TRUST GOD—HE KNOWS!

Posted on March 11, 2025 by randscallawayffm

Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine
He’s been my fourth man in the fire, time after time
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood
And what He did for me on Calvary is more than enough

… I trust in God, my Savior
The one who will never fail
He will never fail
I trust in God, my Savior
The one who will never fail
He will never fail…

(Elevation Worship, Songwriters: Brandon Lake / Christopher Joel Brown / Mitch Wong / Steven Furtick)

Remember when we thought our lives were over and all was lost—but then God turned it all around in ways that was beyond our thinking?  Remember that time our loved one was so sick at death’s door—but then God changed the agenda and life fully returned in a matter of hours?  Remember that time when an individual began a gossip campaign against you because you held a position in the company they wanted to have—but then God gave us strength to respond with kindness, patience to endure it, until the person’s heart changed and became our ally?  Remember that time we knew something didn’t seem right with church leadership and we didn’t know why—but then God opened eyes to see the disparities in our leader as truth rose to the surface and made things right?  Remember that time we went our own way and did our own thing instead going God’s way and we ended up where we didn’t want be—but then God showed his mercy and compassionate love, brought us out of trouble, provided what we needed, and protected us while preparing the next generation to follow Him?  The list of God’s glory at work goes on and on…

Moses writes Deuteronomy as a memory book for the Israelites.  Remember what God did and is still doing!  Moses highlights the highs and lows along with the pain and victories of their lives.  When they followed God’s lead and agenda with committed hearts on the journey with complete trust in God; all was well.  When they did not trust God with their lives; all did not go well. God wants His People (and us) to remember how trusting God opens the doors to His goodness, guidance, and blessings in all circumstances of our brief life on earth.  God delivers what He promises—that is the history proclaimed that must be remembered as HIS STORY and our Song of Rescue!  God’s faithfulness is for all generations!  We need only to trust Him!

… Perfect submission, all is at rest
I know the author of tomorrow has ordered my steps
So this is my story and this is my song
I’m praising my risen King and Savior all the day long

… I trust in God, my Savior
The one who will never fail
He will never fail
I trust in God, my Savior
The one who will never fail
He will never fail

Deuteronomy 2

Wanderings in the Wilderness

Then we turned back and set out toward the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea, as the Lord had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir.

2 Then the Lord said to me, 3“You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north. 4 Give the people these orders: ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. 5 Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. 6 You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.’”

7 The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

8 So we went on past our relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned from the Arabah road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber, and traveled along the desert road of Moab.

9 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.”

10 (The Emites used to live there—a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. 11 Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites, but the Moabites called them Emites. 12 Horites used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did in the land the Lord gave them as their possession.)

13 And the Lord said, “Now get up and cross the Zered Valley.” So we crossed the valley.

14 Thirty-eight years passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them. 15 The Lord’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp.

16 Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died, 17 the Lord said to me, 18 “Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar. 19 When you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.”

20 (That too was considered a land of the Rephaites, who used to live there; but the Ammonites called them Zamzummites. 21 They were a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. The Lord destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place. 22 The Lord had done the same for the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this day. 23 And as for the Avvites who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorites coming out from Caphtor destroyed them and settled in their place.)

Defeat of Sihon King of Heshbon

24 “Set out now and cross the Arnon Gorge. See, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his country. Begin to take possession of it and engage him in battle. 25 This very day I will begin to put the terror and fear of you on all the nations under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble and be in anguish because of you.”

26 From the Desert of Kedemoth I sent messengers to Sihon king of Heshbon offering peace and saying, 27 “Let us pass through your country. We will stay on the main road; we will not turn aside to the right or to the left. 28 Sell us food to eat and water to drink for their price in silver. Only let us pass through on foot— 29 as the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir, and the Moabites, who live in Ar, did for us—until we cross the Jordan into the land the Lord our God is giving us.” 30 But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the Lord your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands, as he has now done.

31 The Lord said to me, “See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his country over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land.”

32 When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz, 33 the Lord our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army. 34 At that time we took all his towns and completely destroyed them—men, women and children. We left no survivors. 35 But the livestock and the plunder from the towns we had captured we carried off for ourselves. 36 From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the gorge, even as far as Gilead, not one town was too strong for us. The Lord our God gave us all of them. 37 But in accordance with the command of the Lord our God, you did not encroach on any of the land of the Ammonites, neither the land along the course of the Jabbok nor that around the towns in the hills.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Moses recalls all the ways of God in this passage:

  • I will do for you what you cannot do.
  • I will tell you where to go with specific directions.  And I will go with you.
  • I am giving you this land—go and take possession of it.
  • I will deliver you from your enemies as you take possession of the land.
  • “The Lord our God gave us all of them.”  Remember!

Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be joy-filled in all circumstances!

Something of great importance to remember from our past studies of the books of the Law—In every moment of decision making, Moses sought the Lord.  Jesus did the same when He walked the earth to seek and to save the lost, heal the sick, choose disciples to mentor, speak wisdom to Pharisees and other religious leaders who had all but forgotten God, teach the masses and then passionately prayed to God the night before He was to complete His mission to redeem us by the sacrifice of his life. 

But here is the difference: Moses was equipped by God to be a great leader—but he was a human who sinned, made mistakes in judgement along the way as we all do, confessed to God, and learned valuable lessons.  Jesus was born the Son of Man but was also the Son of God who never sinned; Only Jesus was qualified to be the perfect, “without blemish” sacrifice once and for all for all the sins of the world!   

But both sought God before doing anything of significance for God.  Godly leaders seek the Lord.

… I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
That’s why I trust Him, that’s why I trust Him…

Seeking God first, often, and always is a disciplined trait that builds our complete trust in God!

… That’s why I trust in God, my Savior
The one who will never fail
He will never fail
Oh, I trust in God, my Savior
The one who will never fail
He will never fail
I sought the Lord…

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”  Jeremiah 33:3

Trust God—He knows!

Lord,

Thank you for reminding us to trust you in all circumstances. Thank you for listening to our seeking prayers for wisdom, clarity, and vision. Thank you for stilling our troubled hearts with your peace. Thank you for saving us with the blessed assurance of your relentless love, amazing mercies, and unending grace!  Thank you for helping us learn from our mistakes as you use our messes to bring out the best in us for your glory!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I trust you with my life because you are Life!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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IT’S TIME TO BOARD—NO DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES IN YOUR CARRYONS!

Posted on March 10, 2025 by randscallawayffm

We are preparing this week for a trip to see our son in another part of the country.  We haven’t flown in a while, so we are reading and remembering what not to do from previous experiences with all the information about who to do in today’s travel.  There are a lot of “do not’s” in the list of baggage items we can carry on board the plane.  We are trying to travel light and avoid checked bags.  There are many rules to follow as we travel on public transportation.  We understand that the rules were designed to protect all who travel.  We also understand that if we do not obey; we will pay the consequences that might delay our travel and the travel of others.  So, it is wise to obey.

In Deuteronomy, Moses recaps the last forty years of the journey in the wilderness—all of it.  He wants them to remember their failed trust issues with God by recalling their past behaviors of disobedience.  When God gave direction to go, they stalled. When spies surveyed the promised land, most turned down the offer of the gifted land of promise.  Fear that God would lead them to danger ruled their hearts and minds.  Trust in God who rescued them from the bondage of slavery to the Egyptians waned as grumbling rebellion rose against Moses who spoke God’s commands.  But by rebelling against Moses, they were rebelling against God.  They did not trust God to carry them through the challenges of possessing the Promised Land.  A generation turned down the gift given to them as an inheritance from generations past, first to Abraham and now to them. So, God in His mercy, equipped the next generation to go and take possession.

How foolish, we think.  But how many times have we faltered in our faith, wasted time in the wilderness of fear, or worse yet, turned down God’s gift of His perfect will for us and gone our own way?

The last book of The Law, Deuteronomy, was written by God through Moses to teach His people what to carry with them on their journey into the Promised Land and what to leave behind.  Moses begins by reminding the Israelites of the futility of fear that caused forty years of wandering in the desert.  He then encourages the people of God’s command to go, take and possess the land He first promised Abraham!  Moses also reminds them of the fulfilled promise to Abrahm that God would increase their numbers “as numerous as the stars in the sky”!  (Genesis 17)

It’s time to board the caravan to the promised land. Leave behind all dangerous substances such as fear, lack of trust, rebellion, lack of holy awe or love for anything but God who leads.

Deuteronomy 1

The Command to Leave Horeb

These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. 2 (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)

3 In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them. 4 This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.

5 East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab, Moses began to expound this law, saying:

6 The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. 8 See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”

The Appointment of Leaders

9 At that time I said to you, “You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone. 10 The Lord your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky. 11 May the Lord, the God of your ancestors, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised! 12 But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself? 13 Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.”

14 You answered me, “What you propose to do is good.”

15 So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials. 16 And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you. 17 Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.” 18 And at that time I told you everything you were to do.

Spies Sent Out

19 Then, as the Lord our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites through all that vast and dreadful wilderness that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea. 20 Then I said to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. 21 See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

22 Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.”

23 The idea seemed good to me; so I selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe. 24 They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshkol and explored it. 25 Taking with them some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported, “It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us.”

Rebellion Against the Lord

26 But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. 27 You grumbled in your tents and said, “The Lord hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. 28 Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.’”

29 Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”

32 In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, 33 who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.

34 When the Lord heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore: 35 “No one from this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your ancestors, 36 except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.”

37 Because of you the Lord became angry with me also and said, “You shall not enter it, either. 38 But your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it. 39 And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it. 40 But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.”

41 Then you replied, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight, as the Lord our God commanded us.” So every one of you put on his weapons, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country.

42 But the Lord said to me, “Tell them, ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.’”

43 So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the Lord’s command and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country. 44 The Amorites who lived in those hills came out against you; they chased you like a swarm of bees and beat you down from Seir all the way to Hormah. 45 You came back and wept before the Lord, but he paid no attention to your weeping and turned a deaf ear to you. 46 And so you stayed in Kadesh many days—all the time you spent there.

WHAT TO DO LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We wake up each day if God’s wills it.  What is our first thought? Is our agenda for the day the first thing that begins to form?  Or have we formed a discipline to greet our Lord with expectant hope, knowing He will lead us by the hand to all that will be for our good and declare His glory?  The later takes discipline but is well worth the diligence!  Trust is the meat of this discipline.

GOD’S MODEL OF TEACHING TO INTERALIZE TRUTH

God has been teaching His children of Israel who to trust no matter the circumstances.  He has given them commands to teach them who He is, how to love Him back with how to treat each other with His love in them.  Israel’s failures are now considered valuable lessons learned as they journey into the land God promised to them.    

But in their going; they must remember. God the Father tells them to remember. Remember who loves you. Remember what matters. Remember what is right and what is wrong.

Deuteronomy tells God’s children to remember because—

Israel is about to make a transition. For forty years they have wandered. Now they are about to settle down in a new land. It’s a time of transition. From Moses to Joshua. From the wilderness to the promised land. From nomads to farmers. From people with no land to people of the land.

God wants them to stay faithful. Stay distinctive. For forty days Moses teaches the words you are about to read.

God repeats what he has already taught. “Deutero” means “second.” “Nomos” means “law.” Deuteronomy is a second hearing of the law. God didn’t want them to forget.

It is the passages in Deuteronomy that Jesus most often quoted when teaching the throngs of people who followed him out of curiosity, for those in need, and for those seeking truth.  He also quoted these passages as tools to equip His disciples who gave all they had to learn from Him for three years. 

We all need to pause, pray, and remember the gold nuggets of truth we must take on our daily journey that are expressed in this book of remembering.

 “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

The Gospel expressed in Deuteronomy—

When asked, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered by including a quote from Deuteronomy 6:4–5: “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’” (Mark 12:30). Jesus taught that we love God because of who he is, “the Lord our God.”

We love God by keeping his commandments because he is our God; he is not our God because we love him by keeping his commandments. That is grace and it is gospel of Jesus who is Truth.

Because we have received this grace, we keep the second greatest commandment, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). We love because he loved (1 John 4:19). We extend grace because he extended grace.

May we remember Jesus’ words as we read Deuteronomy and respond with thanksgiving and praise for the One and Only who gave us Life!

Lord,

Thank you for Your Word that teaches Truth. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for leading us to all that is true.  Thank you, dear Jesus, for saving us and giving us life eternal.  Thank you, Father, for your perfect plan to rescue us with a plan to proper us, not to harm us, and give us hope for eternity with You.

In Jesus Name, for Your Glory and our good, Amen

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SEEK GOD FIRST—LISTEN, TRUST, AND OBEY

Posted on March 8, 2025 by randscallawayffm

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” 1 Chronicles 16:11

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans (unbelievers) run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”—Jesus, Matthew 6:31-34

What has God been saying to you throughout the reading of the book of Numbers?  What have we learned from the lives of Moses and all served with him as priests.  What did we learn from the head leader of each tribe of Israel?  This is the last chapter before moving into Deuteronomy.  May we take some time to reflect on lessons learned from their examples of faith following.  I pray we avoid the pitfalls of the unfaithful and disobedient to God in our response to Him.  But, we are not perfect, so it is imperative, a matter of life or death to be still, let go, and know God.  Because who we seek first, to whom we confess our sins, and to whom we ask for wisdom and help is truly who we worship with all our hearts, minds, and souls.

Pause to prayerfully reflect—

Who do I seek first the minute I rise up to begin a new day? 

Who do I listen to and think about most?

Who do I run to first when troubles come? 

Who do I rely on for wisdom in decision making? 

Is God the first—or the last stop on the worry train of thoughts?

We plan. God decides.  If the book of Numbers is reduced to merely taking a census of His beloved; then we didn’t get the full picture of who God is and what God does in His people who seek Him with committed hearts, ready to trust and obey. 

Numbers 36

Inheritance of Zelophehad’s Daughters

The family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph, came and spoke before Moses and the leaders, the heads of the Israelite families. 2 They said, “When the Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot, he ordered you to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. 3 Now suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to that of the tribe they marry into. And so part of the inheritance allotted to us will be taken away. 4 When the Year of Jubilee for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their property will be taken from the tribal inheritance of our ancestors.”

5 Then at the Lord’s command Moses gave this order to the Israelites: “What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. 6 This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within their father’s tribal clan. 7 No inheritance in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal inheritance of their ancestors. 8 Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father’s tribal clan, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of their ancestors. 9 No inheritance may pass from one tribe to another, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits.”

10 So Zelophehad’s daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses. 11 Zelophehad’s daughters—Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milkah and Noah—married their cousins on their father’s side. 12 They married within the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in their father’s tribe and clan.

13 These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God keeps His promises because God cannot lie.  God’s promises are kept and delivered in His time in His perfect way. 

God’s plan will prevail no matter what human imperfections do to delay it.  A generation of Israel disobeyed God and were not allowed to enter the Promised Land.  The succeeding generations were delayed by wandering in the desert of disobedience for forty years.  We do not have the power to change God’s plan.  God will finish the work He starts in and through us but we will pay the consequence of our sins. Moses led hundreds of thousands of people to the border of the Promised Land but he would not be allowed to enter.  When Moses will be “no more” on earth; he will enter into rest with God in heaven.  How do we know?  Moses was later sent from heaven along with Elijah to converse with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration!  (See Matthew 17)

God remembers His promises, forgives, and forgets our repented sins to Him.  Who but our God can do that for us?  No one!

God makes a way when there seems to be no way at first glance.  Ten spies who looked over the promised land said it would be unconquerable; but a minority of two, Joshua and Caleb, said with God leading us; it is completely possible.  It will be these two men of faith that God will appoint as His new leaders who will lead his people in to the Promised Land!  Yes, there is much more to come!

Our faith moves the heart of God!  Our obedience shows our love for God!

God invites us to join Him in what He has planned for us long ago—even before we were born!  But there is one condition. We must turn our backs on wandering in the wilderness of our sin of seeking self—and seek God!

What are you holding onto that is preventing you from entering God’s promised plan for you?  What is holding you back?  The past?  Fear of the future? Pause right now to seek God; no one or nothing else. Journalize your thoughts to stay focused in prayer. It is also a written record to remind us of the goodness of God!  Let us take all the time we need to in the pause to listen to God.  Our relationship with God is talking and listening.  That is the process of “Be still and know God.” (Psalm 46)

Believe, Confess, Trust, and Obey for there’s no other way to God’s unending love, the gift of peace, and inner joy delivered by the grace and mercy of God that no one can take from us. May our faith be built on the firm foundation of Jesus who paid our debt of sin which removed our sins from our being and God’s memory.  Lean into Truth who sets us free!  What are you waiting for? 

More adventures lie ahead in the book of Deuteronomy!  God will remind His People again Who He is to them and what He has done for them with distinct and detailed ways to teach Truth to all generations.  Of all the books, Jesus quotes this book the most!

Lord,

Thank you for saving our souls by your sacrifice.  May redemption is embedded in my memory.  Your deliverance of my sins is never far from my thoughts.  I may be tested and tried in troubles, but You have helped me to build my faith through it all.  Yet will I trust you. There is no one like you!  I seek you each morning because you are Life.  I’m yours and I’m listening.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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IN TIMES OF TROUBLE

Posted on March 7, 2025 by randscallawayffm

“Fight or Flight” are two inner, instinctive, first response choices in humans, according to social psychologists.  Do we stay and fight what is changing our normal daily lives and challenging our existence or do we run from it?  Fighting and flighting reveals many forms of behaviors.  We see those behaviors emerge from birth to adult. Babies want only their mothers who gave them birth to soothe them. They cry until moms hold them in their arms. Most toddlers run to their moms or dads at the first hint of something different going on around them or someone coming into their area they do not know or trust.  As we grow from children into adolescence we continue to fight or flight when surprised, perplexed, or confused at what is happening that threatens our “normal.”  Adults will sometimes fight back with physical weapons or sarcastic mental attacks on those they think will do harm to them.  OR we adult humans will flee, ignore, and deny there is even a problem. 

God knows this about us because He created us. God does not run from the problems of His created.  Instead, God creates a place of refuge for us. God also knows we need Him to be our help, strength and wisdom in times of trouble.  We have a choice, because give us choices.  Do we run to God or stand firm in our own strength to fight?  Most humans seek refuge from troubles.  But some will stand to fight back by instinct without true wisdom.  We need wisdom beyond ourselves. Who do we turn to first?

God had a plan as our “ever-present help in times of trouble” to be our city of righteous refuge where we can be safe and secure. (Psalm 46)

Numbers 35

Towns for the Levites

35 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns. 3 Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.

4 “The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the town wall. 5 Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.

Cities of Refuge

6 “Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. 7 In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. 8 The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.”

9 Then the Lord said to Moses: 10 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, 11 select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. 12 They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that anyone accused of murder may not die before they stand trial before the assembly. 13 These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge. 14 Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. 15 These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.

16 “‘If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 17 Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 18 Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death. 20 If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally so that they die 21 or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death; that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when they meet.

22 “‘But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally 23 or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, 24 the assembly must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. 25 The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

26 “‘But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled 27 and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. 28 The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.

29 “‘This is to have the force of law for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live.

30 “‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

31 “‘Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.

32 “‘Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.

33 “‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“Thou shalt not murder” was one of the Ten Commandments given by God to His People.  So, when a murder occurs whether intentionally or unintentionally, it breaks the heart of God for disobedience of the commandment.  Because of God’s love for His People, He wants no harm to be done to the innocent.  God designed His plan to resolve the issue.  The one accused flees to a city of refuge.  A trial is ordered.  Elders will be the judges who decide the outcome of the accused. Witnesses are called to testify.  No ransom can be made to “buy their way out” of this trouble.

If the elders thought the accused was guilty of murder, they would turn him over to the family and the authorities for punishment. If they concluded that he was innocent, they allowed him to stay in the city of refuge under their protection until the death of the high priest. Then he was free to return home. 

Murder was a capital crime in Israel, for which there was no ransom. God looked upon the spilled blood of innocent victims as pollution of the land that belongs to God. God values the lives of His created.  The only way the land could be cleansed was by the death of the murderer.

The writer of Hebrews ties the Old Testament Law to the One who fulfilled The Law by His sacrifice to pay for the sins of the world—even murderers!  There is nothing we have done that God will not forgive through Jesus Christ, His Son.

God’s ultimate plan for reconciliation, rebirth, resolution, and redemption is Jesus—our Refuge and our Redeemer! 

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Only Jesus was without sin.  Only Jesus can be our place to run to for forgiveness and a new life.  Only Jesus can save us from the bondage sin has on us.  Only Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, can stand in our place of the punishment we deserve.  Only Jesus was the perfect, once and for all sacrifice that pays our debt of sin forever.  Jesus was, is and always will be the only ransom price for our sins before God! 

Guilty sinners (all of us) today can flee by faith to Jesus Christ and find refuge from the judgment of God. (Hebrews 6-7) Because Jesus is the ever-living High Priest, salvation is secure forever; for “He always lives to make intercession for us”. He bore the guilty sinner’s punishment; therefore, there can be no condemnation—all because of Jesus. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…,” Romans 8:1.

Our Refuge was provided for us because God so loved us.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

Run to Him!

Lord,

I’m one of your “whoever’s” who believe you and trust you with my life. I love  you with all my heart, mind, and soul.  Thank you for reminding us of your love by revealing your plan throughout Your Word to rescue us and set us free.

In Jesus Name, Amen—Yes!

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THIS LAND IS MY LAND; THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND—GOD

Posted on March 6, 2025 by randscallawayffm

Are we noticing what the book of Numbers is teaching us an even greater understand of who God is and how He provides for His people—perhaps with even more distinct clarity than the previous books of The Law? (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus).  And are we becoming more accustomed to realizing that God indeed knows each one of us and knows our name?  Look at all the list of all the names!  Everyone counts!

From Adam and Eve to Moses and now to us; God knows what we will need when we need it most!  God comes to our rescue with help to overcome the Enemy and our own selfishness.  God is faithful; supremely and forever faithful! God never forgets His promises and always makes the way clear to accomplishing His will and plan for our rescue and redemption.  Evil knows and names our sins; but God knows our names and calls out to His beloved with such a deep, relentless, abiding love for us that sometimes is beyond our ability to fully grasp in our thinking.  Almighty God stands ready to bless us all whose hearts are fully committed to Him with His precious, righteous guidance with victory over evil, all the enemies of God.

God promised and now God delivers on His promise given to Abraham generations earlier.  Do God’s people realize that God owns all the land on the earth that He created? (We wonder if we remember that God owns all we enjoy, too!)  God sets the boundaries and assigns leaders to divide the land into lots for each family of each tribe.  If you remember, (Numbers 32), two and half tribes chose to stay east of the Jordan, so only nine tribes are represented here.  In tomorrow’s passage, the Levite clan of priests will also be assigned land; but will never own it.  Their land will be used in holy service to God.

God invites His Chosen People to enter Canaan. There is only one condition. They must turn our backs on the wilderness.  Who will be ready to enter the promised land?

Numbers 34

Boundaries of Canaan

The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance is to have these boundaries:

3 “‘Your southern sidewill include some of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea, 4 cross south of Scorpion Pass, continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon, 5 where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt and end at the Mediterranean Sea.

6 “‘Your western boundary will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This will be your boundary on the west.

7 “‘For your northern boundary, run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor 8 and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath. Then the boundary will go to Zedad, 9 continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north.

10 “‘For your eastern boundary, run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. 11 The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee. 12 Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea.

“‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”

13 Moses commanded the Israelites: “Assign this land by lot as an inheritance. The Lord has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes, 14 because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. 15 These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance east of the Jordan across from Jericho, toward the sunrise.”

16 The Lord said to Moses, 17 “These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. 18 And appoint one leader from each tribe to help assign the land. 19 These are their names:

Caleb son of Jephunneh, from the tribe of Judah; 20 Shemuel son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Simeon; 21 Elidad son of Kislon, from the tribe of Benjamin; 22 Bukki son of Jogli, the leader from the tribe of Dan; 23 Hanniel son of Ephod, the leader from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph; 24 Kemuel son of Shiphtan,the leader from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph; 25 Elizaphan son of Parnak, the leader from the tribe of Zebulun; 26 Paltiel son of Azzan, the leader from the tribe of Issachar; 27 Ahihud son of Shelomi, the leader from the tribe of Asher; 28 Pedahel son of Ammihud, the leader from the tribe of Naphtali.”

29 These are the men the Lord commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

In ancient days, there were no survey crews with scientific instruments for determining property lines. People cited towns and geographical features when they wanted to define boundaries. God does the same for their understanding and clarity.

As we will read later in the books of Joshua and Judges; God gave His people a large land and a good land, but they didn’t defeat their enemies and claim it all by faith. Their western border didn’t reach to the Mediterranean, for the Philistines still held that territory, nor did they get as far as Hamath on the north. On the east side of the Jordan, as you traveled north from the border of Manasseh, we will discover pockets of resistance in cities that Israel didn’t conquer and destroy. Moses’ prediction came true: The Canaanites became irritants in their eyes and thorns in their sides and led some of the Israelites into sin (Numbers 33:55).

Whoa, before we pass judgment, however, on ancient Israel, what about the church today? Have we claimed by faith all that we have in Christ? Are there still pockets of resistance in our lives that draw us away from the Lord? “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience”.

The book of Hebrews will later teach us the importance of following God’s commands that build our faith, drawing us closer to Him.  The writer uses the examples of these very Israelites as they entered the promised land at his command, defeating the enemies of God with his timing and direction, and then entering into God’s rest by honoring the Sabbath and keeping it holy.  But not all obeyed and paid the consequences of their sins. (Read all of Hebrews 4 for more understanding.)  Here is a portion:

“God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:7-13

Our obedience to God expresses our love for God!

TODAY THE PROMISE FOR ALL WHO BELIEVE IS NOW IN JESUS!

Jesus is our one and only Great High Priest—The Promised Messiah!

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16

Because of Jesus, we can ask God to meet all our needs as He sees them.  Because of Jesus’ teachings; we know the boundaries of behaviors set before us that enable us to grow in our faith and walk with God.  Jesus teaches us to keep an eye on the enemy.  We must resist the enemy who works hard to pull us away from the boundaries of God’s protection, provision, relentless love, abounding mercy, and unending grace.

Because of Jesus, believers and followers of Jesus can boldly come into the throne room of God Almighty and ask for His wisdom that is plentiful in supply and will never run out. 

Our inheritance is not land but the Son of Man and Son of God who came down from the throne of heaven, moved into the neighborhood of humanity, with the purpose to seek and to save the lost—setting us free from our sins by His once and for all sacrifice.  All because God “so loved” us.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

Life’s greatest calamity, from God’s perspective, is that people die in sin. Forget earthquakes, wild fires, politics, or economic depressions. Focus on the attacks from the enemy upon our very souls! The ultimate disaster is carrying our sins to our caskets. Heaven cannot fathom a worse tragedy. Heaven, in response, could not offer a greater gift than this one: “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1Peter 3:18).

Lord,

Thank you for the encouragement to enter our own promised inheritance—YOU!  We enter this relationship with boldness and confidence all because of your love, mercy, and grace.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  You are God. We are not.  Guide and led us to truth all day long and into the night.  I love you, Lord, with all that is in me. I trust you with my life because you are Life!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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AGES, STAGES, AND PHASES

Posted on March 5, 2025 by randscallawayffm

Our life cycle on earth has a limited shelf life.  We expire when God says it is time and “we are no more” as inhabitants of earth.  In the meantime, our journey leads us through good times and challenging times through all the ages, stages, and phases of life here.  We can choose to take this journey with God or we can choose to do life our own way with no help from God for he will come only when we ask him. God is faithful, true, loving, overwhelmingly patient with us but He will only come when we ask in Jesus Name to come and be “our present help in times of trouble.”  (Psalm 46) When we ask God to lead, we must obey and follow His direction if not, it seems pointless to ask. 

God is pleased when He is invited into all the stages of our lives. God delights in every detail of every phase we go through as we grow our faith in Him.  Our “invite” is our realization that God is real and does what He says He will do.  Our faith and trust in God prompts His invitation to join Him in HIS work!  God has promised to always be with us from birth until our passing from the arms of our loved ones into the arms of Jesus in heaven. Each stage of life will have experiences with opportunities to enlarge our expectant hope in God because of what Jesus did for us—forgive and remove our sins.

The stages of our lives teach us to rely on God’s Word for wisdom—the skills for living.  We learn that “To obey is better than sacrifice,” for example with reasons why.  We learn from God’s Son, Jesus all the behaviors to acquire to demonstrate our love for God and others through our obedience to God.  We learn that our Father God uses our mistakes, misfortune, and failures at each stage in our brief journey on earth as ways to grow, deepen, and mature our faith. Sooner hopefully than later, we realize we must be still before God, let go of our pride and stop clinging to what is not ours to handle so that we may know God is with us and it is God who will supply all our needs. 

God has power above all and overall.  God reveals the limited power of our enemies who seek to dismantle our faith in every phase of life if we are attentive to Him.  God will forever lead us by the power of His Holy Spirit from birth through adolescence through adulthood to senior living in His Name for His glory.  We need only to call on His Name.  God is listening and knows what we need before we do.  God sees us.  He knows us by name.  He forgives.  God loved us before we knew what real love was.  Yes, there is no one like our God!

Moses has been told by God to write down all the adventures they have had together on their journey through the desert to the Promised Land.  We are not sure why, but maybe this exercise is to document all that God has brought them through, all the ways God provides, with all the ways they must obey to obtain the promises of God. This is more than the “baby book” notations of achievements of God’s children!  It’s all about God!

Numbers 33

Stages in Israel’s Journey

Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 2 At the Lord’s command Moses recorded the stages in their journey. This is their journey by stages:

3 The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. They marched out defiantly in full view of all the Egyptians, 4 who were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down among them; for the Lord had brought judgment on their gods.

5 The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Sukkoth. 6 They left Sukkoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert. 7 They left Etham, turned back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of Baal Zephon, and camped near Migdol. 8 They left Pi Hahiroth and passed through the sea into the desert, and when they had traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham, they camped at Marah.

9 They left Marah and went to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. 10 They left Elim and camped by the Red Sea.

11 They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin. 12 They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah.13 They left Dophkah and camped at Alush. 14 They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.

15 They left Rephidim and camped in the Desert of Sinai. 16 They left the Desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah. 17 They left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. 18 They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. 19 They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez. 20 They left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah.

21 They left Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22 They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. 23 They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24 They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. 25 They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

26 They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27 They left Tahath and camped at Terah. 28 They left Terah and camped at Mithkah. 29 They left Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. 30 They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. 31 They left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan. 32 They left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad.

33 They left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. 34 They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. 35 They left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber. 36 They left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.

37 They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the border of Edom. 38 At the Lord’s command Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor, where he died on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. 39 Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

40 The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming. 41 They left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. 42 They left Zalmonah and camped at Punon. 43 They left Punon and camped at Oboth. 44 They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, on the border of Moab.

45 They left Iye Abarim and camped at Dibon Gad. 46 They left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim. 47 They left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, near Nebo.

48 They left the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. 49 There on the plains of Moab they camped along the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim.

50 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the Lord said to Moses, 51 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, 52 drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. 53 Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. 54 Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.

55 “‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. 56 And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.’”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

What would it be like if we sat down, recalled, and documented our own journey with God?  Camp on that thought.  Take all the time you need.

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” –Paul to the church of Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

With God, our lives are defined by grace, purified by God’s love, refined by challenge, and aligned with a heavenly call and purpose. In God’s plan, in God’s land of promise for us, we win more often than we lose, forgive as quickly as we are offended, and give as abundantly as we receive. We rely fully on Jesus’ act of sacrifice as our redemption from sin.  We serve out of our giftedness and delight in our assignments given by God with hearts’ motivations to please God, our Father, not others. We may stumble, but we do not collapse. We may struggle, but we defy despair. We boast only in Christ, trust only in God, lean wholly on his power. We enjoy abundant fruit and increasing faith as we continually grow in His Presence.  Our God is an awesome God indeed!  Living for God, in Jesus Name, at every age and stage of life will be worth it all when we see Jesus face to face in all His glory!

May these words be of great encouragement to all of us in whatever stage of life we are in today.  They have been written with the leading of God’s Holy Spirit and delivered with all the love of God in me to all who will read.  Pass it on, so all others my know!

Lord,

Thank you for your encouraging words that touched the depths of our hearts. “Deep calls to deeper still.” Thank you for being so attentive to each one of us, loving us, with compassions that fail not as you patiently guide us in through each phase of our lives here as we prepare for life eternal with you there.  Thank you for your love, mercy, and grace that fills our hearts, minds, and souls this morning.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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OUR PERSPECTIVE VERSUS GOD’S KNOWLEDGE

Posted on March 4, 2025 by randscallawayffm

“Lord, God, we have looked over all possibilities and have arrived at this place.”  It has all we need and want!  It will satisfy all our needs to flourish in this world.  If you love us like you say, I’m sure you will give this to us.  It just makes sense…to us.  I’m sure you will agree with our reasoning.

Our prayers can be less than admirable when we place our limited perspective above God’s all-knowing view of the world.  We are told through God’s Word that it is good to come to Him with a humbled, sincere heart as we “present all our requests to God” but we must listen to His response and comply with His detailed answers.  God’s view is from a higher, greater place that humans can only slightly imagine. We can only see what is in front of us.  God sees what lies ahead.  Listen to God.  He listens to us!

Three of the twelve tribes of Israel have come to Moses with what seems to them as a perfectly reasonable request.  They are asking to reside east rather than west of the Jordan to purposely secure their flocks in simple livestock pens. The pens’ four stone walls would be built tall enough to keep out predatory animals and thieves. Then the men of the tribes would be free to help the other nine tribes west of the Jordan.  Makes sense, right?

Moses, (who has experience in placing self before God and punished for it with God commanding that he and his generation would not enter the Promised Land) asked that the tribes that took land on the east side of the Jordan would help the other tribes on the western side to conquer their land. If they refused to do this, Moses said they would be sinning against the Lord and their sin would find them out. –A stern warning!

Let see how they will respond…

Numbers 32

The Transjordan Tribes

The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. 2 So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon— 4 the land the Lord subdued before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. 5 If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”

6 Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? 7 Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them? 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. 9 After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. 10 The Lord’s anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: 11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more when they came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob— 12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’ 13 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.

14 “And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel. 15 If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.”

16 Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. 17 But we will arm ourselves for battle and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance. 19 We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”

20 Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle 21 and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him— 22 then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the Lord.

23 “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”

25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands. 26 Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead. 27 But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight before the Lord, just as our lord says.”

28 Then Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes. 29 He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you, you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession. 30 But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.”

31 The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said. 32 We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed, but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.”

33 Then Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.

34 The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks. 37 And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh and Kiriathaim, 38 as well as Nebo and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.

39 The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it and drove out the Amorites who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. 41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair. 42 And Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah after himself.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“Your sins will find you out.”  Have you found this to be true?  I have.  Most humans do for our hearts hunger for God but our sin stands in the way of our view of God. Until we reconcile with God, His Holy Spirit will disrupt our sleep of rest and removes our peace. Why? Because God wants to take away your sin. Can a mom or dad stand idly by while drugs invade their child? Can God sit idly as sin poisons His child? God’s desire is that “no one perish” but have eternal life with Him.  So, God will not rest until we do what David did: confess our fault. (2 Samuel 12)

Have you ever known people who thought that they were getting away with sin—and facing no consequences? And what about you and I? Ever thought that we’d fooled our Father God? Consider the words of warning from Moses to the leaders of these three tribes who wanted to stay east of the Jordan: Our sin will always find us out. Far better to talk to God about it, confess it, and have it removed “as far as the east is from the west.”

We trust and stand on the promises of God. Does God trust our promises made? God promised His people land.  Three tribes wanted to stay east of Jordan; but they had a reasonable plan and presented it to God.  They promised God to help all of the Israelite family fight for their inherited land promised by God on the other side of the Jordan if they could dwell on the east side. 

A successful community or nation depends not only on keeping our word and trusting God for victory; it also depends on the loyalty of people to each other. It would seem that the three tribes upheld their promise to God and to His people.  Consider Moses’ concern; it was a terrible sin for any of the tribes to retreat from conflict and fail to do their part in conquering the land. Just as the ten spies had discouraged the whole nation at Kadesh Barnea, and led the people into thirty-eight wasted years, so these two tribes could discourage Israel by quitting at the very borders of their inheritance. 

Moses repeats their promise with a passionate warning. If they didn’t keep their promise, they would be sinning against the Lord, and their sin would catch up with them!  Their sin would be failure to keep their vow and unwillingness to assist their brothers and sisters in the task God had called them to do. The land they requested was theirs, but they would lose it if they didn’t keep their promise.

The three and half tribes drove out the enemies, built pens for their herds, and places of safety for their families.  But we can’t help wondering if these Transjordanic tribes made a wise choice. They were outside the land of promise and separated from the rest of the nation. They made their choice only based on personal gain: The land was good for their flocks and herds. Like Lot, they were walking by sight and not by faith (Genesis 13:10, 11). The tribes did keep their promise, but in spite of that, their location across the Jordan created some problems that we will discover later. (Joshua 22).

According to Hebrews 4, claiming the inheritance in the Promised Land is an illustration of the different ways believers today relate to the will of God and the inheritance He has for us now in Jesus Christ.

Some people are like the older generation of Israelites that perished in their wandering and never entered the land. Others are like the ten spies who visited the land and saw its wealth but failed to enter in. The Transjordanic tribes entered the land but didn’t stay there. They preferred to live on the border and raise their cattle.

God wants His people to be like the new generation that trusted God, entered the land, claimed the victory, and enjoyed the blessings.

There’s more here in this passage than meets the eye—but there always is.

Lord,

Thank you for teaching us how to respond to you as fully committed servants with complete trust and faith in You. We might see limited options for fulfilling what you asked us to be and do; but you must have the final say.  You know all that lies ahead for us! May our hope, faith, and love be built on Jesus’ love and righteousness.  Help us to be more like the One who saved us and set us free—the Promised Messiah! Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Speak to our hearts…I’m listening.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

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MOSES STANDS FIRM WITH GOD

Posted on March 3, 2025 by randscallawayffm

At what point will we take a stand when evil influences seep into our lives and descend on us, our family, friends, our work places, where we worship, and where we live in our nation? How deep is our love for the people with whom we live and cohabit this earth? What is our first thought in the morning and our last words before going to sleep at night? How bad does it have to get for us to stop giving in with attitudes of; “oh well, that’s just way it is” and declare this isn’t the way it has to be?  When will we speak of Jesus who we follow as Lord of our lives? Do people around us know who we believe  by what we do daily by God’s leading? 

As soon as we say, “Jesus, forgive me. I want you to be Lord of my life,” we enter a daily battle with our real Enemy who seeks to lure us away from what God has given to us—freedom from our sins, through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus! The Enemy seeks to shame us and remind of our sins.  But to give in to the Enemy now after our sins are removed, as far as the east is from the west, to be remembered no more, seems like driving more nails into the Savior of our souls!

God so loved us He gave us His Son to save us.  Why turn our backs on this precious gift now?  The Enemy of God gives us nothing but grief with eventual death with very limited power.  He uses the same old tricks, since Adam and Eve, of manipulating our thoughts with deceit as the Father of lies.  The Enemy works through people and challenging circumstances to distract us from God while trying to dismantle our faith in God who created all and is in control of all. The Enemy controls nothing—unless we allow it.  But God has all the power and all the authority.  This same God who gave the world Jesus, a part of Himself, demonstrated his love AND power to resurrect Jesus from three days of death to forever Life in victory over the Enemy once and for all!  The war has been won but the Enemy will battle us to believe otherwise until Jesus comes back.  And He IS coming back…for those standing on the promises of God!

Choose this day whom you will believe and follow with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul!  Troubles will still come but they will seem trivial when our faith in God stands firm and unwavering.  God is faithful—even when we are not as faithful.  But as for me, my hope is built and being solidified on Jesus Christ, my Savior and my Lord.  I have no regrets.  I fail and fall, as I am not perfect, but I know I am perfectly forgiven.

“I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.

Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.” Psalm 145:2-4, NLT

By God’s leading, Moses is to take a stand with the Midianites.  The Midianites tried to turn the Israelites away from God. Because of this, the two nomadic nations became enemies despite their common heritage, for the Midianites were descendants of Abraham and his second wife.  So, God’s purpose for destroying the Midianites was to keep the people of Israel free from sin and ungodly influences. God desired moral purity in his followers. Not only were sinful influences to be completely destroyed, but the spoils of war—blessings to the people—were to be purified as well.

Numbers 31

Vengeance on the Midianites

The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

3 So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance on them. 4 Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” 5 So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. 6 Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.

7 They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man. 8 Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. 9 The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. 10 They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. 11 They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, 12 and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.

13 Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. 14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.

15 “Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them. 16 “They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the Lord’s people. 17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

19 “Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. 20 Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.”

21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is what is required by the law that the Lord gave Moses: 22 Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead 23 and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. 24 On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp.”

Dividing the Spoils

25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. 27 Divide the spoils equally between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. 28 From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys or sheep. 29 Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part. 30 From the Israelites’ half, select one out of every fifty, whether people, cattle, donkeys, sheep or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.” 31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

32 The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, 33 72,000 cattle, 34 61,000 donkeys 35 and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.

36 The half share of those who fought in the battle was: 337,500 sheep, 37 of which the tribute for the Lord was 675; 38 36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the Lord was 72; 39 30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the Lord was 61; 40 16,000 people, of whom the tribute for the Lord was 32.

41 Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part, as the Lord commanded Moses.

42 The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men— 43 the community’s half—was 337,500 sheep, 44 36,000 cattle, 45 30,500 donkeys 46 and 16,000 people. 47 From the Israelites’ half, Moses selected one out of every fifty people and animals, as the Lord commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.

48 Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses 49 and said to him, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing. 50 So we have brought as an offering to the Lord the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.”

51 Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold—all the crafted articles. 52 All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the Lord weighed 16,750 shekels. 53 Each soldier had taken plunder for himself. 54 Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How will we respond to Jesus, God’s Son? Pause to prayerfully and humbly consider our clear choice.

Who will we choose daily to love and worship with healthy fear because of our awe of God who knows our hearts?  How deep the love God has for us has been answered in the life of His Son who He sent to save us. Who do we choose?  Who will influence our lives daily?  Who teaches us?  Who do we listen to intently with respectful reverence? Who is leading us and who are we following?

“Jesus spoke to those who had turned their backs on history. He spoke to those who had blatantly ignored sign after sign, servant after servant. It wasn’t as if they had just skipped a paragraph or missed a punch line. It wasn’t as if they had misunderstood a chapter. They had missed the whole book. God had come into their city, walked down their street, knocked on their door, and they refused to let him in.

For that reason—because they had refused to believe—Jesus speaks the most sobering words in the Gospel of Matthew: “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Matthew 21:43).

God is intolerant of the callused heart.

He is patient with our mistakes. He is longsuffering with our stumbles. He doesn’t get angry at our questions. He doesn’t turn away when we struggle. But when we repeatedly reject his message, when we are insensitive to his pleadings, when he changes history itself to get our attention and we still don’t listen, he honors our request.

Note it was not God who made the people unworthy. It was their refusal to listen that excluded them from grace.

God does not force his way into your life; he patiently knocks and waits to be invited in. Those who invite him in will find him working hard to make them like himself—pure and holy. Those who refuse to answer, who turn away, will seal their own eternity apart from him.” –Max Lucado, The Encouraging Word Bible

Lord,

Yes, I choose you. I love you because you first loved me.  I listen to you because you are wisdom and you are Life beyond my wildest imagination and dreams.  Come, fill my soul, purify my heart, renew my mind, transform my behaviors by your power, restore the joy of you in me and me in you.  I belong to you and I am listening, ready to obey.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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VOWS THAT BOND US TO GOD AND TO EACH OTHER

Posted on March 1, 2025 by randscallawayffm

In the marriage ceremony, we say vows, promises of how we will relate to each other.  Many couples who came to my pastor husband for counseling before the marriage ceremony desired to verbally make a vow to God and to each other in this holy act of matrimony.  He would show them various forms of vows with this purpose of honoring God and each other. 

Randy wanted each man and woman to realize what they were promising to each other and to God!  In counseling, he showed them that vows are not to be broken so they must not enter this union lightly.  Most couples knew this, seeking God’s blessings on their marriage.  But a few came for convenience only.  They merely wanted a pastor to say the words and send them on their merry way with the attitude of “if it doesn’t work out, no worries, we’ll just move on.”  These words were actually said by one of the couples in counseling.  It is this attitude that would cause Randy much sadness for he could not ask God’s blessing upon a couple for convenience only, thinking the vows were without meaning.  Vows are important to God because we are important to God.

Let us revisit typical vows made to each other:

  • “I, _____, take you _____, to be my (wedded) wife/husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.
  • I, _____, take you _____, to be my wife/husband; and I promise, before God and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful husband/wife; in plenty and in want; in joy and in sorrow; in sickness and in health; as long as we both shall live.
  • I, _____, take you, _____, to be my wife/husband from this time onward, to join with you and to share all that is to come, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond, and in all of our life together to be loyal to you with my whole life and with all my being.

As you can see a vow seals the relationship with each other and binds us as one with God.  When we choose God to be the head of our household, listen to His leading, trust that His way is best, our love for each other solidify and will last a lifetime as our relationship with God and each other grows sweeter each day.  When we vow to follow His direction and leading; our marriage vow will be kept throughout life no matter what circumstances challenge us.  God’s love in us goes deeper still when our faith in all circumstances is built on the foundation and source of our salvation—Jesus Christ as Lord.

How do I know?  We took a vow over 53 years ago to love God and each other as long as we both shall live. We continue keeping the vow with God and each other!  Through good times and challenging times; Keeping the vow is worth all the effort we put into it, God helping us! 

Numbers 30

Vows

Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel: “This is what the Lord commands: 2 When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.

3 “When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge 4 and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand. 5 But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.

6 “If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself 7 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. 8 But if her husband forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the Lord will release her.

9 “Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.

10 “If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath 11 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. 12 But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will release her. 13 Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself. 14 But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them. 15 If, however, he nullifies them some time after he hears about them, then he must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.”

16 These are the regulations the Lord gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living at home.

WHAT DO WE KNOW—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We read in Leviticus 27 how Moses had touched on the subject of vows in terms of dedicating people and possessions to the Lord; but here he deals with personal vows and how they are affected by relationships. The chapter makes it clear that the home is basic to the nation, that there must be authority of God in the home, and that truth is what binds society together.  Being truthful builds a trusting relationship. Broken vows and hasty promises made without thinking do not build a home of trust and assurance.

There is a difference between “vows” and “oaths.” Both were to be considered binding. The vow was a promise to do a certain thing for the Lord, while the oath was a promise not to do a certain thing. People who made vows or took oaths had to keep their word, because what they said was to the Lord. When people forget that God hears what they say, then they’re tempted to deceive and manipulate. Lies cause the fabric of society to rip apart as trust is violated. Betrayal does not build trust in any relationship.

To make a promise is to obligate oneself to the Lord, whether people realize this or not. The foundations of society today are eroding because of unkept promises, whether they be official contracts, marriage vows, political pledges, or words spoken on the witness stand. We expect the Lord to keep His promises, and He expects us to keep ours. Truth is the cement that holds society together.  Truth is the way to eternal life!  Jesus is the Way! 

Relationships bring responsibilities, so to rush into unwise commitments is to incur penalties and consequences that are costly.

“Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost.” Proverbs 20:25

Lord,

Thank you for Your Word and the lessons you teach us for living life here in preparation for there with you for eternity.  Thank you for making the vow to forgive us, removing our sins forever. Thank you for your vow to never leave us but to always be with us.  Thank you for your faithfulness to us even when we were less than faithful to you. Thank you for loving us relentlessly and unconditionally.  Thank you for Life!  Thank you for help in troubles and peace in the storms that secure our trust in you.  Thank for being our strong foundation to stand on always. I trust you, dear Jesus.  I love you with all my heart, mind, and soul.  I’m yours and I’m listening.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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TIME OUT FOR REDEMPTION, RELATIONSHIP AND TRUE WORSHIP

Posted on February 28, 2025 by randscallawayffm

The appointed festivals outlined by God for the Israelites included a certain day of atonement as commanded by God. Do you, like me, wonder why God gave all these days with specific ways to celebrate them as it seems a bit excessive?  However, when  we look at church calendars today, we will soon realize that there are might be even more days fill with all kinds of activities meant to bring focus to God and repentance for sins in Jesus Name.  So, we must not get bogged down in all the details that God commanded the Israelites to do; but instead take time to evaluate all the activities on any given church calendar to ask ourselves as church leaders:

Why do we do what we do?

What is the purpose of each gathering—from large group to small groups? 

Does everything we do helpful to bring others to salvation in Jesus and bring absolute glory to God?

What is the motivation of our hearts?

Do we ask God to bless our plans or ask God for the plan?  Do we ask God want He wants?

Do we pause to listen for His leading to fulfill His will as a “sacred assembly” in His Name?

Are we truly a “pleasing aroma” in our daily activity of giving ourselves to God as an offering? 

In this act of obedience do we seek His agenda and follow His perfect and pleasing will for us? (Romans 12:1-2)

Our hearts must be right with God before doing anything for God.  God sees our hearts and knows our minds.  He sees the motivation behind everything we do because He knows who we are.  Do we?

Numbers 29

The Festival of Trumpets

“‘On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets. 2 As an aroma pleasing to the Lord, offer a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. 3 With the bull offer a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil; with the ram, two-tenths; 4 and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. 5 Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. 6 These are in addition to the monthly and daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and drink offerings as specified. They are food offerings presented to the Lord, a pleasing aroma.

The Day of Atonement

7 “‘On the tenth day of this seventh month hold a sacred assembly. You must deny yourselves and do no work. 8 Present as an aroma pleasing to the Lord a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. 9 With the bull offer a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; 10 and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. 11 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering for atonement and the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

The Festival of Tabernacles

12 “‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Celebrate a festival to the Lord for seven days. 13 Present as an aroma pleasing to the Lord a food offering consisting of a burnt offering of thirteen young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 14 With each of the thirteen bulls offer a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with each of the two rams, two-tenths; 15 and with each of the fourteen lambs, one-tenth. 16 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

17 “‘On the second day offer twelve young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 18 With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. 19 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

20 “‘On the third day offer eleven bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 21 With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. 22 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

23 “‘On the fourth day offer ten bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 24 With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. 25 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

26 “‘On the fifth day offer nine bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 27 With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. 28 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

29 “‘On the sixth day offer eight bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 30 With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. 31 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

32 “‘On the seventh day offer seven bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 33 With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. 34 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

35 “‘On the eighth day hold a closing special assembly and do no regular work. 36 Present as an aroma pleasing to the Lord a food offering consisting of a burnt offering of one bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. 37 With the bull, the ram and the lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. 38 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

39 “‘In addition to what you vow and your freewill offerings, offer these to the Lord at your appointed festivals: your burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings and fellowship offerings.’”

40 Moses told the Israelites all that the Lord commanded him.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God commanded the Israelites to remember him. To do this, he assigned daily, weekly, and monthly offerings, as well as five annual events: Passover, the Festival of Weeks, the Festival of Trumpets, the Festival of Tabernacles, and the Day of Atonement.  God wants his people to be thankful to him. We can honor him by giving regular offerings of all we are as well as all He has so graciously given to us to manage. This reminds us to keep God as the first priority in our lives.

The Priority of our Holy Relationship with God is Reflected in our daily Response to God!

May our first thought in the morning be the love of God.  May the first thing that flows from our hearts and over our lips be grateful praise. When we focus on God and count our blessings before falling asleep at night; it is more likely we will wake up to God’s calling, “Come be with Me.”  Be still before God doing anything of significance.  Jesus demonstrated this “how to” regularly.

It takes time and effort to grow in our relationship with God but worth every minute we spend into building this holy and healthy relationship. We must remember that our relationship begins and continues with repenting in Jesus Name. It is Jesus who removed our sins and tore down all barriers between God and humanity.  Jesus is the Way to God.  There is no other way.  That is why God wants to remember the sacrifice of His Son who saved us and brought us into relationship with Him.  Never forget all that Jesus willingly did to save us!  Always remember and live redeemed!

In what ways do we make God our daily priority? Think about the joy we have received from our growing friendship with the Lord. We must pause to surrender and decide how our daily worship needs to change to encourage a deeper and more joyful relationship with Him. I know from personal experience that this “work” is monumental, beneficial and foundation to real love and true faith in our Lord who loved us so much He died in our place to have this relationship with us!

Lord,

I offer my life to you as an offering. Cleanse my heart. Remove all that is impure.  Renew my mind. Remove all that is unholy thinking.  Refresh my soul with your new mercies fresh each morning.  Restore the joy of your salvation at work within me.  May Your Holy Spirit guide me all day long and into the night.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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