is a symbol, not only of sin, but also of the impurities that sometimes invade and expand through our hearts.  A “leprous” heart is very difficult to clean, especially if we believe that we are right or that we have the “right” to hate, slander or criticize our leaders.

            When you find yourself in opposition to the leadership of your church, you have the right to approach them and speak to or with them.   Speak the truth, communicate with love and sincerity, and you will see God solving most, if not all, of the problems.

            A. G.

            “I am not able to carry all these people alone…”

The ants are famous for their strength and tremendous work ethic.  These little creatures are so strong, that they are able to carry objects weighing several times their own weight.

A little ant decided one day, to put on a show to showcase her “infinite” strength.  She left the colony alone and on the way she found an enormous (and dead) insect.  At that moment she decided that this was the opportunity that she had been looking for, so she carried the insect by herself back to the colony.  At the beginning everything went better than she planned.  The rest of her colony stood amazed at her display of raw force.  But the trek was long, and the load was heavy, and the “super ant” began to tire.

Now the colony was looking at the little ant struggling and many began to worry.

Every new step was slower than the last and finally the ant dropped to the ground and screamed:  “I cannot do it alone! Help me!”

Moses cried to God for help as he was being crushed under the enormous weight of his responsibilities.  God did not rebuke him for complaining, but provided seventy men to help him.  If you are under pressure and your strength is running out, do not give up.  Keep serving God and keep crying out to him for help.  He knows that you can’t do it alone; He knows that we need him.

God will help you.  He will send help at the most opportune time.  He will bring people to your life to encourage and support you.  He will also renew your strength and give you wings of eagles to keep flying.  We can’t do it, but God can.

A. G.

“…and you will be remembered before the Lord your God.”

Could I ask you a “tricky” question?

Yes?

Well here it goes:

Have you ever felt alone and forgotten?

Have you ever felt that God has abandoned you?

Have you ever felt that there is no light at the end of the tunnel?

If you are sincere with yourself you will probably admit that perhaps you have felt this way at one time or another.  Trials have a way of debilitating our faith, and our trust is sometimes clouded by doubt.

My advice to you is not to pay so much attention to your feelings.  The key to my question is based in the word felt.  When you feel inferior, it does not mean that other people are better than you; this is just a feeling or emotional opinion, that most of the time is not based on reality.

When you feel alone and forgotten by God, remember this is only a feeling, not the truth.  I can testify to this because God has promised his continual presence in several Bible passages.  God is always with us and He will never abandon his children.

I do not want to trivialize your pain, or minimize the scope of your adverse circumstances and neither does God.  He can empathize with you, because he became a man in order to die for us.  He knows everything about feelings, rejection, and loneliness.

Do not let feelings control your spiritual life, for controlling is the job of the Holy Spirit.  Keep praying, keep trusting in the Lord and he will reveal Himself to you as never before.  Do not be surprised if you can “see” Jesus better and brighter during, and in the midst of your darkest hour.

A. G.