During a devotional time on Friday morning, I was talking about a scene in Andy Andrews' book, The Traveler's Gift, in which Andrews paints (with words) a scene of a vast storehouse in heaven. The main character is being led through a storehouse filled with beautiful things like inventions that would make human life better, including cures for all kinds of diseases (cancer, Alzheimer's, etc.). The question is asked, "What is all this stuff?" The angel answers, "These are the things that were never invented or never developed, because the person who was assigned that task missed their chance to change the world for the better." Sometimes blessings are happening all around us, and we miss them!
WOW, what a thought! What if each of us could do something that would make life and the world better for everyone, but we missed our chance? Here is where I want us/you/me to ponder our part in this! How could we miss such an important thing? Here are a few lessons from the experience of Hebrews travelling from Egypt to Caanan.
1. Busyness - We get busy and think our little task is more important than what is happening right beside us. We might not see, or care, about the connections God is trying to make. In the Pentateuch, God is binding His people together with a braided cord of 3 strands (Eccl. 4:12) ... the individual, the community, the Lord (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
2. Fear - I wonder if people let fear overcome them to the point they freeze up and fail God? We fear what people will say, so we avoid the altar. We fear a response, so we either walk on eggshells or respond with bluster to show our false "lack of fear" (and we miss that 'truth in love' thing God calls us to show). We see the magnitude of the task and say what the spies did in Numbers 13 ... "there are giants in the land, and we are like grasshoppers!" All of these things have a common denominator. They all rely on the power of self rather than the power of God. So we continue in the wilderness of fear!
3. Being 'Chippy' - God, speaking to Moses said, "these people are stiff-necked (referring to bickering, being prideful, being rebellious, being "difficult). In Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (of the Old Testament) the #1 thing stopping the people wasn't the enemies they encountered along the way. It was THEM! Moses had more than one conversation with God about God's anger with the people. God was NOT amused! I saw a sign in a restaurant that said, "If you are difficult, demanding, or rude, you will be charged an extra $10." God clearly notices this behavior, and God clearly doesn't like this behavior.
Part of the reason the people wandered in the desert for 40 years is that they didn't trust God enough to follow in faith. They missed multiple chances to receive God's blessings.
How do we keep from missing the chances God gives us? We trust God more than bickering, busyness, and fear! We rely on Him, not self! We always have 2 choices. We can choose to see, observe, notice, and buy into what God is doing. Or, we can lean on our own understanding, failing to trust God or the people God has placed to complete His work. We can do this! And, we can do this well!
One last comment from that devotional. When I had finished with my story, Nicey Eller was going to pray. She had selected a book (without any conversation with me) as her lead-in to prayer time. It was The Boy Who Changed The World by Andy Andrews! I asked, "Did you see that, or did you miss it?" Most didn't recognize that God's Spirit had connected my story with Nicey's prayer. Maybe they were focused on what they had to do. Maybe they were fearful of the wave of children about to enter the door. It's how we miss God's plan, God's blessings, and God's work through our coworkers and us.
I challenge each of us to see, hear, taste, listen, smell, and touch God today. Let's become experts at these things, rather than being skilled at missing God's things! God is not silent... we are sometimes not good listeners. Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!
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