“Trust In Me”
In the first
month the whole Israelite community arrived at the
Now there was no water for the
community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. They
quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead
before the LORD! Why did you bring the LORD’s
community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? Why
did you bring us up out of
Moses and Aaron went from the
assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the
glory of the LORD appeared to them. The LORD said to Moses, “Take the staff,
and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock
before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of
the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
So Moses took the staff from
the LORD’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and
Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to
them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then
Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed
out, and the community and their livestock drank.
But the LORD said to
Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in
the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I
give them.”
These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD and
where he was proved holy among them.
Numbers 20:1-13
Moses listened a little bit.
Before, he had struck the rock and water came gushing out. This time, God
ordered him to “speak to that rock.” But Moses wasn’t listening, and He paid
for that. He acted without listening.
Sometimes in exhaustion or
exasperation, we don’t pay close attention to God. We assume He will always
work the same way. But He doesn’t. Sometimes He tells us to act, sometimes He
tells us to speak; sometimes He tells us to wait. That is why we must always be
careful to listen before we take action.
Listen – then obey.
Our Daily Bread –