Fixing Sin

02.24.13

Numbers 14.41 41 But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the Lord, when that will not succeed?” (ESV)

Moses’ leadership and ministry were marked with some very difficult days of praying and interceding for the people he brought out of Egypt. Very often Moses was a middle-man trying to appease God and trying to save the people who had offended God. The people at times were like unruly children. Moses spent a significant part of his ministry on his face before the Lord pleading for mercy on their behalf.

At this point in the story, the people have rebelled against Moses, believing they have only been duped into taking possession of the Promised Land; Moses has somehow tricked them into following him all the way out there just so they would die at the hands of the inhabitants of the land they were to possess. So the Lord banishes that generation to forty years of wandering in the desert so that when they all die their children would come in and possess the land.

Well that was too much and so the grumblers decided that they would now obey the Lord, and go up and begin to take the land. Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the Lord, when that will not succeed?” In other words, Look guys, what God has said, He has said and there ain’t no fixing it. Don’t try to fix one sin by committing another – make the most of the situation and leave the results to God.

It’s the heart that the Lord is interested in: theirs, yours, and mine. He doesn’t care about our performance: the heart devoted can make up a lot for an ego that’s bloated. It’s our relationship with Him and our obedience to Him that He looks for and rewards. So often when we are found out we attempt to over-correct and complicate matters in our over-correction. It is painful to accept the consequences and so to minimize them, we try to make up for in correction what we messed up in election. It doesn’t work – God looks at our heart.

Working harder for the Lord doesn’t impress Him. Adding to my spiritual resume’ doesn’t get me a better position in the Kingdom – if nothing else it only compounds the problem by inflating my ego and causing me to sin further by casting judgment on others who don’t appear to be trying as hard as I am to make God happy. Yikes! The lengths to which we’ll go!

Today, I am looking at their mistake and thinking, I hope I’m not doing the same thing. Even in that God just shakes His head: Paul, have you not learned a thing? If I see anything at all today it’s this: God doesn’t give E’s for effort – He’s looking for friends. He’s looking for the faithful who will walk with Him no matter what happens or when; and will trust Him that even in the most dire appearing or difficult circumstances: He will provide, He will protect, and His purposes will prevail.

Lord, Help me to simply trust You and walk with You as Your friend accepting all of the circumstances of life as training for me as I make my way toward Home: my true Promised Land; Your presence forever. Help me not to try and buy Your favor. May I walk with You today in faith, and simply love You more and stop trying to impress You with how I can fix what I’ve broken and/or have no control over. Help me I pray – amen.