In Search of God's Promises

What is the one thing we do when we feel out of control in a situation? We grasp onto something stable, something we can lean on, something that will hold us up. When the ground is shifting we want something solid to stand on. This is a journey through the Bible in search of God's promises for us today. Let's look together to see how many "boulders" He has in His quarry for us to stand on! "It is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants." Rom. 9:8

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Promise 9 from Numbers 11:17

Numbers 11:17 - "Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone." - Reading this story in ch. 11 is bringing a revelatory promise specifically for a friend and her missionary team who are at the moment hurt and worn down by a group of believers that has complained the church to literal death. My friend is very gifted and is full of the Holy Spirit, yet like Moses, the complaints and the whining of the people wore her down to a point of deep illness in her spirit. Moses even prayed 'Lord if I have favor in Your sight, just kill me.' I'm sure that thought has probably crossed her mind a few times. However, the Lord saw what Moses couldn't see, a way out. A different solution. So He asked Moses to call together 70 men from the elders (and who knows maybe they were complainers too) and then the promise came. God said He would put the Spirit that was on Moses on those men too, so that they can share the burden with him. Moses didn't recognize the Spirit that was still on him. Just as I don't believe my friend does either, she felt as though she failed and just couldn't see the Holy Spirit that resides in her. It is interesting that God's solution was not the same as men's would be; "God, just make them all shut up by giving them meat!" That would've been the easier solution, but instead He appointed, anointed and filled 70 others up with His Spirit so that they would be able to help bear the burden. Afterwards, God provides meat, even though He knows that giving the meat is not the true solution to the condition of the Israelite's heart. God will not let His chosen ones bear the burden alone. He will bear the burden of fallen man and difficult believers.

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