Tuesday, 2/24/2014

“Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

NUMBERS 11-10

The people grow tired of eating manna and begin to gripe and complain, so God floods the camp with quail.  Then Aaron and Miriam begin to question why Moses is the only one who can speak with God. God silences them as he affirms that he has chosen Moses and they are not to question. God then directs Moses to send several men from each tribe into the promised land to scout.  They come back with a great report on the land but with a dire report on the challenge that faces them.

30Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”31But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

MARK 5:21-43

One of the leaders of the synagogue comes to Jesus because his daughter is sick, Jesus agrees to come with him to his home.  On the way a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years fought through the crowd and touched Jesus.  Immediately she was healed and Jesus knew that power had left him so he searched through the crowd to find the woman...the terrified woman came to him and fell at his feet.

34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”35While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36Overhearing^c what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

 38When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

JOURNAL

There are certain things about humans that have never changed. First we grow bored and always long for something better than we have. Second, we tend to look for the easy way out and get very discouraged when we know the road is going to be hard. Third, when desperate we will forsake social rules and taboos in order to get what we want and need. 

I know this shows up in my own heart and life every day.  The desire to find a better, easier way and the fact that when it comes to the things that are truly important to me...societies opinion really doesn't matter.  What is fascinating is that these core desires are what lead us to truth and to God.  God is the answer to all of these, it's just that I often don't understand how...and then I fail to really trust the answer.

1Do not fret because of those who are evil

or be envious of those who do wrong;

2for like the grass they will soon wither,

like green plants they will soon die away.

3Trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4Take delight in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37;1-4)