Stepping in the Light

“And the space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the LORD sware unto them.” Deuteronomy 2:14

Moses is speaking to the people of Israel and reminding them of the things that had happened since God brought them out of the land of Egypt. The Lord gave them the opportunity to enter into the land of Canaan at Kadesh-barnea, but they turned back because they were afraid of the people of the land. Their lack of faith made the Lord so angry that He told Moses that none of the men who were old enough to go to war would live to go into the land of Canaan except for Joshua and Caleb. They were the only two men of fighting age who were willing to trust God and do what He had told them to do. The people of Israel spent the next thirty-eight years waiting for those men to die. They never had the opportunity to accomplish anything or build anything of lasting significance. They never owned land or built a home. They sat around in their encampment wasting away their days.

How sad it would be for us to live this way as Christians! A life of disbelief and disobedience is a miserable life for a person who has accepted Christ. The only way to find true fulfillment is to exercise our faith in His Word and to obey the commands that He has given us.

“Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.” Mark 10:15

Jesus taught that we have to become like a little child in order to be part of the kingdom of God. Let’s consider a few ways that children are good examples for grown up Christians.

First, children are prone to faith. They will believe what you tell them, even if it seems impossible.

Second, children are trusting. A father can place a small child up high on a counter and say, “Jump to daddy!” The child will jump, believing that his father will catch him.

Third, children are quick to forgive. If they begin fighting over a toy, they don’t hold a grudge forever. Soon they will be playing happily together again.

Fourth, children speak the truth. They will tell you what you need to know, even if it might hurt your feelings.

Lastly, children know how much their parents love them. They revel in the love that they sense in their mothers and fathers.

What if we applied these five examples to our Christian walk? We would have more faith in God, we would be quick to forgive, we would be ready to share the gospel, we would have confidence in our Heavenly Father’s love for us, and we would be much better examples to the people around us.

“And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?” Numbers 32:6-7

God had promised to give the whole land of Canaan to the Israelites. In the years before they crossed the Jordan River, they conquered several lands whose kings had made war against them. The tribes of Gad and Reuben asked if these lands could be their possession. Moses assumed that they were asking permission to stay and settle their land instead of going to war with the rest of the Israelites as they conquered Canaan. Moses saw this as presumptuous, selfish, and cowardly, He cautioned them that they might cause the other Israelites to falter and consequently fail to conquer the land that God had promised them. Moses warned them that if they sinned in shirking their responsibility, their sin would surely find them out. He made them promise that they would go to battle and do their part to help subdue the whole land. The tribes of Gad and Reuben responded by solemnly promising that they would cross the Jordan, go to battle, and completely conquer the land before they returned home to their families.

This situation raises a good question for us. We sign the songs “Stand Up for Jesus” and “Onward Christian Soldiers,” but are we really willing to stand for Jesus, or would we prefer to sit by and watch others shoulder the burden themselves?

“And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Mark 9:21-24

When Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, He found His disciples unsuccessfully trying to cast an evil spirit out of a boy. The father of the young boy said to Jesus, “If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” The father had failed to help his son. This man had undoubtedly taken his son to many other people for help, but to no avail. As the man brought the boy to Jesus, he came first to the disciples; and since Jesus had not been there, he had asked them to help, but they could not. The boy’s father was desperately continuing to seek help, but he had long since given up hope that anyone could actually help his son. He said to Jesus, “If thou canst do anything….” Jesus told him that all things are possible to him that believeth.

This father is a good picture of us as Christians. He knew that it was his job as a father to find help for his son, so he kept seeking for help in spite of the fact that he no longer believed it would do any good. If we aren’t careful, we can fall into the same trap. We are doing “Christian” things, but are we believing that Christ is able to make a difference in our lives?

“And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.” Mark 8:27-29

Jesus made a distinction between what the multitudes said about Him and what His disciples said about Him. Jesus wanted the disciples to see that the way they were thinking was important. What made the difference between the average person and the disciples was their opinion of Jesus. It was all a matter of perspective. Of course, Peter had the correct answer. Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Christ; and Peter’s evaluation of Jesus was what made Peter willing to make such radical changes in his life. The coming of the Messiah was to be the most important leadership figure in the history of Israel. His kingdom would be everlasting. While many people believed that Jesus was just another prophet, Peter and the other disciples wanted to be as close to the Messiah as possible. It is no different today. When we realize how big God really is, we immediately have a desire to please Him. Spiritual people are the ones who think they serve a big God. If Jesus were to ask you the same question that He asked Peter, what would your answer be? What would you say? Who is Jesus to you?

“There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” Mark 7:15, 21-23

The Pharisees taught that there were certain times that water must be poured over the hands, and there were specific instructions for how it should be done. These rituals were not performed for the purpose of personal hygiene, but rather for fulfilling tradition. When the Pharisees saw that some of Jesus’ disciples had eaten without first performing the ceremonial pouring of water over the hands, they immediately asked Jesus why the disciples were not keeping the tradition of the elders. In His answer, Jesus made a distinction between physical and spiritual cleanliness. Our Lord explained that the food that we eat, regardless of whether or not we have washed our hands before we have eaten it, passes through our bodies with no effect on our spirituality. Of course, Jesus knew the value of the hygienic handwashing we practice today, but He also knew that hygiene was not a part of the Pharisee’s complaint. They believed that the disciples were becoming spiritually unclean because of their lack of observing this tradition. Jesus’ answer shows us that it is not what goes into our mouths, but what comes out of our hearts that reveals our spiritual condition.

“And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.” Numbers 20:10-11

Moses had smitten a rock in order to bring forth water before, but that time it was exactly what God had told him to do. God had told Moses to smite the rock, representing Jesus’ death on the cross. Now, many years later, the people were complaining of thirst once again. This time, God told Moses to speak to the rock and water would come forth. This was to picture the availability of God’s grace to all who simply cry out to the Lord for His mercy. Christ died for us once, and now the water of life is free to all who ask. But this time, Moses was angry. He spoke roughly to the people and struck the rock twice with his rod. God, in His mercy, still miraculously met the need, and water gushed forth to satisfy the people. However, God told Moses that he would no longer be allowed to bring the people into the Promised Land because he disobeyed.

Impulsive, angry behavior can be incredibly destructive. We need to be careful to bring our anger in check to avoid saying or doing things that we will regret later. God used Moses to perform more miracles than any other person in the Old Testament, but even he was subject to acting in anger.

“And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.” Mark 6:48-52

The disciples were afraid when they saw Jesus walking on the water. They thought they had seen a ghost, but Jesus spoke to them and tried to comfort them. When Jesus went up into the ship, the storm stopped. The disciples were amazed at what Jesus had done. They were stunned by His appearance among the waves during the storm. They were shocked at the sudden slacking of the wind and calming of the waves. Jesus did not intend to scare them, and He didn’t mean for them to be surprised by His ability to perform miracles. He wanted them to so fully understand that He was the Son of God and that any miracle He performed would merely provide confirmation that He was as powerful as they thought He was. Their hearts were hardened because they did not comprehend the miracles they had already seen Him do. If you are saved, have you considered the great miracle that has taken place in your life?

“And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” Mark 6:30-31

After a relatively short time of training, Jesus sent his disciples out to preach and teach. He had given them the power to do the same miracles that He had done. As they traveled and preached, they were amazed at the things that they saw God do. When they returned, they were so excited to tell Jesus about all of the things that they had seen happen. Jesus encouraged them to take some time and rest after all of the things that they had experienced.

Rest is important. Our bodies need rest from physical labor, our minds need rest from perplexing problems, and our spirits need rest from tension and emotional strain. It seems that many people are overstressed in our present day culture. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). God does not want us to be stressed out or to burn out. He wants us to rest in Him. There is a spiritual rest that we have when we have placed our faith in Christ for salvation. “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). It is our privilege to work for the Lord, but at the same time, He wants us to rest in Him.

“But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.” Mark 6:4-6

Early in His ministry, Jesus visited Nazareth, the area where He grew up. He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and began to teach, just like He had done in many other places. When the people heard Jesus speaking, they were offended by the way that He taught. They remembered Him as the carpenter’s son who was running errands for his father, and now He spoke with the authority of a seasoned, educated rabbi. Where had He been? Who had trained Him? What brought about such a change?

Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith, and verse six says that “He could there do no mighty work.” Our lack of faith limits God’s ability to work in our lives. God has the same amount of power whether we believe in Him or not, but He has chosen to work on behalf of those who exercise faith in Him. Jesus certainly had the power to cast out devils and raise the dead in His home town, just as He had done in other places; but no one had enough faith to enable Him to help them in that way. Do you believe that God wants to work in your life? Your faith is what unleashes His power.